Whale Season

I had to read this book for book club and was dreading it. It looked cheesy and didn't sound like anything I would enjoy. I was wrong. Once I started it, I was so amused and laughed out loud many times. I was also touched by the sweetness of it in parts. This would make a great summer vacation read for anyone just looking for a good story.

My favorite aspect of this book was the strange array of character personel that Kelby created. I was immensely compelled to read to the end of this book just to see the interacting of Jesus and Jimmy Ray, a character bond that made this book intensely worthwhile. This is a great book for anyone. I loved it.

A nifty little novel, very different from her other work. It's clever, witty, and charming and will delight any reader who's been itching for a new Robbins novel. Tom may be taking his time but Ms. Kelby will help tide you over.

Chapter One starts out with a guffaw and you really don't stop laughing til you wipe a wry tear from your eye on the final page. Nicole Kelby's sense of humor isn't for everyone, but if you enjoy Christopher Moore, Terry Pratchett, or Jasper Fforde, you will probably love "Whale Season" as well. Whale Season is the name of a town in FL that isn't visited by whales. The people who named the town did so to create a tourist trap, one of the first in the nation. But, fueled by enough beer and an inventive tourist guide, tourists have seen whales. It's Christmas Eve and most of the town is at the local bar drinking peppermint schnapps. The town Sheriff, Trot Jeeter, is falling in love with his best friend's girl. That's nothing new, he's still carrying a torch for Leon's ex-wife, Dagmar. Leon, the aforementioned best friend is playing poker at his RV dealership with Jesus--or at least a very good facsimile thereof. The dealership is on the line because Jesus is betting the American Dream. That's an RV, by the way about $250,000 worth with gas mileage you can count on one hand. Fleetwood quit making the behemoth moving mansions about a year ago, but "The American Dream" totally fits the way out humor in "Whale Season." The novel's irreverant on the surface but the deeper message of faith and belief shines through. "Whale Season" is not only worth reading, but keeping and dusting off for those occasions when you need a trip to somewhere where the sunset is pink as Pepto Bismol and the laughter as available as Florida sunshine.

I love this book. Nicole Kelby is a marvelous writer. Anybody who's read Theater of the Stars will respect her ability to blend seamlessly the truth of research with the craft of fiction, while not neglecting her very human characters. Anybody who's read her first bright little gem of a novel, In the Company of Angels, will see how brilliantly, economically and affectingly her writing cuts to the heart of a matter. Well. In Whale Season, she does it all--and she also indulges her marvelous, loopy sense of humor. The result is something rare: a novel with fascinating characters, a real storyline, a touch of mystery, a superb sense of place, a sneaky depth and relevance--all this, and the book is genuinely funny. Read it for the craft, the story, the characters, the humanity, the laughs. Whatever. Just...read it. Susan O'Neill Author, Don't Mean Nothing: Short Stories of Viet Nam