Audiobook Review: Bluefish by Pat Schmatz

Bluefish by Pat Schmatz
Narrated by Luke Daniels and Kate Rudd
Published by Candlewick Press
Audiobook Length: 5 Hours
Pages: 240
Ages: 12 and up.
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Publishers Summary:

Travis is missing his old home in the country, and he’s missing his old hound, Rosco. Now there’s just the cramped place he shares with his well-meaning but alcoholic grandpa, a new school, and the dreaded routine of passing when he’s called on to read out loud. But that’s before Travis meets Mr. McQueen, who doesn’t take “pass” for an answer–a rare teacher whose savvy persistence has Travis slowly unlocking a book on the natural world. And it’s before Travis is noticed by Velveeta, a girl whose wry banter and colorful scarves belie some hard secrets of her own. With sympathy, humor, and disarming honesty, Pat Schmatz brings to life a cast of utterly believable characters–and captures the moments of trust and connection that make all the difference.
Thirteen-year-old Travis has a secret: he can’t read. But a shrewd teacher and a sassy girl are about to change everything in this witty and deeply moving novel.

Having just moved from the only home he’s known Travis is completely alone. His Grandfather, a recent recovering alcoholic, is less than helpful when it comes to the search for his missing dog Rosco and additionally he’s trying to tackle a new school. What complicates everything is the fact that Travis cannot read. Having lost his parents at a young age Travis’ only true companion has been his dog Rosco, but now that he’s lost Travis has no where to turn when his life and reading troubles gather around him threatening to suffocate him. In the midst of all this though is a girl, Velveeta, and a kind intelligent teacher who may just be able to pull Travis up and onto his feet.

There are times when reviewing a book that words flow out easily and quickly, but other times when a book means so much more and the words come more slowly. This is one of those times. Bluefish by Pat Schmatz was more than a joy to listen to it was a book that continues to unfold as the days go by since I finished it. Even now as I ponder the many layers of the novel I discover more and more to love. Not only did I adore the narration of the audiobook, but I was also captivated by both Travis and Velveeta’s characters. Both of these damaged teens lived a life full of courage and hope despite their current predicaments and each had me in tears at different moments throughout the novel. Bluefish was truly one of those rare books I’ll be thinking about for weeks from my last read through or in this case listening.

First of all, let me mention the narration…spectacular! Luke Daniels narrates the main portions of the book with Kate Rudd narrating the portions of the book that are from Velveeta’s letters. Being that the book was primarily told from the perspective of a boy, Travis, Luke’s narration flowed easily and his jumps to other characters like Whistler (a younger male) and Travis’ teacher were seamless. In the rare ocassion that Luke had to narrate Velveeta’s character during dialogue it also seemed to continue without much effort. Kate Rudd did an excellent job of portraying Velveeta, who’s witty fast-paced dialogue I would think would leave most narrators running for the hills. Overall, I couldn’t imagine a better team than Luke Daniels and Kate Rudd for this excellent read!

As for the book itself, Bluefish is filled with a number of layers. One of which is the nod to One Fist Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish by Dr. Seuss. Interestingly enough, the Dr. Seuss book is a book that many young readers use to begin reading and applying their knowledge of the alphabet and Bluefish is centered around a teen boy, Travis, who cannot read. For a number of reasons, including this, Travis dislikes the term Bluefish and the nickname he’s had since early in his youth. It’s only through his new friendships that Travis comes to see that there’s more to “Bluefish” than he previously thought and I love that!

Beyond the aspects of literacy what was most appealing to myself personally were the themes of hope and the ability to cope with grief. Both Travis and Velveeta deal with a great deal of loss within the pages of Bluefish and both come from homes where they are mostly left to care for themselves with little to no adult supervision. As both progress through their friendship and within the pages of the book it was beautiful to see how they each changed and learned to support one another through their losses. Making it one of the reads I’d instantly recommend to someone dealing with a loss of some sort because it doesn’t only provide hope, but it shares a wonderfully powerful story friendship.

Permeated by themes of hope, loss, literacy and friendship Bluefish by Pat Schmatz continues to unravel itself as I ponder it’s meanings and has proven to be a book I’ll treasure for quite some time to come. Travis’ losses and inadequacies were insurmountable to him alone, but through the help of his friend Velveeta he’s able to move forward by finding a common ground and someone to lean on. Both Luke Daniels and Kate Rudd were expertly chosen for the narration of Bluefish and I’d eagerly pick up another audiobook by either narrator. Bluefish by Pat Schmatz was a story that I thoroughly enjoyed and the more time that passes the more I appreciate the finer details of this wonderfully written book.

The1stdaughter Recommends: Ages 10 and up. Grief, loss, friendship, hope and literacy are only a few of the themes touched on within this brilliant book. An especially perfect read for fans of Dr.Seuss as well as The Book Thief.

Find the Audiobook of Bluefish by Pat Schmatz at the following spots:
Amazon | Audible | Barnes & Noble | Powell’s Books | Indiebound | Book Depository | Goodreads

Find the Hardcover of Bluefish by Pat Schmatz at the following spots:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Powell’s Books | Indiebound | Book Depository | Goodreads

This review is offered as part of Audiobook Week hosted by Devourer of Books!

Thank you so much to the publisher, Candlewick Press, for providing a copy of this book for review! Connect with them on Twitter, Google+ and on Facebook!
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