Through reading Whale Talk by Chris Crutcher it quickly became evident that traumatic events and loss of life are an important part of both the storyline and the character’s lives. After T.J. leads his team to State Championships and helps them earn their letter jackets, the story starts to unwind and come to a close. No longer bogged down by time consuming swim practices, T.J. decides to get together a team for the annual basketball tournament. His team consists of a few swimmers and his father, John Paul. As the tournament progresses, T.j.’s team beats Rich Marshall’s in the championship round. Humiliated by his loss and the presence of Heidi in the audience, Rich aims his gun at her and shoots. John Paul instinctively jumps in front of the