Review of White Gladis
3 posts
[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "White Gladis" by Tom Wheeler.]
What if the sea creatures could fight back, destroying ships and fighting to protect themselves? How would this play out? Could they unite despite their differences and the fact that some are predators and others prey? White Gladis: Gladiator of the Sea, a thriller, by Tom Wheeler opens with the reader getting introduced to a young Halldór Hvalur and his father in 1983 aboard a whaler. Hvalur hates school, but he enjoys outdoor activities, including being in the ocean. On this day, they are following a group of whales they think includes a calf; they could earn some bounty money for spotting young orcas and probably catch the adult ones for themselves. Before long, White Gladis, a young orca, witnesses her brother Tilikum being captured; her granny had been caught and was now dead, too. Hope, her mother, in a final act, saved her daughter; unfortunately, Gladis is now alone, with her pod gone.
Amidst this dark cloud of loss, leading to unimaginable loneliness for one used to her family, she meets Selden, an orca, just when a shark was about to kill her. Selden had been with pilot whales for three years, and Gladis decides to join them; living alone would be suicide. Elsewhere, Captain Kalani Makaha, whose father is an activist, is against the strategies he and the others are using in their anti-whaling campaign. When she loses her job owing to a decision she took as a ship captain, it appears all is lost, temporarily. Captain Kalani was unsure of what she wanted to do, but after an interview, when she received a call from Anderson of the Whaling Defense Organization, she demonstrated that she was ready to stand by her principles. She had received the job as the captain of the Cazador, and her friends, Tomie and Moana, would be joining her. Captain Halldór Hvalur had also made the killing of White Gladis his main goal and purpose. On the other hand, White Gladis had finally identified the weakness in ships, and this was transmitted to the other whales; even dolphins had joined this fight for survival. A war was just starting.
The book is packed with vivid descriptions, which enrich the reading experience. Concerning the plot itself, the author included an introduction that presents two theories why orcas attack boats, serving as a suitable premise for what the plot is about. Consequently, nothing sounds far-fetched. The realism in the story is also palpable. While surfing at the beach, Kalani and Tomie encounter tumultuous waves that scare the reader, as one cannot predict what will happen; Kalani still remembers a previous accident. Equally, the incident involving Captain Halldór and his crew aboard their commercial fishing vessel, the Peter Pan, was also scary. The whales were hellbent on saving a calf, Echo, and the captain of the Peter Pan, driven by greed, could not be dissuaded from pursuing his aim.
The most remarkable feature of White Gladis: Gladiator of the Sea is how Tom Wheeler managed to make an otherwise ordinary story into an enthralling, gripping tale. When I picked up the book, it was out of curiosity, as I was unsure how an orca would drive such a story. Eventually, the author blends every element seamlessly, and one will be amazed how three stories that would have taken different trajectories become one; White Gladis grows, and Captain Kalani, ultimately, focuses on a purpose higher than anything else before. What's more, Captain Halldór Hvalur Jr., whose role I initially found difficult to see how it would fit into the story, sees his actions emerging as one of the critical elements. The rest of the story is as informative as it is entertaining. Beyond the thrill, there are lessons to be learned. For instance, Phish, another character in the book, demonstrates that truth is costly, but it is worth every price paid. One will also learn about the power of kindness and much more.
Overall, I disliked nothing about the book, and the minor errors I encountered were not sufficient to cause me to deduct a star. Accordingly, owing to the extraordinary tale and the exceptional world-building and narration, I rate White Gladis: Gladiator of the Seafive out of five stars. I would recommend another round of editing, although I am uncertain whether these errors are in other versions of the book, as I read the EPUB copy.
******
White Gladis
View: on Bookshelves |
What if the sea creatures could fight back, destroying ships and fighting to protect themselves? How would this play out? Could they unite despite their differences and the fact that some are predators and others prey? White Gladis: Gladiator of the Sea, a thriller, by Tom Wheeler opens with the reader getting introduced to a young Halldór Hvalur and his father in 1983 aboard a whaler. Hvalur hates school, but he enjoys outdoor activities, including being in the ocean. On this day, they are following a group of whales they think includes a calf; they could earn some bounty money for spotting young orcas and probably catch the adult ones for themselves. Before long, White Gladis, a young orca, witnesses her brother Tilikum being captured; her granny had been caught and was now dead, too. Hope, her mother, in a final act, saved her daughter; unfortunately, Gladis is now alone, with her pod gone.
Amidst this dark cloud of loss, leading to unimaginable loneliness for one used to her family, she meets Selden, an orca, just when a shark was about to kill her. Selden had been with pilot whales for three years, and Gladis decides to join them; living alone would be suicide. Elsewhere, Captain Kalani Makaha, whose father is an activist, is against the strategies he and the others are using in their anti-whaling campaign. When she loses her job owing to a decision she took as a ship captain, it appears all is lost, temporarily. Captain Kalani was unsure of what she wanted to do, but after an interview, when she received a call from Anderson of the Whaling Defense Organization, she demonstrated that she was ready to stand by her principles. She had received the job as the captain of the Cazador, and her friends, Tomie and Moana, would be joining her. Captain Halldór Hvalur had also made the killing of White Gladis his main goal and purpose. On the other hand, White Gladis had finally identified the weakness in ships, and this was transmitted to the other whales; even dolphins had joined this fight for survival. A war was just starting.
The book is packed with vivid descriptions, which enrich the reading experience. Concerning the plot itself, the author included an introduction that presents two theories why orcas attack boats, serving as a suitable premise for what the plot is about. Consequently, nothing sounds far-fetched. The realism in the story is also palpable. While surfing at the beach, Kalani and Tomie encounter tumultuous waves that scare the reader, as one cannot predict what will happen; Kalani still remembers a previous accident. Equally, the incident involving Captain Halldór and his crew aboard their commercial fishing vessel, the Peter Pan, was also scary. The whales were hellbent on saving a calf, Echo, and the captain of the Peter Pan, driven by greed, could not be dissuaded from pursuing his aim.
The most remarkable feature of White Gladis: Gladiator of the Sea is how Tom Wheeler managed to make an otherwise ordinary story into an enthralling, gripping tale. When I picked up the book, it was out of curiosity, as I was unsure how an orca would drive such a story. Eventually, the author blends every element seamlessly, and one will be amazed how three stories that would have taken different trajectories become one; White Gladis grows, and Captain Kalani, ultimately, focuses on a purpose higher than anything else before. What's more, Captain Halldór Hvalur Jr., whose role I initially found difficult to see how it would fit into the story, sees his actions emerging as one of the critical elements. The rest of the story is as informative as it is entertaining. Beyond the thrill, there are lessons to be learned. For instance, Phish, another character in the book, demonstrates that truth is costly, but it is worth every price paid. One will also learn about the power of kindness and much more.
Overall, I disliked nothing about the book, and the minor errors I encountered were not sufficient to cause me to deduct a star. Accordingly, owing to the extraordinary tale and the exceptional world-building and narration, I rate White Gladis: Gladiator of the Seafive out of five stars. I would recommend another round of editing, although I am uncertain whether these errors are in other versions of the book, as I read the EPUB copy.
******
White Gladis
View: on Bookshelves |
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