Review of The Whaler's Daughter

[Destiny-Ann Duncan]

[Following is a volunteer review of "The Whaler's Daughter" by Jerry Mikorenda.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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I thoroughly enjoyed The Whaler’s Daughter by Jerry Mikorenda. This book follows an inspiring young girl who wants nothing more than to follow her spirit and find where she belongs in her family’s legacy. The story taps into the heart of Australia and introduces the readers to a culture that isn’t widely known and isn’t mentioned much in educational materials. For all the books I’ve read, I don’t think I’ve ever come across a book that includes Aboriginal culture and I was impressed with how seamlessly the author tied it in.

I liked the sudden twist in the plot towards the end of the book. Any avid reader knows a twist is included in a story, but that was not one I was expecting. I liked the character development in the two main girls, specifically the main character. There was a definitive growth from the person she started out as in the story and who she ended as. I also enjoyed the organic relationship the characters built with the whales despite the personal history that some of them had with the whales.

There wasn’t much that I didn’t like about this book. I would have liked a little more details about the rest of the main character’s family. Towards the end of the book they seemed to lose the importance they carried in the beginning chapters. I would have also liked a little more banter between the two main girls, but I don’t feel like that’s a necessary improvement.

I would rate this book four out of four stars. This book gave me everything I could have wanted out of a young adult novel. I could easily see this being picked for a yearly state reading list for schools. The themes, morals, development throughout the story are all well thought out and edited.

I would recommend this book for middle school aged readers. This would be a good book to read individually or as a book study in a reading class in school. There are a number of enrichment activities that could go along with this book.

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The Whaler's Daughter
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