The Whale Rider

3.5

Bit of a shame that the plot never quite lives up to the gorgeous writing style it inhibits. While it's a good reflection on the intersection between traditional gender roles and culture, the story and characters themselves often feel one-note. Unlike the film, which is most often through the perspective of Kahu/Paikea, there's an even focus on the other members of her family. While this broader focus could make for a more nuanced portrayal of the subject matter, and does in some ways, the decision to focus on Rawiri's life feels oddly unearned. As well as the strange lack of insight into Kahu's perspective, into what she truly wants. I suppose there's some merit to that, with how her family often overlooks her skills due to her gender, but it leads to her character feeling shallow at the same time. Feels like this could have been a much stronger novel with some structural fixes, but it's not bad in this case.

Funnily enough, I think this shines whenever whales are present. From the sweeping, almost poetic renditions of The Whale Rider's legend to the harrowing scenes with the beached whales (the first of which genuinely upset me, btw - perhaps the only part of the book to actually hit me on an emotional level). Overall, I think this is quite great, yet its a bit of a shame how lacklustre some parts are when contrasted with the novel's strengths.