From School Library Journal
Grade 6-10–A gripping story wrapped around the theme that there is no glory in whaling. Desperately wanting to follow in the footsteps of their late father, the captain of a whaler, Dexter and Nick leave behind their easy life with their aunt in New Bedford and sign aboard the
Sea Hawk as soon as Nick turns 15. However, Nick soon discovers that he hates everything about the job–the captain, the crew, the harsh punishments, the danger, and the killing and processing of whales. The only bright spots are the rare sightings of the captain's daughter, and he knows better than to even look at her directly for the fear of dire repercussions, and being with his brother. Nick's experiences include an attempted desertion, sailing through the ice-filled waters of the Arctic, a shipwreck, and a struggle to survive the winter. The novel will educate as well as entertain, as there is a lot of adventure intertwined with the accurate descriptions of shipboard life, survival in a hostile environment, and the Native people who eventually rescue the castaways. The main characters, and some of the lesser ones, are well developed and readers come to care about their fate. In addition to being a good seafaring yarn, this title could be used as parallel reading about the history of 19th-century New England and whaling. An extensive glossary of whaling and nautical terms, a lengthy bibliography, and a historical note are appended.
–Nancy P. Reeder, Heathwood Hall Episcopal School, Columbia, SC Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Gr. 4-7. The first in Torrey's new Chronicle of Courage series of seafaring adventures, this richly detailed novel centers on Nick, a 15-year-old who signs a contract to "go a'whalin'" in 1851. Although he quickly discovers that he is better at carving scrimshaw than whaling, he is stuck--first figuratively, after his desertion attempt fails, and then literally, when he finds himself icebound in the Arctic. Readers are likely to find the burgeoning subplots, including an improbable romance with the captain's daughter, less engaging than the unblinking descriptions of whaling's more gruesome aspects and the Shackleton-esque survival story. Copious back matter, including a note about whaling history, a glossary, and a nine-page bibliography, attests to Torrey's command of her subject, but it does curiously little to eliminate the confusion that may arise from a faux-Victorian "introduction," which suggests that Nick really existed. Give this to kids who liked Nathaniel Philbrick's
Revenge of the Whale (2002)--with which it has a similar cover image--but be prepared for questions about the story's historical underpinnings.
Jennifer MattsonCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
