Reviews

The Wolf in the Whale by Jordanna Max Brodsky

hjswinford's review against another edition

4.0

My rating for this book hovers somewhere between 4/4.5. I loved lots of stuff about it. I loved the complex relationship between Omat and Kiasik. I loved the journey of self-discovery. I loved the meshing of different mythologies and the discussion of belief creating existence. I loved the wolfdogs (*sobs in a corner*). I also really liked that Omat's journey was not a linear one. They had ups and downs, over and again, and their journey toward the stance, "I am no longer scared of being a woman--it doesn't make me any less a man. I am both. I am neither. I am only myself."

However, there were also times that I felt the pacing was off. There were times where the overarching narrative felt a little lost. The writing itself was rather simple, which isn't a point against the book really, but I love to be swept up in beautiful writing, and that was not a strong point of this book.

Overall, I was very invested in Omat's story and in theirs and Brandr's relationship. I enjoyed almost every moment of this book.

whattamess's review against another edition

5.0

It's only January and I already know this is my favorite read of 2019. The Wolf In The Whale is a story that will stay with me.

A beautiful, vivid tale of two cultures inevitably bound to collide. An Inuit story of how one tribe survives at the edge of the world and Norsemen out to conquer and discover new lands.

I cannot just walk away from such an awe inspiring novel. Long after the pages stopped turning I still find myself seeking documentaries and movies about these beautiful people and their cultures. I sought out to learn more of the Viking history. I have come to hold a deep respect for Jordanna Max Brodsky for not only her extensive research but how she brought her knowledge together to bring us this fictitious tale that felt so true and real.

Thank you, Jordanna Max Brodsky. For this masterpiece. I wish so much my father was still alive. He would have loved this novel.

I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book, so I could give an honest review.

schess's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

evenhart1993's review against another edition

adventurous emotional inspiring tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

mebius's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

mimlleigh's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

I really liked learning about the Inuit people, and I loved the interaction between Inuit and Norse gods.

My favorite part was when either Frigg or Freya referred to Christ as something close to “that womanless and sexless god”.

The book took a little while for me to get into. The beginning seemed my drag on. Also the love story between Omat and Brandr wasn’t developed enough. I had a hard time believing it.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Rape and War

maryh's review

4.75

It was an amazing read. The writing was beautiful and I like how the heavy stuffs were handled in the book.
  I don’t know what, but something bugged me in the second half of the book. Regardless, the story itself was beautiful and hopeful.

mel_jade's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

crystaldg7's review against another edition

2.0

The miss gendering, transphobia, and misogyny for the sake of having internalized patriarchal norms in a person whom lived in the far north around 1000 AD really did not sit well with me. Also what is the point in having physical violence done to the characters if they were just going to get over it so quickly? The author handled trauma terribly. Also the mixture of Inuit and Norse myths/gods and their place in this story was just awkward at best. I was excite for a Northern Canadian natives and Vikings tale but I found that the characters were very hard to like. One character puts down women however also refers to themself as a women at serval points in the narrative. The other main character (spoiler) is a serial rapist. Honestly I found myself rolling my eyes more then once while reading. This story had so much potential, why tell it like this? Why

stargaze's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0