I do believe it is time for a book review...

Let's go with something a lot of people have seen, yet few have actually taken the time to read >evils<:

Whale Rider
Witi Ihimaera

Now, I don't believe I'll be ruining the plot of the story if I were to go into detail, however, there is a likelihood that SOMEONE doesn't know what I'm talking about.

A girl is born to the whanau of the chief, breaking tradition of the male hereditory status. Because her Grandfather sees her as being of little worth, her Mother and Father are allowed to take her to live with her maternal side of the family. After the Mother's death and the Father's return to the iwi, there is more interaction between Kahu and her Koro. He (the Koro) becomes obsessed with finding the next generation's leader of the tribe and ignores his grandchild's obvious skill in this area. Long story short: GIRL POWER!! and redemption.

So, Whale Rider (the book) is cunningly similar to Whale Rider (the movie), funny that... Where it differs, and actually makes it worthwhile reading, is the narrator.

Told from the perspective of (Uncle) Rawiri, the story of the saviour of the iwi, Kahu (see, the name was changed for the movie, which was originally the character's middle name, Paikea >aha! now you know<) is only one character of many in a story more about an iwi and a way of life than just one (or two) people.Whale rider is interspersed with segments from the whale's point of view and follows Rawiri in his own search for identity and worth along with addressing the deeper issues that face Maori culture in these modern times.

It's obvious that I have done something that is frowned upon (compared a movie to a text as a review >naughty me<) However, I believe it important in order to make my recommendation:

Don't just watch the movie, read the book as well! Do it before, do it after, or if you're skilled: do it at the same time. Any which way: just do it!! In this case, the book offers a refreshing intake into the story, with more insight into the actions of the characters and more of an explanation of the way the tribe works. It's an engaging story made even more so with the ease in which it is to read.

Ihimaera, W (2003). Whale Rider. Reed: Auckland, New Zealand.