Happy Monday! So, it's been a while since I've done a review for the blog, so I decided maybe it was time that I remedied that. While it's not a Christmas or holiday tale, the story I decided to review is one that is humorous, fun, and lighthearted; all things that a holiday should be. The story we're going to take a look at today is "Gay Whales" by Graeme. Hopefully if you decide to take a look at it, you'll enjoy it as much as I did!

Reviewer: Renee Stevens
Status: Complete
Word Count: 2,369

First off, I have to say that Graeme is a very talented author, and he doesn’t disappoint with this short story. Many people might overlook this gem because of the title, but it is a little misleading. Don’t get me wrong, gay whales do play a part, but they are not the whole of the story.

This story is centered around a group of friends, one of whom is Melanie. She is an environmental activist who holds meetings with her friends in an attempt to get them onboard with whatever her latest project is. The scene for the story is set during one such meeting in which another of the friends, Greg, jokingly asks if the meeting is to discuss ”Equal rights for unmarried, pregnant, aboriginal, gay whales”.

For once, the meeting isn’t about what Melanie sees as an environment catastrophe, it is something that hits much closer to home. She's focused, instead, on the happiness of one of their best friends, Scott, who just happens to be absent from the meeting. Scott is a shy guy who has been obsessing over a local footballer, and the group of friends are determined to bring Scott and the object of his affection together.

I don’t want to ruin the story for you; you’ll have to read to find out if the friends are successful in their plot to bring Scott and his crush, Dean, together. If you haven’t yet read anything by Graeme, then this would be a good story for you to start with. It’s short and has good flow. Graeme catches your attention early on and holds it throughout the story.

I mean, how could he fail with a catchphrase such as “unmarried, pregnant, aboriginal, gay whales”?