Fins: A Sharks Incorporated Novel

Sharks Incorporated #1

by Randy Wayne White

From Randy Wayne White, the New York Times bestselling author of the Doc Ford series for adults, comes Fins, a high-stakes, masterfully plotted story of courage, friendship…and sharks!The world’s shark population is in trouble for a sad, simple shark fin soup. And although it’s illegal, poachers have been targeting Florida’s biannual migration of blacktip sharks. Marine biologist Doc Ford needs some assistance protecting the sharks and enlists the help of three kids—Luke, Maribel and Sabina. Luke is brand-new to Florida from the Midwest; sisters Maribel and Sabina have only recently arrived from Cuba—and all three feel like fish out of water. It’s going to take some convincing for them to work as a team and to recognize in themselves the courage, wisdom and tenacity that Doc sees in them.Together they form Sharks, Inc. and are given an important to set out each day on their small fishing boat in hopes of tagging sharks for Doc’s research—and to stay away—far away—from any possible poachers in the area. The trio certainly isn’t looking for trouble, but when they come face to face with danger, survival requires them to rely on each of their own unique gifts, and especially on one another.

Genres: Middle Grade, Mystery, Fiction, Adventure, Young Adult, Animals, Childrens

332 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 31, 2020

About the author

aka Carl Ramm, Randy Striker

Randy Wayne White (born 1950) is an American writer of crime fiction and non-fiction adventure tales. He has written best-selling novels and has received awards for his fiction and a television documentary. He is best known for his series of crime novels featuring the retired NSA agent Doc Ford, a marine biologist living on the Gulf Coast of southern Florida. White has contributed material on a variety of topics to numerous magazines and has lectured across the United States. A resident of Southwest Florida since 1972, he currently lives on Pine Island, Florida, where he is active in South Florida civic affairs and with the restaurant Doc Ford's Sanibel Rum Bar & Grill on nearby Sanibel Island.

Series:
* Doc Ford Mystery

Reviews

[Josiah · Rating 2 out of 5]

2020 marked the thirtieth anniversary of Randy Wayne White's Doc Ford mystery novels, and he celebrated by launching a new spinoff, this time for young readers. Fins features three kids apprenticing as marine biology researchers under the sure-handed Marion "Doc" Ford. Lucas (Luke) O. Jones, a sixth-grader, was never comfortable at home in Ohio once his mother died. He may not be the brightest kid, but he tries to act with dignity, and his stepfather has no patience for him. After Luke's latest mishap on the family farm, he's sent to stay with his grandfather in Florida, but things change when Luke is struck by lightning. He's lucky to survive, but the lightning alters his neurochemistry in ways he has yet to recognize. Luke is healthy enough to apply for a job at nearby Sanibel Island with Doc Ford, a friend of Luke's aunt, Hannah Smith. Luke will be working beside two other apprentices, ten-year-old Sabina Estéban and her thirteen-year-old sister Maribel, Cuban immigrants who need the money that Doc pays. Shy though he is, Luke is expected to quickly become a vital contributing member of this new "Sharks Incorporated" research team.

Tagging sharks to be tracked and studied is what it's all about, Doc explains as he shows his young crew the ins and outs of marine research. Not harming the sharks is imperative, which means applying the tag and releasing the shark back into the water in only a matter of minutes. These days, what has Doc most worried is the emergence of a local poaching network that captures blacktip sharks and slices off their fins to sell by the pound to restauranteurs who want shark fin soup on their menus. The number of dead, mutilated sharks around Sanibel Island is on the rise, but there's little that Doc can do to stop it aside from tagging individual sharks so they can be monitored.

Luke, Sabina, and Maribel, different as their personalities are, soon jell as a team. Within days they are competent at tagging sharks, and Doc allows them to occasionally sail without him. Luke is definitely experiencing changes related to the lightning strike: his eyesight and hearing are almost supernaturally sharp, and his memory is greatly enhanced. All of this makes him an asset to Sharks Incorporated, but it's Sabina's fierce, assertive attitude that puts the three kids directly in the path of the shark poachers. After Sabina stumbles upon their island hideout, her firsthand account of what she saw provides crucial details to the police, who have had no success chasing the poachers. Will the criminals try to silence Sabina before she can do more to hurt their business? Sabina has a weakness for drama and exaggeration, so the police and even Doc Ford hesitate to accept her report as gospel truth, but Luke's instincts tell him to believe her; a mild "sixth sense" is yet another side-effect of his lightning strike. With Doc seriously considering ending the Sharks Incorporated program, and the police skeptical about Sabina's claims, Luke and the Estéban sisters head out on Florida's coastal waters one last time. If they can find the poachers and prove that Sabina's story was accurate, they may yet save Sharks Incorporated, paving the way to rescue countless blacktip sharks. Do Luke, Sabina, and Maribel have the gumption to solve dangerous mysteries of the aquatic world as Doc Ford has done all these years? We shall see.

It's easy to tell that Fins is Randy Wayne White's first novel for kids. Fleshing out the young characters doesn't seem completely natural to him, and as a result the story can feel distant and bland. Even our ability to sympathize with the poor, ravaged sharks is muted, though it's gratifying to see Luke, Sabina, and Maribel stand toe to toe with the poachers and not give in to fear. Luke's independent mindset is established early in the story as he reflects on one of the last pieces of advice his mother gave: "Work hard, pay your own way, and you'll never owe anyone anything but kindness." It's obvious why he and Doc Ford get along, and why Luke makes a good team with Sabina and Maribel. These kids truly want to do their job well, and if they help capture the poachers, they'll have done more for endangered shark populations than most marine researchers ever accomplish. Comparing Randy Wayne White to another Florida conservation novelist, Carl Hiassen, is fair; both are beloved in their state, and crossed over into writing for kids after establishing themselves in the field of adult fiction. Fins could be a lot more exciting and evocative, but it's a decent middle-grade debut, and the concept for the Sharks Incorporated series has room to grow. I can see its potential to be a favorite literary franchise.

[Phil Jenkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great story. It may have been written for young adults, but I’m 62 years old and I loved it! I needed a good book that was adventurous but not too stressful while we all sit out this Covid-19 quarantine, and this book was just the thing. I’m a great fan of the Doc Ford and Hanna Smith mysterious, and both characters have small parts in this story. I’m very much looking forward to more books in this series and plan to get copies for the grandkids.

[Katja · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pissibly the worst written book I've read in years. No show, all tell, one dimensional characters that don't feel like real kids, with added cringeworthy decriptions. For example, the author substitutes the characters' names nearly always with "the boy" and "the girl", which I found super irritating.
Even the adult characters are flat and wooden. I ended up skimming the last third. And why White added the completely superfluous supernatural sixth sense element is beyond me.

Five stars for the very much needed eco theme, two for execution. If you want to learn more about Florida's ecosystem go and read Carl Hiaasen's YA books, they're amazing and Hiassen at least knows how to write well.

[Robyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

FINS: Shark, Inc.
Randy Wayne White

Middle school kids working with Doc Ford to try to save the endangered shark population. An evil poacher taking sharks for Fin Soup is bested by the Shark, Inc. kids.

I really enjoyed these books. I like that kids are involved and not helicoptered by parents. Luke, the farm boy teams up with Maribel and Savina to save the fish. These kids are brave and resourceful and able to take care of themselves within reason.

4 stars

Happy Reading!

[Roger Carlisle · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a little out of the ordinary for the other RWW books I have read, but still enjoyed it immensely. I am a huge fan of the Doc Ford series. He has also written books under the names of Carl Ramm and Jack Striker. A tremendous writer that I had the pleasure to meet and have my picture taken with, at Doc Fords Rum Bar and Grill, on Captiva Island.

[Katrina · Rating 5 out of 5]

perfect shark book for shark week !! 🦈 bonus points for main character’s name being luke

[Gary Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Randy Wayne White is the author of more than two dozen Florida-based thrillers featuring marine biologist Doc Ford, charter boat captain Hannah Smith, brain-fogged hippie Tomlinson, and other denizens of Dinkins Bay on Sanibel Island. As a fan of those books, I was intrigued to see how White would approach his first book for young readers, and Fins does not disappoint!

Luke is a shy twelve-year farm boy from Ohio who struggles with school-based learning but is expert with machinery, livestock, and baseball. When Luke’s mother dies, his stepfather sends him to Florida to live with his grandfather Arlis Futch (father of Hannah Smith). Luke’s 4-H projects have prepared him surprisingly well to understand boats and marine life, so when Hannah’s friend Doc Ford teaches Luke about tagging blacktip sharks, he is a quick learner. Along with sisters Maribel and Sabina, recent Cuban refugee immigrants, Sharks Incorporated is formed, and the three partners begin their environmentally important summer project of tagging blacktip sharks.

Readers will be drawn to Doc Ford’s insights about sharks, Hannah Smith’s boating lessons, and Arlis Futch’s observations on life in general, but all this background quickly gives way to a plot involving sinister poachers who harvest shark fins to be used as a dining delicacy. As soon as Luke, Maribel, and Sabina absorb their new knowledge about Florida’s Gulf Coast, they must apply it in all kinds of dangerous situations.

Fins may be a just-right book for young readers who like nature, fishing, and action. Different readers may relate to the coastal, rural, environmental and immigrant aspects of the character’s experiences. Fins is also likely to appeal to older readers (like me) who are fans of the Doc Ford and Hannah Smith series.

This review is crossposted in slightly different form on my What's Not Wrong? blog.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent read. Two sisters from Cuba and a boy from Ohio take center stage in the YA debut from the author of the best selling Doc Ford series. This is a spin off of that series, but characters like Doc Ford and Hanna Smith are only used tangentially. It's an interesting and quick read with good information on blacktip shark nurseries and the horror of shark finning. Good characters and action should entertain all readers.I

I won an advanced copy from Goodreads.

[Lisa Malmquist · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great story about three kids who are brought together by Doc Ford a marine Biologist, to help tag sharks for tracking purposes.
They are taught water and boat safety and stay in the shallower water.
However, they are still doing the important job of tagging sharks and working as a team to do so.
They form Sharks Inc and learn a lot about themselves and being responsible and self-sufficient.
Meanwhile, there are some dangerous shark poachers out in the area where they are working, cutting off the fins and leaving sharks to die.
They run into these dangerous people and have to use all their training and smarts to survive.
Great Young adult book ,and teaches some things about sharks and the marine ecology at the same time.

[Charles · Rating 3 out of 5]

A most enjoyable read and a nice spinoff from the Doc Ford and Hannah Smith books by Randy Wayne White. Three young people, Maribel, Sabina, and Luke form Shark’s Incorporated, so they can help Florida’s wildlife. Dr Ford assigns the group a job to tag Black-Fin baby sharks in the shallow waters off Sanibel Island in Dinkins’s Bay for research. Maribel and Sabina came to Florida with their mother, from Cuba. Luke came from Ohio to live with his grandfather Captain Luke after his mother died. His aunt is Hannah Smith. In the process of tagging the baby sharks, they encounter poachers, and find themselves in danger, with a mystery to solve. This is an action-packed story that includes a lot of great information on Florida’s environment and the plight of Black Fin Sharks.

[Graham]

Thank you GoodReads for sponsoring the book give away from where I received this book. I am an unabashed fan of Randy Wayne White so it will come as no surprise when I mention that I enjoyed this book a lot.
The book is aimed squarely at younger readers but I still enjoyed it as a much older reader. As usual the story is based on and around Sanibel Island and Doc Ford is always present as a mentor and sponsor to three kids he enlists to tag blacktip sharks and help in conservation efforts to protect the sharks from poachers who only want the sharks fins.

[Leah · Rating 3 out of 5]

This takes place in Sanibel Island, Fl. I liked the location. It's beautiful. I also liked Luke and Maribel. I didn't like Sabina. The story is about the three of them tagging sharks without adult supervision and catching poachers. There is a lot of information on the wildlife of the area, which I found interesting.

[Raphaël · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5
Sooo interesting
I was deeply pulled in the story and would've read it in one seating if work didn't get in my way

Could've been a five star but some characters annoyed me at times, however the plot is more than worth reading! I truly liked Luke and wish we see more of his relationships with animals in the next book (Maybe the Manatee will be back??)

[Jim · Rating 5 out of 5]

White's first young adult book and he did an excellent job writing for this audience!

[Kristi · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fantastic read, for any teen who loves SW Fla, marine biology, mysteries or adventure. Seriously cannot wait for my middle school son to read it... and hope the next Sharks Incorporated novel is on its way as well.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Is there anything better than having a book surprise you with how good it turns out to be? I haven't read Randy Wayne White's other books but his first middle grade book (in my opinion) knocks it out of the park with action, danger, and heart.

White merges environmental messaging and activism with adventure. Three kids, very different, but survivors in their own ways, bond through their work tagging blacktop sharks for a research project.

As poaching strikes start creeping closer to home, the trip stumbles into something that gets them over their heads and fight to be believed.

Even though the action sequences are genuine page-turners, the friendship side of things is just as important to the plot. The dynamic between the three is really fun and interesting. Maribel, the older of the sisters, sometimes gets overshadowed a bit by the other two, but I'm hoping she will one into her own as the series progresses. In similar stories, the characters sometimes take a back seat to the action, but these three are kids you really invest in and want to know better.

White is a nature enthusiast who knows his way around boats and water and this clearly comes through. If it might seem a *little* of a stretch that these kids would have so much responsibility and autonomy or that former Ohioan Luke would take to the water and boats so easily, there's something about White's irrepressible confidence in the telling that sells it. If you've read any of my reviews before, you know that I enjoy going on a good ride. Generally readers won't mind suspending some disbelief if they're having a good enough time, and I think that's the case here.

Also, as someone who grew up with family in Florida (White's stomping grounds and where this is set) I know things get done a bit...differently...down there. Somehow the idea of a probably underfunded, overextended marine biologist having to harness the services of scrappy local pre-teens/teens who know the area feels kind of believably offkilter in on brand way the more you think about it.

Definitely a read alike to the middle grade books of fellow Floridian Carl Hiassen, and would be a great vacation read, or just a good way to live vicariously for those of us who live in chillier states.

[Jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really 3.5 stars. Three young teens are excited to be trained to tag sharks. Great science and inquiry angle. They’re given lots of responsibility which means there’s lots of room for adventure. Good info on sharks and the process. The plot was predictable and the three characters a little stiff. I’m not sure what I would have though if reading it as a child. One more edit to speed up the passive voice and make the characters come alive and you could have a winner.

Thanks, NetGalley, for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Wendi (Alex) Werner · Rating 2 out of 5]

I would have liked the book a whole lot more without Sabina. She is about as agitating as a person can be.

[Janet · Rating 5 out of 5]

FINS - Great debut novel by NY Times best selling author Randy Wayne White.
White’s extensive knowledge of Florida and his 26 successful Doc Ford books assures readers of an action packed story with awesome characters. And I absolutely love the three main characters in this new book!

In the opening scene Luke a farm boy from Ohio, has just been struck by lightning. This shocking experience bestows heightened perceptions and abilities Luke never had before. He teams up with sisters Maribel and Sabina recently arrived from Cuba when they all get hired by marine biologist Doc Ford to tag Blacktip sharks for research in SW Florida. The sharks are also being targeted by poachers. Dangerous waters surround them just doing their work and doing what’s right. Their collective courage, individual humor and depth are revealed as they begin to understand the nature of their surroundings, their environment and the positive impact they can make together. The trio decides to call themselves “Sharks Incorporated”! FINS was a great ride and I hope it becomes a series.

(Written for middle grade readers but I think readers of any age would love this story).

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fins is a very good start to what I think will be an exciting and informative series for kids. The book is by Randy Wayne White know for the acclaimed series featuring Doc Ford, that is set on the west coast of Florida.
There is a ton of potential and different ways this can go.
The marine biology, water safety, boat safety that is part and parcel of this story will bring so much knowledge to kids. Seamlessly woven into the story, reinforced throughout the book.
Characters are likable, balanced , 2 girls recently emigrated from Cuba and a boy from Ohio, who has some special abilities. The setting is the familiar Dinkins Bay Marina, with Doc Ford, Hannah and A cameo appearance from Tomlinson.
A long start as the characters and setting are introduced and then a breathtaking finish. My 10 year old granddaughter can read this easily.
Would be a great read aloud for teachers and parents since it provides topics for discussion on many levels and areas.
Can’t wait to read what is next for Sharks Inc.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is set in the familiar (to readers of Randy Wayne White) world of Dinkins Bay on Sanibel Island, Florida. But Doc Ford and Hannah Smith are just minor characters in this one. The main characters are three kids introduced in previous books -- Maribel and Sabina, Cuban refugees struggling to build a new life in a new place, and Luke, an Ohio farm boy finding his way in a new life in Florida after his mother's death. Doc and Hannah teach them how to tag sharks as part of a research project, and we follow their adventures. Naturally, they run into some bad characters and are in great jeopardy for part of the book.

As always with this author, the story is engagingly told and the plot holds together well. Because of the different main characters, it had a somewhat different feel than most of the others. Personally, I found the character of Sabina more than annoying. But life is full of annoying characters, and as with most of them, she has many redeeming qualities that made her tolerable. It is a light but definitely entertaining ride.

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is Randy Wayne White's first middle grade fiction book and I enjoyed it! The book does have minor appearances of Doc Ford and Hannah Smith but it does stand alone. As an adult, I did enjoy the Dinkins Bay setting and thought it was very well done and appeals to middle grade readers. The story follows Luke, ( nephew of Hannah) and the Estaban sisters Maribel and Sabina who live in Dinkins. Bay. The three children are members of Sharks Inc, a newly formed team who assist Doc Ford in tracking and tagging black tipped sharks which are endangered. In this book, the three children have an adventure when they run head long into a group of shark poachers. This book is entertaining and adventurous and has an environmental protection theme. I enjoyed the different personalities of each of the kids. I would recommend to middle grade readers ( boys or girls) and fans of Carl Hiassen's Hoot or Scat would also enjoy this book

[Debbi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won this ARC copy of Fins from Goodreads and this is my honest review of it.

First of all, I’m already a huge Randy Wayne White fan, so I hoped that I’d enjoy reading this. And I definitely did because the book didn’t disappoint. In fact, I had a hard time putting it down. It’s a new series, Sharks Incorporated, written for kids but adults will enjoy it too. It’s about three kids, two sisters from Cuba and a boy from Ohio, who Doc Ford and Hannah Smith train to tag sharks because their population is being affected by poachers. A well thought out story that brings these three together in friendship and courage. It was fun to see these kids in their own story since they have appeared on the sidelines in several of the Doc Ford books.
I’m looking forward to see where this new series goes from here.

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this book on GoodReads. I didn’t know at that time it was written for a middle grade school reader, I just knew that it was by RWW, a favorite of mine.
That being said, It was a good quick read that held my attention. I had one major issue- I don’t feel kids the ages of those in the story could do the things these 3 did. (RWW must know some super mature kids! ) If the kids were older then it would seem more realistic- say 13 for Sabina and 16 for her sister. I think there are great science lessons in the book that were worked into the plot. I’m passing this to my 10 year old grandson to read and I’ll see what he thinks. This could be the start of a good series with the kids growing and learning more while the young readers grow in marine biology and ocean science knowledge.

[Sharolyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a youth book that will probably turn into a series. Comparing it to a youth series and not an adult series. I thought it was well written as well as entertaining.
The story is about a boy that comes to visit his uncle at the marina is struck by lightning and develops some unique powers. He as well as two Cuban girls are signed up by Doc Ford to do a shark study. But there are some bad guys lurking in the area. The kids come across them and now to get the bad guys caught and get adults to believe what they have seen. Don't want to give away any spoilers.

This series would be appropriate for both boys and girls. If you have a boy that isn't interested in reading, I can see this book capturing their attention and maybe turning reading into a desire.

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

I give Sharks Incorporated's first case a big fin's up.
Great tween action adventure in the vein of Carl Hiaasen's, Gary Paulsen, and Will Hobbs. Outdoors adventure, solving crime and learning cool things about sharks and friendship.
The characters are well written, interesting, with many of the usual struggles of a tweenager, as well as few unique ones,for example Luke gets hit by lightening and it shakes his brain a bit. (Not huge spoiler as it happens in the opening chapter). White's adult series protagonist, Doc Ford, is also a good addition to the cast.
Recommended especially for marine biology enthusiasts, mysteries, and good kids I can't wait for the next one.

[Bill Mock · Rating 3 out of 5]

First things first, I listened to the audiobook version and I suggest you skip that. The narration left a lot to be desired. The next issue was taking close to 2/3 of the book to get into the actual story. I got excited when it was revealed that this may be more of a Hannah Smith than a Doc Ford centered book. Sadly both characters were left on the fringe and were left to giving us boating and marine life education. Now for the positive, they save a manatee's life and when the story finally appeared, it was pretty cute. Sorry RWW but you should stick to the adult stuff, I enjoy the hell out of that.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book one in a possible series
Good story about team work and getting to know someone before forming an opinion on them.
Luke, who has recently relocated to FL from Ohio, and Maribel and Sabina, sisters from Cuba, are asked to work together on a small fishing boat to help tag sharks. Doc Ford needs the help as many poachers are cutting the fins off the sharks and leaving them to die. The trio are very different form each other and each one has their own special gift and skill. Can they put aside their differences and work together? When they find themselves in danger, can they work together to survive and bring the poachers down?
Lots of action, suspense, and some humor.

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this book aloud to my kids (9,7,5) on the recommendation of my 9yo. This is an exciting adventure about a trio of likeable kiddos who form a shark tagging team (under the supervision of adult scientists). Ultimately, they come into contact with shark poachers.
The story was interesting, and I appreciated all that we learned about fishing, Florida, different types of boats and marine life. We chose to stop and Google frequently! However, the story is much too long at points. The author has a somewhat distracting tendency to overuse the phrases "the girl..." or "the boy..." when he could just use the character's name in order to avoid confusion.

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

As an adult, the idea of three tweens being hired to tag sharks, alone on a small boat, is horrifying and requires more of a suspension of disbelief than I am wholly capable of. Not a chance in hell that such a program would be approved in real life, for so many very good reasons. That said, if I had read this when I was twelve, I would have LOVED it. The biology and actual science in this book are simplified but accurate, and kids interested in marine biology will learn a lot here and have a good time imagining themselves in the protagonists' shoes.

In my opinion, the YA designation feels inappropriate; I'd classify this as a middle grade novel.