What do you think?
Rate this book
The White Gates
WHEN TORIN SINCLAIR’S mom gets a job as the town doctor in Snow Park, Colorado, Tor can’t wait to learn to snowboard. But on Tor’s first night there, a member of the high school snowboarding team dies. “It’s the curse,” everyone whispers. Tor’s new friends Drake and Raine explain that there’s an old Native American curse on the doctors of the town. Snow Park can never get a doctor to stay. Tor and his friends must piece together a mystery involving an old mine, a Ute curse, the entire snowboarding team—who just might be blood doping in order to win competitions— and an attempt to save the wild river otters of Colorado. But to complete the puzzle, will Tor have to ride the deadly White Gates? And how will he survive the avalanche that follows?
From the Hardcover edition.
From the Hardcover edition.
256 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2008
16 people are currently reading
110 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
September 4, 2010
A Truman nominee for 2010-2011. A fun read that will appeal to boys and girls. A boy from CA moves to CO with his estranged mother; he learns to snowboard and throws himself into it because he is openly mocked, bullied and shamed around town. Rumor has it that a curse affects the town's doctor and family, and no doctor will stay in town for that reason because fatal accidents seem to happen. The book becomes a mystery as the boy learns more about the curse and tries to figure out how to break it with the help from two unlikely friends. An entertaining read...other information says that this is the first in a mystery series starring the protagonist. Readers will enjoy it. Would be liked by fourth through seventh or eighth grade.
January 16, 2013
“He’s a waster.” “It’s the Curse.” These are some of the mysterious things you hear in the book “The White Gates” by Bonnie Ramthun. The book really reeled me in because of the snow and its interesting name. At first glance I wanted to know what the white gates were, but the inside cover quickly explained to me what they were.
The plot starts out in the small village of Snow Park, where the main character, Torin Sinclair, and his mother move to. His mom is the new town doctor but tor knows instantly something is very wrong. Everyone says Tor’s mom is continuing the “curse” of Snow Park as one of the snowboarding team members falls seriously ill. Tor must figure out the mystery that is affecting his mother and her job. He wants to figure out why the curse is such a big deal.
The characters that stick out in this book are Tor, Drake and Raine. Drake and Raine are brother and sister and their dad owns the local snowboarding shop. Raine is a UTE, or old mining town settler. They own a mountain that the town wants to turn into a ski hill, but Raine does not want to see the mountain go. Drake is a follower, and will do almost anything others do. His staple is his ugly bright colored sweaters and his messy hair. These characters are very easy to follow, and you start to feel for them. They are easy to relate to and you understand the problems they face. The other characters that stand out are the town mayor and the captain of the snowboarding team, Coach Rollins. They both think they are hot stuff, but when you get right down to it, they are very bad people.
The readability of this book is very straightforward. The book has pleasing artwork that catches the eye, and is easy to follow along with. The book always keeps you guessing, and there are no boring parts. Just as one suspenseful scene dies down, another riveting scene starts up again. The things I really liked about the book were the action scenes, and the easy ability to relate to the characters. I would have liked to know a little more about the action in the book to make me want to pick it up and read it. There is not one thing I did not like about this book, there were no bad scenes or boring parts. It kept you on the edge of your seat at all times, and was very difficult to stop reading.
Overall this book was downright amazing. As a person that doesn’t read very much, I would recommend this book to anyone looking for something good and easy to read. The book keeps you guessing, and there’s always the mystery of what will happen next. The book has no downsides, no slow parts, it’s all suspense 100 percent of the time. I highly recommend this book and give it a 10/10 to anyone looking for a good read.
The plot starts out in the small village of Snow Park, where the main character, Torin Sinclair, and his mother move to. His mom is the new town doctor but tor knows instantly something is very wrong. Everyone says Tor’s mom is continuing the “curse” of Snow Park as one of the snowboarding team members falls seriously ill. Tor must figure out the mystery that is affecting his mother and her job. He wants to figure out why the curse is such a big deal.
The characters that stick out in this book are Tor, Drake and Raine. Drake and Raine are brother and sister and their dad owns the local snowboarding shop. Raine is a UTE, or old mining town settler. They own a mountain that the town wants to turn into a ski hill, but Raine does not want to see the mountain go. Drake is a follower, and will do almost anything others do. His staple is his ugly bright colored sweaters and his messy hair. These characters are very easy to follow, and you start to feel for them. They are easy to relate to and you understand the problems they face. The other characters that stand out are the town mayor and the captain of the snowboarding team, Coach Rollins. They both think they are hot stuff, but when you get right down to it, they are very bad people.
The readability of this book is very straightforward. The book has pleasing artwork that catches the eye, and is easy to follow along with. The book always keeps you guessing, and there are no boring parts. Just as one suspenseful scene dies down, another riveting scene starts up again. The things I really liked about the book were the action scenes, and the easy ability to relate to the characters. I would have liked to know a little more about the action in the book to make me want to pick it up and read it. There is not one thing I did not like about this book, there were no bad scenes or boring parts. It kept you on the edge of your seat at all times, and was very difficult to stop reading.
Overall this book was downright amazing. As a person that doesn’t read very much, I would recommend this book to anyone looking for something good and easy to read. The book keeps you guessing, and there’s always the mystery of what will happen next. The book has no downsides, no slow parts, it’s all suspense 100 percent of the time. I highly recommend this book and give it a 10/10 to anyone looking for a good read.
Read
March 30, 2011The White Gates by Bonnie Ramthum is a great mystery novel. This book fit into the genre because there is a curse that started many years ago and says that every doctor that enters the town is cursed. The main characters are Raine, Drake, tor aka Torin. They are the characters that solve and cease the curse. the resort in Colorado has a curse on doctors. Every doctor that is assigned to the town is cursed. the night the town doctor was assigned. she was called to her office because someone was sick. when she got there the boy had pulmonary edema. the boy was taken to lower altitudes and died a two days later. to find out what happened and why read the book.
July 21, 2016
4.5
definitely a lot of good things going on here. full review later.
definitely a lot of good things going on here. full review later.
October 25, 2018
“The White Gates” is set in a small, snowy ski resort town named Snow Park. The book shows a young boy named Tor and his mother who is is the new town doctor. Tor finds out quickly that this town is not very welcoming, especially to him and his mom. It becomes clear to Tor that this town has a long running curse on the town doctor that has dated back many years. If this curse runs Tor and his mother out of Snow Park, it will mean another new school and new beginning for their family. Tor now must use the help of his two new friends, Raine and Drake, to find a solution to the curse and end it once and for all.
High action and a load of suspense makes “The White Gates” a thrilling mystery book with a good, well-crafted story line. The book allows the reader to create a relationship with the characters by showing each of their unique personalities. This book is made compelling by the great backstory and the detail of Tor’s day to day life with his friends and family in his new life. This book is good for people looking for a suspenseful book with twist and turns along the way and thrills for even the best readers. I have enjoyed this book and the story line has kept me on the edge of my seat and wondering what will happen next, I would say that this is one of the best books I have ever read.
High action and a load of suspense makes “The White Gates” a thrilling mystery book with a good, well-crafted story line. The book allows the reader to create a relationship with the characters by showing each of their unique personalities. This book is made compelling by the great backstory and the detail of Tor’s day to day life with his friends and family in his new life. This book is good for people looking for a suspenseful book with twist and turns along the way and thrills for even the best readers. I have enjoyed this book and the story line has kept me on the edge of my seat and wondering what will happen next, I would say that this is one of the best books I have ever read.
January 13, 2025
Once I saw on Facebook that Bonnie Droege Ramthun was a white supremacist, I stopped reading her books.
Laurell K. Hamilton, Kim Harrison, Daneielle Garrett, Kim Richardson and Danielle Naibert are far better writers, anyway.
Laurell K. Hamilton, Kim Harrison, Daneielle Garrett, Kim Richardson and Danielle Naibert are far better writers, anyway.
January 31, 2018
this book was about snowboarding, it was a good book and it explained the feelings of the characters a lot more than most books do.
February 23, 2018
This book was kinda boring it was very long and not that exciting.
January 26, 2015
Mirza
The White Gates, Bonnie Ramthun
Realistic Fiction
The book is about a boy who, after getting used to the sunny beaches in San Diego, gets moved to Snow Park. now Park is a quiet, small town community where everybody knows one another. This opposing to the large city of San Diego. The main character, Torin Sinclair, is brought here by his mother. His mother, Dr. Sinclair, had just gotten a new job as the town doctor. The town is said to have a curse to which all the doctors that came had something strange going on or died unexpectedly. This led Tor to feel like an outsider.
Tor’s mother had worked with a patient who had unexpectedly died,only to find out that he had been murdered. Tor had made friends with two of the small town kids, Drake and Raine, who almost seem as weird as him,which made him feel less weird. Tor tried to settle in by trying to snowboard as most of the kids did. Tor tries to get himself through school and the other kids as he tries to find out what is the curse and how is he tied up in it. He feels that some of the kids on the snowboarding team are trying to get rid of him. While investigating, Raine tell Tor about her great-great-great-grandmother, Leaping Water, who owns that mountain that is passed to her family.
Tor was told to never pass the white gates. The white gates where the edges of snowboarding areas that were followed by cliffs. Tor asked his friends, Drake and Rane, to help him investigate the mayor’s office because of his recent suspicious activities. The kids were appalled at what they saw, a refrigerator full of blood bags with blood inside. They almost immediately suspected the mayor. They had to bring this to the only adult that they trusted with this information, which later called the CBI, Colorado Bureau of Investigation. But Tor couldn’t wait, he had to get evidence now. He investigated his mother’s clinic and found a receipt for blood bags. He figured that this would lead to the murderer.
As Tor was trying to show his evidence to Drake and Raine, the snowboard team came after him and chased him into the white gates. He fell down the cliff and rushed himself into the cave because of the avalanche. In the cave, he saw Leaping Water,Raine’s great-great-great-grandmother, with the original deed that keeps her family from selling the mountain. In there, he found a ladder that led to the outside on top of a chairlift pylon. From there, he found his way to the skiing resort with his main suspect, Coach Rollins, who was suspected of blood doping his team and murdering Dr. Sinclair’s patient. After the chase between them, they crashed into the mayor and the sheriff, where Tor revealed the truth about Coach Rollins. The Coach was arrested there while Tor was getting all the attention in the town.
As soon as I read the front cover, I wanted to know what the white gates where.It really took me a read through the entire book to fully understand the story. I feel that the story did include some mystery, but I didn’t feel that this book was a mystery until someone told me. But I didn’t feel that there were any slow parts or disappointments in the story. The story does include the out-of-town aspect for the main character. That the character is engulfed in the town’s cultural characteristics and is forced to adapt to the new environment compared to the large city of San Diego.
The White Gates, Bonnie Ramthun
Realistic Fiction
The book is about a boy who, after getting used to the sunny beaches in San Diego, gets moved to Snow Park. now Park is a quiet, small town community where everybody knows one another. This opposing to the large city of San Diego. The main character, Torin Sinclair, is brought here by his mother. His mother, Dr. Sinclair, had just gotten a new job as the town doctor. The town is said to have a curse to which all the doctors that came had something strange going on or died unexpectedly. This led Tor to feel like an outsider.
Tor’s mother had worked with a patient who had unexpectedly died,only to find out that he had been murdered. Tor had made friends with two of the small town kids, Drake and Raine, who almost seem as weird as him,which made him feel less weird. Tor tried to settle in by trying to snowboard as most of the kids did. Tor tries to get himself through school and the other kids as he tries to find out what is the curse and how is he tied up in it. He feels that some of the kids on the snowboarding team are trying to get rid of him. While investigating, Raine tell Tor about her great-great-great-grandmother, Leaping Water, who owns that mountain that is passed to her family.
Tor was told to never pass the white gates. The white gates where the edges of snowboarding areas that were followed by cliffs. Tor asked his friends, Drake and Rane, to help him investigate the mayor’s office because of his recent suspicious activities. The kids were appalled at what they saw, a refrigerator full of blood bags with blood inside. They almost immediately suspected the mayor. They had to bring this to the only adult that they trusted with this information, which later called the CBI, Colorado Bureau of Investigation. But Tor couldn’t wait, he had to get evidence now. He investigated his mother’s clinic and found a receipt for blood bags. He figured that this would lead to the murderer.
As Tor was trying to show his evidence to Drake and Raine, the snowboard team came after him and chased him into the white gates. He fell down the cliff and rushed himself into the cave because of the avalanche. In the cave, he saw Leaping Water,Raine’s great-great-great-grandmother, with the original deed that keeps her family from selling the mountain. In there, he found a ladder that led to the outside on top of a chairlift pylon. From there, he found his way to the skiing resort with his main suspect, Coach Rollins, who was suspected of blood doping his team and murdering Dr. Sinclair’s patient. After the chase between them, they crashed into the mayor and the sheriff, where Tor revealed the truth about Coach Rollins. The Coach was arrested there while Tor was getting all the attention in the town.
As soon as I read the front cover, I wanted to know what the white gates where.It really took me a read through the entire book to fully understand the story. I feel that the story did include some mystery, but I didn’t feel that this book was a mystery until someone told me. But I didn’t feel that there were any slow parts or disappointments in the story. The story does include the out-of-town aspect for the main character. That the character is engulfed in the town’s cultural characteristics and is forced to adapt to the new environment compared to the large city of San Diego.
January 25, 2026
From the cover I first thought it was a skateboard, but turns out it was a snowboard. Tor is the main character, and the book begins with his mother waking him up late at night because she is the town doctor and she has an emergency to go take care of and doesn't want to leave him alone. It's Tor's first night in Colorado. The emergency is a local snowboard team member. Tor being a new kid in town gets picked on. Supposedly the town is also "cursed" and all doctors who come are never going to stay.
One thing I didn't like is that it alluded a lot to Tor's life with his father, but takes a long time to tell us why he's with his mom now instead of his dad. I almost wondered if something bad had happened to his dad and stepmom from the way it kind of sounded. But no, just his dad having twins cut into his life, and now with his mom he's getting attention. He makes friends, a Ute girl and a boy who is the son of a famous snowboarder, both kind of outcasts/loner, but everyone seems to like them. The girl is the great, great, great grandaughter of the woman who cursed the town. Tor learns to snowboard and gets picked on all throughout the book, and of course solves the mystery of the boy at the beginning's strange death before his mom gets blamed for it, and also takes care of the curse.
It wasn't too bad actually.This review was originally posted on Lisa Loves Literature
One thing I didn't like is that it alluded a lot to Tor's life with his father, but takes a long time to tell us why he's with his mom now instead of his dad. I almost wondered if something bad had happened to his dad and stepmom from the way it kind of sounded. But no, just his dad having twins cut into his life, and now with his mom he's getting attention. He makes friends, a Ute girl and a boy who is the son of a famous snowboarder, both kind of outcasts/loner, but everyone seems to like them. The girl is the great, great, great grandaughter of the woman who cursed the town. Tor learns to snowboard and gets picked on all throughout the book, and of course solves the mystery of the boy at the beginning's strange death before his mom gets blamed for it, and also takes care of the curse.
It wasn't too bad actually.This review was originally posted on Lisa Loves Literature
June 4, 2019
Ms. Ranthun’s THE WHITE GATES is a quick, fun read. Our young hero, outsider Tor, is new to a Colorado ski town and uneasy as he begins his next chapter, living with his physician mother. He might have been up to these challenges if not for the town grudge and apparent curse that face him. A young man dies soon after being in his mother’s care; the curse appears to be set in motion against Tor. Along with sidekicks, Drake and Raine, he must learn to snowboard well enough to escape the vengeful ski team, be clever enough to sleuth out a stolen claim that might save the sacred mountain , discover the real cause of the young skier’s death, and find his way out of precarious and deadly situations.
This is a fun read as we get a very real sense of Tor in the mountains contending with frozen snot and the physical and emotional aches of falling as he attempts to conquer the mountain. The writing is beautiful like “neat stiches” left in the snow, beaver ponds that glow like blue jewels, and aspen unfurling their pale green leaves in the spring. We’re solidly in the head of Tor so the only reason I can imagine for the author using mother and Dr. Sinclair interchangeably is that we might find her POV in the follow up books. I can only hope that’s true. I like her and want to understand her better.
I highly recommend this read for young adults and adults alike.
This is a fun read as we get a very real sense of Tor in the mountains contending with frozen snot and the physical and emotional aches of falling as he attempts to conquer the mountain. The writing is beautiful like “neat stiches” left in the snow, beaver ponds that glow like blue jewels, and aspen unfurling their pale green leaves in the spring. We’re solidly in the head of Tor so the only reason I can imagine for the author using mother and Dr. Sinclair interchangeably is that we might find her POV in the follow up books. I can only hope that’s true. I like her and want to understand her better.
I highly recommend this read for young adults and adults alike.
May 20, 2013
The book "The White Gates" by Bonnie Ramthun was a phenomenal read. The mystery of this story was ingenious, but at times the book seemed like a spooky childhood cartoon.
Although the book had a childish feel to it, I could not put it down. This was a story of Tor Sinclair, and the town that had cursed him. I feel that it was brilliantly plotted. The characters were interesting and all made the story different in their own way and without one character, the rest of the story would not be the same. I believe the Author did a great job of incorporating everyone into the mysteery of the book.
One thing that I did not enjoy about this book was the ending. I felt as though I could have predicted the ending from the beginning. I knew the towns curse was fake and that is what makes the story seem like an episode of scooby-doo.
Knowing the up and downsides of this story I would rate it a 4 out of 5. Their were quite a few flaws in the story, but of those flaws, most of them were minor. I would recomend this book to a fellow reader, but I would not say it is the best book I have ever read.
Although the book had a childish feel to it, I could not put it down. This was a story of Tor Sinclair, and the town that had cursed him. I feel that it was brilliantly plotted. The characters were interesting and all made the story different in their own way and without one character, the rest of the story would not be the same. I believe the Author did a great job of incorporating everyone into the mysteery of the book.
One thing that I did not enjoy about this book was the ending. I felt as though I could have predicted the ending from the beginning. I knew the towns curse was fake and that is what makes the story seem like an episode of scooby-doo.
Knowing the up and downsides of this story I would rate it a 4 out of 5. Their were quite a few flaws in the story, but of those flaws, most of them were minor. I would recomend this book to a fellow reader, but I would not say it is the best book I have ever read.
April 19, 2011
I struggled with this one - I liked the characters, but I wasn't crazy about them nor did I connect with anyone very well. This is a neat story about a ski town in Colorado and having recently been exposed to such a magical place for the first time, I'd have to say the author did a great job describing what it's like.
I couldn't help but feel like I was reading a scooby-doo mystery, though, at times. The story was different, but the inclusion of nature and what once was/native heritage seemed to be a struggle for the author - almost like they were elements she wanted to include for personal reasons (read the bio at the end), but didn't flow well with the story, but did at the same time, they just seemed so secondary to the main plot.
This is a good read for 6-8th grade, I think. and for reluctant readers, though there was one line where a twelve=year-old says "I think I'm gonna retch." - i've never heard a 12 yr old use such a word. It didn't fit, but the rest seemed pretty spot on for the age group.
I couldn't help but feel like I was reading a scooby-doo mystery, though, at times. The story was different, but the inclusion of nature and what once was/native heritage seemed to be a struggle for the author - almost like they were elements she wanted to include for personal reasons (read the bio at the end), but didn't flow well with the story, but did at the same time, they just seemed so secondary to the main plot.
This is a good read for 6-8th grade, I think. and for reluctant readers, though there was one line where a twelve=year-old says "I think I'm gonna retch." - i've never heard a 12 yr old use such a word. It didn't fit, but the rest seemed pretty spot on for the age group.
September 12, 2014
This story talks about when Tors mom gets a job as the main doctor of the town Snow Park, Colorado, Tor is so excited to learn how to snowboard . But when Tor gets there a member of the high schools snowboarding team dies. Everyone at the school is saying that it is the curse. Tor’s new friends Drake and Raine explain that there’s an old Native American curse on the doctors of the town. This town can never get a doctor to stay. Tor and his friends must piece together a mystery involving an old mine, a Ute curse, the entire snowboarding team. Who just might be blood doping in order to win competitions and an attempt to save the wild river otters of Colorado.
I honestly think that this book started with the action to early in the book and could use a slower start to get the readers on their tippy toes. But over all this book was a good book.
I would recommend this book to someone who is very impatient about reading or someone that reads very fast. I would also recommend this book to someone who is into snowboarding or any other sports that have to do with snow.
I honestly think that this book started with the action to early in the book and could use a slower start to get the readers on their tippy toes. But over all this book was a good book.
I would recommend this book to someone who is very impatient about reading or someone that reads very fast. I would also recommend this book to someone who is into snowboarding or any other sports that have to do with snow.
February 12, 2010
I thought it was a pretty good mystery that should especially appeal to boys. The ending dragged on a little too much for me. I found the added facts about the Ute Indians very interesting. I wouldn't have minded a little more about them. I didn't realize that there was some truth to the Meeker story until I later looked it up online. But I think boys should really like the snowboarding scenes. It was a little scary when Tor got caught in the avalanche and was trapped in the cave overnight. It was also a little creepy when he happened upon Raine's great great great Ute grandmother. The story has a lot of appealing aspects; snowboarding, Native Americans, endangered animals, doping in sports,...
May 25, 2011
1. The White Gates
2. Bonnie Ramthun
3. Sports, Mystery
4. 8 points
5. Young Adults
6. A boy moves to the mountains of Colorado for his mother's job as being a nurse. He decides to become a snowboarder. Little does he know that the mountain that he snowboards on is cursed by the Uri Indians that used to own it. Will he find out the mystery or get killed trying. This is a great story for mystery and sport readers alike.
7. I did like this book a lot because I like snowboarding in real life and also I think mystery books are great.
Although the books action parts in the book are great, there were some very boring parts in the book. I didn't like this because if a book gets boring I dose off. But then the action scenes kick right up again and it is great.
2. Bonnie Ramthun
3. Sports, Mystery
4. 8 points
5. Young Adults
6. A boy moves to the mountains of Colorado for his mother's job as being a nurse. He decides to become a snowboarder. Little does he know that the mountain that he snowboards on is cursed by the Uri Indians that used to own it. Will he find out the mystery or get killed trying. This is a great story for mystery and sport readers alike.
7. I did like this book a lot because I like snowboarding in real life and also I think mystery books are great.
Although the books action parts in the book are great, there were some very boring parts in the book. I didn't like this because if a book gets boring I dose off. But then the action scenes kick right up again and it is great.
July 14, 2013
The White Gates is a book about a young boy, 'Tor' Sinclair, who moves to the town of Snow Park, Colorado, as a result of his mother obtaining a position as the new town doctor. However, Tor and his mother soon realized that they are faced with an old, mysterious Native American curse, which directly affects all the doctors in this town as well as Tor, especially when a well-known teen snowboarder mysteriously dies. Tor and his new friends, Drake and Raine, must unravel this mysterious curse of the Utes as well as learn the secrets of the white gates and the inhabitants of this snowboarding town.
September 20, 2016
When Tor's mom got a a job at the snow park in colorado. Tor really wanted to learn how to snowboard. When I started reading the book the first few pages it stated going crazy I can imagine this hole thing. At first I got a little confused but then I got to understand. Tor wants to learn every inch of the snow park moutian in colarodo. At the begining I didn't know what I was reading.
The chareter changed not that much. He got to know how to snowboard and he got to learn a lot about the snow park moutain. He got to be a really got snowboarder. He got on this team. He did a lot of things
The chareter changed not that much. He got to know how to snowboard and he got to learn a lot about the snow park moutain. He got to be a really got snowboarder. He got on this team. He did a lot of things
February 21, 2010
Tor's mom has worked and worked to be a doctor. Now she is starting a practice in a small Colorado town and Tor, who has been with his dad, will be joining her.
He is stepping (or should we say sliding) into a big multilayered mystery as it appears that a Ute curse has been laid upon the patients of all the doctors that practice in the town. When a boy dies for no apparent reason and the boys on the local snowboarding team are behaving weirdly, Tor and his new friend get to work finding out what is really going on.
Snowboarding, mystery, native American curses, this book has it all.
He is stepping (or should we say sliding) into a big multilayered mystery as it appears that a Ute curse has been laid upon the patients of all the doctors that practice in the town. When a boy dies for no apparent reason and the boys on the local snowboarding team are behaving weirdly, Tor and his new friend get to work finding out what is really going on.
Snowboarding, mystery, native American curses, this book has it all.
August 26, 2009
Really liked this one and will start recommending it as soon as I return it. Torin moves to a new town where his mother has been hired as the town doctor. The town isn't very welcoming though - to Tor or his mother. Turns out there is a curse attached to the position of town doctor and if they are going to stay, it looks like Tor and the two people willing to be his friends will have to break the curse.
March 2, 2010
Tor and his mother have moved to a small Colorado town in which his mom will be the only doctor. On the very first night, mystery begins to develop. As Tor begins to make friends, "the plot thickens." Tor, a surfer from California, quickly learns how to snowboard and encounters some high adventure on the mountain slopes. Boys especially will enjoy this book, for it contains a lot of information about winter sports, equipment and skill.
December 24, 2010
A little too sappy of an ending for me. The mystery in it started out pretty good, but it was way too easy to figure out. I don't think the author was very good at stringing clues together. She was better at descriptions and tried to develop her characters but always stopped short with that. I really wanted more than just the Hoot inspired story of Indians and river otters.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 16, 2014
RL 790. Torin moves to Snow Park CO when his mother gets a job as the resort town's doctor. She is busy with a critical case on her very first night, and the townspeople are convinced that it is the "curse." Tor decides to find out what the curse really means, learn how to snowboard and figure out why nobody dares to ski down an abandoned mountain. Great mystery-- boys will eat this UP!
July 29, 2010
The White Gates is an implausible sports/mystery novel but it should appeal to reluctant readers. Tor moves to a small Colorado ski town when his mom takes a job as the local doctor. But a curse has plagued the position for nearly 80 years. Tor decides to get to the bottom of the curse to keep from moving yet again. Along the way he quickly becomes a crack snowboarder.
April 26, 2013
I really enjoyed The White Gates. I think the young teens would even enjoy it more. A slight modern day mystery with realism heroes. And the hereos are kids. It was a fun adventure to read yet I felt like this could really happen. It was true to today's world. Loved the snow boarding and the nature concept. I could ready another one of Bonnie Ramthum books.
November 15, 2015
An excellent adventure/mystery for young readers. With snowboarding as the main sport, and both boys and girls in the cast of characters, it should please most readers (including adults, for that matter). I sent it off to one of my great-nephews and will be interested to hear if he likes the book as much as I did.
January 14, 2016
the book the whites gates is so good. Once I started to read it, I couldn't put it down. The mystery and the way the story plays out about how his snowboarding. The author makes a great view for the reader I didn't know much about snowboarding or what White Gates were and Ms. Ramthum managed to transform me into a snowboarder wannabe!
Read
February 11, 2016This book has adventure, mystery and snowboarding...a great guy book! Tor has just moved to a very small town where his mom is the new doctor. Unfortunately, they are not exactly welcomed by the locals. Tor is determined to figure out why the people do not like them...and determined to figure out a way to convince the people that his mom did not kill her first patient.
February 4, 2012
This book didn't get much buzz, but it is just the obscure kind of mystery from the library that I would have enjoyed as a fifth or sixth grade girl. Boys will enjoy the mystery, as well as the snow-boarding action.
September 1, 2009
OK, some of the events are a bit too coincidental - but the action & Torin's circumstances makes this action book appealing especially to MS boys.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews