Review: Whalefall by Daniel Kraus

Whalefall by Daniel Kraus
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was provided an ARC of this book via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.

Do you like scientifically accurate horror?  If so this is a wonderful mashup of sci-fi and horror rolled into one emotionally charged novel.  This is so much more than a book about a boy who gets swallowed by a whale.  

This follows Jay, a 17 year old diver in search of the remains of his father.  Jay's family is still grieving the loss of his father a year after he took his last dive, and Jay hopes that if he gives them something to bury it will give them all a bit of closure.  Jay didn't have the best relationship with his dad, but he quickly learns that everything his dad taught him about diving and the ocean is going to be very helpful on this dive.  Jay's dive begins smoothly but quickly turns terrifying as he encounters a giant squid and the sperm whale looking for lunch.  Using all of the knowledge he gained under his father, Jay must fight his way out of the belly of the beast with only about an hour of air left in his tank and only the resources he has within reach.

This book was suspenseful and atmospheric.  Kraus really captured the whales anatomy in amazing detail.  You really felt like you were trapped in the whale with Jay.  If you don't like gory detail and don't want to know what the inside of a whale potentially looks like, stay away from this book.  He goes into exquisite detail and there is plenty of blood and guts, he is inside a whale after all.  I don't know much about diving or the biology of whales, but it is clear that the author did his homework and there is nothing that I appreciate more than a well researched book!  I also really liked how he captured the father son dynamic.  Jay didn't always appreciate what his dad, Mitt was trying to teach him but it sure came in handy when he needed it.    It also made for a good backdrop for Jay's slow descent into madness.  There were times I wasn't sure if he was actually inside the whale or if he was having a mental breakdown from his dive and dreamt it all.  I really enjoyed getting to know Mitt and Jay and how their relationship developed into what it was and how this event tackles allows Jay to tackle the grief and anger he feels now that his father is gone.

This is my first Daniel Kraus book, but it certainly won't be my last.  I really loved this and highly recommend it!

View all my reviews