Scan barcode
kylieqrada's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
UGH I feel so torn about this one. Daniel Kraus’ writing is gorgeous and so lyrical. Mix that with scientifically accurate whale lore and a poignant exploration of father-son relationships. Very confusing mash-up that kinda worked for me?
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Gore, and Death of parent
Moderate: Cancer, Emotional abuse, and Suicide
Minor: Terminal illness, Vomit, and Pandemic/Epidemic
rknitss's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
This is the story of a teenager coming to terms with his estranged father's death and their complicated history. This teenager has also been swallowed by a sperm whale and has 1hr of air left in his tank.
This was a difficult read for someone who has a complicated relationship with their parents. I came to the point of tears at times. You could really feel Jay's anguish thinking on all the hurts he suffered at the hands of his father, all the regrets he had regarding their relationship, all the things that could have been different.
The whale is a character and a metaphor.
The descriptions of the inside of the whale are brilliant and horrific. This is not Jonah's nice comfy journey; Jay fights for his life (and the fight is messy) as he fights to understand the man he called father. I can only imagine the hours of marine biology research that went into this book. The science seemed sound to a lay-person like me and was woven into the story beautifully. You really believe that Jay can know the things about the ocean that he does, why he knows it, and his struggle to recall the parts that will keep him going.
Even the ending, which I was sure would disappoint, was well done and satisfying.
Would recommend to people who like science thrillers, people who are into whales, marine biology and the ocean in general, scuba enthusiasts and people who like an exploration of character relationships particularly the relationship between father and son.
This was a difficult read for someone who has a complicated relationship with their parents. I came to the point of tears at times. You could really feel Jay's anguish thinking on all the hurts he suffered at the hands of his father, all the regrets he had regarding their relationship, all the things that could have been different.
The whale is a character and a metaphor.
The descriptions of the inside of the whale are brilliant and horrific. This is not Jonah's nice comfy journey; Jay fights for his life (and the fight is messy) as he fights to understand the man he called father. I can only imagine the hours of marine biology research that went into this book. The science seemed sound to a lay-person like me and was woven into the story beautifully. You really believe that Jay can know the things about the ocean that he does, why he knows it, and his struggle to recall the parts that will keep him going.
Even the ending, which I was sure would disappoint, was well done and satisfying.
Would recommend to people who like science thrillers, people who are into whales, marine biology and the ocean in general, scuba enthusiasts and people who like an exploration of character relationships particularly the relationship between father and son.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer
Moderate: Alcoholism, Gore, Suicide, and Injury/Injury detail
lovebugs's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
tense
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I loved this and was also scared and horrified the entire time. I was rooting for Jay even as things became worse and worse but I really believed in him and his journey through grief and acceptance.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Suicide
klinkertinlegs's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body shaming, Cancer, Chronic illness, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Suicide, Terminal illness, Death of parent, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
jessrad505's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Confinement, Gore, and Blood
Moderate: Suicide, Terminal illness, Vomit, Grief, and Death of parent
Minor: Pandemic/Epidemic
restoller's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Definitely worth a re-read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal death, Body horror, Suicide, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
andreatypesbraille's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Gore, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Alcoholism, Bullying, Cancer, Child abuse, Suicide, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Abandonment, and Alcohol
billyjepma's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
This took me on a ride, but not the one that either it or I expected. While the science behind the premise is in-depth and appropriately unsettling—the detailed anatomy and gore made this a tricky one to listen to while cooking dinner, tbh—and the actual problem-solving involved in Jay's attempts at survival is quite good, there's not enough here to sustain a novel. I'm not usually one to complain about "padding," but this book suffers from an excess of repetitive emotional beats and jarring flashbacks that feel tacked onto what could've and should've been a leaner novella.
It didn't take long for me to feel that padding, either. The flashbacks are haphazardly placed and often defuse the tension created by the gnarly survival narrative. They also lack the emotional depth required to enrich the story, which makes the flashbacks and dramatic scaffolding they're trying for feel tacked on at best. The symbolism and metaphors Krause draws aren't bad, but they're overwrought to the point of exhaustion. If the connections weren't repeatedly spelled out in exacting detail, I might've been more able and willing to get on board. But you don't get points for beating me over the head with a metaphor, regardless of how effective it might or might not be, especially when the goal of the metaphor is as frustrating as the tired trope of "maybe my abusive parent wasn't all bad, after all."
Let's talk about the abusive parent angle, too, because I have beef. My patience for a "redemption" arc is very thin when it comes to this brand of parent-child relationship, so this book had an uphill struggle right out of the gate. But when your protagonist's father is as cruel as Mitt, you've already lost me. Krause's attempts at making him sympathetic are admirable, and some of them even struck a nerve, but Mitt is too vile a character for me to want to care about. I don't even like Jay as a protagonist, either! He's more shallow than not, and, as much as I hate to say it, he comes off as whiny. It doesn't help that the audiobook's narrator plays up Jay's youth, emphasizing the more annoying aspects of the characterization. There's little depth in the characters, either; all their backstory and drama are so predictable and one-note that they end up feeling more performative than anything.
The book isn't all bad, and I really wanted to like it, too, which is why it became increasingly frustrating to realize that I just didn't.
It didn't take long for me to feel that padding, either. The flashbacks are haphazardly placed and often defuse the tension created by the gnarly survival narrative. They also lack the emotional depth required to enrich the story, which makes the flashbacks and dramatic scaffolding they're trying for feel tacked on at best. The symbolism and metaphors Krause draws aren't bad, but they're overwrought to the point of exhaustion. If the connections weren't repeatedly spelled out in exacting detail, I might've been more able and willing to get on board. But you don't get points for beating me over the head with a metaphor, regardless of how effective it might or might not be, especially when the goal of the metaphor is as frustrating as the tired trope of "maybe my abusive parent wasn't all bad, after all."
Let's talk about the abusive parent angle, too, because I have beef. My patience for a "redemption" arc is very thin when it comes to this brand of parent-child relationship, so this book had an uphill struggle right out of the gate. But when your protagonist's father is as cruel as Mitt, you've already lost me. Krause's attempts at making him sympathetic are admirable, and some of them even struck a nerve, but Mitt is too vile a character for me to want to care about. I don't even like Jay as a protagonist, either! He's more shallow than not, and, as much as I hate to say it, he comes off as whiny. It doesn't help that the audiobook's narrator plays up Jay's youth, emphasizing the more annoying aspects of the characterization. There's little depth in the characters, either; all their backstory and drama are so predictable and one-note that they end up feeling more performative than anything.
The book isn't all bad, and I really wanted to like it, too, which is why it became increasingly frustrating to realize that I just didn't.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal death, Cancer, Gore, Suicide, Medical content, Grief, and Death of parent
Minor: Vomit and Pandemic/Epidemic
woozy8310's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
Content Warnings
Minor: Suicide
maaartha's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Cancer, Confinement, Death, Gore, Suicide, Terminal illness, Blood, Vomit, Death of parent, and Pandemic/Epidemic