A review by kjurewicz
Whalefall by Daniel Kraus

adventurous dark emotional sad tense medium-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

When I first picked up this book, I was curious how the author would make such a simple concept (a diver being swallowed by a whale) last for 300 pages.   And I was not disappointed. I liked the way that the author interspersed present time (marked by Jay’s PSI) with flashbacks to the past. It made the pacing a lot faster, especially since each chapter was short. I found myself rooting for Jay by the end, despite the fact that I found him to be unlikable (although I had to keep reminding myself that he is 17 and therefore is expected to make stupid decisions). I thought the symbolism of the whale made sense, though was a bit heavy-handed. It took a while to get used to the writing style (but when I saw he was inspired by Ralph Ellison, it made sense), but I thought the use of scientific facts balanced out the inner dialogue.  
The ending was also sad, yet satisfying.


Overall, I liked this book and think it is a good fit for some who likes adventurous reads or has a complex parental relationship, especially YA/New Adult. 
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