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A review by saxy_lady
Whalefall by Daniel Kraus
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Woah.
This book is heavy in ways I couldn’t even imagine. This book is so much more than a guy in a whale, which is already a huge feat. Somehow this book takes you on a journey through a traumatized boy’s childhood in an effort to save him from his dire circumstances.
I literally could not put this book down, and I stayed up until 3 in the morning just to finish it.
As in many stories, I am slightly disappointed that the ending did not extend a little further than it did. However, this does not lessen the impact of the story whatsoever. Daniel Kraus does such an excellent job with his descriptions. There are even some nods to the story of Jonah: the Bible story about the man who was swallowed by a whale and lived. These nods were too specific to not be purposeful.
Overall: immensely powerful.
This book is heavy in ways I couldn’t even imagine. This book is so much more than a guy in a whale, which is already a huge feat. Somehow this book takes you on a journey through a traumatized boy’s childhood in an effort to save him from his dire circumstances.
I literally could not put this book down, and I stayed up until 3 in the morning just to finish it.
As in many stories, I am slightly disappointed that the ending did not extend a little further than it did. However, this does not lessen the impact of the story whatsoever. Daniel Kraus does such an excellent job with his descriptions. There are even some nods to the story of Jonah: the Bible story about the man who was swallowed by a whale and lived. These nods were too specific to not be purposeful.
Overall: immensely powerful.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse and Gore
Moderate: Suicide
Minor: Vomit