7_minutes_of_weeping 's review for:

Whalefall by Daniel Kraus

4.75

dark emotional tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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In this unique thriller, Jay Gardiner is trying to recover his late father’s remains from the ocean when he is swallowed by a sperm whale. With an hour of oxygen left, he perilously does everything he can to attempt escape.

I typically go into books blind, but nothing could have prepared me for what happens in this story. This book honestly blew me away. It has been a hot minute since a book gripped me and gave me such anxiety that I had to fight myself from flipping to the end of the book to see how it ended. While the concept of this book seemed far-fetched, the amount of scientific research that Kraus did for this book was incredible, and it felt believable. 

This book was claustrophobic, graphic, and was one large panic attack. With each page, I was convinced the situation couldn’t get any worse…but sure enough, Kraus proved me wrong with each page. 

And, if the pressing situation of being eaten by a freakin’ whale isn’t enough, there is another layer of grief/guilt and unresolved complex, emotional father-son trauma running parallel to everything happening. This book is much heavier than a typical whale story.

Overall, I really loved this book. It’s dark and horrific and makes for a quick read. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a darker, thrilling take on The Martian or who enjoys stories like 127 hours!