Moby Dick meets Pinocchio meets Look Homeward, Angel meets Jaws. Having abandoned his family as a teenager because he was never accepted by his tough-as-nails father, Jay Gardiner further turns his back at his dad's deathbed and suffers disdain by family and the diving community of Monterey Bay, who saw Mitt Gardiner as a living legend of the sea. Determined to set things right and be welcomed back home, Jay embarks on a perilous adventure to find his father's remains, lost at sea in the tumultuous bay, on an ill-advised solo dive. Loaded down with gear, but forgetting his all-important gloves, Jay dives too far into the deep zone searching for a bone, skull, anything to bring back and lay to rest in his father's empty grave. Suddenly sucked into the middle of a battle between mortal enemies - a giant squid and a sperm whale - Jay realizes the folly of his impulsive mistake too late as he and the cephalopod are sucked into the huge maw, then the throat, and finally the stomach chamber of the whale. Thus embarks one of the most harrowing, eerie, and blood-drenched nautical survival tales, and heart-wrenching self-discovery stories of the era, written by one of the best horror and YA authors of our time. Whalefall is fantastical, metaphorical, and cinematic in scope yet nuanced with precision and well-researched detail. Finely-crafted wordplay and mind-blowing inspiration combine with spine-tingling drama. Fans of Kraus's Rotters and The Shape of Water will recognize and applaud the writer's latest outrageous thriller, and new readers will yearn for more.

Whalefall is a unique, heart-racing exploration of the claustrophobic loneliness of grief. Jay is the estranged son of a recently-deceased famous diver. Consumed by guilt over his tumultuous relationship with his father, he sets out on an ill-advised solo dive to search for his father's final resting place under the surface. Unfortunately, Jay finds not his father, but a giant squid and a whale locked in a primeval battle. Swallowed alongside the squid, he is trapped in the whale's belly with only an hour left in his oxygen tank. While the scenarios are often improbable, Jay's quick thinking and creative solutions make Whalefall impossible to put down. Interspersing the survival story with flashbacks to Jay's past with his father, Kraus creates a novella infused with high stakes and deep humanity.

4/5: Perfect for fans of disaster/survival stories who want more emotional depth to their characters.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review

Whalefall is the story of a 17 year old boy who dives into the Pacific Ocean off Monastery Bay in order to retrieve his father's bones. They had a tumultuous relationship and Jay carries guilt ever since his father died by suicide after battling an illness. He is prepared for the dive but not what comes next as a giant squid appears and then the sperm whale coming after it. Soon he is sucked inside the whale's mouth and ends up in the first of four stomachs with only an hour of air left.

Everything inside the whale is wonderfully described, although much of it is really gross. This is written to be as scientifically accurate as possible and you learn a lot about the inner workings of sperm whales. Other ocean creatures play a role too.

Whalefall is more than a thriller. This is such a unique book, and not just because of the setting. From the narrative style to chapter construction, labeled as how much air is left interspersed with memories, it is a story like no other.

We learn more about the relationship between father and son and the kind of man Mitt was. He was a diver and loved the ocean more than anything. He tried to pass on all of his knowledge to Jay but was blinded to the effect his methods had on him. Later we learn why Jay left home and I can't blame him. It was pretty bad. Even as he is undertaking this dive to retrieve Mitt's bones Jay is still angry. He is definitely not doing it out of love for his father. Right? Inside a whale though there is little room to move and he is closer to his Dad than he has been in a long time.

Whalefall will have you on the edge of your seat with a handful of Kleenex. You will hold your breath as Jay loses his. Learn what a whalefall is August 8.

This wonderful book is one of my top reads this year. Thank you so much to Netgalley for the chance to read!

Whalefall by Daniel Kraus

Whalefall is a scientifically accurate thriller about a scuba diver who's been swallowed by an eighty-foot sixty-ton sperm whale and has only one hour to escape before his oxygen runs out. Jay Gardiner has given himself a fool's errand to find the remains of his deceased father in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Monastery Beach. He knows it's a long shot, but Jay feels it's the only way for him to lift the weight of guilt he has carried since his da's death by suicide the previous year. The dive beings well enough, but the sudden appearance of a giant squid puts Jay in very real jeopardy, made infinitely worse by the arrival of a sperm whale looking to feed. Suddenly, Jay is caught in the squid's tentacles and drawn into the whale's mouth where he is pulled into the first of its four stomachs. He quickly realizes he has only one hour before his oxygen tank runs out and one hour to defeat his demons and escape the belly of a whale.

Whalefall follows a young man named Jay as he embarks on a dive to find the remains of his father who recently committed suicide. Detailed without fault this scarily accurate novel follows Jay as he dives deeper into the ocean's unknown depths. Soon Jay finds himself in a battle between a sperm whale and a giant squid. Before Jay can properly react he is swallowed whole by this massive predator, landing in the first of four stomachs. Jay's oxygen will only last for so long, will he have enough air and smarts to find his way out of the belly of this beast? Or will Jay's fate be sealed?

Kraus did an astonishing job of researching not only scuba diving, but whales, squid, and the ocean itself. The amount of research done shows through on every page as you are completely transported into a deeply unknown world. I felt that I not only read a story but also got a lesson in scuba diving. From the details about wetsuits to preventing fog build-up in face masks, this novel never skimped on the facts. Scientific facts weren't all this novel brought to the reader, it also brought heartfelt internal conflict. From Jay searching for his father's remains to becoming consumed alive Jay uses his father's advice shown to us in flashback chapters. Kraus gives you flips from past to present where we get a front-row seat to the inner relationship between Jay and his father. This novel is about survival in all senses from physical to mental, as well as the survival of grief.

Despite the things I liked about this novel such as the well-planned research to the heartfelt inner conflict of Jay, I could not help but feel like I was reading a research paper. There were many moments reading when I wanted nothing more than to quit, I had a difficult time keeping interest. I do not know anything about scuba diving nor do I have much interest in it on a personal level. This made the intense facts flooding each page for the first half about it too much for my liking. I also understand that the flashback chapters to when Jay's father was alive teaching him were an essential part of the plot, however, they did not flow well. I felt I could have skipped all the flashback chapters and still had a completely thrilling survival novel. I also had a terrible time connecting with the writing style as it came off dry and flat. The dryness of the writing combined with over-detailed research made it difficult for me to connect to Jay or to become absorbed in the story. It was overall far too stiff for my liking turning this otherwise interesting story into something of a chore to get through. Even the parts when Jay was attempting to escape the inside of the whale, it became too tedious with the internal monologue.

Overall, this was an interesting read that showcases a variety of lessons. This is much more than a novel about survival or grief, but the complex emotions we as people live with. Although this was not a book for me does not mean this could not be the book for you. If you are looking for a detailed, complex, Closter-phobic, unique read then look no further. This novel dives deep into the ocean, a whale, but a man's heart, and mind.

Pages: 336

To be released: August 8th, 2023

Genre: Fiction, Thriller, Survival, Adventure

*Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to preview this novel in exchange for an honest review*

I am grateful to the author, Atria Books and NegGalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

Yikes! Stay out of the water! I found this story horrific. It was a horror story, however “science” based it might be. There are so many tropes here, from the fatally flawed parent/child relationship, to the hero’s quest (in this case for his father’s bones), and then the “old man and the sea” combat between the whale and the human.

My heart broke for this poor boy, who needed therapy and support more than anyone I’ve read about in ages. As he marches to the sea, doing the most stupid things with the most ridiculously inadequate equipment, my feeling of dread grew. Don’t do it, don’t go, don’t… don’t. Oh crap.

The details of his incarceration, if we can call it that, may be based on reality. But they aren’t details that I want to know. I finished the story but came away only with sadness. His father imparted some knowledge that, in an implausible manner, led to his survival but at a terrible cost. This poor child’s body has been wrecked, he may never be the same again. But he’s alive and someone is paying attention to him, so I guess that is some upside.

3 stars, being generous because it really was not my cup of tea.

“Whalefall” by Daniel Kraus - what an incredible story!

Daniel Kraus’ writing style is rich in picturesque aesthetic.
I was captivated by his ability to color the action and the surroundings in exquisite portraiture. I felt like I was right there with Jay Gardiner in his monumental self-imposed task of attempting to upright his upended existence.
The characters are beautifully and tragically painted in the flawed colors of reality, from the perspective of Jay Gardiner. It’s the story of Everyman, as seen through the eyes of one man. Jay has lived his life in the fishbowl of the Gardiner family, where each Gardiner see’s his life through his own personal experience, as most of us do, and he is battling his lifelong demons of ineptitude and frailty.
When Jay sets out on a mission to amend his failures, he uses his life’s experiences to make things right or die trying.
Whalefall is a poignantly beautiful tale of a young man’s journey from a debilitating existence of loathing for father and self to a place of realization that life is not a reflection of what we see on the glass surface sea, but rather, it’s a multidimensional ocean of turbulent shallows and tumultuous depths, splendid creatures and marvelous monsters, and learning to navigate the waters and relationships with the tools acquired along the way.

I recommend adding Whalefall to your TBR list. It was an extraordinary story with a powerful message.

This beautiful yet heart wrenching story is about a father/son relationship and dealing with loss. Jay, the son, and Mitt, the father, are complete opposites. Growing up, Jay resented Mitt that was always too hard on him and Jay felt he could never be the son Mitt wanted. The only thing they had in common was the love for the ocean. Jay can't take the emotional abuse anymore and leaves home despite his mother and sisters' pleas. During this time, Mitt receives a cancer diagnosis and commits suicide at sea. Jay decides to try to find his father's remains but ends up in the belly of a whale. While struggling to survive, Jay also tries to come to terms with the loss of his father. This was beautifully written and heartfelt. 5 Stars!

Thank you to Netgalley, Atria, and MTV Books in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley, Daniel Kraus, and MTV Entertainment Studios for an ARC of this books I was so excited for this book, and it has been one of my most anticipated books for 2023. This just didn’t do it for me, and took me almost 2 weeks to finish. I think I incorrectly labeled this a horror book, and it isn’t. I didn’t feel the dread or unease I was hoping for, but that isn’t the books fault I made an incorrect assumption. I did like the alternating timelines, but I didn’t really care about Jay or Mitt or what happens between them. I wasn’t attached enough to either character. I ended up skimming the last 25% of the book. It was very well researched and I did get some fun takeaways about marine life that I didn’t know previously.

Whalefall Review! 🐳

Thank you so much Atria, MTV books, and Netgalley for this gifted e-read, in exchange for an honest review! Whalefall is out August 8, 2023!

I was so excited to give this read a try! Who doesn’t love a oceanic setting in the summer time (even if most of that unique setting was in the belly of the whale)?! Whalefall was a 4/5 ⭐️ read for me! Dang this was a cool read. There was a lot of emotion to it and suspense! While this was a unique read, it was also extremely slow at times for me and it was pretty heavy on diving info. So keep that in mind when you dive in!!

Having read Daniel Kraus’s Teddies trilogy and LOVED it, and the Shape of Water novelization as well as having children who are fans of Trollhunters, I was excited to find this latest work of his and unsure as of what to expect. This book is epic. Jay, the main character, is instantly likable and relatable as a skinny, nervous teenager seeking acceptance and placement in a world that seems to worship his father, Mitt, despite many shortcomings. Mitt is everything Jay is not: Brash, loud, confident, disdainful of the Human race in most regards, passionate and philosophical in all marine associated manners, a popular and seasoned diver more at home in the water than in his house with his family, and in possession on a anti social, short fuse temper that costs him innumerable vocations time after time. Through this all, he uses a certain amount of toxic masculinity to push his too delicate, too sensitive son to levels of utter misery in order to “make a man out of him” which backfires when Jay can no longer bare the brow beating abuse and runs away to couch surf in the homes of friends and refuses to return even when Mitt is diagnosed with terminal cancer. Despite nagging and pleas from his two elder sisters and mother, Jay is unwilling and unable to subject himself to more scrutiny when all he craves is love and acceptance from his father and declines to return home even after Mitt commits suicide by weighting himself down and dropping into the ocean, never to be seen again. Under the pressure of no form of closure, and a certain amount of guilt for never mending bridges, Jay decides to undertake a dangerous mission to dive alone, which as we all know, is NEVER a wise decision, into the vast depths of Monterey Bay in homes of bringing back his father’s bones and earning the forgiveness of his remaining family. What follows is a nonstop whirlwind of action, drama, forces of nature, and no small amount of horror when Jay encounters the legendary Architeuthis being hunted by an ancient and leviathan Sperm whale. In the most unlikely, but completely believably detailed turn of events, the squid latches onto Jay and drags him into the bodily hell of the whale’s maw where he is sucked and forced down into its stomach and trapped with limited light and air, seemingly lost for all time. This becomes a stunning exploration of self. How far will Jay go, how much will he struggle to return home? How much pain must he endure to escape the belly of the beast, and once, like Pinocchio, like Jonah, he is within the whale, is there a way out? He will have to search within himself for every ounce of strength he never knew he had, every scrap of seemingly pointless knowledge forced upon him by his father, to find out. (Speaking of which, I was both amused and momentarily irked by Jay’s finding the that knowing about the ampullae of Lorenzini, something being a shark fanatic, I have known about since early elementary school, to be a stupid fact. I guess in that regard, I’m more like Mitt.) I greatly enjoyed this novel and finished it within two days, reading avidly on iPad when at home and on my phone on the bus when between destinations, eager to , even desperate to discover Jay’s fate and whether he would be able to forgive his father or himself. The journey was a stunning one full of underwater wonders, clever twists, and tiny details that turned out to be vitally relevant. The book is remarkable and fully deserving of a Hollywood blockbuster that would be far more compelling than the drivel we often see in the box offices these days and I look forward to seeing what a director does with this wealth of character development and vivid, heartfelt, informative plot. Highly recommended. In fact, I would dare say, cathartic to those of us who still have no closure from a less than ideal childhood and relationship with our parents. Amazing work, full stars and beyond.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC to review!
Rating (on a scale of 1 to 5, 5 being excellent)
Quality of writing: 3
Pace: 3
Plot development: 3
Characters: 3
Enjoyability: 2
Ease of Reading: 3

Overall rating: 3 out of 5

I like the way Daniel Kraus writes. It's easy to follow and brings you in. I did get really confused by the PSI chapter labels, because I didn't realize it was the amount of PSI left until drowning. Oops! I'm not familiar with diving, but it wasn't a real barrier.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria for the ARC.

Whalefall is an outstanding, heart-wrenching, and purely original adventure. I was fully absorbed and enjoyed (or was horrified by) every moment.

I have a lot of feelings about this book. First of all, the cover - WOW. I cannot remember seeing a more eye-catching cover this year. This is like an action movie combined with a heart-wrenching family drama. And yet somehow, it works. It was a quick, absorbing read and I believe it would be a FANTASTIC movie.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Whalefall is insanely good. So good it’s upsetting. Jay is lovable and infuriating, as are most of the characters, whale included. This is a book about survival on multiple level—physical, spiritual, emotional. It’s a story of transformation, birth. Not only is the plot amazing, the writing is phenomenal. I’ll be thinking about this one for a long time.

Thank you to Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This story is amazing! It's a survival story Jay, a teenage boy who is swallowed by a whale while scuba diving. I am totally creeped out by the thought of dark open water and this book gave me all the chills. It is so chilling and claustrophobic! It is also incredibly heartbreaking. While Jay is struggling to find a way to survive and his oxygen is running out, he is reliving his traumatic memories and learning to forgive.

The only downside to this book is the writing style for me. It was a bit over the top at times, but I enjoyed the book overall.

I did.... not enjoy this book like I thought I would.

This is a story of a man who gets swallowed by a whale while also coming to terms with the relationship he had with his father.

Overall I was really excited to read this because the ocean frightens me, and I thought this book would really freak me out. Unfortunately, in most cases, it didn't hit the mark. In fact, the time when I felt most uncomfortable were the vivid descriptions of Jay's body being mangled.

I really couldn't find myself to care about Jay and Mitt's relationship. At first I enjoyed it, but it seemed like the book was trying to redeem his father and I just couldn't get behind that. His father was not a good man and you can't convince me that he was! His sisters were also terrible and almost not worth mentioning in this review.

I did appreciate the amount of research that went into this book. Another cool thing is the way the book was formatted. Current day chapters were titled with the amount of PSI that Jay had left. However, the past was labeled with just the year and that could sometimes get confusing when trying to create a timeline of events in my head. But that's just about the amount of praise that I can give it.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.reads.com/book/show/62919162-whalefall

First of all, the cover - incredible. Second of all, the concept - "Whalefall is a scientifically accurate thriller about a scuba diver who’s been swallowed by an eighty-foot, sixty-ton sperm whale and has only one hour to escape before his oxygen runs out." - fascinating. And it definitely delivered, I was gripped! What I didn't know was that this was also a story about the relationship between a boy and his father. I got a bit emotional several times while reading this. I also really enjoyed the Acknowledgments at the end and hearing how the author came up with the idea of writing this story. For me this was an all around fantastic read and I definitely recommend picking it up when it publishes on August 8, 2023.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Quite good. I don't find many scifi tales that are emotional but this was a little at times. A unique story, well told and engaging.

I really appreciate the free copy for review!!

Possibly one of the best books released this year. And this is coming from someone who isn't a big fan of JAWS or The Meg, and I haven't read Moby Dick.
Hard to put into words, but we can allow Kraus to do so himself.
This one is great.