Quite the gnarly read. I was very entertained and flew through this book, but it definitely isn't for the faint of heart. The descriptions of destruction and decay done to Jay are quite visceral and upsetting. Overall, a very entertaining and thrilling adventure.

One of the strangest, most bizarre, most innovative books I've ever read. I read this in one sitting, as I simply could not put it down.

Much thanks to Netgalley for the ARC for this book.

Review contains spoilers!

This book had a structure that was engaging, specifically centered around Jay's oxygen supply as he dives in a local bay to find the remains of his father who drowned there after taking his own life. Jay's resentment towards his father, who was often emotionally abusive and manipulative to him, comes in flashes as the story takes us back and forth in time.

When Jay is swallowed whole by a sperm whale, he fights for his life, coming to terms with the fact that he learned so much from his father to help him survive.

The physical tension of Jay trying to survive was harrowing, gross and wild. His emotional realizations were important, though I liked how he acknowledged what his sisters taught him as well to escape the whale. Some of the emotional payoff seemed too easy.

In the end, some of the ending dragged on a bit too long for me, but I enjoyed reading a book that swung hard and was a very wild ride.

I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Thank you MTV Books and Netgalley!

3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

Some major trigger warnings for this book include suicide, grief, blood, claustrophobia, and animal death, so be mindful of these things prior to picking up this book if you are sensitive to these topics.

Broadly speaking, this is a book about a young man named Jay coping with the loss of his father after years of a strained relationship between the two of them. After Jay's father dies by suicide while scuba diving (Jay's father's greatest joy in life), Jay decides to go scuba diving to find his father's remains, and hopefully also find some closure and acceptance of his father's death and the father-son relationship they never got the chance to experience. During this dive, however, Jay ends up being swallowed by a giant sperm whale and must use all of the life lessons taught by his father, both good and bad, to fight his way out of the stomach of this enormous whale.

Daniel Kraus does an excellent job of symbolically exploring the complicated emotions surrounding Jay's life situation including grief, anger, guilt, loss, and finally closure. This story is POWERFUL and sad and unlike anything I have ever read before, and it will be on my mind for a long time to come. Unfortunately, though, I found that this book became overwritten and kind of unhinged at the end which took me out of the main point of the story and more into the literal bodily horror involved in escaping the belly of a whale. This kind of struck me as unnecessary to the overall message and made me need to suspend my disbelief on the likelihood of this guy's odds of survival. I usually hate the "woke up and it was all just a dream" trope, but it may have actually worked better for this book?

To summarize, this book is probably not for those looking for a fast-paced science fiction/horror novel, as many of the horror/sci-fi elements of this book are more symbolic than literal, but still a very unique and powerful read.

Thanks again to Netgalley and MTV Books for this book!

When I saw this book, it intrigued me. I had a hard time getting through it, however. I may just not be a science fiction reader. I didn’t connect with the plot or characters.

While reading "Whalefall," I found it challenging to connect with the story, despite investing over an hour reading. The narrative failed to captivate my interest, making it difficult for me to fully immerse myself in the book or connect with the characters. I did not finish the book.

Whalefall is simply amazing for the way that it made me feel claustrophobic and creeped out as I read it. The tension builds to the point of being uncomfortable but not unenjoyable. Full of action and emotional impact, there's a lot to recommend here.

I'm not sure how to rate this one. On the one hand, for part of it, I just wanted to be done. On the other hand, I think this is the type of story that will stick with the reader for a while. While it was often a little too philosophical for me, the complicated family dynamic, the main character's dealing with grief, and the way the author makes the whale more of a character than a beast, are reasons you may want to check this one out for yourself.

This book sounds so interesting and I was so excited to read it. From being described as scientifically accurate and the fact Jay gets swallowed by a whale I was intrigued. The ocean is such a terrifying mystery to me and I thought this kind of book would be great to get my heart rate up but, unfortunately, it didn't do that at all.

I enjoyed the backstory of Jay's relationship with his father and how he ended up in the predicament he's in. I enjoyed all of the knowledge that is jam packed in this book of diving culture, technique, diving equipment, and the ocean in general. The description of the ocean and the habitat that the narrator was describing was great and put me in the setting. I also enjoyed the way each chapter was a mix between past and present.

However, with all of that I was also bored and annoyed. For me, personally, I found Jay extremely annoying even though I sympathize with him. I found all of the information and descriptions fascinating but I also felt like it went on for far too long. At 39% the event described in the description is finally happening and I was rather uninterested. I've been coming back and trying to read more but haven't been able to keep my attention on it or get into it. So, at 40% I've officially given up, HOWEVER, I am still very interested in where the story goes. I think Jay has such potential to grow during this event and would love to see how that plays out. So while I'm giving up at the moment I fully plan on returning to this book at a later time even though I have no idea when that will be. When that happens I will update my review.

Loved this book!!! The story was intense & made my anxiety rise. I love how the author took the time to describe everything in detail & built up the intensity putting me in the edge of my seat. The main character was so well developed that I felt every emotion he felt. On of my favorite books of the year!!

I was pleasantly surprised by this one! I'd heard pretty mixed reviews about it, I think that the comparison of the Martian was good, however, I don't think Whalefall made it to that level. The pacing started out really strong, but as the tension began to build, we kept going to flashback scenes, breaking up the tension. It also became less sci-fi as we went along, and more grief horror and a lot of introspection.

I still was pretty invested in this the entire time, and it was a quick read.

4 stars!

"Whalefall" by Daniel Krauss is a visceral, creepy, claustrophobic, eerie deep-sea horror full of heavy themes relating to grief and loss. This isn't just your average, run-of-the-mill horror novel. It's part survival story, part creature-feature, part family horror. There's more than meets the eye here, and I wasn't expecting this book to be as emotional as it is. It involves a father/son dynamic: a son desperately trying to get his father to pay attention to him and just be his dad, and a father that's so self-absorbed that he doesn't realize the damage he's doing to his family. Ahhh, generational trauma. Gotta love it! This book is the reason I will likely never go in the ocean again! Kraus sure knows his way around describing the water and terror. Yikes! This novel definitely got me thinking, and even got me tearing up a couple of times. I can totally see this movie being turned into an A24-style existential horror flick... and I'll be there on opening day with bells on to watch it! This book will have you flying by its pages. It reads fast and is generally fantastic. Give it a shot!

Thank you to NetGalley, Daniel Kraus, Atria, and MTV Books for the complimentary ARC of this book. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this review.

I am always skeptical about books that involve SCUBA diving or the ocean in general since one of my jobs involves both of those things. The author clearly did his research and I appreciated the attention to detail. Other reviews mentioned that it was a little tough to read due to some of the technical aspects but I could actually put myself in Jay's position. Overall, this is the story of a dysfunctional father/son relationship, grief and loss, and overcoming obstacles no matter how large. Much better than I expected! Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for providing a copy in exchange for a review.

This is a horror survival book that also deals with complex family dynamics.

A diver finds himself swallowed by a sperm whale. As he fights for survival, the story flashes back to pivotal points in his relationship with his father.

The emotion in this book caught me off guard and the non-stop action kept me engaged until the end.

One of the most entertaining books I've read all year.

"If you can't know what's right in front of you, you can't know what's beyond you."

This book. This freaking book.

"Brain bad. Not think good."

So I went in thinking this was going to be one thing and it ended up going in a whole different direction. And I am here for it.

Cinematic, beautifully unique, horrific story of grief, family dynamics, determination, and love.

I knew from the very beginning. From PAGE ONE. This book was going to have me all up in my emotions. And as the tension increases and the more the past and present timelines start to merge the more feels I felt.

With short chapters and the pacing on super speed you will have no problem flying right thru this one.

The vivid eerie descriptions left my body feeling so tense and panicked. I lost track of the amount of times I had to wrap my arms around myself to ensure in fact I was not the one actually going thru these horrific events. Oof I was highly affected with the imagery that Kraus created so well.

And the character buildup. Holy smokes. There is no way you won't be rooting for the main character all the way to the end.

Expect to walk away with a new perspective on Whales and scuba diving for sure.

"The whale is forever."

•
•
•

Thank you to @netgalley and the publishers @atriabooks @atriathrillers & @mtvbooks for the advanced readers copy in exchange for my honost review.

Well, this was 300+ pages of daddy issues. So if you're just looking for a book about a guy who's been swallowed by a whale, be prepared for that.

That being said, I enjoyed this overall and thought it was a unique concept. It seems like a lot of research was put into this. I'm not a science girly, so was most of it plausible? I have no idea, but it was interesting nonetheless and taught me a few things, especially facts about whales. This was also a pretty quick read that could be easily binged in just a few sittings.

This book is a bonkers, how-did-he-pull-this-off, what-am-I-reading masterpiece. All the stars. How did Kraus make me emotionally attached to a squid beak? I don't know. I don't know how he did any of this, but I'm so glad he did.

I loved this! A young diver is accidentally swallowed by a whale while searching for his father's remains. The whale portions of this book are so intense and claustrophobic that I periodically would put my kindle down just to breathe. This is a survival story, but it really is a story of a father and son and it will rip your heart out. And no, that totally wasn't me crying through the last 20% of this book. Emotional and beautiful. This one will stick with me for a while.

This book intrigued me just from the cover and description and I’m happy to say that it didn’t disappoint. This book was so beautifully written and it hooked me from the beginning. I highly recommend this one.

I absolutely loved this book – which in a way almost felt like it was two novels in one. One novel is Jay’s battle to escape the various stomachs of the sperm whale he finds himself in, whilst the second novel is Jay’s guilt over his father’s suicide because the two always had a very difficult relationship that only got worse during his father’s cancer – and Jay spent his father’s last few months in life, not living with him or communicating with him. This novel runs against the clock as each chapter notes how much oxygen remains in Jay’s tank, and he’s got very little time to get back out of the whale and up on land before he dies. What I loved about this novel is that it had fast-paced short chapters so reading it was a breeze, but at the same time, it was rich with so many emotions. The reader can’t help but cheer Jay on, wanting him to be freed from the whale, but at the same time, you also hope that Jay can also be freed of his guilt. The novel explores both and I liked the way it ended. I won’t say anything more about it because I think you need to go into this novel blind and experience this journey with Jay.

I recommend this book if you love marine life adventures and character-driven thrillers. I love the ocean so this novel was right up my alley. I’d really love to see this become a film because it would make for an excellent survivalist thriller.

*Thank you so much to NetGalley and Atria and MTV Books for the digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!