Whalefall: A Novel

Product Information

I developed such compassion for Jay over the course of the story, but also compassion for this whale, who becomes such a beautiful character unto itself. When I mentioned Frankenstein earlier, it's particularly this connection I meant. Since I was first introduced to Kraus' writing in his collaboration with George Romero, (at the request of Romero's estate), The Living Dead, I have read several other works of his and have never failed to come away impressed. At this point, I am convinced that anything he writes will be good or even great, and Mr. Kraus' work will be on auto-buy from here on out. In that context I also considered a comparison with Jeff Lemire’s 2012 graphic novel Underwater Welder. Both works involve a father and son difficulty while also being framed around a diving occupation. Daniel Kraus's rendering of this tale of survival is brilliant, simply consuming readers alive just as the whale swallowed Jay alive. Throughout the story, the dual battles for survival rage as a boy at the lowest point in his life both physically and mentally perseveres. WHALEFALL is an emotionally laden, scientifically accurate study of the ocean and its creatures as well as the devastating, lifelong destruction of relationships caused by a dysfunctional family. Highly recommended to fans of suspense, horror and beautifully rendered tales of redemption.

Whalefall by Daniel Kraus - Cemetery Dance Online Review: Whalefall by Daniel Kraus - Cemetery Dance Online

I think if you let yourself just sink into this one, let the story wash over you and really feel it, this could be an equally powerful read for you. Unexpectedly emotional and wildly entertaining, Whalefall is the tense revamp of Jonah’s tale you didn’t know you needed." Unexpectedly emotional and wildly entertaining, Whalefall is the tense revamp of Jonah's tale you didn't know you needed." - Gabino Iglesias The breathtaking Monterey coastline provides an alluring yet perplexing setting for Jay’s emotional journey. The serene beauty of the ocean and the rough terrain contrast sharply with the tumultuous emotional landscapes that Jay travels through. This contrast reflects Jay’s own internal conflict, with the depths of his sorrow, rage, and longing reflecting the icy seas of Monterey Bay. General Genre: Science Fiction - Action & Adventure, Science Fiction - Hard Science Fiction, Thrillers - SuspenseAmblin Partners And Universal Pictures Set New Multi-Year Partnership As Amblin Expects Future Job Cuts Whalefall is a mind-blowing, take-your-breath-away adventure, but it’s also a tender and moving story of the relationship between a father and son. Daniel Kraus is a writer I greatly admire. He can do anything, and does.”

Whalefall, A Novel by Daniel Kraus | 9781665918169 | Booktopia Whalefall, A Novel by Daniel Kraus | 9781665918169 | Booktopia

The examination of family dynamics and the long-term effects of parental connections is central to the story. Jay’s internal monologue reveals his struggle to make sense of the conflict between the father he knew and the father he believed he ought to have. As Jay confronts the residual agony of his past and looks for a feeling of closure that escaped him during Mitt’s existence, this internal conflict serves as the emotional center of the book. Some time later, Jay finds himself at Monastery Beach, a place in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California. Most people don’t dive there, as there is a canyon as deep as The Grand Canyon under the surface, and it’s easy to lose your way. Jay wants to find his dad’s bones, but can’t dive down into the canyon because he only has oxygen. You need specialized equipment to keep you from getting nitrogen narcosis, a deadly disease that causes confusion and hallucinations in divers.The story seems simple enough. Seventeen-year-old Jay Gardiner sets off on a dangerous quest: to find his father’s bones off the coast of Monastery Beach (aka Mortuary Beach). His relationship with his dad was more tumultuous than any ocean storm, and likely just as complicated. Jay refused to meet with the man prior to his suicide, a final spike in the calloused heart fostered by the man. Each chapter has a heading at the top letting us know the PSI Jay has for this singular dive–the time left before he must surface. This becomes very important to the story and it’s an effective tool. I read this ARC on a whim, having only barely skimmed the synopsis before diving right into it. Tbh, what I expected was a pretty classic piece of survival fiction with a sprinkle of sci-fi and a dash of legend, but what I got was a story of grief and growing up that was equal parts tender and visceral, celestial and human, mythological and material, researched and raw.

Whalefall review: Stunning novel about being swallowed by a

Let's start with Jay and his father. We're told early that Mitt, Jay's father, was a tough guy, always trying to teach Jay lessons for survival, that you just never knew when some small, trivial fact would one day save your life (cue foreshadowing moments one through one hundred). Kraus makes sure we never forget this fact, because he takes virtually every non-whale moment—and quite a few whale moments—to not just remind you, but to slap you around with it, to bludgeon you with it, to run you over, then reverse over you one more time, just to make sure that you never ever forget what Mitt did and said to Jay. While the main action here is the incident with the whale, what this is really about is the complicated relationship between Jay and Mitt, father and son. A brutal, unsparing, wildly uplifting book. The sheer buoyancy had me breathless by the end." - Clay McLeod Chapman 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. BRILLIANT!! Thank you NetGalley and Atria, MTV Books for granting me access to this book in exchange for an honest review.In addition to all of the emotion though, this is also fairly gruesome and I thought the descriptions of what was going on with Jay's body, and the whale's, was so well done. Kraus definitely gets top marks for his Horror imagery. This book WOWED me in so many ways! It's a book about a relationship between a father and son that is totally mismatched. He thought his father hated him at times. His father also was "a drunk" and couldn't hold a job down. He had once been a great diver. The only thing that they have in common is the love of the ocean. WHALEFALL is a remarkable book. I immersed myself in it and never felt the need to come up for air. As such, it gets my highest recommendation! This was an incredibly powerful read for me. I became so emotionally connected with the story. Not necessarily because I could relate to anything Jay was going through, but again, just because of the way that Kraus spun the tale. While on the dive, Jay is confronted by a giant squid who Jay later determines to be a sperm whale’s latest meal. As Jay attempts to remove himself from the chaos, part of his gear gets caught in the squid’s tentacles. Struggling to get free was fruitless. In a flash, Jay is swallowed whole and finds himself in the belly of the whale beast with only less than an hour left of oxygen to escape his living hell.

Whalefall Download [PDF] [EPUB] Whalefall Download

The whale, who could be considered the monster, beast or baddie, of this story, was just a creature with a soul who incidentally had all of these circumstances thrust upon it. I saw someone give this book 1 star and call it "Daddy issues inside a whale" which is accurate, and exactly as advertised. Apparently they were not into it, but I sure was! The primordial nightmare at the core of Whalefall is fantastically gripping. A character study developed in the most intense crucible imaginable, Kraus’s latest novel is smart, surreal, and powerfully humane.” Jay has given himself the task of finding his father's remains, which he believes lay somewhere in the waters off the coast of Monastery Beach. Taught serious diving skills by his Dad, Jay feels he is prepared for whatever he encounters. This hard sci-fi thriller is full of cinematic and wild suspense and would be great for fans of Andy Weir."— Library Journal, starred reviewThe narrative centers on Jay, a 17-year-old who is mourning his father. Jay is constantly reminded of the unfulfilled hopes, heartbreaking disappointments, and terrifying situations that defined his life by Mitt Gardiner’s ghost, who accompanies him everywhere. To compel readers to share Jay’s traumatic past, Kraus writes in a reflective and vivid manner. The emotional film “Whalefall” explores the depths of grief, the tenacity of the human spirit, and the impact of facing one’s history. Readers are completely drawn into Jay’s inner world and the nuances of his relationships thanks to Kraus’s writing, which is full of sensory description and reflection. Readers are encouraged to reflect on their own lives by the novel’s investigation of memory, identity, and family.