The thriller Whalefall by Daniel Kraus follows Jay Gardiner, a high school student who is set on finding the remains of his suicidal father, but is swallowed by a sperm whale when he sets off the coast of Monastery Beach in California. The book is written in stunning detail, and depicts the scientifically accurate journey of Jay as he attempts to escape the sperm whale with only one hour of oxygen left.
One thing that stands out about the novel is the way the chapters are formatted and written. The colorful descriptions seen in the book allow the reader to visualize each addition to the story in detail. As the story progresses, the chapter titles showcase to the reader the steady countdown of the oxygen level in Jay’s tank. Throughout the book are also flashbacks to when Jay’s father was still alive, titled with the date of the flashback. I think these flashbacks allowed me to further empathize with Jay, and grow more and more intrigued by his situation with the slow reveal of his past. With some chapters covering two-three pages, and others only reaching a few sentences, the book has a unique style of writing that flowed nicely.
Throughout the book, the reader gains more insight into Jay’s history, goals and personality. Each flashback allows for present-day Jay Gardiner to reflect on his relationship with his family, especially his father, Mitt. As the book goes on, you learn more about Mitt’s suicide, and how Jay has been dealing with the upheaval of his life in the past year.
Another key detail in this novel that completes it is the scientific accuracy. The story draws from the common story of being swallowed by a whale, and combines it with modern science for a story of what might actually happen if someone were to be swallowed by an 80 foot long, 60 ton sperm whale. Reading about Jay’s various injuries described from a scientific viewpoint throughout the book made me shudder. Kraus displays an understanding of the science in a situation like this and it is clear in the accurate knowledge of diving and the ocean that is shown throughout the story.
The only thing I disliked about the book was its open ending. I would have loved to see more of what happens after the final chapter, and had a little more closure to the journey. However, I can understand why the book had the more open conclusion, and it was still a tearjerker.
All in all, I would give this book five out of five stars and would recommend it to anyone in high school or over who is interested in marine life and suspenseful stories. Suspenseful from the very first page and entrapping the reader immediately, Daniel Kraus’ Whalefall is an intense, scientific and descriptive read that deserves more attention.
