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Tuesday, August 8, 2023

Whalefall by Daniel Kraus

Seventeen-year-old Jay Gardiner had what you would absolutely call a troubled relationship with his father. But Mitt Gardiner was such a local legend that no one, even his own family, quite understands. Especially in the wake of his father's illness and suicide.

In a last ditch effort to gain back some respect, Jay has decided to find his dad's body. But what should be a typical dive for someone as trained as Jay becomes a harrowing survival tale when he's swallowed by a sperm whale. And it's up to Jay to remember all the things Mitt taught him if he's going to survive.

As someone who knowingly suffers from thalassophobia, I knew this was going to be a tense one, but I think this is the most anxiety-inducing thing I have ever read! Which might make you wonder why I even subjected myself to it. You should know that as a habit I do read and watch just about everything focused on deep sea horror, exploration, and killer creatures. I'm terrified of it but equally fascinated by it!

And oddly enough, both of my parents were divers. 

Lest you think this is just a creature feature, it is not. In fact, the bulk of the story is actually the relationship between Jay and Mitt. And being trapped forces Jay to reckon with something he's been trying to escape for a long time: facing down his issues with his father. 

So yeah, it's a story about being swallowed by a giant whale. But it's also family relationships, trauma, and one determined teen!

This is 100% binge read material and perfect for fans of Peter Benchley, Nick Cutter, and pretty much anything in between!

Order a copy from Bookshop.org!

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