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kate_reads_books's review against another edition
Too slow. Didn't make sense. Too many jumps in time
c_rabbit's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Listened to audiobook in one day—so poetically written with vivid imagery of being inside a sperm whale.
reading_that's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
laurarhds's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
redwhiteandroyalreads's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I picked this up because the premise sounded very interesting. It centers around a kid named Jay who decides to take a dive to try to find his fathers remains, and in this process, he gets swallowed by a whale, so the book follows him trying to get out. There were somewhat frequent flashbacks in this, which I didn't care for. I wanted more of the whale and less of Jay and his issues with his dad, but I get why it was there because it did provide some background for the story and motivation for the character. I thought the writing was fine, didn't love it, didn't hate it. I liked the shorter chapters, they helped keep me engaged enough to finish the book when I wasn't super into it. Overall, this was an okay read, and I wish I liked it more than I did because the premise is so cool.
kirk0198's review against another edition
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Not really into the "father-son story of my dad is an asshole and I'm messed up because of it and am dealing with it now. " Childhood backstory and trauma interspersed through quick paced adventure tale. Gritty.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Emotional abuse, Gore, Suicide, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
witheringghoul's review against another edition
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
This was super weird but I enjoyed it so I mean with that in mind a rough idea of how this story goes vibe wise is probably horror moby dick truly.
katswan17's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
A son getting out of his father’s shadow (whale) and realizing he is free and he is his father’s remains. A bit slow at times and kept me wondering is going to live or die
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide
rach_s's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I was honestly baffled when I first started this book. I expected it to be a two or three-star read, so I was genuinely impressed by how the plot picked up. Jay is such an easy character to feel for—it’s heartbreaking to see how strained his relationship is with his dad and how unwanted he feels. Mitt (the dad) is complicated. I still don’t like him, but I appreciated the direction their relationship took by the end. He definitely messed Jay up, but it felt true to how messy and complicated family dynamics can be. Another thing I loved was all the facts about life in the ocean. While the father-son relationship took center stage, the deep appreciation for the ocean world was a nice touch.
rosiecheeks's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25