A review by arborapollonis
Whalefall by Daniel Kraus

adventurous challenging dark emotional inspiring reflective tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Picked this up at the bookstore a few weeks back, not thinking too much of it but still being intrigued by its premise, blurb, and format. Truly one of the best decisions I've made. Kraus tells the harrowing tale of a boy trying to survive inside of a whale, while also trying to come to terms with the role his father played in his life. It's dark, it's gross, the tension is maintained expertly, but there's also this pervasive tenderness throughout the story. For family, for the ocean, for the planet. Despite feeling iffy about it at first, I ended up also really liking the religious references throughout. A little bit of a coincidence plot, which I'm personally not a big fan of, but it was handled much better than in other books I've read. Definitely worth the time!
Expand filter menu Content Warnings