Whalefall (2023, MTV Books)
English language
Published June 17, 2023 by MTV Books.
Whales don't have hands, but if they did they would look miniscule in comparison to the hamfistedness of Failwhale.
Ok, THIS is the vacation read you need, the book you can devour in a single afternoon on the beach. If you don't mind reading something that is occasionally very gory and very disgusting. Because it delivers exactly what it promises: a scientifically accurate thriller about a dude who gets swallowed by a whale.
Jay is processing his estranged father's death by trying to retrieve his remains from Monterey Bay, on a particularly dangerous dive that he is no way prepared for. And then, well, let's just say things get a little out of hand. I described it to my mom as "a guy processing his trauma by undergoing a much more dramatic and life-threatening trauma."
I'm a sucker for survival stories, and I couldn't stop reading this. I also could not stop telling my family sperm whale facts. (Sorry guys.) I bounced off the writing at first, but ultimately …
Ok, THIS is the vacation read you need, the book you can devour in a single afternoon on the beach. If you don't mind reading something that is occasionally very gory and very disgusting. Because it delivers exactly what it promises: a scientifically accurate thriller about a dude who gets swallowed by a whale.
Jay is processing his estranged father's death by trying to retrieve his remains from Monterey Bay, on a particularly dangerous dive that he is no way prepared for. And then, well, let's just say things get a little out of hand. I described it to my mom as "a guy processing his trauma by undergoing a much more dramatic and life-threatening trauma."
I'm a sucker for survival stories, and I couldn't stop reading this. I also could not stop telling my family sperm whale facts. (Sorry guys.) I bounced off the writing at first, but ultimately found that the staccato style really helped drive the urgency and maintain the tension. Might make a good movie, if only our protagonist did not spend the majority of their time being digested.
This short novel, described as a scientifically accurate thriller about a scuba diver swallowed by a sperm whale, was not for me. It seemed to be chapter after chapter of either repetitive daddy issues, long-winded descriptions of diving and diving equipment, or tedious descriptions of escape attempts. The writing was marred by flourishes clearly meant to ramp up tension but which just became extremely annoying. I almost put it down multiple times, but forced my way to the end. I wish I hadn't bothered.
