Whalefall: A Novel
A USA TODAY BESTSELLER
Named a Best Book of 2023 by Book Riot, Shelf Awareness, and NPR The Martian meets 127 Hours in this "astoundingly great" (Gillian Flynn, #1 New York Times bestselling author) and scientifically accurate thriller about a scuba diver who's been swallowed by an eighty-foot, sixty-ton sperm whale and has only one hour to escape before his oxygen runs out. Jay Gardiner has given himself a fool's errand--to find the remains of his deceased father in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Monastery Beach. He knows it's a long shot, but Jay feels it's the only way for him to lift the weight of guilt he has carried since his dad's death by suicide the previous year. The dive begins well enough, but the sudden appearance of a giant squid puts Jay in very real jeopardy, made infinitely worse by the arrival of a sperm whale looking to feed. Suddenly, Jay is caught in the squid's tentacles and drawn into the whale's mouth where he is pulled into the first of its four stomachs. He quickly realizes he has only one hour before his oxygen tanks run out--one hour to defeat his demons and escape the belly of a whale. Suspenseful and cinematic, Whalefall is an "powerfully humane" (Owen King, New York Times bestselling author) thriller about a young man who has given up on life...only to find a reason to live in the most dangerous and unlikely of places.
Named a Best Book of 2023 by Book Riot, Shelf Awareness, and NPR The Martian meets 127 Hours in this "astoundingly great" (Gillian Flynn, #1 New York Times bestselling author) and scientifically accurate thriller about a scuba diver who's been swallowed by an eighty-foot, sixty-ton sperm whale and has only one hour to escape before his oxygen runs out. Jay Gardiner has given himself a fool's errand--to find the remains of his deceased father in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Monastery Beach. He knows it's a long shot, but Jay feels it's the only way for him to lift the weight of guilt he has carried since his dad's death by suicide the previous year. The dive begins well enough, but the sudden appearance of a giant squid puts Jay in very real jeopardy, made infinitely worse by the arrival of a sperm whale looking to feed. Suddenly, Jay is caught in the squid's tentacles and drawn into the whale's mouth where he is pulled into the first of its four stomachs. He quickly realizes he has only one hour before his oxygen tanks run out--one hour to defeat his demons and escape the belly of a whale. Suspenseful and cinematic, Whalefall is an "powerfully humane" (Owen King, New York Times bestselling author) thriller about a young man who has given up on life...only to find a reason to live in the most dangerous and unlikely of places.
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Community Reviews
Well that was an unpredictable emotional Rollercoaster. Mitt Gardiner was a garbled mix of my own father and my abusive ex. He even shared my ex's love of scuba diving! I'm still not sure how I feel about this book, but, oh man, did it make me feel everything all at once.
"No one carries the best part of themselves. The best parts are those held inside of others."
In this way wild story of a diver swallowed by a Sperm whale, Kraus delivers suspense, making the unbelievable believable, and a ton of emotional impact. Jay and Mitt are amazing characters and their relationship is what makes this book feel real.
I wasn't going to read this book. I didn't think it sounded like anything I'd care about. In January, a friend of mine said it was his favorite book of 2023. Later that week, I looked it up and found the hardcover was on sale, so I bought it.
Bonus: I LOVE this cover.
Thanks for making me read this, Greg! I owe you another beer.
5 stars, all day long!
In this way wild story of a diver swallowed by a Sperm whale, Kraus delivers suspense, making the unbelievable believable, and a ton of emotional impact. Jay and Mitt are amazing characters and their relationship is what makes this book feel real.
I wasn't going to read this book. I didn't think it sounded like anything I'd care about. In January, a friend of mine said it was his favorite book of 2023. Later that week, I looked it up and found the hardcover was on sale, so I bought it.
Bonus: I LOVE this cover.
Thanks for making me read this, Greg! I owe you another beer.
5 stars, all day long!
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