The Book Nook

Shocking struggle at sea   Daniel Kraus is best known for filmmaking collaborations on “Trollhunters”, “The Shape of Water” and “The Living Dead”.  Much of his award-winning work falls into the horror category and his latest is an extraordinary story that starts slowly before building to a tense conclusion.  Please note this review contains spoilers. Published in 2023, “Whalefall” uses a bizarre event as a vehicle to examine relationships and loss.  The protagonist is seventeen-year-old Jay Gardiner, who’s mourning the death of his father.  In public, Mitt Gardiner was a larger than life character revered as a legend in the world of underwater diving, but in private he was a challenging person who made Jay’s life difficult.  Difficult enough to drive a wedge between father and son that now distresses the teen.  Everywhere he goes, Jay is haunted by his dad’s ghost and past memories, which leave him feeling inadequate.  One decision in particular put him at odds with everyone who knew Mitt, especially his family.  Mitt died at sea and Jay believes not having a body to bury only added to the family’s sense of loss.  Desperate to make amends, he hopes to redeem himself by finding Mitt’s remains. His decision to search the area of Monterey Bay where his dad was last seen is rash and dangerous.  One reason is the notorious rip-tide of the area, which Jay is sure he can handle.  When he arrives at the beach however, an unexpected surprise raises additional obstacles that threaten his chance for success. He enters the water with limited air in his tanks, confident of a successful quest.  But shortly into his dive, Jay encounters a deadly battle between a giant squid and a whale.  Fascinated, he moves closer to get a better look – a deadly mistake.  The whale’s powerful suction draws him and the hapless squid into its mouth.  Although they struggle to escape the massive maw, they’re helpless against the powerful force that pushes them into the beast’s squeezing stomach chambers. The panicked boy racks his brain to recall every detail Mitt imparted about sperm whale anatomy, hoping for information that will help him escape.  Frantic to live and inspired by imaginary conversations with his dad, Jay tries several heroic attempts to free himself while coming to grips with grief and remorse.   With less than an hour before his air runs out it doesn’t look good for the trapped teen, who realizes his only option is to accept his fate. The plot moves between the present and Jay’s memories of the past.  The latter gives us glimpses into the roller-coaster relationship he had with his dad and offers insight into the boy’s guilt and subsequent decision to embark on a fool’s errand. The author makes good use of the ocean’s unknowns and our fear of what we can’t see.  It enhances the feeling of tension, as does using the PSI reading to note Jay’s diminishing air supply for some of the chapters.  Once Jay is imprisoned in the whale, we get descriptions that create a claustrophobic read.  This is punctuated by one-sentence chapters which is seemingly intended to feel like gasps for air before sinking back into the drama.  We also get some fairly graphic descriptions of the whale’s interior, so fair warning to the squeamish. Those seeking extensive character development may be disappointed, but there’s decent handling of multifaceted and broken relationships in this immersive tale of hope.  I enjoyed the contrast of Jay’s memories with Mitt’s public persona and merging an intense story with a lyrical style.  Some of the writer’s past works fall into the horror genre, and there are several elements of that here. While Kraus is not a diver himself, he did his homework by interviewing scuba and scientific experts.  The first third of the plot is loaded with scientific minutiae, which can make the narrative drag if you’re uninterested in technical details.  Those who wade through that portion will be rewarded with details of family dynamics that frame the story and a ramped-up pace that creates page-turning suspense. Kraus draws on the Bible’s book of Jonah as an inspiration for the plotline and to divide the book into two parts, titled Truth and Mercy.  The first points to the negative aspect of Jay’s relationship with his father while the second explores our ability to absolve others, even in trying circumstances.  Death is another theme, and the author looks at “good” vs. “bad” deaths in terms of the legacy we leave and our capacity for forgiveness.  Readers will also discover how the book’s title ties into the death motif. “Whalefall” has been optioned for a movie and Kraus is collaborating on the novel’s adaptation. No release date was available at the time of this writing and content warnings include alcoholism, swearing, abuse and suicide. The slow start aside, this escape adventure brings marine science to life in an engaging horror story.