Jay Gardiner is a 17-year-old whose esteemed SCUBA diving father passed away by suicide two years ago. And even though he and his father, Mitt, had a toxic relationship, he resents that the locals treat him like a legend. But that same resentment also prevented him from saying goodbye to his father before he took his own life. So Jay takes it upon himself to search for his father’s remains near Monastery Beach on the California coast. But the giant squid he encounters underwater becomes a meal for its only predator – the sperm whale. And Jay accidentally becomes a side dish. Whalefall by Daniel Kraus is a gripping and heart-wrenching survival tale of a son who must overcome his grief and regret in order to pull himself out of the sea creature’s stomach before his PSI reaches zero. 

Mitt was an alcoholic who couldn’t hold a job and ridiculed his son for being small and weak. Even so, being his only son, Jay always accompanied him on his excursions and reluctantly became his main pupil on the water. So while Jay is trapped in the whale’s stomach, he has to remember everything his father taught him about marine life and use whatever items he can get his hands on to escape. But while sifting through his memories, he reflects on his complicated relationship with his father – including his refusal to visit him on his sick bed after his mesothelioma diagnosis. He also has to stay sharp and beware of contracting nitrogen narcosis – a condition in which divers become confused and hallucinate. And he has to do all of this in under an hour, before his tank runs out of oxygen.  

Kraus once again provides the vivid details needed to make readers feel like they are experiencing Jay’s situation themselves. I felt uncomfortable, gross, and claustrophobic while making my way through Whalefall. I also felt so sad for Jay for the emotional abuse he suffered at the hands of his father, and the trauma he’s forced to confront while enduring another traumatic event happening in real-time. Meanwhile, he’s not sure what the whale is doing on the outside, or what other sea life or obstacles it might encounter. 

Furthermore, the chapters are labeled by either the amount of PSI Jay has left (e.g. 2793 PSI, 550 PSI), or the year in which one of Jay’s memories takes place (e.g. 2020, 2015). Kraus uses effective storytelling tools to keep the reader engaged and remind them that time is of the essence. The only issue I have with this is that it can be challenging for the reader to keep track of the flashbacks that occur out of sequence. But then again, Jay’s mental state is being compromised, so perhaps that’s the point. Either way, Whalefall is a well-researched emotional and frightening story that showcases why Kraus is a best-selling author. And that he has fun doing it. 

Daniel Kraus holds the record for most guest appearances on The Nerd Cantina Show podcast as he joins us for a fourth Cantina Conversation. He talks about the fascinating world of ocean life and what he’s working on next. Keep an ear out for the interview and preorder Whalefall, available August 8.