OK, ladies, I had to rest in my lightless cave for SOME CONSIDERABLE TIME after reading this one, before I could get it together to review it for you.
This is simply the most HORRIFYING novel I have ever read.
The author -- Scrod knows where this guy came from -- is Daniel Krause, and the International Standard Book Number on my hardcover copy is 978-1-6659-1816-9.
The story follows a guy named Jay who is apparently STRUGGLING WITH SOME ISSUES, as only a Naked Ape can. All through the story he keeps having flashbacks to his traumatic past and how mean his dad was to him and how he dealt with that and blah blah blah. I was starting to wonder what all this had to do with whales when he crossed paths with one while scuba diving to find his dad's skeleton at the bottom of the sea. He was so busy blathering to himself about his dad that he didn't notice a creature more than 19 times his size approaching him, the idjit.
The rest of the book is about him figuring out what to do about this encounter.
AND HERE'S THE THING: this isn't anything like Moby-Dick. The whale operative is a central character is the story, on his very last recruiting mission, and we see his point of view CLEARLY although the author tries to obscure it with his endless chatter about his dad.
THIS IS WHERE THE TERROR COMES IN.
This is an especially important read for you land operatives. GIVING YOUR LIFE FOR THE CAUSE isn't just a dramatic phrase. It's the literal truth here, and it's what MILLIONS of fully-aquatic members of the Fish Army experience DAILY when they encounter the landscum. You don't just lose your legs when you enter the water forever. You might very well lose your life, and the agony of suspense in this story comes from waiting to see WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN TO THIS RECRUITING OPERATIVE.
I didn't see the end coming.
I had to put this book aside for DAYS before I could get back into it and finish, certain that it was going to be an unhappy ending. I was wrong, luckily.
But just writing this much about it makes me shudder.
I won't spoil it for you, but think carefully before you take this one on. It's incredibly rough going.
