David Strand

An ambitious novel that occasionally soars only to plummet like an anvil pages later thanks to cringey characterizations and clunky dialogue that had me rolling my eyes—but perhaps that's all part of the larger point being made given the late-stage twist Powers deploys, which turns the entire book on it's head and makes the story into something much darker, sad, and quite depressing. I'm left with mixed feelings but my thoughts are racing so that's a sign this book left an impression and earns the appeal of being truly 'thought-provoking.

At just over 200 pages, Whale Fall is a leisurely-paced, atmospheric, and evocative gem of a novel that unfolds with a quiet power as the story’s protagonist, the fiercely perceptive Manod, grapples with the life she wants to live with the limited possibilities available to her. As someone attracted to coastal settings and whales, I was immediately drawn in by the immersive sense of place O’Connor conjures through her spare yet vivid writing. I deeply appreciated how Whale Fall paints the rugged realities of this (fictional) remote island community in Wales while exposing the romanticized notions and flawed research methods the visiting ethnographers Joan and Edward apply to Manod and her community. After finishing this novel, I was impressed to learn it was Elizabeth O’Connor’s debut, so I’ll certainly be keeping an eye out for her next book.