The book is by no means “bad”, I think, just really misrepresented by it’s blurb/how it is recommended online. I went in thinking this was going to be a horror/science story, but this was really more about a boy (yes, boy, he’s like 17!!) and his recently deceased father who he did not get along with. Most of the book is meditations on their failed father-son relationship. I think if you go in knowing that’s the focus and the “being eaten by a sperm whale” is somehow more of a side plot, then maybe you’ll enjoy this more. Oh also it was VERY repetitive and slow, at least to me.