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lauramcc7's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Gore, Rape, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Alcohol, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
billyjepma's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Death, Physical abuse, Grief, and Death of parent
Moderate: Animal death, Bullying, Child death, Violence, Stalking, Murder, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Minor: Rape, Sexual assault, Blood, and Cannibalism
kirip's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.5
Moderate: Animal cruelty and Animal death
Minor: Child death
alexijai98's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Bullying, Child death, Death, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Sexual harassment
themushroomforest's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
However.
I am so glad that I've finished The Night Ship, not because I'm glad to have read it so much as I'm glad it's over.
I suppose I'm not the target audience for this historical novel, but I found it to be dismal, depressing and ultimately irredeemable.
I remember enjoying tragic stories purely for their tragedy as a teenager, and maybe if it had just been tragic I could have fallen back into that rhythm, but Gil's story in particular was just awful. I felt sad for him, but I didn't actually like him. Everything that happened to Gil was so sad, it needed a lift of some sort, a draw other than just sympathy for a broken kid in a dingy, dismal situation.
Mayken's story however, I did find enjoyable in a few ways.
There was a great sense of wonder and adventure at the start of the book, and I liked hearing about the way the ship was loaded and the types of people on board. Seeing it all through a child's eyes gave it a great sense of scope. Even still though, knowing from the start that she and everyone she was with was going to be dead soon took a lot of the magic out of reading Mayken's point of view.
I did enjoy the parallel scenes been Gil and Mayken, and the way the author brought their stories alongside each other. Mayken was a happy child who died tragically, and Gil was a miserable child who lived tragically.
I have a hard time with kid stories where all the adults are trash, and I really did have a hard time pinpointing redeemable people among the grown-ups in both eras. I don't know why I would read about such dreadful, sad people in a non educational way. There are times It is necessary and makes sense to read sad things about sad people, but I didn't find this to be worthwhile.
Having said that, there clearly was something that drew me along, as I did make it to the end. Kidd's writing is very bright and interesting, I would still be interested to read more of her work.
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Bullying, Child death, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Addiction, Genocide, Gore, Excrement, and Alcohol
Disaster, Shipwreck, Starvation, Nowhere to run,mmikadze's review against another edition
3.5
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, and Child death
mdemanatee's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Child death, Violence, Grief, and Death of parent
Moderate: Bullying, Sexual assault, and Suicide
books_are_magical's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Child death, Terminal illness, and Murder
what_heather_loves's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
1989 - Australian, poverty-stricken orphan Gil arrives on tiny Beacon Island, off the coast of Western Australia to live with his gruff and distant grandfather, who's part of a seasonal fishing community. As Gil settles in, he learns of a terrifying shipwreck of a Dutch ship, some of whom found brief safety on Beacon Island, which became many of their graves. For Gil too, the islands holds monsters he must hide from.
Based on the true storey of the Batavia, Kidd weaves fiction with fact around her two protagonists, May and Gil and their dual time lines. At times those timeliness appear to meet, particularly through the witches /hag stone May and Gil are given. Both children, with many similarities, they're both curious, both face struggles, both are misunderstood by many of the adults around them but find friends and both search for a mythical monster, when it's the humans they should fear. It's beautifully written, particularly the descriptions of life on board the Batavia, the language and characters. This is an epic and enthralling tale of human endeavours and human connection, striving for better and tragedy, when survival is threatened and monster surface.
Graphic: Death and Violence
Moderate: Child death and Rape
Minor: Pregnancy
lachesisreads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Their fates connect across the centuries as their lives take parallel turns for a little while - with very different outcomes.
It was impossible to say which narrative strand I liked more. When I was with Mayken, it was Mayken; when I was reading about Gil, it was Gil. Their lives could not have been more different, and yet they have so much in common - a childhood as it should not be for one thing.
I've seen this called straight-up historical fiction, but Jess Kidd wouldn't be Jess Kidd if she hadn't woven some dark magical realism into this story as well. Is it real? Is it in Mayken's imagination? We're left to draw our own conclusions.
I tried to draw out the reading experience because I enjoyed it so much - something I always find myself doing with Kidd's books. A masterfully told story from a master storyteller; I can't recommend it enough.
Content warning: this is not always an easy read and has depictions of violence against people (children included) as well as animals, although they're never very graphic.
I want to thank NetGalley, Canongate and Jess Kidd for a free advance copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions here expressed are my own.
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, and Violence