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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
emily_koopmann's review against another edition
3.0
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Bullying, and Suicide
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
nyne's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Death, Violence, Death of parent, and Murder
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Bullying, Suicide, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Sexual assault
estherrosedq's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
3.75
Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Death of parent, and Murder
spacewhombus's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I love stories with non-linear timelines, and the structure of this book was wonderful. This book alternates between a progression of Mayken's journey on the Batavia ship in the 17th century, and Gil's stay on a remote coral island off Australia in 1989, where we learn details about his traumatic past. The two stories converge in subtle ways, and I expected there to be some fantasy/magical element but I was actually happy there was not.
I also somehow didn't realize that the events of the Batavia's journey were all based on a true story, and only found out after finishing the book and reading the author's acknowledgements- it definitely hit me then how dark that part of the story was. Though, Gil's story with his mother was also extremely sad. The reviewers who called this book "haunting" were definitely right.
I think I only wish there had been more of an emotional, sob-your-eyes-out moment when reading this, rather than the empty hollow feeling of reading all this dark stuff through the eyes of children. Overall, it was a memorable read.
Graphic: Death, Violence, and Death of parent
Minor: Sexual assault
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,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