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clotalksbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.75
Not what I expected. I was hoping for a friendship across time. Instead there were two separate stories, with similarities and differences.
The writing is haunting. I did find myself having to put it down at points, and didn't have the urge as usual to pick it up again. I just had this sense of dread (well I guess you knew at least one story wasn't going to be a happy one). The beginning felt long, in that there was so much build up and character development I was surprised how little book was left before the real action began. The end, as it sailed towards the final destinations, was very good. The short interweaving chapters, skipping between times was very well done.
The characters and all their flaws, were very detailed, but as viewed from the young. Some moments were just heartbreaking. A very unusual book, that has made me want to find out more about the Batavia.
The writing is haunting. I did find myself having to put it down at points, and didn't have the urge as usual to pick it up again. I just had this sense of dread (well I guess you knew at least one story wasn't going to be a happy one). The beginning felt long, in that there was so much build up and character development I was surprised how little book was left before the real action began. The end, as it sailed towards the final destinations, was very good. The short interweaving chapters, skipping between times was very well done.
The characters and all their flaws, were very detailed, but as viewed from the young. Some moments were just heartbreaking. A very unusual book, that has made me want to find out more about the Batavia.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Child abuse, and Murder
Minor: Animal death, Rape, and Suicide
lauramcc7's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- 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
Content Warnings
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
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- 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
There’s a lot to like here—striking prose, sharp characterizations, vibes so potent you can feel them sticking on your skin—but it ultimately didn’t work for me as much as I wanted. It’s a very cruel book, for one, with more violence than I expected (that’s on me for going into this without knowing anything about it), which I can usually stomach without a problem. But the cruelty didn’t have the teeth it needed to leave a mark—it’s all blunt and brutal and lacks the intentionality I look for. What’s the violence saying? How does it frame or reframe the themes and characters? I kept looking for a moment to make everything click into place, but I never found it. I’m sure it’s there somewhere, but for whatever reason, it never materialized for me.
The dual storylines have potential, and the structure of the chapters does an admirable job of bouncing between the two timelines. Some moments had me by the throat and used the back-and-forth pacing to keep me reading longer than planned. Those moments are the exception, though, as I usually gravitated toward the 1989 story, where Kidd’s characterizations are the strongest, and the narrative has the most momentum and stakes. I kept waiting for the two stories to converge, but they didn’t, at least not in a way that satisfied me. They share themes, sure, but when the themes are this broad and, honestly, kind of basic, it left me cold. There’s enough good here that I can’t go lower than a three-star rating, but suffice it to say, this one wasn’t for me.
Content Warnings
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
denisedup's review
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Homophobia, Rape, Torture, Violence, Death of parent, and Murder
alexijai98's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- 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
More than anything, The Night Ship is just okay. The concept is interesting, and executed fairly well. Kidd handles the subject matter with grace, and having children as the protagonists brings an interesting perspective to the book. Overall an okay read, but I can’t find myself fervently recommending this to anyone, or rereading it.
Content Warnings
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
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- 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
Content Warnings
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
rebeccafm's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- 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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Violence, Death of parent, and Murder
Minor: Sexual assault
estherrosedq's review against another edition
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
3.75
This book was much, much darker than I expected, even with the blurb being somewhat morbid. It was at times hard to read because of the themes. I did like how the two stories were tied together, although the link was somewhat tenuous. I think my favorite part of this book was how it incorporated childrens’ imaginations into the storyline and really built the characters around their imaginations in a way.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Death of parent, and Murder
bookmaddie's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I'm always a bit hesitant to read stories told from a child's perspective, but not even the innocence of young eyes can hide the sinister nature of this story. This story is imbued with darkness from page one, like a mist hiding sharp corners and gloomy pathways.
But what makes this novel really shine is how Mayken and Gil's stories weave together. Kidd plays with narrative structure to enhance their connection, allowing them to slowly circle each other as the novel reaches its lethal crescendo. A propulsive, dramatic, heartrending story, but also so full of love that even in its darkest moments, there is a tender light guiding the way. Kidd explores loyalty, betrayal, and power in the face of disaster, wondering how we might choose to live when faced with impossible circumstances.
But what makes this novel really shine is how Mayken and Gil's stories weave together. Kidd plays with narrative structure to enhance their connection, allowing them to slowly circle each other as the novel reaches its lethal crescendo. A propulsive, dramatic, heartrending story, but also so full of love that even in its darkest moments, there is a tender light guiding the way. Kidd explores loyalty, betrayal, and power in the face of disaster, wondering how we might choose to live when faced with impossible circumstances.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Blood, Death of parent, and Murder
Minor: Rape
themushroomforest's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
sad
medium-paced
- 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
Jess Kidd is undoubtedly a very good writer. She tells a tale with vigour and colour, and I applaud her for that.
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.
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.
Content Warnings
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,