nicetsukki's review
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
alexgalloway26's review
3.0
3.75 stars
"For there are devils in the deep, but worst are the ones we make."
This is a re-imagining of the famous Moby Dick book from the viewpoint of the whale. It was interesting to read from the viewpoint of whales hunting people. The art in the book is beautiful and wonderful and really helps with tying the story together.
"For there are devils in the deep, but worst are the ones we make."
This is a re-imagining of the famous Moby Dick book from the viewpoint of the whale. It was interesting to read from the viewpoint of whales hunting people. The art in the book is beautiful and wonderful and really helps with tying the story together.
sjklass's review against another edition
2.0
“Call me Bathsheba” is the opening line of this upside-down Moby Dick tale where the ocean is the sky and the abyss ‘below’ is the ocean surface and sky. I am in awe of Patrick Ness’s imagination. His novels are each unique in setting, style and tone. Confession....I’ve yet to read Moby Dick and without familiarity with the original text, this novella didn’t work for me. Rovina Cali’s gorgeous illustrations help but I found the narrative a little too experimental to allow me to feel connected to the characters. The overall message of the story is clear however, that in giving our enemies our attention, we help to create them.
melc1996's review
The reason why I am not giving this a rating is because I listened to it as an audiobook. I have tried to like audiobooks, but I can't seem to follow the story and frequently get lost. I picked this audiobook as it was only 2 hours and thought I would give it a go. I don't know whether it was the story or the fact that I listened to it, was why I wasn't interested, therefore I can't really rate it.
yvo_about_books's review
4.0
Finished reading: May 30th 2019
"Here is the truth behind the myth: all men are Toby Wick. For who needs devils when you have men?"
Spoiler
I've been excited about this title ever since it was published last year, especially since I kept seeing photos of the illustrations and they looked absolutely gorgeous. Now I've had the chance to read And The Ocean Was Our Sky, I still believe the illustrations are the true power behind the story. They really take the writing to the next level and turn this story into something special; it wouldn't have been the same without them. As for the story itself: I admit things can get a bit confusing and sometimes it felt more magical realism than a fantasy retelling, but overall I really liked how Patrick Ness turned the original Moby Dick story into something completely new and original. The idea of the whales and men both roaming the seas and hunting each other is fascinating. Even more intriguing is that the main focus is on the whales, and their world is basically upside down. Bathsheba is a very interesting character and basically the one to challenge the world as they know it and also the one trying to understand men instead of just trying to fight them. Not much is told about Toby Wick, adding to his mystery and myth while also adding intrigue to the story. And The Ocean Was Our Sky is without doubt a story you won't come across every day and it might not be for everyone, but there is one thing for sure: the illustrations are absolutely wonderful.
P.S. Find more of my reviews here.
buggyzee's review
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
nightshade_novels's review against another edition
4.0
This story was completely not what I expected, but then I did go into it blind knowing nothing but that it was by Patrick Ness and had a great cover.
I've previously really enjoyed books by Ness so was excited to try another of his work. It didn't disappoint, it had exactly the style of writing I'm coming to expect from him, serious but somehow also whimsical.
This story flips the tale of Moby Dick on it's head, literally. It's told from a whale's point of view and to them the sky is down and the ocean floor is up. It was so hard to keep this straight in my head that even towards the end of the book I was still forgetting that when they said they were diving down that meant they were surfacing.
The story was so crazy, but in a good way. The whales have weapons and have built ships of their own. They are hunting a legendary human. Things are progressing as usual until they take a human captive and through questioning their prisoner they end up questioning their own beliefs.
The ending completely threw me, it was not at all what I was expecting from the story leading up to it and I'm not sure if I enjoyed it or not.
Rovina Cai has done a wonderful job illustrating this story. The pictures are brilliant and the sole reason that I gave this book an extra star. They are beautiful and brutal and perfectly match the writing style.
I've previously really enjoyed books by Ness so was excited to try another of his work. It didn't disappoint, it had exactly the style of writing I'm coming to expect from him, serious but somehow also whimsical.
This story flips the tale of Moby Dick on it's head, literally. It's told from a whale's point of view and to them the sky is down and the ocean floor is up. It was so hard to keep this straight in my head that even towards the end of the book I was still forgetting that when they said they were diving down that meant they were surfacing.
The story was so crazy, but in a good way. The whales have weapons and have built ships of their own. They are hunting a legendary human. Things are progressing as usual until they take a human captive and through questioning their prisoner they end up questioning their own beliefs.
The ending completely threw me, it was not at all what I was expecting from the story leading up to it and I'm not sure if I enjoyed it or not.
Rovina Cai has done a wonderful job illustrating this story. The pictures are brilliant and the sole reason that I gave this book an extra star. They are beautiful and brutal and perfectly match the writing style.
therightprofile's review
3.0
The idea was refreshing - turning the Moby Dick myth upside down "literally" and having whales as highly intelligent animals (which they already area) but highly advanced in their ability to survive under water and behaving similarly to humans - with ships and cities underwater, also hunting for humans. The ultimate quest is to defeat the mythical Toby Wick who has butchered so many whales. While the narrative was engaging and the drawings were beautiful, it did seem that the author was more focused on the technicalities of this world rather than a sense of wonder. I did not have enough opportunity to be connected to the central characters and really be swept up in the story.
fudgeamania's review
adventurous
dark
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75