The Night Ship
Ratings9
Average rating3.8
2.3/5 ✩‧₊˚
i've re rated this after i can't remember how it ends at all
Oh it doesn't feel right to give this book such a harsh rating when I don't think I was the intended audience.
I've discovered I'm a very plot driven reader, and this was extremely character based. The pacing - felt so slow for me at the start and I was pushing myself through it (something I said I wouldn't do this year).
The writing is beautiful, the world created is gorgeous. I could picture it all perfectly and that deserves so much praise. I love the ocean, I love the ships & islands. There were incredibly wholesome moments too.
With the plot, I'm not even sure I understood what happened - and this may be because I'm dumb and I'm off my ADHD medication, but I found this very difficult to follow.
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score card:
plot: 1/5
characters: 3.5/5
world/setting: 4/5
pacing: 1/5
enjoyment: 2/5
total: 2.3/5ੈ✩‧₊˚
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⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚ reading log
19/04 9:26am ୨ৎ
so i'm halfway through i think, and i just feel like i have to keep dragging myself through. it's such a shame because it's a beautiful book, the characters and the imagery are top notch, im just a plot driven gal.
18/04 6:42pm ୨ৎ
the pace has finally picked up a bit and i'm sensing some drammaaaaaaa some jeopardy im still only at pg 128
18/04 2:01pm ୨ৎ
okay this is not grabbing my attention like i thought it would and maybe i'm just dumb but i'm finding this difficult to read - i did not take my adhd medication today
18/04 9:46am ୨ৎ
can everyone be real with me for a second, does anyone prefer long chapters?
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₊˚⊹♡ pre-reading
the spinny wheel has chosen... the night ship! i'm not sure what genre i'd put this under, but it's based of the coast of western australia so it's home territory. and it's based on a ship! i love stories about pirates, loved the greyjoys in GOT - so im hoping i'll love this one.
i've done well picking some highly rated reads recently so im hoping the streak will continue ⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚
The Night Ship half takes place on the Batavia, a real life ship back in the early 1600s, and half on an island off the coast of Australia, at Batavia's wreck site in 1989. The story is from the perspective of two 9 year old kids, 3 centuries apart.
I really wanted to enjoy this book. I like challenging myself with books in the genres outside my comfort zone. And a lot of the time, I really enjoy reading them. However this time it wasn't as good of a match.
This is a very well written, very strong and very sad story. I just couldn't connect with it enough. However, I'm still really glad to have read this book and find out more about a shipwreck I previously hadn't heard of. And there are some parts of this that will stay with me for a while.
The Night Ship by Jess Kidd tells the story of two children who have both lost their mothers and are being sent away to live with a distant relative. Mayken's story is set in 1628 aboard the Batavia. She must face a long treacherous voyage which is full of danger, from the uncontrollable weather to the men living and working onboard the ship. Gil's story is set in 1989, he has been sent to live with his reclusive grandfather to a tiny fishing island. As he struggles with his grief and social isolation he finds comfort in a tortoise named Enkidu and a local story about a ghost child, Little May who haunts the island.
As the chapters alternate between the two children we hear of their harrowing experiences, their resilience and strength to survive. I loved the fact that the two stories intertwine at times, adding to my enjoyment and engagement of the novel.
I think I favoured Mayken's story slightly as I loved reading about her life at sea and all the grim details happening on board the ship. I found Gil's story more upsetting and could feel the rawness of his grief ooze from the pages.
There are some disturbing scenes in this novel and a lot of cutthroat behaviour. The Night Ship is a beautifully written, atmospheric, historical read based on the Batavia shipwreck of 1629.