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thesk3tch's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
stephibabes's review against another edition
3.0
This was a fascinating tale and one which resonated in the futility but also binding nature of war and conflict. Told from the point of view of a whale, it painted a rich world of superstition and prophecy.
jrice92's review against another edition
4.0
Let me say first of all that I really enjoy Patrick Ness and his writing style, he has a beautifully descriptive style and (in my opinion) always makes interesting and complicated characters.
In And the Ocean Was Our Sky we follow Bathsheba who is a Whale starting her journey as a hunter, the twist is in this retelling of Moby Dick the Whale's hunt humans, Bathsheba is an interesting character but I wont lie its hard to make a cast full of Whales that interesting.
The story is fast (ish) paced and moves quickly so I didn't find the book hard to get through, I did most of it in an housr/hour and a half, i'm giving And the Ocean Was Our Sky four stars but thats mainly down to the illustrations, if this was a simple novel with no illustrations I would have scored it low, the artwork is beautiful and I would recommend it for that alone but done expect a classic.
I'll read anything written by Ness but this isn't one of my favourites.
In And the Ocean Was Our Sky we follow Bathsheba who is a Whale starting her journey as a hunter, the twist is in this retelling of Moby Dick the Whale's hunt humans, Bathsheba is an interesting character but I wont lie its hard to make a cast full of Whales that interesting.
The story is fast (ish) paced and moves quickly so I didn't find the book hard to get through, I did most of it in an housr/hour and a half, i'm giving And the Ocean Was Our Sky four stars but thats mainly down to the illustrations, if this was a simple novel with no illustrations I would have scored it low, the artwork is beautiful and I would recommend it for that alone but done expect a classic.
I'll read anything written by Ness but this isn't one of my favourites.
alexan13's review against another edition
4.0
Lovely writing and penetrating look at war, prejudice, and the ways in which we justify it. Not at all what I expected from a book about whales. 3.5/5
achillesheeled's review against another edition
2.0
CALL ME BATHSHEBA. It is not my name, but the name I use for this story. A name, I hoped, that would be free of prophecy, free of the burden of a future placed upon it, free of any destiny that would tear it from my hands and destroy worlds.
2.5
idk why but i just didnt love this! i think it would have been better to not connect it to moby-dick at all. moby-dick is one of my favorite books of all time and this just... did not live up to it. cool concept but it didnt affect me much
2.5
idk why but i just didnt love this! i think it would have been better to not connect it to moby-dick at all. moby-dick is one of my favorite books of all time and this just... did not live up to it. cool concept but it didnt affect me much
li13eo's review against another edition
5.0
So beautiful and heartbreaking. The art was simple but never lacked passion or meaning. I loved this book so much.
Side note: I have NOT read Moby Dick, and I still followed the story perfectly fine. I think as long as you know about the book Moby Dick existing and what it's vaguely about, you should be sweet
Side note: I have NOT read Moby Dick, and I still followed the story perfectly fine. I think as long as you know about the book Moby Dick existing and what it's vaguely about, you should be sweet
kat7890erina's review against another edition
3.0
Whilst the illustrations and the unusual perspective were engaging, I didn't get the same punch in the heart I usually do from Ness's writing.
A clever twist on Moby Dick.
A clever twist on Moby Dick.