Reviews

The Night Ship by Jess Kidd

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walruz's review against another edition

3.0

There is no need for me to re-hash the two parallel storylines — all well covered in most of the other reviews — but I will say that I enjoyed each of them in their own right. Unfortunately, I found the interweaving of the narratives forced, distracting, and ultimately unsatisfying.

queersicles's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot

5.0

This is dark work but I love Jess Kiddos writing style and was gripped from the start. I think this was the best ending of all her books (meaning the ending felt the most fleshed out)

rosiebelle's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes

4.0

melanietrumbo's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

filipamaria82's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

meghan_plethoraofpages's review against another edition

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4.0

The Night Ship by Jess Kidd

Unsettling, atmospheric, dark and with an unusual historical fiction setting - another fantastic offering from Jess Kidd!

Things in Jars was a favourite for me when it came out, and I quickly read more from the author. She has a distinct style, with a penchant for moody backdrops and lesser known historical intrigue. Set in a dual timeline, The Night Ship brings us aboard the Bavaria, a ship sailing for the Dutch East Indies in 1629, and to a small island off Western Australia in 1989. Based off a true story of shipwreck, each timeline follows a child who is following a monster - real or imagined.

The historical situation this book is based off of is horrifying, and not one I was familiar with. Please be aware it’s quite a dark read, with multiple content warnings.

I personally enjoyed the author’s use of the dual timeline, and found the pacing well done. It was a very gripping read, although haunting and sad. While I can’t say it was an absolute favourite, it further confirmed Jess Kidd as an auto-read author. I really think the author’s storytelling is superb and her writing style unique and interesting.

Many thanks to Atria Books and to NetGalley for access to an e-copy of this book. All opinions are my own. The Night Ship is available now!