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myiopsitta's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
nmonzyk's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
whatyoutolkienabout's review against another edition
5.0
First of all I should say this book does have trigger warnings, including but not limited to animal death, cannibalism, injury detail & death and homophobia to name a few. Now the later of those warnings and cannibalism should I suppose be at lease expected or considered when the novel is set in the 1800s and mirrors the ideals of the time. On top of this it is about polar exploration and we all know the real life horror stories of those early ‘explorers’ who found themselves at the mercy of the ice and ocean. With this in mind the triggers for me I could accept and understand but I am aware some will not.
I personally really enjoyed this novel. I particularly liked the way Day seems to struggle with the idea and perhaps possession or spell of the past, particularly Stevens. I found the pacing worked well with the novels setting and plot. At times we seem to be steaming along while at others things go slower as if we are stuck in the icy landscape and at the mercy of what the ocean will put before them.
Tied with the pace is the writing, Wilkes’ writing is perfect at evoking the claustrophobic setting of the ship and the surrounding area offering no respite. This is aided, in my opinion, by the narrative switching between ‘then’ and ‘now’. We slowly find out what happened and why Day is seemingly so obsessed with Stevens. I can understand that the pace may not be for everyone but for me I really enjoyed it and think it captured the isolation and slowness of the actual journey the characters undertake as well.
I personally really enjoyed this novel. I particularly liked the way Day seems to struggle with the idea and perhaps possession or spell of the past, particularly Stevens. I found the pacing worked well with the novels setting and plot. At times we seem to be steaming along while at others things go slower as if we are stuck in the icy landscape and at the mercy of what the ocean will put before them.
Tied with the pace is the writing, Wilkes’ writing is perfect at evoking the claustrophobic setting of the ship and the surrounding area offering no respite. This is aided, in my opinion, by the narrative switching between ‘then’ and ‘now’. We slowly find out what happened and why Day is seemingly so obsessed with Stevens. I can understand that the pace may not be for everyone but for me I really enjoyed it and think it captured the isolation and slowness of the actual journey the characters undertake as well.
gabbyduncan's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
3.0
jamielikestoread's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cannibalism and Gore
Moderate: Homophobia
castoffcreature's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
coffeeandbooked's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
crypticalmoth's review against another edition
I really wanted to like this book because it's been on my TBR for ages, but I just couldn't do it. I got like a quarter of the way through before I had to let it go because it was just so slow and the characters were just so boring. Not to mention I got 100 pages in and still barely understood the premise other than "We ate people and I see ghosts." Wished it got to the point quicker and that the characters were more likeable.
mlang's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25