The Night Ship
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- Create Date：2022-10-05 11:21:35
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Jess Kidd
- ISBN：1797140507
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Summary
Based on a real-life event， an epic historical novel from the award-winning author of Things in Jars that illuminates the lives of two characters: a girl shipwrecked on an island off Western Australia and， three hundred years later， a boy finding a home with his grandfather on the very same island。
1629: A newly orphaned young girl named Mayken is bound for the Dutch East Indies on the Batavia， one of the greatest ships of the Dutch Golden Age。 Curious and mischievous， Mayken spends the long journey going on misadventures above and below the deck， searching for a mythical monster。 But the true monsters might be closer than she thinks。
1989: A lonely boy named Gil is sent to live off the coast of Western Australia among the seasonal fishing community where his late mother once resided。 There， on the tiny reef-shrouded island， he discovers the story of an infamous shipwreck…
With her trademark “thrilling， mysterious， twisted， but more than anything， beautifully written” （Graham Norton， New York Times bestselling author） storytelling， Jess Kidd weaves a unputdownable and charming tale of friendship and sacrifice， brutality and forgiveness。
1629: A newly orphaned young girl named Mayken is bound for the Dutch East Indies on the Batavia， one of the greatest ships of the Dutch Golden Age。 Curious and mischievous， Mayken spends the long journey going on misadventures above and below the deck， searching for a mythical monster。 But the true monsters might be closer than she thinks。
1989: A lonely boy named Gil is sent to live off the coast of Western Australia among the seasonal fishing community where his late mother once resided。 There， on the tiny reef-shrouded island， he discovers the story of an infamous shipwreck…
With her trademark “thrilling， mysterious， twisted， but more than anything， beautifully written” （Graham Norton， New York Times bestselling author） storytelling， Jess Kidd weaves a unputdownable and charming tale of friendship and sacrifice， brutality and forgiveness。
Reviews
Terris
，
This book tells the dual story of Mayken on the ship “Batavia” in 1629， headed to live with her father， and Gil， who lives on a Western Australian island in 1989 -- the same island where the “Batavia” was shipwrecked。The two stories are compelling and well-written as is Jess Kidd’s style。 However， I never felt a connection between the two children or their stories。 Yes， they are both going through their own difficult times， each living through dramatic situations， but what is their connection ot This book tells the dual story of Mayken on the ship “Batavia” in 1629， headed to live with her father， and Gil， who lives on a Western Australian island in 1989 -- the same island where the “Batavia” was shipwrecked。The two stories are compelling and well-written as is Jess Kidd’s style。 However， I never felt a connection between the two children or their stories。 Yes， they are both going through their own difficult times， each living through dramatic situations， but what is their connection other than that they both end up on the same island， 360 years apart？I have read Jess Kidd’s other books Himself， Things in Jars， and Mr。 Flood’s Last Resort， and I’m sorry to say that each of those was more interesting and entertaining to me than The Night Ship。 I just didn’t care for this story as much。 I wanted more。 I wanted a surprise or a twist， or maybe a ghost， as in a couple of her other books。 But I was left with the question of “What was the purpose of this book？ What was I supposed to get out of it？” I’m still not sure。I will continue to follow Jess Kidd。 I think she is a wonderful author， but this just wasn’t the book for me。I'd like to thank NetGalley， Jess Kidd， and Atria Books for the advanced reader's copy in exchange for my unbiased review。e。 。。。more
Melki
，
Two motherless waifs， separated by hundreds of years， both live in fear of bloodthirsty， legendary creatures。 They realize far too late that "it's the living you need to watch out for。" This is another winning effort by Jess Kidd， one of my favorite authors， a writer who can honestly do no wrong。 Readers should know that though both main characters are youngsters， this is not a book for children。 History has never been kind to the most vulnerable， and this book reflects that， warts and all。 An i Two motherless waifs， separated by hundreds of years， both live in fear of bloodthirsty， legendary creatures。 They realize far too late that "it's the living you need to watch out for。" This is another winning effort by Jess Kidd， one of my favorite authors， a writer who can honestly do no wrong。 Readers should know that though both main characters are youngsters， this is not a book for children。 History has never been kind to the most vulnerable， and this book reflects that， warts and all。 An intriguing， unforgettable read - one of the best of the year。Many thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for the preview。 。。。more
Brad
，
The Night Ship by Jess Kidd is based on the historical event on a shipwreck off the coast of Australia in the 1600s。"It's 1629 and a newly orphaned girl named Mayken is sent to her father in the Dutch East Indies on the ship， Batavia。 She spends her time searching the ship for a mythical monster。 But true monsters are closer than she thinks。In 1989 after his mother dies， Gil is sent to live with his grandfather on an island off the coast of Australia with the seasonal fishing community。 There he The Night Ship by Jess Kidd is based on the historical event on a shipwreck off the coast of Australia in the 1600s。"It's 1629 and a newly orphaned girl named Mayken is sent to her father in the Dutch East Indies on the ship， Batavia。 She spends her time searching the ship for a mythical monster。 But true monsters are closer than she thinks。In 1989 after his mother dies， Gil is sent to live with his grandfather on an island off the coast of Australia with the seasonal fishing community。 There he discovers the story of an infamous shipwreck。"Kidd goes back and forth between Mayken and the events that led up to the shipwreck and the conflict surrounding Gil and his grandfather。 There are lots of vivid characters from Kidd both on the ship and in the fishing village。 And lots of awful characters。 Both kids， Mayken and Gil， are struggling with the aftermath of their mothers' deaths。 And Gil has some other things going on because of what's happened to him growing up。Mayken's story leads up to the sinking of the ship （not a spoiler， it's known in the first pages） Gil's is different。 Lots of struggle and misunderstandings with the other people on the island。If you liked Things in Jars you'll probably like the writing in this one， but this is not a feel-good story。 More of a slow-building story for people who enjoy complex characters。 。。。more
Hasanasil
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Muhammedali
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Angela
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The Night Ship by Jess KiddSynopsis /Based on a real-life event， an epic historical novel from the award-winning author of Things in Jars that illuminates the lives of two characters: a girl shipwrecked on an island off Western Australia and， three hundred years later， a boy finding a home with his grandfather on the very same island。1629: A newly orphaned young girl named Mayken is bound for the Dutch East Indies on the Batavia， one of the greatest ships of the Dutch Golden Age。 Curious and mis The Night Ship by Jess KiddSynopsis /Based on a real-life event， an epic historical novel from the award-winning author of Things in Jars that illuminates the lives of two characters: a girl shipwrecked on an island off Western Australia and， three hundred years later， a boy finding a home with his grandfather on the very same island。1629: A newly orphaned young girl named Mayken is bound for the Dutch East Indies on the Batavia， one of the greatest ships of the Dutch Golden Age。 Curious and mischievous， Mayken spends the long journey going on misadventures above and below the deck， searching for a mythical monster。 But the true monsters might be closer than she thinks。1989: A lonely boy named Gil is sent to live off the coast of Western Australia among the seasonal fishing community where his late mother once resided。 There， on the tiny reef-shrouded island， he discovers the story of an infamous shipwreck…My Thoughts /2。5 ⭐When I takes me over a week to read a 300-page book – I know it’s not going to end well。When I look at the GR ratings – 36% 5 stars; 41% 4 stars; 95% of ‘people’ liked it （spoiler alert， I am not one of those ‘people’）。 I find myself going into this review with a little anxiety。 I’m definitely in the outlier camp， so I urge all of you who have this on your ‘to read’ list to keep it there as my thoughts are my own and definitely don’t align with the majority here。Based on true events， The Night Ship has a split timeline – 1629 and 1989。 The central characters are two children， Mayken and Gil， who find themselves away from home and having to start a new life。 In 1629， nine year old Mayken finds herself on the brand new Dutch merchant ship， Batavia， travelling with her guardian， Imke， to the Dutch East Indies， where she is to join her father who is already there。 It’s the ship’s maiden voyage to the Dutch East Indies， and， seven months later， when it was almost there， became shipwrecked on coral reefs just off the cost of Western Australia。Centuries later， in 1989， following the death of his mother， a young boy named Gil， who is also nine years old， is travelling to Beacon Island， off the coast of Western Australia， to live with his fisherman grandfather。I struggled a lot with this story。 The pacing; the child narrations; the genre。 But I think one of the biggest stumbling blocks for liking this story for me， was that it was just so grim。 Firstly， it is the story of two motherless children （which is told from their perspective）。 The story of the Batavia is one of mutiny and murder; there are societal class prejudices; dysentery is rampant; medical care is primitive; females （women and children） were being raped and abused。 There was so much sadness and the children's stories were so bleak that it overshadowed anything else you could possibly feel about this book。The dead can't hurt you， Gil。 It's the living you need to watch out for。The story also has a magical or fantasy element to it， with both Mayken and Gil， each discovering one mythical being to pursue。 For Mayken， it’s a monster that might or might not be prowling the bowels of the ship looking for its next victim。 For Gil， it’s the ghost of a lady who wanders the island。 This element bordered on the bizarre for me， especially in Mayken’s case。 It was like she was high on hallucinogenic substances her visions were so vivid。For the first two-thirds of the book， the pacing was annoyingly slow。 Once I got to about 75% in， I felt myself thinking there was a shift in the writing and it was gaining momentum。 Things were beginning to align。 Unfortunately for me， by the time it all swung around， I just wanted it to be over。 I wasn’t a fan of the historical fiction， fantasy， and magical realism combination。 For me it was just a frustrating reading experience。 It might be a powerful thought-provoking book， but honestly， it was just too brutal for this reader。 。。。more
Elizabeth McLaren
，
I was charmed and heartbroken by both Mayken and Gil。 At times their stories were clear parallels， and at others， the relationship between their stories was looser。 But throughout， Kidd masterfully writes two narratives that complement one another and deliver a double gut punch （although I did find it difficult to sort through the dense casts of characters that inhabited each timeline）。 I especially enjoyed reading something that took the imagination of children so seriously， especially as their I was charmed and heartbroken by both Mayken and Gil。 At times their stories were clear parallels， and at others， the relationship between their stories was looser。 But throughout， Kidd masterfully writes two narratives that complement one another and deliver a double gut punch （although I did find it difficult to sort through the dense casts of characters that inhabited each timeline）。 I especially enjoyed reading something that took the imagination of children so seriously， especially as their imaginations have tangible reverberations in their lives。 I was equally enthralled （though less charmed） by the settings of each timeline: a ship and a small coral island that’s home to a small finishing community。 Kidd brings these settings to life—not in the sense that she makes them feel vibrant or saturated， but in the sense that she makes them real and dimensional in all their mystery and melancholy。 Such isolated settings allow tight relationships， complex conflicts， and the formation of unexpected communities to steer the plot。This was my first time reading a book from Kidd， and based on this， I’m certainly open to reading more。 。。。more
Minna
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Thank you to Netgalley， Atria Books， and Ms。 Kidd for the opportunity to read an ARC of this title。 An honest review was requested but not required。I read Things in Jars， and liked it， but this was better。 As with Jars， The Night Ship is absolutely beautifully written。 Ms。 Kidd’s prose is lyrical and haunting。 I started this book mildly interested and by page two was rapt; thus is the power of the talented storyteller。 The book alternates between two timelines: The first belongs to Mayken， a you Thank you to Netgalley， Atria Books， and Ms。 Kidd for the opportunity to read an ARC of this title。 An honest review was requested but not required。I read Things in Jars， and liked it， but this was better。 As with Jars， The Night Ship is absolutely beautifully written。 Ms。 Kidd’s prose is lyrical and haunting。 I started this book mildly interested and by page two was rapt; thus is the power of the talented storyteller。 The book alternates between two timelines: The first belongs to Mayken， a young， well-off Dutch child， travelling in 1629 to “Batavia” （Indonesia） aboard a ship also named Batavia。 Mayken is in the care of her elderly， infirm nurse Imke and has recently lost her mother。 The second timeline is Gil’s。 Gil is an orphaned Australian boy of approximately the same age – eight or so – who has just been sent to the Abrolhos islands in 1989 to live with his sole remaining relative， a grandfather。 Like Mayken， Gil’s mother had also just died （it is implied due to a drug overdose）。 It is clear to the reader from Gil’s timeline that Mayken’s does not end happily。 Indeed， I read her every entry with dread， knowing the axe would fall， but not exactly when or how。 Mayken’s timeline really made me wonder about the intrepidness of people who voyaged by sea: it sounds like an *extremely* unpleasant way to travel in that time。 I felt very sorry for the poor cows， doomed to stand in their own excrement and breathe hot， fetid air in the dark， crawling with rats， for months， as well as the unfortunate soldiers forced to share that crowded， disgusting space。 However， as unfortunate as Mayken’s experience sounds， Gil’s is hardly better。 He is a child who clearly has been let down by the adults in his life， exposed to significant traumas， and desperately floundering for direction and affection。 Even KNOWING that Mayken’s fate was unhappy （if not exactly how）， I felt sorrier for Gil， because his entire life had been awful and it didn’t seem like it was due to improve anytime soon。 I will say this: Jess Kidd’s stories do not veer away from the dark， the gruesome， the gritty realities of the harsher things in life。 This book may be triggering to some。 It certainly was unpleasant in some parts。 It also leaves Gil’s fate open-ended。 I had some theories and questions that were just left abandoned。 Nonetheless， it was a moving， deeply engrossing book and I would recommend it。 I find it very fascinating that the 1629 events were based on historical events。 I definitely went down a Google wormhole reading about the actual Batavia and the islands off Australia’s west coast。 It is astonishing that anyone survived， considering the conditions on those islands。 Absolutely astonishing。 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 。。。more
Jennifer
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3。5 I received an ARC of this title from NetGalley in exchange for an impartial review。Jess Kid spins such a good yarn。 This isn't my favorite of her yarns but it is still very well executed--well written and plotted， perfectly paced。 I think The Night Ship is a great example of how to use dual timelines to effect and I loved the way the stories hewed toward another as the story reached its conclusion。 I did struggle a bit with some of the characters in the contemporary story--they felt cartoon 3。5 I received an ARC of this title from NetGalley in exchange for an impartial review。Jess Kid spins such a good yarn。 This isn't my favorite of her yarns but it is still very well executed--well written and plotted， perfectly paced。 I think The Night Ship is a great example of how to use dual timelines to effect and I loved the way the stories hewed toward another as the story reached its conclusion。 I did struggle a bit with some of the characters in the contemporary story--they felt cartoon villainish。 But， overall， a really enjoyable read。 I hope this novel finds its audience。 。。。more
Sharon Schwalm
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It was a really unique approach to telling two stories。
Liz
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This was so sad but it had such a pretty atmosphere
Tundra
，
Two plots that are perfectly balanced is tricky to achieve。 Usually I am invested in one more than the other but Jess Kidd has nailed this。 The story lines entwine each other with themes and locations despite being set 400 years apart。 I also have a reasonable knowledge of the Batavia incident but this did not spoil the suspense。 While there is no escaping the ending there is warmth and friendship amongst a number of the characters。
Michelle
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I am not sure how to approach this one。It took me a lot longer to read than usual and didn't really grab me until the last 100 or so pages。 But I'm glad I persevered。 Inspired by true historical events its pretty heartbreaking。 Worth the read I am not sure how to approach this one。It took me a lot longer to read than usual and didn't really grab me until the last 100 or so pages。 But I'm glad I persevered。 Inspired by true historical events its pretty heartbreaking。 Worth the read 。。。more
Mimi
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This is the first novel that I have read by Jess Kidd and I found her writing style to be engrossing。 The Night Ship focuses on two nine-year-old characters who live 360 years apart。 Each of them has recently lost their mother and is grieving the loss。 However， their personalities couldn’t be more different。 Mayken is outgoing and likes to be with people， spending time exploring the ship and getting to know the people on board。 Gil is introverted and is content avoiding contact with his peers an This is the first novel that I have read by Jess Kidd and I found her writing style to be engrossing。 The Night Ship focuses on two nine-year-old characters who live 360 years apart。 Each of them has recently lost their mother and is grieving the loss。 However， their personalities couldn’t be more different。 Mayken is outgoing and likes to be with people， spending time exploring the ship and getting to know the people on board。 Gil is introverted and is content avoiding contact with his peers and neighbors， spending time with Enkidu， his 900-year-old tortoise。 The Night Ship is a character study of these two children told in alternating chapters。 The world that each one inhabits is carefully constructed with details that make you care for these two characters。 It’s a slow paced novel and I admit that at times I jumped ahead to continue reading about one of them， skipping the alternating chapters and then going back and reading them sequentially。 Usually I enjoy reading two alternating viewpoints; however， the nexus between Mayken and Gil is not enhanced by this and sometimes the transitions in viewpoint left me discontented。 While the ending shows character growth for both Mayken and Gil， I kept waiting to learn of how their stories are bound together （other than the fact that each of them believes in a mythical monster and that each of them possesses a perfect， round stone with a hole right through the middle， thinking of it as a magical stone。）Nevertheless， I enjoyed reading about their lives and how differently each of them interacted with those around them and how they dealt with the difficult circumstances they faced。Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Brad
，
The Night Ship by Jesse Kidd is based on the historical event on a shipwreck off the coast of Australia in the 1600s。"It's 1629 and a newly orphaned girl named Mayken is sent to her father in the Dutch East Indies on the ship， Batavia。 She spends her time searching the ship for a mythical monster。 But true monsters are closer than she thinks。In 1989 after his mother dies， Gil is sent to live with his grandfather on an island off the coast of Australia with the seasonal fishing community。 There h The Night Ship by Jesse Kidd is based on the historical event on a shipwreck off the coast of Australia in the 1600s。"It's 1629 and a newly orphaned girl named Mayken is sent to her father in the Dutch East Indies on the ship， Batavia。 She spends her time searching the ship for a mythical monster。 But true monsters are closer than she thinks。In 1989 after his mother dies， Gil is sent to live with his grandfather on an island off the coast of Australia with the seasonal fishing community。 There he discovers the story of an infamous shipwreck。"Kidd goes back and forth between Mayken and the events that led up to the shipwreck and the conflict surrounding Gil and his grandfather。 There are lots of vivid characters from Kidd both on the ship and in the fishing village。 And lots of awful characters。 Both kids， Mayken and Gil， are struggling with the aftermath of their mothers' deaths。 And Gil has some other things going on because of what's happened to him growing up。Mayken's story leads up to the sinking of the ship （not a spoiler， it's known in the first pages） Gil's is different。 Lots of struggle and misunderstandings with the other people on the island。If you liked Things in Jars you'll probably like the writing in this one， but this is not a feel-good story。 More of a story for people who enjoy complex characters。 。。。more
Valarie
，
The Night Ship is a dual timeline historical fiction with one story in 1629 aboard the ship Batavia on its way from the Netherlands to the Spice Islands and one story in 1989 on the island where survivors of the Batavia wreck washed up。 The main characters are Mayken in 1689 and Gil in 1989。 Both are around 10 years old and are peculiar children for their time period。 I love Jess Kidd's books and this one was no exception， though I didn't love it as much as "Himself"。 The humor from that one was The Night Ship is a dual timeline historical fiction with one story in 1629 aboard the ship Batavia on its way from the Netherlands to the Spice Islands and one story in 1989 on the island where survivors of the Batavia wreck washed up。 The main characters are Mayken in 1689 and Gil in 1989。 Both are around 10 years old and are peculiar children for their time period。 I love Jess Kidd's books and this one was no exception， though I didn't love it as much as "Himself"。 The humor from that one was missing here and was sorely missed for me。 I found this one to be a bit slow in parts and the connection between the two children wasn't satisfying enough for me。 I wanted a bit more to link them together。 I really enjoyed how well-drawn and detailed the characters and places were。 I felt like I was there and I could see everything happening in front of me。 I really felt the struggles of Mayken and Gil too and if I were more prone to crying when reading， there definitely were points when I would have。 Kidd's writing is just so beautiful and mesmerizing。 Gil's story pulled at me more， but both were excellent。I would definitely recommend this book for fans of Jess Kidd and fans of historical fiction！ Thanks @netgalley for the ARC！ 。。。more
Lauren
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Fabulous historical fiction woven with the wisdom of peculiar children。
Padma Ghosh
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Excellent， excellent tale。 I love storylines that occur on multiple timelines and consummately cover different micro universes。 Vivid gripping story told through two children。 Lovely。
nvsblmnstr
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An amazing， romantic （not the lovey dovey kind） story of how human nature， relationships and actions bind us throughout time。 I adored the two MCs but ‘twas a bit slow for my liking。 Solid recommend！
Rebecca
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I won a copy of this book in a Goodreads giveaway。 All opinions are my own。
Kelly Williams Nagel | kwnreads
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Ugh， DNF （and I hate that because I love Jess Kidd！）。 But I just couldn't feel motivation to come back to it each night， and I was already 45% into the book。 It never picked up， even though I loved Gil and Mayken （the two POVs）。 It may be where I am mentally right now， but I have too many unread books on my shelves to stay patient with this one。 Thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for an eARC in exchange for an honest review。 Ugh， DNF （and I hate that because I love Jess Kidd！）。 But I just couldn't feel motivation to come back to it each night， and I was already 45% into the book。 It never picked up， even though I loved Gil and Mayken （the two POVs）。 It may be where I am mentally right now， but I have too many unread books on my shelves to stay patient with this one。 Thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for an eARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Anna Major
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Boosting my rating to a 4。
Jessica
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I was provided a free copy of this from @NetGalley in exchange for my honest review。 Based on the real life tragic shipwreck of the Batavia， in 1629， this story follows a young passenger， Mayken， throughout the ill-fated voyage。 360 years later we also get a glimpse into the "current" state of the people who now live and work on the island the Batavia survivors were shipwrecked on， as we follow Gil through his adventure of coming to the island。 Both kids have recently lost their mothers and are I was provided a free copy of this from @NetGalley in exchange for my honest review。 Based on the real life tragic shipwreck of the Batavia， in 1629， this story follows a young passenger， Mayken， throughout the ill-fated voyage。 360 years later we also get a glimpse into the "current" state of the people who now live and work on the island the Batavia survivors were shipwrecked on， as we follow Gil through his adventure of coming to the island。 Both kids have recently lost their mothers and are learning to live in these new worlds on their own。 Both Mayken and Gil rub up against what is expected of them。 Mayken wants to visit all parts of the ship and Gil struggles with who he is after being raised in a difficult situation。 I struggled a bit with this and really had a hard time with the overarching purpose of the book。 Although the stories were interesting， my favorite was probably the 1629 parts because they seemed to have more redemption。 A lot of this book was dark， and covered the worst parts of humanity。 Unfair treatment of others， unnecessary cruelty， and many horrible things that humans do to each other。 I didn't find as much purpose and redemption in Gil's story。 And although I enjoyed Mayken's more， there were elements of mystical realism that confused me， since it was a real historical incident。 Overall it was an ok book for me。 I did want to know what was going to happen， but it was overall a dark heavy book。 Not normally what I enjoy。 I am now curious about the Batavia and will probably do some of my own research on it。 It is set to come out on Tuesday （4 Oct） if you enjoy dark books， add it to your TBR！ 。。。more
Matt
，
I’m not much of a fantasy reader， but when I do choose to read that genre this is definitely more my speed as it reads more like a dark historical fiction。 however I have to admit I was a bit disappointed with this one， it alternated between 2 timelines and I definitely preferred the 1989 one over the other， and couldn’t wait to get back to those chapters。
Judy Odom
，
The Night Ship is a beautifully written atmospheric book that draws you in from the first time you meet Mayken and Gil 。Mayken's story takes place in 1629 and Gil's in 1989 some 300 years later。Mayken and Gil have almost parallel stories in some regards and your heart goes out to both of them。When Gil is sent to live with his grandfather， not your average grandfather， he is grief stricken， lonely and finds comfort in his tortoise 。 I don't want to give anything away as its a journey you will go The Night Ship is a beautifully written atmospheric book that draws you in from the first time you meet Mayken and Gil 。Mayken's story takes place in 1629 and Gil's in 1989 some 300 years later。Mayken and Gil have almost parallel stories in some regards and your heart goes out to both of them。When Gil is sent to live with his grandfather， not your average grandfather， he is grief stricken， lonely and finds comfort in his tortoise 。 I don't want to give anything away as its a journey you will go on as you read their two stories 。Its magical， its haunting and its well done。 The Night Ship will make an excellent Book Club choice。 Jess Kidd always tells a great story that stays with you long after the final page has turned and The Night Ship is no exception。 Can't wait to get my hard copy to sit beside Things in a Jar ， Himself （my favourite） and Mr。 Flood's Last Resort。Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for a fascinating read。 。。。more
Kira
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This story was not at all what I was expecting having read all of the author’s previous novels， but it was a brilliant turn from Jess Kidd。 The characters you find within these pages， some real and some fiction， are both heartwarming and heartbreaking， and I found myself wishing I could climb into the story and change their fortunes， to protect them， to make everything right。 The parallels between the past and the present were hauntingly drawn and it is a reminder that humanity is what binds us This story was not at all what I was expecting having read all of the author’s previous novels， but it was a brilliant turn from Jess Kidd。 The characters you find within these pages， some real and some fiction， are both heartwarming and heartbreaking， and I found myself wishing I could climb into the story and change their fortunes， to protect them， to make everything right。 The parallels between the past and the present were hauntingly drawn and it is a reminder that humanity is what binds us all together - our hopes， our dreams， our fears - even across the expanse of time。 I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a story that stays with them long after the last word has been read。 。。。more
Geertje
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Jess Kidd is one of those authors I have come to trust completely。 Pick up any of her books， and you are guaranteed a good （and heart-rending） time。 Lovely， lovely。
Rebecca
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got around 15-20% through before my loan from the library expired… was contemplating dnf’ing anyway so not too fussed。 was unfortunately a bit bleh for me
Gaby Meares
，
The Night Ship tells two stories， both from the perspective of a motherless child， both bound to the inhospitable seas and islands off the western coast of Australia， but separated by three centuries。 In 1629 young Mayken boards the Batavia， bound for Australia to live with a father she has never met。 In 1989， after the death of his mother， Gil is sent to live with his cantankerous grandfather on a remote fishing island off the west coast of Australia。 There are parallels between these two narra The Night Ship tells two stories， both from the perspective of a motherless child， both bound to the inhospitable seas and islands off the western coast of Australia， but separated by three centuries。 In 1629 young Mayken boards the Batavia， bound for Australia to live with a father she has never met。 In 1989， after the death of his mother， Gil is sent to live with his cantankerous grandfather on a remote fishing island off the west coast of Australia。 There are parallels between these two narratives as both children battle monsters both real and imagined。 Both Mayken and Gil are lost souls， looking for love and friendship。 Both believe in a mythical monster who is responsible for the terrible events that have happened to them。 Both value a talisman - a witch stone/hag stone given to Mayken on board the ship and， centuries later， given to Gil on Beacon Island。 ‘If you look through the hole， you can see what is yet to come， or what has been already’。 Kidd has created two rich worlds， populated by characters who are fully realised。 Mayken is precocious， curious and determined。 If you are at all familiar with the fate of the Batavia， you know what is in store for Mayken and it adds a layer of pathos as you fall in love with her。 Gil’s struggle to find a place where he can feel safe， both physically and emotionally， is equally heartbreaking。The Night Ship is original historic fiction， lyrically written。 Highly recommended。 。。。more
Worldsbetweenpages_
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In 1629， Mayken just lost her mother and is now being sent on the Batavia， the newest and finest ship of the Dutch East India Company， to live with her father。 It's named after its destination in Australia and nine-year-old Mayken has a seven-month-long journey at sea ahead of her。 She is fascinated by the world of the ship and disguises herself as a boy to explore the Below World under deck。 She becomes friends with one of the stewards， who tells her a story about a monster that lives in the da In 1629， Mayken just lost her mother and is now being sent on the Batavia， the newest and finest ship of the Dutch East India Company， to live with her father。 It's named after its destination in Australia and nine-year-old Mayken has a seven-month-long journey at sea ahead of her。 She is fascinated by the world of the ship and disguises herself as a boy to explore the Below World under deck。 She becomes friends with one of the stewards， who tells her a story about a monster that lives in the darkness under deck and is responsible for sickness and misfortune on the ship。 When her nursemaid falls ill， Mayken is determinated to catch the monster。 But while she is occupied with the hunt， she doesn't recognize the real danger building on the ship， the longer the journey at sea takes。In 1989 Gil just lost his mother and is now being sent to live with his grandfather on a small and barren island on the coast of Western Australia。 The only seasonal residents are fishermen and their families， who inhabit the island for generations。 Feuds are brewing between the families and Gil's grandfather about land and properties for many years， affecting now Gil too。 Soon the nine-year- old boy hears the story about the old shipwreck that lies in the reef in front of the island and about the ghost of a little girl that haunts the island。This book was amazing and I was drawn into the story from the first page！ It's an unsettling story full of tragedy， dread， tension and heartbreaking events， experienced by two children， 300 years apart。 It shows how cruel humans can become in extreme circumstances， isolated from civilisation and how hatred can escalate。 It's a story about the power and survival of the fittest。 The Night Ship is based on a real historical event and I had to research it immediately after finishing the book。 It's one of those books that leaves you with a feeling， even after some time has passed since you read it。I really liked the differences between the two main characters。 They live in different centuries， but both grew up without a father， with a mother who died early in their lives。 But while Mayken is bold， a bit impish and fascinated with the unfamiliar environment of the ship， Gil is awkward， lonely and lives in his own world。 I have to give a special shout out to grumpy Enkidu， Gil's tortoise， he always put a smile on my face while reading about all the other gruesome parts。 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=The Night Ship
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=The Night Ship&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,The Night Ship&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0