"The greatest disgrace of humankind is the failure of the strong to protect the weak. We don't need monsters. We are the monsters."
—Jess Kidd, The Night Ship
Ahoy there, me hearties!
Anyone who knows me knows that this landlubber is a huge fan of Jess Kidd's figurative writing and that I have lovingly devoured each of her previous delights. So, with my mainsail hoisted, I set off for the Dutch East Indies with a sextant in one hand and Captain Kidd's book in the other.
Inspired by real events (the sinking of a Dutch merchant ship, The Batavia off the coast of Australia in 1628), the story unfolded slowly … knowingly … teasingly … deliciously. "Someone polish my barnacles!" I shouted. "This has five stars written all over it!"
The story is told across two timelines: In 1628, Mayken, a nonconformist girl, finds herself on a ship where dark folklore and omens gather like clouds. In 1989, Gil, a nonconformist youngster, finds himself on a haunted fishermen's island off the coast of Australia.
To begin with, this was a "shiver me timbers and bite your fingers off" kind of book. It was foreshadowed and back shadowed up to its briny armpits and I was loving every bit of it! With echoes of Moby Dick, Mutiny on the Bounty and The Creature from the Black Lagoon thrown in for good measure, I was all hands on deck, keen to see which unimaginable wonders lay beyond the horizon.
Alas, despite its resplendent start, the book ran aground towards the end. The promise of dark magical realism, unimaginable wonders and a nightmarish sea monster never really materialised and the story just fizzled out like a damp squid squib.
Because I absolutely loved where it was going before everything capsized into dullness, and because I'm a fan of Jess Kidd's poetic prose, I'm still going to award it four stars.
But her debut novel, Himself, is far better, in my humble opinion.
My nautical star-rating system.
***** "Ship-shape and Bristol fashion."
**** "Land ahoy!"
*** "Aye, aye, Cap'n!"
** "Walk the plank, you scurvy dog!"
* "Abandon ship!"
—Jess Kidd, The Night Ship
Ahoy there, me hearties!
Anyone who knows me knows that this landlubber is a huge fan of Jess Kidd's figurative writing and that I have lovingly devoured each of her previous delights. So, with my mainsail hoisted, I set off for the Dutch East Indies with a sextant in one hand and Captain Kidd's book in the other.
Inspired by real events (the sinking of a Dutch merchant ship, The Batavia off the coast of Australia in 1628), the story unfolded slowly … knowingly … teasingly … deliciously. "Someone polish my barnacles!" I shouted. "This has five stars written all over it!"
The story is told across two timelines: In 1628, Mayken, a nonconformist girl, finds herself on a ship where dark folklore and omens gather like clouds. In 1989, Gil, a nonconformist youngster, finds himself on a haunted fishermen's island off the coast of Australia.
To begin with, this was a "shiver me timbers and bite your fingers off" kind of book. It was foreshadowed and back shadowed up to its briny armpits and I was loving every bit of it! With echoes of Moby Dick, Mutiny on the Bounty and The Creature from the Black Lagoon thrown in for good measure, I was all hands on deck, keen to see which unimaginable wonders lay beyond the horizon.
Alas, despite its resplendent start, the book ran aground towards the end. The promise of dark magical realism, unimaginable wonders and a nightmarish sea monster never really materialised and the story just fizzled out like a damp squid squib.
Because I absolutely loved where it was going before everything capsized into dullness, and because I'm a fan of Jess Kidd's poetic prose, I'm still going to award it four stars.
But her debut novel, Himself, is far better, in my humble opinion.
My nautical star-rating system.
***** "Ship-shape and Bristol fashion."
**** "Land ahoy!"
*** "Aye, aye, Cap'n!"
** "Walk the plank, you scurvy dog!"
* "Abandon ship!"