Huge thanks to netgalley and Simon & Schuster/Atria for this arc. This book was epic. Sprawling between 1629 to 1989 this novel had everything death, love, mutiny, shipwrecks, sea monsters, ghosts, and everything in between.
1629- Mayken is a young wealthy girl with a sense of adventure aboard the ship Batavia with her nursemaid after the death of her mother. After the shipwreck she winds up marooned in a remote spot off the coast of Australia where death and mutiny abound
1989-Gill a young boy who’s considered different has to go live with his estranged grandfather in the same area where the land is said to be cursed and full of ghosts of the people slaughtered from the Batavia, where the wreckage has just been found and is being unearthed.
These parallel stories run together beautifully and I admit I cried several times.
Jess Kidd has done it again and this was even better than Things in Jars. It’s my favorite story of year and it’s what everyone is getting for Christmas.

THE NIGHT SHIP
BY: JESS KIDD

Jess Kidd has absolutely solidified for me in my mind with her new historical novel called, "The Night Ship,' that she is one of my top favorite Authors'. I first discovered her exquisite writing when I read "Things in Jars," which I also loved. I will leave a link to that review at the end of this one. In case anyone is interested. She is able to paint a vivid portrait for me to view visually with her pitch perfect prose and descriptions. Her characters really come to life on the page as if they were intimate friends of mine. This novel is based on the real factual history of the Batavia shipwreck and mutiny that took place in 1629. I found that event to be sad and tragic, but it doesn't take place until the last 20% of this fantastically written novel, of which I thoroughly enjoyed.

If you like a story that pulls you in from the very beginning and one that you can't put down--then this book is for you. I wasn't expecting to be so charmed by the two nine year old children from different time periods, but they both pulled at my heartstrings. They are the main characters of many who took up residency in my heart. Jess Kidd has that innate ability to develop her characters so you are filled with warmth and in this case I wanted to protect them. I really still care about them and won't soon forget them. This novel was one that I devoured and it was compelling and totally addicting. I am so sad that it is over and I know that to ward off a major book hangover, I am promptly going to read her debut novel called, "Himself," next. One of my closest friends on here said that it is her favorite. I have to call her and check if she has a copy of this one and if not, I will tell her about this one. Personally, so far both of the books that I have read by this talented Author are equally favorites. I am WOWED by both of them! The thing I admire is this Author's ability to write uniquely different subject matter for the two that I read so far and for them both to be just as enthralling.

I didn't know anything about the Batavia shipwreck just situated from Western Australia. I didn't know that there was a mutiny on its maiden voyage either. It is really quite interesting, but this historical novel is so much more. The chapters alternate between the dual time periods of 1628 and 1987. In 1628, I was introduced to a curious and, mischievous young orphan named Mayken who is precocious. She spends her time on her journey getting into misadventures while her beloved nursemaid named Imke is sick in their cabin. Mayken's and Imke's cabin is located on the upper deck, but Mayken spends her time dressing like a boy so that she can wander without her nursemaid above and below her deck. She is searching for the mythical monster she believes to be lurking below in the ships hold beneath her cabin. She has a big heart and she befriends many on board. One of which is a boy who works in the kitchen and she borrows his clothes. She feels sorry for him because he gets burned from his job and he reminded me of a Charles Dickens character. Little does Mayken realize that the true monsters are human and might be closer than she thinks.

In the 1989 chapters I was introduced to a lonely orphan named Gil. He arrives on the same coral reef Island with his grandfather. He doesn't want to be a fisherman like his grandfather. His deceased mother once resided there. He discovers the story of a notorious shipwreck that took place where he is staying. He was told not to talk to the scientists, but he does anyway. He is kind but misunderstood by some of the other boys who think that he is weird. An act of cruelty takes place that is undeserved towards something Gil loves. His grandfather seems distant but I will not spoil it for you because the less that you know, the more that you will experience the utter pure adoration for this novel that blew me away.

Jess Kidd has woven a beautifully and haunting tapestry of a story that I can't get out of my mind. My only cure is to read her debut novel called, "Himself," otherwise I will not be able to move on to a different author just yet. This was thrilling and immersive and one that I will be thinking of for years to come. This is one that I could easily start from the beginning and read again! I think that it was so terrific that I am going to start from the beginning and read it all over again! If ever a novel is worthy of Five Plus stars this one is it! I couldn't have LOVED it more, and I highly, highly recommend this to everybody! It is pure magic! Mesmerizing! Hopeful! Original! An all time favorite! Here is my review for "Things in Jars". https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Publication Date: October 3, 2022

A Huge Thank you to Net Galley, Jess Kidd and Atria for generously providing me with my ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

#TheNightShip #JessKidd #Atria #NetGalley

I’ve loved all of Jess Kidd’s books but this one will stay with me for a very long time. Kidd mixes historical fact, the wreck of the Batavia in 1629 and the survivalists’ stories, with a current day story of a young orphaned boy sent to the same island to live with his grandfather. In 1629 we see Maybeck, a young spirited girl on her way to live with her father, fighting against all of the expected behavior of a young woman of her time. Gil is sent to the same island in 1989 to live with his grandfather and the parallel between the two children is mapped as they both fight to survive and find friendship on a barren strip of land.

4+ stars

Beautifully written, with child characters who stole my heart, centered around a historic event that I knew nothing about - things that made for an appealing read to me . It’s a dual story line with time frames, three hundred and sixty years apart, yet there are touching connections between the two children portrayed here and stunning connections between the the humanity and inhumanity in both times.

In 1629 Mayken, an adventurous nine year old girl, on the ill fated ship the Batavia is sailing to meet her father after the death of her mother . She’s precocious, inquisitive and fearless at times . As with other child characters that are in need, I wanted to climb in the pages and pull her out of harm’s way. The horrifying story of this ship will punch you in the gut. In 1989, on an island off the coast of Australia, nine year old Gil, who has lost his mother is sent there to live with his reluctant grandfather. Gil is fragile and lonely and I wanted to climb inside the pages and hug him and tell him things would be okay after the sad things he endures.

I don’t think I can do justice to this amazing story, so I’m including a link to my friend Linda’s review, who has done just that. https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4352580204?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1


I received a copy of this book from Atria through NetGalley.

Thank you Netgalley, author, and the publishers for allowing me the opportunity to read this e-arc.

I believe Jess Kidd's books just keep getting better and better. They are always really solid plots with the most interesting characters, and this one was no different, plus with this one the pacing was perfect. This one had dual timelines but what I found most fascinating was the mirroring of characters in each timeline, both felt almost Shakespearean in execution and peek into human nature and group dynamics. Probably my favorite read of the year! I must add a TW for animal abuse which was a bit tricky to skip over.

I find Jess Kidd’s writing incredibly engaging — the imaginative situations, the savoury characters, the plausibility of ghosts — and with The Night Ship, she brings her familiar sensibilities to bear on a fictionalised account of actual events. In 1629, the merchant ship The Batavia set sail for the Dutch East Indies (laden with riches, wealthy and poor passengers, and apparently, at least one monster), but never reached its destination. Foundering on a coral reef, the ship’s crew was able to ferry some two hundred souls to safety on nearby atolls; but between mutiny, mismanagement, megalomania, and murder, not many of those shipwrecked would live to tell their tale. In alternating storylines, Kidd tells the story of two children — a poor little rich girl who set sail on the fateful ship in the seventeenth century and a sad little boy who is brought to live with his fisherman Grandpa in 1989 — and beyond sharing time across the centuries on the same lonely spit of shingle and scrub, the experiences of these two children chime together in surprising and meaningful ways. Perhaps not quite as creatively dazzling as Kidd’s last (Things in Jars, which I simply adored), I was, nevertheless, more emotionally affected by The Night Ship (maybe because it’s about sad children, maybe because it is — at least in part — based on true and horrifying events) and I would give it 4.5 stars if I could but am happily rounding up.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of The Night Ship.

I've read a couple of the author's previous books and though they weren't my favorites, I enjoy her writing very much.

Based on the real life story of the Batavia shipwreck, this is a dual story of a newly orphaned girl named Mayken on the Batavia; in the future in 1989, a boy named Gil is set to live with his gruff grandfather after the death of his mother.

These two young, brave people will learn industriousness, survival skills, and how bonding with unique and diverse people will help them see the world in a new way.

I've never heard of the Batavia shipwreck before so I Googled it. Now, I'm sort of sad I did because the story is horrific. Nothing is more horrifying than real life, I sometimes say.

The writing is, no surprise, wonderful; the author does an amazing job world building Batavia; the unique passengers and the crew and how Mayken spends the journey tracking a mythical monster on the ship; dealing with the loss of her nursemaid, and the turmoil leading up to the shipwreck and after.

The problem is that I'm not interested in sailing or ships; the crew or the long, arduous journey.

Gil's narrative was a bit more interesting; his life parallels Mayken's in that they're both unique individuals; their strength, endurance and sincerity really shines from the pages.

The quirky characters and neighbors he meets on the island; still struggling the loss of his mother, the love and loyalty for his beloved tortoise, learning to build a relationship with his grandpa, really hit home for me.

Mayken and Gil are deeply relatable, honest characters that reflect the characteristics of a complex character; strong, independent, and not like everyone else.

Even though I wasn't deeply invested in the journey on Batavia, a book is a plus with me when I learn something and I did learn loads about Batavia and how a journey on a ship in the 17th century was extremely dangerous and perilous.

Wonderful writing and great characters in Mayken and Gil against the true life horrors of the Batavia make this an interesting read.

It might not be for everyone but if you're in the mood for something different, try The Night Ship.

This was my first novel by Kidd so I was going into it with no expectations. The prose was beautiful. She did an amazing job of weaving an eerie/supernatural quality into historical and realistic fiction. There were times that it felt too long. There were times that I was lost with all the different characters on the ship. But, overall I enjoyed it. 
I, of course, had to look up the history of the ship wreck when I had finished the book. It is pretty disturbing. So, no surprise, the sections of the book dedicated to the aftermath of the wreck were ... disturbing and so sad. 
It's a weird one but, I liked it!

Thank you to @thats.one.for.the.books for doing a #buddyread with me for this one! We had so much chatting and comparing our opinions.

As a fan of the author’s, I knew to expect something dark with elements of fantasy. This definitely presented blurred lines between what is “real” in the world of the book (ghosts? Monsters?) but the curiousity to find out just wasn’t enough to pull me through this book. Both settings are dreary: Mayken, on the doomed Batavia, with a sick nursemaid and all the unpleasantness that goes with long voyages at sea in the 1500s, and Gil, on a small, lonely island with a far-from-warm grandfather and tales of a shipwreck.

Both characters were endearing. Mayken is adventurous and brave, travelling below deck dressed as a boy. Gil is sensitive and bright, trying on his dead grandmother’s clothing and makeup, surrounded always by adults who never give him the whole truth.

No doubt, Kidd’s ability as a writer made it hard for me to read. She is so good at placing the reader in the time and place with the characters that I found myself constantly uncomfortable, imagining myself on a ship teaming with rats or a depressing island feeling lonely.

I’m learning the power of DNFing and despite my gratitude to Netgalley and Atria Books for the ARC, I’m going to put this book down. I made it through 42%, which I feel is enough to make the judgment that this one isn’t for me. I will continue to pick up Kidd’s work in future and continue to consider her a brilliant writer.

Jess Kidd has chosen write about one of the most disturbing and horrific maritime disasters in history. In 1628 the Dutch Indies Company ship Batavia set sail from Haarlem for Batavia in Jakarta. It met disaster off the coast of Australia; survivors made their way to a desert island on the reef. The two leaders of the expedition had a long standing feud, and a mutiny had already been brewing. Instead of working together to survive, the group continued the battle for control. With limited food and water, the soldiers were sent to another island to look for water. A dictatorship arose. Women were made sex slaves, and women and children were massacred as supplies ran out. When help finally arrived, a third of the survivors had died. A trial condemned the mutineers and they were hung.

Kidd tells the story through two children, Young Mayken who is on the Batavia, traveling with her nurse to join her father working half way across the world for the Dutch Indies Company. And in 1989, the orphan Gil, who arrives on the island to live with his grandfather.

Mayken is an independent, fearless child who would prefer to be a sailor than a pampered, rich girl. The story of her journey and how the ship crashed on rocks and how the survivors declined in to savagery is stark and disturbing. The challenges and discomfort of sea travel, the dark and damp below decks where soldiers are quartered, the rough men who run the ship are described in vivid detail. Mayken hears of the Bullebak, an eel like monster, and is convinced it has bit her nurse whose toe is red and swollen and putrid, and she seeks to capture the evil spirit. Dressing in a boy’s clothes, she descends into the dark hold of the ship.

In 1989, the orphan Gil has been sent to live with his grandfather, a fisherman on Beacon Island, a “lick of coral rubble.” He and his mother were alone in the world, and when she died, he was unable to accept it. He becomes obsessed with the Batavia and the legend of the lost girl who haunts the island. He is given a tortoise named Enkidu, and as Gilgamesh loved Enkidu in the Babylonian epic, so Gil loves the tortoise. Gil’s grandfather has an enemy who targets Gil and whose children bully him. Gil is revealed to find solace in dressing in his deceased grandmother’s clothing. The enmity between the two families rises to threaten lives.

I found both timelines to be interesting and atmospheric. Gil and Mayken are both ‘weird’ in not fitting into expectations, Gil dressing as a girl and Mayken donning boy’s clothing to adventure into the world of the sailors. And both story lines explore how a divided society breaks down when resources are limited, and violence is visited on the weakest.

Mayken is brave up to the end of her life. Gil finds justice and acceptance. It isn’t an uplifting tale, but a reminder of how power and greed and division are most felt by the weakest in society–our children.

I received an egalley from the publisher. My review is fair and unbiased.

I got a Jess Kidd book on a whim from BOTM and then became a fan and picked up her earlier works. So I was *very* excited to get this one. I was completely unfamiliar with the historical events it's based on; it's a dark fantasy book and in the hands of a really great writer it all works. While this author isn't for everyone (some friends have given me back Things in Jars and were like it's kind of weird) if she is your niche, you're in for a dynamic read, no matter how dark it gets.

I liked Jess Kidd's previous work, Things in Jars, and so looked forward to seeing what she came up with next. While fantasy is always a bit of a hard sell for me, I enjoyed the creative and imaginative story here.

I loved, so much, the first half of this novel. The second half, or maybe third, I found slow. Would still recommend!

I have just read The Night Ship by Jess Kidd.

I have read several books by this Author and enjoyed them all.

The Night Ship was written about real life events taken place in Western Australia and involves a shipwreck, along with a good character base as all Jess Kidd books are.

It shifts back between two timelines 1629 & 1989.

The main characters in each of these storylines are very interesting and complex. Both 9 year old children Mayken and Gil.

I did enjoy this book, however a little less than the Author’s previous books. It was very dark, sad and had so much mention of rats on the ship, that for me was bit hard to handle.

I did love the Supernatural aspect, as well as the magical feel to it.

Thank You to NetGalley, Author Jess Kidd, and Atria Books for my advanced copy to read and review.

#NetGalley

Thank you Atria Books and Netgalley for an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Though originally unfamiliar with the real-life events of the Batavia, I found that the author explores the incidents of the accident and weaves its stories seamlessly throughout the book to the point where the reader is not confused and is instead intrigued by what occurs on the ship, as the book continues to pull you in. The author clearly does a lot of research surrounding this event as it is reflected in her writing.

This book includes two points of view that switch between the late 20th and 17th centuries. Both povs were equally interesting and thrilling to read, the elements of mystery and magical realism present in both of the characters’ lives. I will have to say, both of their personalities are charming and I found myself additionally intrigued by the side characters. The constant switch between both characters has you in anticipation to return to the other’s point of view while simultaneously enjoying yourself in the current character’s chapters that you are reading.

In addition, I enjoyed Kidd’s writing style, and how easily her words can form the setting, especially in such a dark historical tale. I really enjoyed the elements of seafaring life in between Mayken’s adventures on the ship.

The only qualms I had with the book had to do with the pacing. I found in the first half that the pacing was too slow for my liking and resulted in what semblance of a plot there was at this point dragging. In addition, this book is incredibly bleak and also has elements of horror/gore. I was not expecting horror and I personally am not a fan of horror which made my reading experience subpar in the end.

The value of a moment becomes clear when you're not promised another.

The Night Ship knocked me upside down and backwards. I was not prepared for what was tucked expertly between these pages. A 5-Star banner has not often been flown high for me this year. And here's the blatant truth: This one is gonna stay with you. Guaranteed.

Jess Kidd's Things in Jars (2020) grabbed me as well. I was taken with it. But The Night Ship shot for all the stars in its telling. Kidd creates a double-edged sword based on an actual Dutch shipwreck along Beacon Island near Western Australia in 1629. We are welcomed aboard by nine year old Mayken and her nursemaid, Imke. Mayken's mother died recently and she's being taken to the estate of her merchant father. The ship is filled with hundreds of passengers, sailors, crew, and soldiers that will add to its layer upon layer of suspense.

What transpires aboard the Batavia will definitely hold you rigid to this storyline. Mayken is a wild spirit of a child who lives in a fantastical world of her own making. She adores folklore and lives for twisty legends that put both joy and fear into her. Mayken convinces Jan Pelgrom, a steward, to allow her to dress as a kitchen boy and visit the Below World of the ship so different from her Above World. It is here that Mayken will be wrapped in the stories of the bunyip who appear to be little eels. But mind you, they are monsters of the highest level causing bad luck and tragedies.

Jess Kidd flips the storyline to 1989 on Beacon Island where nine year old Gil Hurley will be placed in the home of his grandfather, Joss, after the death of his mother. The island holds secrets of this shipwreck as well as the shady lives of its inhabitants. There are feuds brewing within families over land and possessions. And young Gil will be encouraged to "just fit in" when, in reality, he possesses a coat of many colors.......unacceptance, misjudments, and outward cruelties that will follow his every step.

The Night Ship will visit relationships based on social class, occupation, gender, age, and physical forebearance. Brutalities will exist from the past that bleed into the present. And at the core is the impact of human nature........survival of the fittest. Kidd gives us a wide open view of the aftermath of the shipwreck and the fate of its survivors on this island. I was totally unaware. It is jaw-dropping. The Night Ship is a hard look at what people will do when they forget that they are people. Raw, revealing, and utterly fascinating. I recommend this for those who want a literary step above......it'll take you there.

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to Simon & Schuster and to the talented Jess Kidd for the opportunity.

The Night Ship
by Jess Kidd
Pub Date: October 4, 2022
Atria
Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC of this book.
Based on a real-life event, an epic historical novel from the award-winning author of Things in Jars 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.
Magical book! I truly enjoyed The Night Ship! It was my first book by Jess Kidd, and I’ll be sure to pick up her work in the future. This is a well-orchestrated novel. You can tell the author spent a great deal of time considering how she wanted the story to go and lining up the dual timelines.
5 STARS

Beautifully written and haunting. The Night Ship is about the tragically doomed ship, The Batavia, told with dual timeliness from the points of view of 2 young children. Mayken is the daughter of a wealthy man and on the Batavia with her nursemaid Imke, and Gil is moving in with his grandfather, on the small fishing island off the coast of Western Australia where the survivors of the wreck sheltered and waited for salvation.

If you are unfamiliar with the tragedy of the Batavia, Kidd does a good job educating us from the beginning that it was a doomed voyage and so we know from early on that Mayken will not have an easy time. Both children suffer from tragedies and heartbreak. This is a bleak and dark novel, but there are glimpses of joy and humanity all through out. I thought the execution of the 2 children's narrative was particularly well done and especially believable.

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for the electronic ARC of this novel for review.

I've really enjoyed everything I've read by Jess Kidd, and the writing in this book is beautiful. The two interlocking time periods build on each other, and the themes of love, loss, and abandonment feel powerful for both main characters. The settings feel very real - the descriptions of life aboard the <i>Batavia</i> are particularly claustrophobic and well done - and the plot is suspenseful, even when you know what's going to happen.

My issue with this book is that the story is so bleak. I had a hard time returning to this, even when I needed to know what happened. I think this would likely work best as a horror read in the fall (when this comes out), though I found the two children's stories to be so sad that it overshadowed everything else about the book. If you're looking for the dark version of <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/51854625-the-devil-and-the-dark-water" target="_new">The Devil and the Dark Water</a>, you'll enjoy this. And Jess Kidd fans will love the writing, maybe regardless of subject.

Thank you to the publisher for the advance copy!