“Will the world end in darkness because it is foretold? Or because there will be those who believe is so strongly they will make it so? In the fear that I always try to hide in my heart, I wonder if there is even a difference.” -Patrick Ness, And the Ocean Was Our Sky
In this retelling of the classic tale Moby Dick, whales are hunting humans, trying to gain an edge in their ongoing war. Bathsheba’s pod is considered one of the best; when they attack what they think is going to be easy prey, they find themselves instead put on a trail towards the most notorious whale hunting human–Toby Wick. But as they go further into their quest, Bathsheba wonders–are they really fulfilling a prophecy or just bringing justice to a long held grudge?
Patrick Ness has absolutely become one of my favorite authors over the years; I don’t think there’s a book of his that I’ve read an haven’t liked. (Admittedly, I haven’t read his adult stuff, but I’m hoping to eventually!) I received this ARC through a trade on Twitter, and I was over the moon. An advanced copy from my favorite author? Yes please.
Once again, I wasn’t disappointed in this book, though it isn’t necessarily my favorite of his (probably a tie between More Than This and A Monster Calls). The premise is just as weird as you might imagine, if you’ve read any of his other books. I’ll admit, it took a couple of chapters to get adjusted to the whales as narrators, particularly because of the way they refer to the ocean. But, it was all exceedingly creative, and I can’t wait to see the book with the final illustrations because I think both together will be breath-taking.
The messages included in the narrative were one of the narrative’s strongest aspects. Throughout, Bathsheba is questioning the violent cycle that they’re perpetuating by hunting the humans that hunt them; a violent cycle that’s also questioned (and eventually ended) in the Chaos Walking trilogy. If nothing more, this book makes you think. I finished it weeks ago and I’m still thinking about it. I’ll probably buy it when it comes out on the 4th and continue to think about it. It’s just one of those books.
And the Ocean Was Our Sky is Patrick Ness in all his weirdly creative glory, and I can’t wait to see what comes after this. Be sure to pick up a copy when it comes out in September!
4/5 stars