“Wrenching, dark, and powerful.” — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
“In his latest, the critically acclaimed and wildly divergent Ness, never one for convention, takes the story of Moby-Dick, pares it down to its basic parts, and quite literally inverts it... Ness’ writing—spare, thought provoking, and already dramatic—is utterly enhanced by Cai’s breathtaking artwork.” — Booklist (starred review)
“An excellent, stirring counterpoint to the original text, rife with questions about the inexorable nature of belief and violence.” — School Library Journal (starred review)
“The whale epic, particularly Bathsheba’s discussions with the human hostage, mounts an exploration of inherited prejudices, violence justified, and the far-reaching consequences of war.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“Fans moved by the author’s A Monster Calls will be especially gratified to see Ness revisit this type of mythic, philosophical storytelling artfully complemented by powerful illustrations.” — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books (starred review)
“Bathsheba’s story has heft, even though Ness’s book is significantly shorter than Melville’s... Rovina Cai’s illustrations are detailed and dream-like, her gray-scale with splashes of color depictions of the fathomless world an additional source of intensity in this already fierce tale.” — Shelf Awareness (starred review)