Reviews
'“As in all his work, the writing is clear and often lyrical, and the story moves with plenty of pace. […] Rovina Cai’s full-page and double-page illustrations are beautiful in their own right, but they’re a real enhancement to the story and perfectly integrated into the design. I loved it, and you can call me Ishmael if it doesn’t end up on several prize shortlists.”' Guardian.com
'Ness explores war, power and obsession in a haunting, lyrical fable that reimagines the story of Moby Dick from the perspective of the whales.' The Bookseller
'Ness’s imagination is often awe-inspiring; he goes to places no whale has gone before and is never short of a deep thought. This is not just a story about hunting whales, it’s a comment on the futility of war, and the myths that we create and use as excuses for our actions.' The Times, Children's Book of the Week
'“Ness’s imagination is often awe-inspiring; he goes to places no whale has gone before and is never short of a deep thought. This is not just a story about hunting whales, it’s a comment on the futility of war, and the myths that we create and use as excuses for our actions.”' The Times
'Mind-bendingly brilliant and fearlessly strange!' Frances Hardinge, author of 'The Lie Tree'
'“With gorgeous, eerie illustrations threaded through the narrative and enhancing the haunting lyricism and prose, this is a beautiful and deeply strange book that tips your perspective upside-down and pitches you head-first into the cold heights of the oceans.”' The Scotsman
'“Atmospheric, Violent, dripping with grief and laced with an ever-present sense of dread, Ness’ And The Ocean Was Our Sky is also peppered with kernels of hope and encourages us always to query the status quo.”' Belfast Telegraph (Syndicated)
'“Beautiful illustrations make this hardback a special gift and would suit teens who are after something thought-provoking and a little bit different.” ' Country Life
'“Rovina Cai's darkly powerful and shadowy illustrations shot through with blood-red (her sharks are particularly terrifying), do help you get a grip on the whales’ underwater civilisation.”' Women’s Way
'“Patrick Ness's story echoes many of the recurring themes of his previous novels, such as death, loss, and difficult choices, which help to propel the fast-paced story. Highly recommended.”' Church Times
'“It’s hauntingly illustrated by Rovina Cai, whose dark, shadowy images convey both the murkiness of the deep and the bulk of these monumental creatures.”' Glasgow Herald
'“His compelling fable of fear, power and obsession pulls you along like a Nantucket sleigh ride. Clever, clever stuff.”' The Irish Independent
'“Quite literally beautiful, with the stunning illustrations which enfold and illuminate the strangest story you will read this year … I found myself unable to stop thinking about this novel for many days. Not to be missed.”' The School Librarian
'“Rovina Cai’s illustrations beautifully capture Bathsheba's underwater world with its grey hues and stack red of blood flowing through the water. Her illustrations brilliantly challenge our conventional assumption of ships sailing on top of the water, particularly when Bathsheba travels to the margins of ocean’s surface and we have to literally flip our human perspective. And The Ocean Was Our Sky is a literary and artistic masterpiece.”' Armadillo
'“This is a fast paced and interesting book which compliments Melville's source material but presents something wholly original and interesting. More like A Monster Calls than any of Ness's more recent work, but still its own beast.”' Teaching English
'“[…] readers will be enthralled by this fearless and strange story.”' Young Post