Angie
Written on Sep 8, 2013
I absolutely loved The Watch That Ends the Night! It's sad and tragic, but it's also hopeful and funny at times. The rat's chapters definitely lighten the mood a bit, along with its feud with the baker. I think that using so many different voices was a risk, but definitely one that pays off. Even without the character's name appearing before each of their poems, it was always clear who was speaking. They each had their own unique voice, and some of the poems were formatted differently for different characters. I was never confused at any point, and it was surprisingly simple to keep everyone's stories clear in my mind. The ice berg's poems are particularly chilling, pardon the pun. If you're familiar with Titanic's history, or even just seen the movie, you'll recognize several of the narrating characters.
The short lines of the poems and the number of character switches certainly fits the urgency of Titanic's tale, making a well-known story feel fresh. The Watch That Ends the Night is a fascinating account of the ship and several of the lives aboard. I loved the mix of fact and fiction, and the author even includes several sections at the end which separate the truth from his imagination. I would say that this book is almost on par with the 1997 movie for me. And just like in the movie, I got chills when Mr. Andrews says the ship will stay afloat for "two hours at most." I highly recommend The Watch That Ends the Night to historical fiction and verse novel fans alike, or anyone looking for something really good.
Read more of my reviews at Pinkindle Reads & Reviews.