Beautiful and brutal, witty and kind, Rush Oh! is a story of great surprises and a beating heart - a book never to forget (Markus Zusak, author of The Book Thief)Hugely funny and peopled with a cast of characters I came to love like my own friends, Rush Oh! reminded me why I love reading (Hannah Kent, author of Burial Rites)Cinematic. The tale of a whaling family, its scope is ambitious and its heart big. You'll fall in love (Marie Claire (Australia))A memorable, often heart-in-mouth debut that's brought to life by Mary's humour, her self-awareness and her accompanying illustrations (Daily Mail)A rollicking seaborne ride . . . humorous, imaginative and tender, you'll want to race through Rush Oh! to find out what happens (Independent)Fresh, funny and lively (Express)Rush Oh!'s strengths are manifold. It's a nostalgic, quirky book - peppered with stunning illustrations and seamless inclusion of actual newspaper excerpts from the time - that really captures an intriguing moment in Australia's past. Expertly balancing light and dark, Barrett confronts the moral complexities of whaling while simultaneously sketching a range of hilarious character portraits, and maintaining an endearing, and often challenging, narrative voice. This novel is a fairytale for adults, which I found poignant, funny and original (Canberra Weekly)This beautifully written Australian novel narrated by whaler's daughter Mary Davidson is funny, quirky and features a cast of characters that includes a pod of Killers. A charming debut (Diva)A novel that is thick with briny flavour. Best of all are the descriptions of the whale hunts, which are steeped in a luxurious, bracing horror (Metro)While depicting the danger, adrenaline and excitement of the boat chases, [Rush Oh!] also repeatedly celebrates the beauty of these magnificent creatures, mourning the cruelty involved in hunting and killing them (West Australian)Just the ticket, particularly if you like a bit of comedy with your mammal spearing action (Esquire)