The Knife of Never Letting Go

Goodreads recommended this for me. So I had no idea what to expect, other than a YA series. And boy what an effin adventure. At first I really disliked the writing style and the narrative voice. But the more I read, the more it grew on me. I really appreciated it later, because it gives you that last grain of salt that makes the world much more alive. As soon as Ness included a bit of scifi I was hooked. The characters grew so well that my heart nearly broke at some twists. The story stays interesting and tense until the heartbreaking and crazy abrupt ending. And after seeing that the other two books are even better rated, I can't wait to continue the adventure!

Minus one star for the scene that felt emotionally manipulative. I feel that Todd's actions were completely out of character in this one scene, and that the action was forced in order to create the manipulative event.

As always, my full review can be found at SFF Book Review.Let me say that I've had some bad luck with YA fiction this year. Some of the very hyped books have disappointed me terribly and I had almost given up hope. Patrick Ness convinced me with his small but striking book [b:A Monster Calls 8621462 A Monster Calls Patrick Ness http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1356015593s/8621462.jpg 13492114], so I thought his trilogy would be worth a shot.And I was rewarded. This fast-paced YA adventure is a romp through the New World which is as strange as it is fascinating. I was positively surprised at some choices Patrick Ness made for his characters. They aren't perfect in any way, they make mistakes and sometimes, they have to make decisions between one of two evils. At a certain point, the author had me in tears, and at many others at the edge of my seat.I also loved the underlying theme of death, responsibility and courage. The book was much darker than I expected but I enjoyed it so much that I'll be starting [b:The Ask and the Answer 6043849 The Ask and the Answer (Chaos Walking, #2) Patrick Ness http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1347305027s/6043849.jpg 6219422] right away. The cliffhanger at the end of this book may have to do with it. But honestly, this is one hyped YA book that didn't disappoint!7,5/10

This was pretty good. The action in it kind of felt serialized though, like Todd, the protagonist got into trouble three pages from the end of every chapter. Tune in next chapter to see Todd elude baddies once more, same Bat time, same Bat channel.


Also, jhc, if you as a fictional character were given a plot laden journal explaining a bunch of mysterious crap, I don't care, you'd read it. Post haste. Not wait for 400 pages and then plop down and read only the first entry. That was infuriating.


All that being said, I really did like this book. I loved the dog so much. Will definitely read the sequel to this one.

I've never been so GLAD to see the end of a book. I wanted to just quit several times, but I stuck with it, hoping it would get better. Sadly, it did not. Needless to say, I will NOT be reading the other two books in the trilogy.

Todd Hewitt can hear everyone's thoughts and they can all hear his. This is as good a working definition of Hell as I've ever heard. I can't imagine not being safe inside my own mind...my thoughts may be crazy but as long as you can't hear them, I'm still ok.

One day, Todd comes across a silent space. What he finds in the silent space and what happens after he finds it (sorry, it's hard not to spoil that big reveal) change everything he's ever known about his life and the history of his people.

This was a suitable teen dystopian novel. Sometimes heartbreaking, sometimes terrifying, this book packed quite an emotional punch. I listened to it on Playaway (sometime, some day, I'll have time to read a book with my eyes again) and that was an interesting experience because it's a closer estimation of what the Noise sounds like. The first time I heard it nearly jumped out of my skin because it's creepy. I got used to it but there were times it got to me and I don't think I'll ever take the solitude of my mind for granted again.

Pros: high tension, action packed, interesting concept, character growth, good use of literary techniques to achieve the above, great message, you'll be left reaching for the next book in the series

Cons: There's some violence, so it's rated 14 and up, some actual swearing (and lots of ‘fake' swearing), for stronger teen readers

Unlike the older men in his village of Prentisstown, Todd Hewitt was born on this world. He was born with the Noise - the sound of everyone's thoughts - man and animal, night and day. Born after the war that killed all the natives, the Spacks. Born after the Spacks unleashed the germ that caused the Noise and killed all the women.

Todd Hewitt is 30 days from his 13th birthday. Thirty days from becoming a man when he and his dog Manchee come across something they've never encountered before. Silence.

This encounter turns Todd's world upside down, as everything he thought he knew about his world is brought into question. He's forced to flee with the source of the silence in an attempt to find answers and safety from the men of Prentisstown. Men who are finally putting into motion a plan they've been brewing for years.

Patrick Ness is a master of the craft. He uses first person to get the reader into Todd's head and, despite the Noise, Todd and those around him manage to keep secrets - from each other and the reader.

Repetition is used for emphasis, while clipped phrases are a means of ratcheting up the tension. Ness also cleverly sidesteps the use of profanity by using ‘effing', while letting the reader know the boy isn't REALLY saying ‘effing'.

Every time you get close to understanding what's going on something else happens, forcing Todd further along his journey, and pulling the reader along for the ride.

There's also a great message towards the end. And you'll want the sequel on hand when you finish this one.

This is one of the best teen books I've ever read. It's great for both teens and adults, and you'll be hard pressed not to read on.

The author takes the concept of information overload to an extreme, dark end. It took me a few chapters to really get used to the narrator's voice, but once I did, I could not put this book down. So much suspense!