The Knife of Never Letting Go (Chaos Walking, #1) by Patrick Ness

Jan 24, 2012 The Holy Terror rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: color-orange, dystopia, male-protagonist, borrowed, made-me-cry, made-me-angry, dumb-males, young-adult, horror, science-fiction, forgot-to-drink-the-kool-aid, 2011, male-author

Things that didn't bother me:

The grammar and misspellings - normally this would bother me, but I quickly got used to it, so I don't fault him there.

The swearing - you will notice from my status updates that I don't mind a well-placed curse.

The violence - I play violent video games, watch violent movies, and I don't mind violence in books when it makes sense.

The cliffhanger - maybe if I didn't have a copy of the second book on hold at the library I would be upset, but cliffhangers don't normally...more

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Dec 03, 2011 karen rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: why-yes-i-ya

i have 2,410 friends on goodreads.com.

199 of them have this book on their shelves.
of that number, only 28 have read it.

to the other 171 of you, i say - "WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR???" and you can see i am serious about this, because i have done math in order to convince you.**

and i know, i know. there are a lot of books in the world, most of us are mortal, who has the time, etc. i myself had all three of the books in this trilogy just smooshed in the middle of piles of other books at my place, thi...more

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Nov 23, 2012 Nancy rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Nancy by: Emilie

Shelves: kids-and-teens, post-apocalyptic-dystopia, made-me-cry, sf-fantasy, library-books

Young Todd Hewitt is on the verge of manhood and living in Prentisstown, a world without women and where the thoughts of men and “creachers” can be heard. Todd’s dad died of illness and his ma was the “last of the women”, according to Ben, one of two men who are raising him. Todd likes to go to the swamp to collect apples, because it is the only place where he can get a break from men’s “Noise” – their secrets, their thoughts, their memories. While out on a walk with his talking dog, Manchee, To...more Young Todd Hewitt is on the verge of manhood and living in Prentisstown, a world without women and where the thoughts of men and “creachers” can be heard. Todd’s dad died of illness and his ma was the “last of the women”, according to Ben, one of two men who are raising him. Todd likes to go to the swamp to collect apples, because it is the only place where he can get a break from men’s “Noise” – their secrets, their thoughts, their memories. While out on a walk with his talking dog, Manchee, Todd encounters a break in the Noise, a pocket of silence. When Todd and Manchee return home, their Noise reveals what happened in the swamp, and Todd, with Manchee, a packed bag, Ben’s big hunting knife, and his mom’s journal, is sent away from the only home he’s ever known.

When Todd encounters a girl on his travels, and comes across towns filled with men and women, everything he’s ever known about the world is changed in an instant. The men of Prentisstown are harboring a terrible secret and will stop at nothing to get Todd back.

I really wanted to love this story. It won several major literary awards, including the 2008 Tiptree Award, and a few of my Goodreads friends enjoyed it. I had reservations about reading this, because it is the first in a series and I knew it had a cliffhanger ending.

It wasn’t a bad book. It took me just a few pages to get used to Todd’s language that reveals his innocence and lack of education. At the same time, he is a very well-developed character, with strong sensibilities, hope, and a will to survive. From the start, Viola and Todd are bonded together in a quest for freedom and survival. There is no romance, for which I am thankful. Since Viola doesn’t have any Noise, she is shrouded in silence. It takes a little longer for Todd to get to know her, but he eventually does and is able to read her thoughts. The development of Todd’s and Viola’s relationship is my favorite part of this story. One thing I am bothered about is there was no mention at all of Ben’s and Cillian’s relationship. Were they roommates, best friends, lovers? Why was the nature of their relationship kept a secret, while everyone else’s thoughts were laid open? Since they were such a significant part of Todd’s life, I would have liked to know more.

The Knife of Never Letting Go was fast-paced, dark, and compelling. I liked the plot, the suspense, the world, and the concept of hearing every man’s thoughts while women’s are much more difficult to read. I would have liked more well-developed secondary characters and less chase scenes. The story engaged my emotions, made my heart race, and left me exhausted. It also left me feeling vaguely empty and unsatisfied. I knew about the cliffhanger at the end, but nearly every chapter had a cliffhanger as well. At times I felt I was watching a TV show instead of reading a book. And I won’t even talk about Aaron, the charismatic preacher of Prentisstown, who was one of the most one-dimensional characters I’ve ever encountered in YA fiction.

Also reviewed at Outlaw Reviews (less)

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Mar 07, 2012 Meg ♥ rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Meg ♥ by: karen

Shelves: e-books, favs, z-2012-reads

In this absorbing world Patrick Ness created, only men exist. All of the men can hear each other's thoughts, and these thoughts are called noise. When you turn 14 you become a man, and the anticipation for this is astounding.

Todd Hewitt is about to become a man. He was told that there are no woman, because they were all killed off. One day, when he's out with his dog, Manchee, he finds a spot where there is no noise. Surely, he thinks, this is impossible. Soon he is confused further, when his pa...more
In this absorbing world Patrick Ness created, only men exist. All of the men can hear each other's thoughts, and these thoughts are called noise. When you turn 14 you become a man, and the anticipation for this is astounding.

Todd Hewitt is about to become a man. He was told that there are no woman, because they were all killed off. One day, when he's out with his dog, Manchee, he finds a spot where there is no noise. Surely, he thinks, this is impossible. Soon he is confused further, when his parents tell him he must leave his town, Prentisstown, and venture to a new town. He never thought other towns existed.

I felt that this book picked up really quickly, and will demand your attention, with action and suspense that keep you constantly guessing.
The adventure in this book is amazing. Todd's being chased, he's learning new things every minute, and finding out about all of the untruths he's been grown up to believe. The plot is moves so quickly, but there are a few slow parts that I struggled through. Not many, though.

The ideas here are very creative, especially in regards to the noise. It was interesting to see what animals would have to say (not much of interest, actually) and how differently the various characters Todd encounters along his journey have dealt with the problem of broadcasting their thoughts.

As far as characters go, it was easy to feel for them, because they felt very real. Todd has flaws that make him more loveable in my opinion. Manchee, his dog is another fun character that made me laugh.

The concept of this book was just so unique. The writing is well done, despite the fact that Todd's thoughts were often not grammatically correct. It was annoying reading through them in the very beginning, but then it get's quite easier to read after a few pages. I cruised through this book thinking it was going to be rated 4 stars...until the ending. The narrative is dark, but the ending is even darker and, it's an emotional sucker punch. The book has one brilliant cliff-hanger ending that will make you want to immediately get book two.

This book truly impressed me. Recommended to all action, adventure, dystopian lovers.

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Dec 15, 2010 Rollie rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Dystopian Novels Fanatics

Recommended to Rollie by: Isamlq

What if you’re in another world; another planet? What if you haven’t seen a woman before? What if you hear people’s thought; what if animals’ too? What if you’re living with aliens? What if…what if… your dog talks?

Harry James Potter the boy who lived.

Katniss Everdeen the girl on fire.

And finally: Todd Hewitt the boy who can’t kill?

Well, I was hesitant to buy this book actually, for despite of the reason why I really wanted to read this book because of its 5-star ratings received from most of my...more

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Nov 29, 2010 K.D. Oliveros rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. What I find original in this novel is the concept of people hearing other people's (or even animals') thoughts. Not sure if it is indeed original as I am not really a big fan of science fiction or dystopian novels. I also liked the fast-paced engaging plot and the simple innovative storytelling style: first person narration of a 12-y/o boy who is not formally educated thus inventing his own words and spelling. His innocence is adorable and his vulnerability makes me want to go to his world and s...more What I find original in this novel is the concept of people hearing other people's (or even animals') thoughts. Not sure if it is indeed original as I am not really a big fan of science fiction or dystopian novels. I also liked the fast-paced engaging plot and the simple innovative storytelling style: first person narration of a 12-y/o boy who is not formally educated thus inventing his own words and spelling. His innocence is adorable and his vulnerability makes me want to go to his world and save him.

I know that Patrick Ness won several awards since this book was first published in 2008. I also know that there are two more books but there are questions in my mind.

(1) Why do the men in Prentisstown have to kill the women just because they don't have "Noise?" I find the killing in contradiction to their beliefs illustrated by Aaron that if he gets killed by Todd, he would become a saint. They are supposed to be Christian settlers, so why the killing?

(2) What is the relationship between Ben and Cillian? Since there are no women, are homosexuals allowed in Prentisstown?

(3) Why do they think that killing an older man turns a boy into a man? Since, they are already a dying race, why not kill wild animals instead? They need men to fight other towns, right? Why are they killing their own people?

(4) One of the scenes that it heartwarming for me is the one when Viola was reading the diary of Todd's mother. She reads something like: "My son is calling so I will answer him." Then Todd asks Viola to stop and they "understand". I thought that Viola is Todd's mother's re-incarnation or something.

(5) Does the knife has special powers? Seems to be talking in one of the scenes. Where did it come from?

(6) If the Prentisstown men can rally an army (to haunt Todd), why not fight the people in the other towns like New World, Haven, etc so they can lord those over?

Normally, if there are questions in my mind after reading the book, I rate it less than 5 stars. Since this is the start of the trilogy, I will rate this with a 5 but might still change it depending on how the two succeeding books would answer these questions. Unless, of course, if there are answers in this book already that only means that I just misunderstood them. I read the bulk of this book while overseeing 3 kontratistas re-painting our house today so I had to read with with one eye on the book and the other looking at what they were doing.

Will somebody help me if I just missed the answers to these questions before I proceed to Book 2?
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Mar 13, 2012 Laura rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Laura by: Jo

Shelves: favorites

“How do you think you could have possibly come this far if you didn’t have hope?”

I jumped into The Knife of Never Letting Go knowing just two things—Jo recommended it and Patrick Ness wrote it. That was all I needed!

What I found was a new world with a western-sci-fi vibe, a language and tone all its own, new friends, and big, big lessons all wrapped up in love, suspense, and power. OH, did I say suspense? I meant SUSPENSE! Grit your teeth, white knuckle, I-can’t-turn-the-page-fast-enough suspen...more

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Nov 28, 2012 Stephanie (The Night Bookmobile) rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012, best-of-ya, favorite-characters, reviewed

4.5

In my heart of hearts (somewhere in that deep dark black soul I seem to have sometimes when reviewing books I've vehemently disliked) I don't know if this is a full five stars for me, and yet, it feels inaccurate to even think of giving it a four. I've got a rule with books to follow my heart and not my head. If a book demands my attention and the characters worm their way into my good graces and I'm worried for them, or I cry for them, then yeah, that book is getting those five shiny stars....more 4.5

In my heart of hearts (somewhere in that deep dark black soul I seem to have sometimes when reviewing books I've vehemently disliked) I don't know if this is a full five stars for me, and yet, it feels inaccurate to even think of giving it a four. I've got a rule with books to follow my heart and not my head. If a book demands my attention and the characters worm their way into my good graces and I'm worried for them, or I cry for them, then yeah, that book is getting those five shiny stars. But let's not get distracted by the shiny things like wayward Dory fish. This novel isn't without its flaws.

"What are these men doing in an army?"

Let me first gush over Ness' theme here: War. All of the ways in which he explores it. The Spackle scene most notably, a scene that made me feel physically ill and watered my eyes, the same way I'd feel after hearing stories of a similar nature on the non-fiction news. Because it's so true. It's so applicable to everything. Do you know how many Americans I've heard throw out slurs against people from the Middle East without batting an eyelash? Unnecessary wars and the terrorist acts of a few made it this way. It put weapons in the hands of boys and girls who, like Todd, had to accept the consequences of wielding them. It put hateful words in the mouths of people who wouldn't have ever called themselves racists. This book explores the lies we're told and how hard some people cling to them. How hard otherwise good people can cling to their hate when they've known nothing else.When their leaders and parents have told them this is how they should feel; and their loved ones have been sent to die at the hands of people who weren't the enemy. When people have written songs of putting boots in asses and how, don't you know, that's the American way? Making monsters of men.

"Somehow preaching became a movement and a movement became a war."

Let's talk about a brighter point. Manchee the talking dog. Manchee Manchee Manchee. I love him. Oh wait, that's not a brighter point. I hate this book. Why am I reviewing it? I better move past this point before I take away stars. Emotional manipulation is no one's friend, Ness. Cheap shot.

Viola Viola Viola. If you care for her at all, you'll read her short story: The New World. Lady badass with snarky intelligence and a good heart who not only rescues but is rescued. I like her friendship with Todd too. Particularly when he tells the sexist camp that she's not his but her own and when he realizes he can read her too. Orphans who make their own family. My poor heart.

My main issue with this novel is the ending. There isn't one. This book was basically one long chase scene with bad guys everywhere and for all Ness' preaching about Hope there wasn't an ounce of it in his novel. There wasn't, I swear, I looked.

I also want to mention that it took me some time to get into this book and I ended up putting it aside. It wasn't until I read the prequel that my interest was piqued and I had to know what happened. If you've put this book aside before I recommend reading that so you know more about Viola and it might give you the push you need to continue too.

"War is a monster. War is the devil. It starts and it consumes and it grows and grows. And otherwise normal men become monsters too."(less)

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Jan 19, 2012 Rachel Hartman rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Boy oh boy. I can't remember the last time I felt so simultaneously positive and negative about a book. Hence the three stars, averaging everything out.

(Just realized that I reviewed this at my blog but not here. Here's the cut-n-paste)

This review will, by necessity, have lots of spoilers, because the things I liked (and disliked) are very specific. Insofar as I can give you something spoiler-free, here goes: I love the concept; the world is unique and well-realized; the relationship between the...more

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Nov 15, 2011 Emilie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 10, ya, fiction

co winner (with Filter House by Nisi Shawl) of the 2008 Tiptree award for science fiction and fantasy that explores our understanding of gender in a thought-provoking and imaginative way.

Patrick Ness writes that part of the inspiration for this story was thinking about the current state of information saturation. he started wondering what if you really literally couldn’t get away from all the information coming from everyone else. and then he wondered how you would keep hold of yourself and your...more

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Jul 17, 2012 Jonathan rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: sci-fi/fantasy readers , YA reader, anyone who likes a dark read with uplifting aspects

Shelves: personal-favourites, favourite-series, want, science-fiction, re-read, thriller, fantasy-sci-fi-challenge

First Review

The Knife of Letting Go forced me to release certain conceptions of how a book must be written. Due to its unorthodox use of grammar and various fonts and forms evident in speech I had to adjust for the first few chapters before being able to immerse myself in Patrick Ness' work.

Once I accepted the eccentricities of this novel I found it to be a brilliant, yet dark, read. This is one young adult book that's a little more adult than purely young. For this book centres around a town w...more First Review

The Knife of Letting Go forced me to release certain conceptions of how a book must be written. Due to its unorthodox use of grammar and various fonts and forms evident in speech I had to adjust for the first few chapters before being able to immerse myself in Patrick Ness' work.

Once I accepted the eccentricities of this novel I found it to be a brilliant, yet dark, read. This is one young adult book that's a little more adult than purely young. For this book centres around a town without women, where the men in the cursed Prentisstown constantly emit noise from their minds so that everyone is surrounded by sound all the time. That's the sound of a thousand thoughts and emotions. Alright that doesn't sound too chilling - until you find out where the women disappeared to.

The first haunting idea present is that Todd Hewitt is the last boy left in Prentisstown. Right from the start the absence of women, the protective nature of his guardians and the strange alien world Todd lives on builds an aura of suspense. An intriguing element of darkness mixed with the ever present thread of life exists within this story from the start. It is therefore a gripping novel from the beginning.

Its a very gritty read. Definitely not a light type of read as it requires time to digest the many deep and questionable themes within it. In fact one of the strengths with this book is the questions it can raise about morality, ethics and the heart of humanity. It is the type of YA fiction that has arisen in the past few years and which the market can do with. It is the type of novel that is not afraid to approach adult themes with younger readers.

The ideas are deep, mirroring the history of previous settlements formed amongst new cultures, the writing is both simple and sophisticated and the plot is both tightly knit and creative. It exists as a book accessible for all types of mature readers - although I would hesitate to allow younger readers to read it due to the slightly graphic tone at times. All in all I would rate this novel as one which truly challenges its readers. And that is its lyrically haunting power.

Secondary review

After a re-read I can see that while I very much enjoyed this book it is weaker when compared to the second and third novels. That said it is still strong enough when first read and then re-read to be around 4.5 stars in my opinion.

The writing again I had to adjust too. That said I feel that the style was fine considering the world and characters. And I did particularly love the world and characters which of course helps cover over a multitude of writing sins. Cliché's in my mind are not bad writing. Poor use of grammar and words may be (and certainly the grammar and word use is unusual if not all out like Cormac McCarthy at this stage - his use is certainly in a league of his own) and yes at times it may be considered poor writing. That said the writing is good in that it is meant to be the protagonist writing the story and I think that a protagonist would not write with flowery flourishes but with a down to earth casual speaking style.

All said and done this is a book that's worth a re-read. Even though I've read other books since it it still stands on its own as a highly unique YA novel. I highly recommend it if you can handle the strange writing style. If not it may still be a three star read at most for its unique ideas.(less)

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Dec 16, 2010 Joyzi rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Ifs yer a grammar nazi don hother *kidding*

Recommended to Joyzi by: The Hype

Shelves: ya-books, sci-fi, fiction, 5-stars-or-more, e-book, dystopia, political-intrigue, favorites, book-series, reviewed, author-brit

Complete, Edited and without effing Spoilers!

Caution: This book is not for sensitive and fainthearted readers. The book contains murder, misogyny, gore, violence against children, children doing brutal things and foul language. Seriously IMO this fits more to adult readers, it was just so sick and disturbing that a part of me believed that this probably should not be in the YA category (or maybe that’s just me). 16 years old and plus will do (I copy the same censorship of Elfen Lied and Higurash...more

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Oct 26, 2009 Misty rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: juvenile-ya, ya-challenge, dystopia-postapocalyptic, magical-realism, read-in-2009, sci_fi-fantasy, award-winner-or-nominee, excited-for, cover-appeal, favorites

I am a big fan of dystopic & post-apocalyptic fiction, and The Knife of Never Letting Go is one of the most compelling pieces of dystopia I have read in awhile.

Todd Hewitt is the last boy in Prentisstown. His birthday is coming, when he will take his place among the men of his community: a community of only men, where each can hear the others thoughts. The inhabitants of Prentisstown -- man and beast alike -- are afflicted with Noise: a continual stream of thoughts and images from every mal...more I am a big fan of dystopic & post-apocalyptic fiction, and The Knife of Never Letting Go is one of the most compelling pieces of dystopia I have read in awhile.

Todd Hewitt is the last boy in Prentisstown. His birthday is coming, when he will take his place among the men of his community: a community of only men, where each can hear the others thoughts. The inhabitants of Prentisstown -- man and beast alike -- are afflicted with Noise: a continual stream of thoughts and images from every male creature. There is no stopping or shielding Noise, it is just a way of life. But when Todd stumbles upon a hole in the Noise, things begin to change in Todd's life and he finds himself on the run from all of the people he's ever known, and discovering along the way that all he's known to be true may not be.

I loved Todd's voice. It did take some getting used to - and not just Todd's voice but the steady stream of all voices, down to Todd's dog, Manchee, or the crocodiles that want to eat him. But once the transition into Noise has been made, all of the voices become very compelling and interesting. Ness manages to make them distinct, which is no easy feat. He also keeps the sense of urgency going through the story without ever making the reader think "Oh, enough already!", or without giving away too much information too soon, so that the revelations along the way are spoiled. The action remains taut and the narrative quick-paced and interesting.

The Knife of Never Letting Go is the first in a trilogy, Chaos Walking, and Ness couldn't have made that more clear. First, there is no way that the conflicts of the story could have been resolved in one book; second, the ending is so abrupt that it would leave most readers extremely irritated if it was not to be continued. The ending still may irritate some, but it certainly makes you want to read the next in the series, The Ask and the Answer...

Really, there's not much more I can say with out giving something crucial away. There's a lot of crucial in this book. But if you can't feel for Todd and get caught up in his story (that is, if you have the attention span to handle Noise), then I don't think you're human. I'm just saying.

You can find some bonus material here (less)

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Mar 27, 2012 Aly (Fantasy4eva) rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: big-fat-tears, borrowed-from-library, digging-the-premise, fast-paced-and-engrossing, had-me-at-hello, i-ache-for-you, lets-be-mates, pleasantly-surprised, action-packed, dark-and-gritty, uk-bookish-love

4.5

Early one morning,
Just as the sun was rising,
I heard a young maid sing,
In the valley below.

Oh, don't deceive me,
Oh, never leave me,
How could you use
A poor maiden so?

Good news: I am paying a visit to my local library today. I know for definite that they have the second book! (yay)
Bad news: I'll also be visiting my book-store to torture myself by staring at the beautiful UK paperback copies. *cries*

Well, I seem to be in a bit of a ruddy mess.

I absolutely ended up adoring this book. The premise,...more

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Sep 17, 2008 Tasha rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: teen

On the shortlist for both the Booktrust and Guardian Children's Fiction awards, this book will not disappoint.

Todd Hewitt is the last boy in his town. The youngest in a community of only men, he has only a few weeks before he too becomes a man. Todd can't escape the Noise of his town, where everyone can read everyone else's thoughts, literally. There are horrible things in men's minds, things that boys should not be exposed to, but Todd has to face them every day of his life.

When Todd goes out...more On the shortlist for both the Booktrust and Guardian Children's Fiction awards, this book will not disappoint.

Todd Hewitt is the last boy in his town. The youngest in a community of only men, he has only a few weeks before he too becomes a man. Todd can't escape the Noise of his town, where everyone can read everyone else's thoughts, literally. There are horrible things in men's minds, things that boys should not be exposed to, but Todd has to face them every day of his life.

When Todd goes out into the swamp to gather apples, he finds an area of silence where there is no Noise at all. He can't even hear the Noise of his dog by his side. This lack of Noise is something he has never before encountered. Though he tries, Todd can't keep his discovery out of his own thoughts and therefore his own Noise. His discovery threatens the community he lives in, and Todd is forced to flee into the wilderness with only a book he can't read and a vague map to a destination he doesn't understand.

Let me be straight with you. This is a brutal book, filled with violence, cruelty, murder, maiming and tragedy of epic proportions. This is not a book for children to read, no matter how advanced their reading levels. This is a book for teens that will enthrall them and leave them breathless until the very end.

Ness manages to make a completely successful science fiction book that has real heart and a thrilling story. His book is a definite response to our own inter-connected world of Internet, cell phones, and information overload, but it manages to break free from that and become something much larger. Ness' writing is as fast paced as the novel itself, often rushing headlong and leaving the reader stunned. He is a fearless author, and after a few of his stunning events, readers know that they are in for a real ride where there is no predicting what will happen next. It is thrilling to read a book that breaks so many conventions and finds its own path.

Highly recommended, this is the best science fiction novel I have read in many years, not just this year.
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May 28, 2011 Jo rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya, my-favourites, of-epic-proportions, hometown-glories-uk, soul-sister-heroine, just-been-cutting-onions, gorgeous-prose, creepycreepy, things-are-rotten-in-the-state-of-d, when-can-i-move-in, you-got-a-friend-in-me, e, hometown-ya

Initial Final Page Thoughts.
OMFG. Proceeded by a scramble to buy the next book. I think this book had a more intense cliff hanger than The Italian Job.

High Point.
This could also be a low point… but I’m going to class it as a high point, for I have found a series that grabbed me as much (maybe more… WOAH) as The Hunger Games. And yes, I may become a hermit and forget to eat while I read these books, but that’s a risk I’m willing to take. Manchee! I LOVE the writing style, it was annoying at firs...more

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Oct 17, 2012 Nessa rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: review, fiction

The Knife of Never Letting Go is set on a faraway planet where the invaders have been dealt the horrible hand of a disease which kills half the population and gives everyone else a form of telepathy (referred to as 'the Noise') that cannot be switched off. Ever. Also, all the animals can talk. But living in the settlement of Prentisstown isn't all fun and games for young Todd Hewitt.

One month away from his thirteenth birthday, he goes into the swamps surrounding the town, where he meets a girl...more The Knife of Never Letting Go is set on a faraway planet where the invaders have been dealt the horrible hand of a disease which kills half the population and gives everyone else a form of telepathy (referred to as 'the Noise') that cannot be switched off. Ever. Also, all the animals can talk. But living in the settlement of Prentisstown isn't all fun and games for young Todd Hewitt.

One month away from his thirteenth birthday, he goes into the swamps surrounding the town, where he meets a girl named Viola, who has become separated from her parents. However, around Viola, everything is silent. When Todd and Viola are attacked, they have to go on the run from an enormous army, gathered from Prentisstown right under Todd's nose... and who fervently want him as their newest recruit.

Let's just get this out of the way first: Todd is a fantastic narrator. I don't know what it is about his style of writing (which is basically the way your stereotypical country hick talks), but it really drew me in and grabbed my imagination. (Maybe my own bringing up in the English countryside may have something to do with that...)

Plus, this novel was a pure thrill to read from start to finish. The army chasing after Todd and Viola are genuinely menacing, massacring populations and claiming to be bringing forth their own righteous brand of order to this planet. When the army, or indeed Aaron (who must have been part Terminator, going by the fact he survives a crocodile attack, has his nose ripped off and suffers other major injuries before finally kicking the bucket), caught up to the two kids, I felt genuinely scared for them and feverishly continued reading.

One scene really blew my mind left of centre, though. Skip this paragraph if you haven't read the book yet. Basically, Todd has learned about why the army want him so badly, and precisely how one becomes a man in Prentisstown: taking another person's life. With another piece of information about his mother revealed a bit earlier, Todd's resolve is completely shaken. Viola tries to reason with him, but when they come across one of the native aliens, minding its own business and staying far away from the human population, he storms over and kills it. Viola, of course, derides him for it, as the alien was naturally terrified and was trying to save itself before Todd plunged his knife into its body. This has some horrible psychological consequences for Todd, especially coming up to the final battle. I felt sorry not only for the alien he killed, but Todd himself. It was an absolutely wonderful piece of writing, and it showed me just why these books are so popular and well-reviewed here on GoodReads.

The final battle was also incredibly climactic and the cliffhanger at the end was superbly executed. I remember finishing the book and being in a complete daze for the next hour, filled with zeal for this book, and vowing to get the next two in the trilogy out from the library as soon as I could. 5/5.

(This review is also available on my blog: http://book-wyrm.blogspot.co.uk/2012/...)(less)

7 likes · like · see review

Mar 10, 2011 Stella ☢FAYZ☢ Chen rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favourites, wishlist

This book comes close to the most philosophical fiction I have ever read. This book has everything I would want in a dystopian novel and even exceeds by love for Orwell's 1984.

Every character is perfectly written and the plot wonderfully paced. An adventure that is sure not to be missed!

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Apr 15, 2013 Kirstine rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: dystopian, fantasy

“The noise is a man unfiltered, and without a filter, a man is just chaos walking”

I love this book. I love it because our main character is not gifted, he does not have any special talent or spectacular skill that makes him our obvious hero. He’s a boy. A boy who can’t kill. He is noteworthy because of something he cannot do, his incapability. And everyone is simultaneously trying to pry it away from him or keep it safe.

It’s a symbol – not to us, the audience (like it usually is), but to the ch...more

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Dec 02, 2011 Stacia ~ Mistress of Mediocrity rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult

Goodness. Talk about conflicted feelings. I really wanted to love this book as much as so many others have, but I just couldn't. I'm very much an emotional reader and this book failed to incite any emotion in me until close to the end. It felt so mechanical in places, almost as if I was going through the motions and skimming just to get to a point where things would pick up.

BUT...and this is a big BUT here. I very much enjoyed the last 100 or so pages. The turning point for me was at (view spoil ...more

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Feb 25, 2011 Amelia, the pragmatic idealist rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: dystopian, ya-kids-teen, favorite-books, 2010, own, lovestory-done-right, best-characters-ever, candlewick, mc-guy

Pure and simple, The Knife of Never Letting Go is EVERYTHING The Hunger Games could have been. It had a dystopian/post-apocalyptic world that was original, exciting, but not ridiculous. This is a world that ACTUALLY is terrifying in a way that HG really isn't. And it has a main character you can actually care about, relate to, feel for, and root for. A character who isn't an emotionally-challenged doormat. And no love triangle. Pure and simple, this is *the* dystopian book to read and love.
The...more Pure and simple, The Knife of Never Letting Go is EVERYTHING The Hunger Games could have been. It had a dystopian/post-apocalyptic world that was original, exciting, but not ridiculous. This is a world that ACTUALLY is terrifying in a way that HG really isn't. And it has a main character you can actually care about, relate to, feel for, and root for. A character who isn't an emotionally-challenged doormat. And no love triangle. Pure and simple, this is *the* dystopian book to read and love.
The first book in the Chaos Walking trilogy is, in my mind, way more than just a dystopian. Most dystopians I've read have some kind of "centralized power" feel to them: they're set in crowded, urban areas that are highly technological. In contrast, the Chaos Walking world more closely resembles a post-apocalyptic world: you've got settlers on only trying to make a go of life on a new land, but on a new planet. But this is no idyllic "city on a hill" society - Todd's world is (like the series title implies) chaotic, oppressive, violent, and downright terrifying.
This first book alone has me convinced that the author, Patrick Ness, is a genius. The way he tells his story is 100% effective, engrossing, and just a little provocative as well. The violence, the terror, the oppression...it's all seen through the eyes of a soon-to-be 13**-year-old boy named Todd Hewitt (**Todd lives in a world when time is measured on a 13-month calendar, so he's actually - by our standards - 14 years old).
The narrative is written in common, very informal vernacular not unlike the tone of Huckleberry Finn. It's been awhile since I've read such an informal narrative tone, and Todd's voice is full of run-on sentences and (also genius) misspelled words, so it took me about 50 pages to really hear his voice in my head, but once I heard his voice, it stayed with me. It was powerful. It was authentic. It was innocent, and that me to my next Patrick-Ness-is-a-genius point:
This book - this storyworld - is incredibly scary. It's very, very violent and full of very, very wicked and destructive men, and we see it all through the eyes of a young boy, who symbolizes innocence and the inherent goodness in humanity. Brilliant. Todd and an unlikely friend are on the run from the men of Prentisstown, who seek to enlist Todd (the last boy in their society and, also, the last symbol of innocence) in their perfect army. Books in which the characters are being chased always seem to add an extra edge of excitement and suspense to the action of the story, and this was definitely no exception. However, the book was pretty long, and it got to the point where I was almost expecting folks to jump out, go "BOO!" and smack the crap out of the poor main character.
And that's the next point: as exhilarating as this book is, it's also exhausting. The danger that Todd and Viola face borders on extreme, and the violence is definitely not going to be in everybody's comfort zone. Personally, there wasn't anything in here that I thought was gratuitous or unnecessary - New World is a dangerous and kind of wild place, like a really dystopian version of the Wild West, where fear and intimidation are the laws of the land. It's a hard book to read, because it's so bleak, and the fact that you have very evil, disturbed people chasing very good, innocent kids is heartbreaking. But here's where Patrick Ness is a good author: there is genuine heart in the voice of our narrator, and a belief in hope that is beautiful and powerful. Plus, this book is so substantial. Not only does it ask some good questions, it even proposes some answers (personally, I'm not too impressed with authors who just ask questions in their books).
And even though I'm halfway done with The Ask and the Answer, I *still* think that Todd Hewitt is one of my top favorite characters of all time. I just...wow. I just love this guy.
In my opinion, The Knife of Never Letting Go is destined to be a classic in Young Adult fiction. This book (and series) is so profound, it way stay with you. And as much as I like books and stuff, very rarely does one actually have this much of an impact on me. It was not a happy read, but it was a substantial one. Oh, and I cried. I actually CRIED. Just to compare, there were a *few* times in The Hunger Games when I teared up, but I never CRIED.
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Jul 07, 2012 Lyn (The Heartless) rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012, teen-lit, dystopia, kindle

I am completely torn on rating this book.

First off, I will say that Ness is a brilliant author. His writing style is an art, using sentences, grammar and text size to enhance the events and action of the book. Often, written literature can struggle with action, and writing out a fight scene tends to be tedious and a waste of words - your audience is often rushing through the paragraphs. But Ness seems to twist and construct a whole new style, ensuring that the reader will feel the rush, confusio...more

6 likes · like · see review

Apr 12, 2012 Emily rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: kindle, read-in-2012, characters-i-love, books-that-linger, funny-stuff, favourites, prose-envy, broke-my-heart, lost-sleep-over-this, heart-thumping-action, series-to-finish

4.5 stars

"Who am I to stop the end of the world if it keeps on coming?"

And, boy, does it just keep on coming for Todd.

Todd Hewitt is the only boy left in a town of men. He lives in Prentisstown, a settlement on New World, and believes women have been killed by a germ released by the native species on his planet - the Spackle. A side-effect of this germ means the remaining men can hear each other's thoughts in a chaotic stream of Noise.

But Todd's about discover the heartbreaking truth.

As I tu...more

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Jul 16, 2010 Amanda rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: kick-ass, young-adult

In a world where we're bombarded with technology, our senses are often overwhelmed by the amount of noise in the world and it's becoming increasingly difficult to find true quiet anymore (especially since most of us just plug into our computer or iPod as soon as it is quiet). A constant stream of noise and images feed us information, prod us toward rampant consumerism, and entertain us. I've become increasingly aware that many of my students seem uncomfortable with simple quiet--always wanting s...more In a world where we're bombarded with technology, our senses are often overwhelmed by the amount of noise in the world and it's becoming increasingly difficult to find true quiet anymore (especially since most of us just plug into our computer or iPod as soon as it is quiet). A constant stream of noise and images feed us information, prod us toward rampant consumerism, and entertain us. I've become increasingly aware that many of my students seem uncomfortable with simple quiet--always wanting some sort of noise to help them concentrate and focus. It's sad that our world has become one in which quiet is such a rare and undervalued commodity. And that, according to Patrick Ness, was the inspiration for The Knife of Never Letting Go.

Inventive and unlike anything I've ever read, The Knife of Never Letting Go is billed as a young adult dystopian but there's very little that's young adult about it other than a 13 year old protagonist. In fact, a lot of the language is violent, graphic, and brutal by young adult standards, but it has to be to capture the world that has been created by Ness.

Todd Hewitt is only days away from becoming a man by Prentisstown standards. Prentisstown is a town on New World, a planet that is being "settled" by the people of earth. What's unusual about Prentisstown, though, is that it's a town that consists entirely of men. The women were killed twelve years earlier when the Spackle, the indigenous alien race, utilized germ warfare in an attempt to win the war against the pioneers. The men, however, were not entirely immune to this germ. Instead of killing them, it made every man's inner-thoughts (both verbal and visual) visible to those around him. There are no secrets in the Noise. As a means of coping with the noise, some men turn to drink, others attempt to run away, and some kill themselves. Life here is bleak under the totalitarian rule of Mayor Prentiss and the bizarre radical teachings of the holy man, Aaron. As far as Todd knows, Prentisstown is the only place on the planet.

As Todd nears his 13th birthday, he finds something in the swamp that shouldn't exist--silence. Shortly after discovering this peculiarity and unable to find its source, he's forced to flee Prentisstown and go on the run with only his dog, a knapsack of supplies, a hunting knife, and a book written to him by his mother. To tell you the how and why of all of this would be to spoil it as it's the suspense that motivates the entire novel. Todd struggles for survival and begins to unravel the lies that he's been told his entire life. During his journey, he discovers the truth about New World and about Prentisstown.

The novel is told in first person stream of consciousness, which really works because it's like we as readers are able to "hear" Todd's Noise just as the other inhabitants of Prentisstown would. It also means that we learn as Todd learns and, as his mind shies away to avoid truths that he can't yet accept, information is sometimes withheld from us. In addition, some of the words are written in dialect to help better capture how Todd sounds. There are some unusual narrative techniques used throughout, such as a different font being used to indicate the Noise of different individuals and animals (that's right--even animals have Noise; I particularly enjoyed the depiction of Todd's dog Manchee) as Todd encounters them. Instead of finding them gimmicky, I thought it was a very effective way of visually demonstrating the intrusion of other people's thoughts into one's own.

In some ways, the novel reminded me of the television series Firefly, but only in that these space travelers are the new pioneers. While they have a lot of new technology, the struggle for survival is a very real one and never certain. The novel ends with one hell of a cliffhanger and I find myself for the first time in a long time wanting to dive right into the second novel of the series.(less)

18 likes · like · see review

Jul 10, 2012 Sierra rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: suspense-thriller, dystopian, 2012

*Phew*Was that a book?I find it hard to believe!Patrick Ness has painted such vivid images of this one that I could actually visualize Every.Single.Thing.Going.On.There were parts in the book where I went like "Woah,that did not just happen" then "Eww that's just gross" and towards the end,"Go Go GO!"*practically jumping up and down(literally)*
And that ending:I turned the last page and....

That's it?*speechless*
After I finished reading the book I just sat there,just sat there hugging the book t...more

5 likes · like · see review

Feb 04, 2011 Emily May rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: dystopia-utopia, ya-na, 2011, fave-ya

I'm always hesitant when it comes to reading books categorised as for 'children', but this is one of those books that is so important, clever and gripping it does not deserve to be limited by calling it merely a 'children's' book.

I'm finding it difficult to put into words just how much I loved this novel, I could not put it down. It makes you think, makes you laugh, makes you cry... this really is a literary triumph. It should be compulsory reading for everyone.

It tells the story of Todd, the la...more

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Sep 01, 2010 Mark rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, young-adult

As I plowed through the last 100 pages of this book or so, I was left with the same comment over and over in my head. "Dude, you should be enjoying this book more." I should. The voice is phenomenal and there is plenty of action to keep my boyish brain satisfied. But I have so many things that just aren't sitting well and the book ended! Please comment. Are my complaints justified? Did I miss something?

Spoiler Alert!

"The Knife of Never Letting Go" begins the epic tale of Todd Hewitt, a boy on a...more As I plowed through the last 100 pages of this book or so, I was left with the same comment over and over in my head. "Dude, you should be enjoying this book more." I should. The voice is phenomenal and there is plenty of action to keep my boyish brain satisfied. But I have so many things that just aren't sitting well and the book ended! Please comment. Are my complaints justified? Did I miss something?

Spoiler Alert!

"The Knife of Never Letting Go" begins the epic tale of Todd Hewitt, a boy on a new world were all the thoughts of every male are projected in the air to be heard. Very cool. But after finding a hole in the "Noise" he is suddenly sent off by his guardians as the townspeople rally to find him and seemingly kill him for some unknown reason. With his trusty dog, Manchee, and the first girl he ever remembers seeing named Viola, they run from the army of Prentisstown. Overall, the world and plot are very creative and easy to fall into.

As I mentioned above, the best thing about this book is the voice. Todd, a boy on the cusp of manhood recounts the story in an authentic narrative that really get you inside in his head. Grammar nazis might get annoyed by the run-ons and misspellings, but chill man! It makes the tale and more importantly, Todd, feel legit and worthy of our concern. Machee and Viola are also both well done characters, and Aaron is really creepy and serves as an awesome villain.

Before reading this book, it was described to me as "tense." After reading it...yeah, tense is appropriate. There are numerous scenes where you will be on the edge of your seat, dying to get to the next sentence. Some might be turned off by the abundance of violence, but I don't think it goes out of line. I teach at a middle school and my kids mention stuff worse than what happens here.

Now, I know what your thinking: Mark, I'm confused. You seem to have liked this book. Why only three stars? Well here it is: I just don't understand why things turned out the way they did.

When the book opens up, Prentisstown is given the vibe of being a small hick town. With no women, the town's population is dropping and Todd considers this when he starts thinking about the sheep he and his guardians will inherit and how things were done and such. When he starts running and a sudden army pops out of Prentisstown, I was on board. But after town and town takes in Todd and Viola, only to get wiped out when the army gets there, I started getting skeptical. How the hell is an army from this little hick town kicking so much ass and still marching on? They don't seem to have any special weapons, just what all the other towns have - guns and horses. Even if they are all skilled, they lose so few that the next town goes down just as fast? I thought when they reached Haven, the "biggest city" on the new world, surely these country bumpkins won't be able to top a place with hundreds of buildings. BUT NO! Its already overrun when they get there at the end. Are they all impossible to kill like Aaron? If they are, could there be just a hint of that. Just some guy running from Farbranch who mentions, "Damn, those bums just don't die." It just didn't seem plausible.

Another complaint I had was the "big reveal" that Cillan gives is kinda obvious. Of course, the men killed all the women at Prentisstown. Duh! The minute that Spackle came, it was clear that they were not aggressors. It was the only logical reason with the men of Prentisstown seeming like a bunch of jerks.

The last thing that just took the wind out of my sails was the motivations of the men of Prentisstown. I understand their motto "One falls, we all fall," etc. but I just don't understand why they are dying to find Todd. Aaron is giving himself up as a sacrifice so Todd can become one of them, but why is it so important that Todd kills someone? Why MUST he become just like the men of Prentisstown? Guess that Spackle he offs doesn't count as a kill?

All the mayor wants to be the ruler of this new world it seems by the ending, which is a tall order itself. What part does Todd play in all this? If its all symbolic and they just want to end the one last innocent from Prentisstown, it feels unnecessary to worry about chasing Todd when you have such lofty goals like global takeover.

Hopefully, some of these will make more sense in book two, which I will certainly read. But there are just waaaaaay too many loose ends for my taste that make motivations and actions in this one too confusing. While you don't need to solve everything, a great book has all the main parts of the plot making logical sense. This didn't fall into that category for me. Or did I just miss something?(less)

16 likes · like · see review

Nov 16, 2009 Tatiana rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Tatiana by: YA book club pick

Shelves: ya, 2009, ala-ya-2009, series-dropped-lost-steam

I've never heard of Patrick Ness or "Chaos Walking" trilogy before. Luckily for me, "The Knife of Letting Go" was a November pick of one of my YA book groups.

"The Knife of Never Letting Go" is one of those "boy" books - there is a lot of action, there is a chase, a lot of mystery and very little sappy romance. The dystopian/sci-fi setting is exciting - an alien planet where people can hear each others thoughts. The protagonist - Todd - is a 12-year old boy on the brink of manhood in a town wher...more

23 likes · like · see review

Jun 24, 2008 Monica Edinger rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: award-worthy

After reading a review of this book I requested an ARC from the publisher. I casually started reading it and then was unable to stop till I was done. Boy oh boy; it is one hell of a read.

The Knife of Never Letting Go is a dystopic novel involving settlers who created a New World because they wanted a simpler life (a la those Mayflower passengers of our yore). According to Todd, the last boy of the settlement of Prentisstown, years earlier an illness resulted in all males being able to hear each...more

9 likes · like · see review

Jan 15, 2011 Catie rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: sci-fi, ya, series, read-in-2011

I am totally drained after reading this book. The story is very original and by the end of this ordeal I felt like I knew the characters. They became real to me. The writing is fast paced and there's an interesting use of different fonts through out to express the constant "Noise" that Todd has to deal with. The one criticism I have is that the "lull the reader into a sense of comfort and then punch her in the face with shocking information" was used so regularly that it became expected. Hence I...more

10 likes · like · see review

topics	posts	views	last activity
Manchee's Death	94	467	May 22, 2013 07:20pm
CHAOS WALKING WORD GAME.. STARTING WITH KNIFE !	86	40	May 20, 2013 05:22pm
Who is yer dream cast for Todd&Viola ?	4	38	May 06, 2013 05:49pm
WHO'S YER FAVORITE CHARACTER ?	11	23	May 05, 2013 08:06pm
Čeští a slovenští...: The Knife of Never Letting Go od Patricka Nesse (květen 2013)	4	29	May 01, 2013 02:38pm
Effing Character Eliminayshun Game!!!	96	80	Apr 27, 2013 05:03am

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