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Monsters of Men (Chaos Walking #3)

4.31 of 5 stars 4.31 · rating details · 15,572 ratings · 2,218 reviews

"War," says the Mayor. "At last." Three armies march on New Prentisstown, each one intent on destroying the others. Todd and Viola are caught in the middle, with no chance of escape. As the battles commence, how can they hope to stop the fighting? How can there ever be peace when they're so hopelessly outnumbered? And if war makes monsters of men, what terrible choices awa...more

Hardcover, 603 pages

Published September 28th 2010 by Candlewick Press (first published May 3rd 2010)

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Jun 22, 2010 Brigid *Flying Kick-a-pow!* rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 5-star-books, books-of-summer-10, favorites, badass-ladies, dystopia, addicting-as-crack, young-adult, aliens, talking-animals, made-me-cry, romance-done-correctly, adventure, sci-fi, futuristic, romance, scared-the-shit-out-of-me, i-think-i-just-peed-myself

I am shocked. I am speechless. I don't even think I can do this book justice by writing this review. My first reaction is just to scream "OH MY EFFING GOD!!!" (only I don't say "effing"! heh heh …Well, if you've read the books you get the joke) …which is exactly what I said about fifty times after I finished reading it last night.

Seriously, it isn't often that a book like this comes along. I don't think a book has left me feeling this shocked and amazed in years––not even the first two books, wh...more I am shocked. I am speechless. I don't even think I can do this book justice by writing this review. My first reaction is just to scream "OH MY EFFING GOD!!!" (only I don't say "effing"! heh heh … Well, if you've read the books you get the joke) … which is exactly what I said about fifty times after I finished reading it last night.

Seriously, it isn't often that a book like this comes along. I don't think a book has left me feeling this shocked and amazed in years––not even the first two books, which also totally blew my mind.

All right, well, let's get down to business. I should stop ranting and get to reviewing.

So, Monsters of Men is the third book in Patrick Ness's amazingamazingamazing trilogy, Chaos Walking. As I already said, the first two books––The Knife of Never Letting Go and The Ask and the Answer––absolutely blew me away, so I had very high expectations for the final chapter. Of course, when you have high expectations, you get nervous, too. I didn't know how on earth Ness was going to end this or what he was going to do with it … but I trusted him to write something incredible. And ohmygoodness he totally exceeded those very high expectations.

Ha, so, funny story about this book. It came out in the UK in early May, and it is not scheduled to come out in the United States until late September. I was just about to explode with impatience, and I totally would have died if I'd had to wait that long. Fortunately someone told me about this website, The Book Depository, which allows you to order books from other countries with free shipping. (YESSSS!!!) So I ordered it and it came for me in the mail yesterday (after my last day of school, too! talk about the best day ever!) and I pretty much read it nonstop from 3:30 to 11:30. I even took it to my sister's middle-school graduation and read it standing up, because I could not bear to put it down. Teehee.

So, anyway. The book. I do not even know where to begin. AL;KDFJSJF;SJKFD. Yeah, that's about all I have to say. Just kidding. But really, I'm trying to find the words to write this.

Basically, these books are emotionally exhausting. I don't know how else to put it. You become so attached to Todd and Viola and you see them go through so much terrifying crap and it's just like … aaahhh … It gives you that total feeling of dread that eats away at the inside of your stomach, and your eyes are glued to the page and it's like "HOLY CRAP! What if one of them dies or both of them dies or AGGGH??!!! NO NO NO PATRICK NESS WOULDN'T DO THAT … Oh wait, he totally would. CRAP!" I was hardly breathing the whole time I was reading this. And at the end my heart was literally pounding because I was so shocked and so terrified and so devastated and so amazed and I had tears in my eyes and I was about to scream at the book and … GAH. Trust me, it takes a LOT for a book to affect me like this. Okay, I am hyperventilating all over again, just thinking about it. Moving on.

So, Todd and Viola. Let's talk about them, because I love them like they were actual people. Firstly Todd … He has been our beloved narrator since book one––he's a sweetheart, he's funny, he's honest, he's confused, he's completely believable … And in Monsters of Men I loved him more than ever. He is definitely one of my favorite main characters of all time. I totally felt for him in this one, and it was heartbreaking to see how he gets caught up in the horrors of war … yet, his dedication to Viola keeps him from completely losing himself. (Awwww <3) And Viola is totally awesome too––strong and determined, and just as dedicated to Todd as he is to her. (AWWWWW! I'm gonna make myself cry. *sniffles*) Their adorable relationship really drives the plot along. Just about everything Todd and Viola do, they do for each other. Although the story is dark, disturbing, and violent, at its heart it is ultimately a story about how love triumphs over war.

Patrick Ness. Let's talk about him now, because he actually IS a real person, and in my opinion he is a writing GOD. I know that a lot of people turn away from this series complaining that the writing gives them a headache. (Poopies on them. GRRR. Wait, what? I didn't say that.) And what these people don't recognize is something called originality, which I dare to say most authors lack these days. So, yes, Patrick Ness does write in a stream-of-consciousness style––one-sentence paragraphs, paragraphs that break off in the middle, occasionally spelling words phonetically, switching perspectives every two pages … And yeah, it takes a while to get used to it. I didn't like the first book when I started it, but after about 100 pages or so I got hooked, and I have been addicted to this series ever since. Part of its true power is in Ness's writing. Although it's not the typical "good" writing style, meaning it defies quite a few grammar rules, it is truly amazing writing. There's a difference between being a bad writer and making a choice to not write in a typical style. In this case, it's the latter, and it pays off. Patrick Ness writes in a concise manner––carefully choosing words and images so that each one is meaningful and sticks permanently in the reader's head. His writing is raw, emotional, and completely haunting. And it manages to do this while still being very subtle––that is, Ness doesn't have to outright say things to make them obvious, and that somehow makes them more powerful. I don't know how else to explain it, but you have to read it to see what I mean. I tried to do some writing last night after I finished reading and I just couldn't because I felt like I'd been put to shame! I'm not saying I want to steal his style, but I can only hope that I will find a writing style of my own that will affect someone as powerfully as his has affected and inspired me. :)

This book is truly, truly amazing. It's a fascinating exploration of human nature and every aspect of it––how we make war when we want peace, how violence destroys us and how love heals us, how we mature from girls and boys to women and men, how love influences the choices we make … I could go on and on. But over all, these books are astounding, compelling, heartbreaking, touching, terrifying, and haunting. This is by far one of the best books and one of the best series I have ever read in my entire life, and if you have not read them you are missing out on an amazing story. GO READ THEM NOW. (less)

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Dec 14, 2011 Mariel rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: reach the dumb to fool the crowd

Recommended to Mariel by: Infiltrate imagination

"The leaders of men
Born out of your frustration
The leaders of men
Just a strange infatuation
The leaders of men
Made a promise for a new life
No savior for our sakes
To twist the internees of hate
Self-induced manipulation
To crush all thoughts of mass salvation"
- 'Leaders of Men' by Joy Division

Patrick Ness?

Patrick Ness says: "Even in a society where we're constantly being told to 'be be ourselves', the pressure is to conform is terrible, especially for the young. If the Chaos Walking trilog...more

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Jadwiga I think that it was an interesting point of view, but about the fact that everything was about Todd and Viola without any reason, well... I disagree w...more
Jul 14, 2012 07:51pm

Megan To me the whole point of this book series is that it portrays its characters as real people, who do things that they regret and feel real emotions and...more To me the whole point of this book series is that it portrays its characters as real people, who do things that they regret and feel real emotions and sometimes think they deserve things that they don't or have irrational opinions/fears. The review you've given is one in which you sound as though you were disappointed that the characters weren't, in a sense, generic enough to not have those flaws. Heroes who care more about a town of people they've never met than the few people who are close to them only really exist in cliched books and myths, I'm afraid. In my opinion, Ness' conclusion to the series did what the two previous books did, too - namely, they show his characters as being realistic people who make bad decisions and suffer for them.
I’m sorry that I can’t really comment on your ideas about ‘conceit’ since I really don’t understand what you meant by it all. I don’t know if it’s the way you phrased them or what, but your points just didn’t make sense to me.
Can I ask if you’ve ever been in love before? Or even THOUGHT that you’ve been in love before? Because it really can be completely all-consuming, and when you’ve been through the same things that Todd and Viola went through together, then that would only seem so much more intense. Let’s not forget that for the whole of the first book Viola was the only person that Todd could constantly depend on, and vice versa, so it makes total sense that the bond between them would be utterly overwhelming in later books when they’re apart. It’s not a crime for each of them to be confused in a situation as scary and challenging as the ones they find themselves in and want to have the other one there to help them through it. I don’t believe it’s about the other one making the decision for them – it’s about having someone who understands their position and what they’ve been through, and how hard it is for them to have the weight of such decisions on their shoulders.
I’m not sure that you’ve really thought through how it would feel to be in such circumstances, or put yourself into the characters’ shoes. Again, your review sounds like that of someone expecting a standard novel in which the characters are built around a specific template. That’s not true of real people, and it’s not true of Todd or Viola or any of the other characters in this book. Because they’re so honest that they might as well be real people, in that the way they respond to things is more believable than any traditional book character.(less)
Aug 10, 2012 11:05am

Jul 18, 2012 K.D. Oliveros rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to K.D. by: Ace

Shelves: ya, borrowed, series, war, populist

YA fantasy at its finest.

The best book in this trilogy. What a way to conclude the story.

This is the LOTR of the 21st century. The triumph of good over evil is a deathless theme and no matter how many times it has been written, during our times of uncertainties, hope is sometimes the only thing that remains with us to hold on to.

I loved everything about it. Well, to do that, I had to drop all my defenses, sit back and relax and let myself be wooed by Ness. When I decided to crack this final boo...more

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Dec 07, 2011 karen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: why-yes-i-ya

this lower-than-five-stars rating is probably my fault. i had to put the book down because of life (stupid life) so there was a whole day there where i didn't get to read a single word of this, and i may have simply lost my momentum as a result.

this book is still fantastic.

it is a slower-paced, more meditative book than the other two. before, it was all breakneck excitement and every time the characters seemed to be able to pause for breath - blammo! another effing tragedy! which strangely, did...more
this lower-than-five-stars rating is probably my fault. i had to put the book down because of life (stupid life) so there was a whole day there where i didn't get to read a single word of this, and i may have simply lost my momentum as a result.

this book is still fantastic.

it is a slower-paced, more meditative book than the other two. before, it was all breakneck excitement and every time the characters seemed to be able to pause for breath - blammo! another effing tragedy! which strangely, did not come across as gratuitous. ness is such a strong writer that he never let the story become "expected" or tedious - there was always a healthy ratio of character-building to adrenaline rushes, so it never seemed that he was just putting explosions and death in the way to make sure you were still paying attention.

because obviously we are paying attention.

this one had a more philosophical cast to it than the first two. that is not to say there is no action - there are battles and smaller skirmishes and many innocent characters have terrible things happen to them, so it is very similar in that way to the first two books, with more politics-of-war and musings on the nature and meaning of humanity. everything is cast in shades of gray, where good guys have bad days and bad guys occasionally do the right thing. ness is always about three steps ahead of the reader's expectayshuns (also, much less of that in this final book), and it is nearly impossible to predict what is about to happen.

however, and i am probably going to get slapped all over the internet about this, i really wasn't into the voice of the return/land/sky. while i understand intellectually that it is necessary to include that perspective and it gives a depth to the story that is important and that the book could not have reached a satisfying conclusion without including it, emotionally, i found it dry and less heart-shredding than viola and todd's story.

i know.

but it's true. whenever i came to that font, i was like "nooo - gimmie more viola!!" it's not my fault that those two characters are so close to my heart, while the land is interesting but not all up in my emotional grill.

this really was an excellent conclusion to one of the finest trilogies i have ever read. both todd and viola grow so much as characters, it is a phenomenal series for that part alone. and the rest - ahhhh. i can't say enough good about this series.

having just experienced a bug-holocaust and still reeling from toxic fumes, it is probably best to end here, so i can escape to clearer air. effing bugs. i would like to band them and see how they like it...(less)

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Oct 18, 2012 Nessa rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: review, fiction

How do you review Monsters of Men?

Just how?

Do I come in with a basic summary of the plot and then move on to what I thought about it? Because if I even tried doing that with Monsters of Men, it might end up something like this:

So after revealing that there are thousands of Spackle still alive on the planet and they are VERY pissed off at the humans for killing several hundred of their own species and have thus formed an army at the end of The Ask and the Answer, Patrick Ness drops us straight in...more

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Jun 18, 2013 Zanib rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favourites

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.
Trust me when I say, that Patrick Ness is a brilliant genius. He is a master mind story teller, and if anything, I aspire to write like him some day. The Chaos Walking trilogy has left me in a chaotic mess, even though it's been a few years since I last read Monsters of Men. I recall it was a mid August, Friday morning-last work day for shipping-and I was sure it would come that day (because it had already been to many weeks since I pre-ordered). Sure enough, it had come, though I was still slee...more

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Apr 05, 2012 Kate rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: author-gender-male, author-nationality-usa, creatures-aliens, author-nationality-uk, genre-political, genre-science-fiction, misc-poorly-edited-ebooks, pov-first-person, publisher-indie, rating-2-stars, read-in-2012, set-in-fictional-world, tense-present, reviewed-by-iamfantastikate

Should I read it? As much as many others seem to enjoy Ness' story, I found this to be a disappointing ending to a trilogy that started out well but lost its way early in its second book. It's technically sloppy; the characters are stereotypical, unrealistic, melodramatic, and boring; and for me it all becomes an accidental comedy by its end. (As in, I actually laughed where I wasn't supposed to.) If you loved the first two books, yeah, sure, go ahead. If you had your doubts after the second, li...more

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Dec 05, 2010 Isamlq rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Yes, Aaron... E.V.E.R.Y.O.N.E!!!!!

Shelves: favorites

Two words: Emotional Investment.

This review is me on a soapbox ~~telling~~ shouting at anyone/everyone within hearing distance to read it… NOW! So, I guess, this review isn't a review after all. Right before I started Monsters, I was so worried if Ness would kill off one, some, or all his characters. Then I asked myself, “Is that all you can think of?” My response: a resounding, YES! My concern extending to the living or dying of these people, clearly establishes my emotional investment. If someone...more

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May 01, 2010 Lisa Scott rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult

Reading Monsters of Men is like being on a roller coaster. At first it feels fairly slow, with tension building and building, and then you're hurtling down and hanging on for dear life. It took me several days to get through the first 200 pages or so, and then the last 400 I polished off in several hours.

The moral ambiguity of The Knife of Never Letting Go and The Ask and the Answer (can Patrick Ness title a book or what?) continues as Todd and Viola attempt to negotiate peace among two human f...more

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Jan 08, 2011 Jaime West rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: books-i-own, it-s-a-keeper, favourites

WAR..
Is blasting and flashing at the forefront of this book, with the Mayor Prentiss hell bent on it, destruction and absolute power. But what the books are really about and what flows on every page is so much more and as the 'reader' you're submerged in it, to the point where you feel the shrapnel wizz past your face.

Choice and the price of your choices and the affect that one person's choice can have on others, like a ripple across a pond. And what War is, and what it means and why.
Someone i...more

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Dec 27, 2012 Tom rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorite

Not even sure what kind of review and can pull off for this one. It ended like it began and stayed true to the story. Not sure if its my favorite of the series but I read them back to back and right now I'm just numb. Might come back for a full review once I process what happened. There is nothing light or fluffy about this series.

This book has third POV and I really liked the addition. It was a pretty smooth transition at first but in the middle the POV's got a little to short and cliffy. Then...more

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Apr 17, 2011 Dea Sauva rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Dystopia fans

Shelves: young-adult, books-i-own, all-time-favorites, dystopia, favorites, read-in-2011, romance, sci-fi, heavy-issues, stomped-on-my-heart

You may want to skip reading this if (A) You didn’t like the trilogy (B) You get easily annoyed by a gushing 16-year old (C) You haven’t finished the first two books (I’m so lazy I did a review for the whole series).

I actually have a history with this trilogy. After finishing the first two books in The Hunger Games late 2009, I vowed that I will never judge a book by its cover; that I must never buy books ~~based on a cover~~ on an impulse to avoid wasting money. I LOVED Ms. Collins’ books and I wa...more You may want to skip reading this if (A) You didn’t like the trilogy (B) You get easily annoyed by a gushing 16-year old (C) You haven’t finished the first two books (I’m so lazy I did a review for the whole series).

I actually have a history with this trilogy. After finishing the first two books in The Hunger Games late 2009, I vowed that I will never judge a book by its cover; that I must never buy books ~~based on a cover~~ on an impulse to avoid wasting money. I LOVED Ms. Collins’ books and I was new to YA so I did my research on YA Dystopia and YA in general. I was intrigued by most people’s answers on a forum that I came across. The question was, ‘What is the best young adult series you have ever read?’ Almost half of the correspondents replied with The Knife of Never Letting Go. That was the time I started obsessing about having the Chaos Walking trilogy. It took me over a year to finally have copies in my possession (Blame the super late release of some books here in the Philippines). I went nuts inside when I caught sight of the series at NBS.

The first few pages of the first book started slowly. The incorrect spelling bothered me and I couldn't comprehend some of the things at first. It gave me the impression that I might not finish it at all (yeah I'm easily intimidated by thick books). Perhaps because I have been hooked to reading contemporary titles lately—most of which I devour for 3-5 hours—that I felt myself giving in to laziness and doubting it a little. Fortunately, the reminder of my year-long wait was enough motivation to give it a shot. I began to get used to the writing after 50 pages or so and I learned to appreciate the uniqueness of Patrick Ness’ writing. It perfectly caught the emotions that the characters feel and successfully share it with the readers. Not only work did it for me, I also realized that it could not have been better.

Patrick Ness has the Mayor’s power of influence. I could like a character and hate it the moment they showed either redeeming or hideous personalities. He’s also defined the meaning of an unpredictable plot. You know the feeling of holding your breath involuntarily and releasing it after realizing you need to breathe? I have experienced that a couple of times while reading Chaos Walking. Neither am I crying person. Sure, I have read many books which almost made me cry, but then I managed to stop myself from weeping most of the time. This series on the other hand had been so emotionally exhausting that I've lost count to how many times I'd cried. I was such a mess by the time I finish Monsters of Men. Patrick Ness broke my heart into pieces and patched it up - even long after I've flipped the last page.

The relationship between Todd and Viola was built skillfully. They did not trust each other at first but they eventually saw their similarities. From being a boy and a girl, they have grown into a man and a woman in a span of more than eight months of surviving together. War has made them think and act maturely. It came to a point when Todd and Viola became the face of leadership and peace that made them better than the adults. Both have proven that they could rely and seek refuge in one another.Their faith, loyalty, and love are the strongest and the most admirable I have ever read. All these things have strengthened throughout the trilogy. Most importantly, they are human. They have flaws, they made mistakes and stupid decisions, and to some extent, all of those are things the person in the mirror can relate to.

And who could forget about the minor characters? Each has a noteworthy quality especially Davy, Wilf, Ben, The Sky and The Return. All of them made the trilogy more effective and extraordinary as ever.

This series has taught me about love, loyalty, morality, war, and leadership among many other significant things. I believe this belongs to a league of books that everyone has to read at some point in their lives. In my case, I know that in the future, I will be going back inside its pages and grow up with Todd and Viola again, and again, and again.

Now I urge you to do the same... Read it. Experience it.

Blogpost: http://teenreadersdiary.blogspot.com/...(less)

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May 18, 2010 Karin rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010-reads, dystopian, post-apocalyptic, science-fiction, youngadult

MONSTERS OF MEN is the wonderful conclusion to the Chaos Walking Trilogy. It picks up where THE ASK AND THE ANSWER leaves off – right at the beginning of WAR! The Spackle, the Answer, and the Mayor’s army are all converging on New Prentisstown and Todd and Viola are stuck in the middle.

Patrick Ness creates the same heart-pounding suspense in this novel as he did in the first two in the trilogy. Multiple points of view give the reader a full understanding of what is happening.

Be sure to set asid...more

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May 06, 2012 Izzy rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: amazing-man, beautiful, cried, did-not-see-that-coming, don-t-break-my-heart, family-hug, fucking-sad, favourite, faves, good-pov, great-characters, i-love-everything, kickass-heroine, just-the-best, satisfying-end, strong-characters, ya-dystopian-good

I uh, I don't quite know what to say. I think I'd need to have Noise to properly explain the varying degrees of heartbreak, awe, despression, happiness, fangirling and far too many other emotions that this book inflicts.

First off, Patrick Ness, you are a genius. I adore you. Become leader of the world please and make everything all intense and amazing ~~and I want to marry you so you can write me stories~~.

This book is yet another impossible situation, possibly the hardest one yet. What made this so...more

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Jun 16, 2011 Jo rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: my-favourites, of-epic-proportions, ya, hometown-glories-uk, when-can-i-move-in, things-are-rotten-in-the-state-of-d, hometown-ya

This review is going to be one huge spoiler if you haven't read the first two books.... just a heads up.

(view spoiler)...more

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Jun 16, 2010 Tara Gelsomino rated it 5 of 5 stars

I just finished my second-most hotly anticipated book of the year behind Mockingjay. Patrick Ness' amazing series is so hard to talk about. It's about war. It's about becoming a man (or a woman). It's about rolling the hard six. It's about us v. them. It's about choosing the people you love over the Greater Good. It's about being smarter and wronger. Those are a lot of BSG allusions, becasuse this book, and this whole Chaos Walking series (this is third and final book in the trilogy) asks many o...more I just finished my second-most hotly anticipated book of the year behind Mockingjay. Patrick Ness' amazing series is so hard to talk about. It's about war. It's about becoming a man (or a woman). It's about rolling the hard six. It's about us v. them. It's about choosing the people you love over the Greater Good. It's about being smarter and wronger. Those are a lot of BSG allusions, becasuse this book, and this whole Chaos Walking series (this is third and final book in the trilogy) asks many of those same questions and is just as relentless and dark at times, and yet like BSG, there is always hope in the darkness, however small. Hope that there will be peace, that you can stop running, that there will be time to take a breath, to hold the ones you love, that no one else will die needlessly and senselessly, that someday, somehow there's a bright shiny future waiting.

You can read plot summaries anywhere so I will just give the barest outline: this is a series about a boy on the cusp of becoming a man who finds the last girl in the world. The two of them, Todd and Viola, go on a quest together for peace and salvation, but find doom and death and destruction and war, yet through it all they hold on tight to what they believe and to their bond. Ness crafts an amazing and compelling saga, there are so many good and thoughtful questions asked in this series. It confounds all stereotypical YA literature because it's so much more adult and provocative and unconventional in every way. It's my second-most anticipated book of the year because I think the questions it asks just slightly edge out the characters' personal connection for me. I like Todd and Viola very much, but I don't love them the way I do Katniss and Gale say. To be honest, they get a lot dirtier, they do frustrating and sometimes bad things, albeit always with good intentions, but they remain...conduits for the story more than anything else I think. That being said, this is a very thoughtful series and unputdownable and I heartily heartily recommend it to anyone. Full stop. (Monsters of Men is currently available in the UK where I ordered it from, but it won't be released in the US until September, FYI.)
(less)

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Jun 07, 2010 Sam rated it 5 of 5 stars

I have been hesitant to put pen to paper ever since I put down Monster of Men by Patrick Ness. This is Todd and Viola’s story begun in Knife of Never letting Go and continued in Ask and the Answer. I have been reluctant because I am stunned by the writing, the incredible relentlessness of the battle between man and the Spackle, driven on by the malevolent President Prentiss and the rest of the inhabitants of this remote colony.
There are no words to describe this third novel in the Chaos Walking...more I have been hesitant to put pen to paper ever since I put down Monster of Men by Patrick Ness. This is Todd and Viola’s story begun in Knife of Never letting Go and continued in Ask and the Answer. I have been reluctant because I am stunned by the writing, the incredible relentlessness of the battle between man and the Spackle, driven on by the malevolent President Prentiss and the rest of the inhabitants of this remote colony.
There are no words to describe this third novel in the Chaos Walking series other than brilliant, shocking, astonishing and relentless. Here are 603 pages of a monumental battle that thrusts the fast learning Spackle, the natives of the planet against the newcomers they know as the Clearing. (So called because like all settlers they do not leave the land alone and clear it for farming and enslave the locals to work for them under extreme duress ). The Spackle hate The Clearing, just as the Red Indian must have hated the Colonialists and are equally baffled by them and their needs for land, yet seem to have no understanding of the connectedness of the land to the people who inhabit it. There are so many parallels with the colonisation of America, yet it is so cleverly disguised as a science-fiction book for young adults. It is no such thing. Monsters of Men should be required reading at military school – studied with care at West Point. We are at war now in Afghanistan and so much of what is going on there is utterly pointless and eventually will lead to nothing and the same is true of almost any war. In the end enemies need to find a way to make peace. Monsters of Men is a novel about finding peace, but at every moment when it could break out it is confounded by betrayals and deceits and yet more slaughter goes on.
Todd wants just one thing, Viola. Viola wants just one thing, Todd. President Prentiss wants Todd to be just like him. Women hating, scheming, manipulative, controlling, evil personified and Todd, who has the best of intentions, the purest of hearts, hopes to civilise this evil man. Todd is a boy who cannot kill. Viola doubts that is possible to tame the President Prentiss and worries he is poisoning Todd’s mind. He has already taught him to shut out the thoughts of other men and learn to control others. Meanwhile Viola is dying. The enslavement wristband that bites into her flesh and all the other women is slowly poisoning her.
Meanwhile Bradley, the new arrival on the spaceship, ahead of the settlers coming behind him, finds himself caught up in this vicious war for dominance on the planet. He is tarnished with the label Humanitarian because he wont takes sides, but Viola, scared that Todd is about to be killed launches a missile attack on the Spackle that brings the new arrivals smack bang into the middle of this vicious battle.
And in this volume, at last, we also hear the voice of the Spackle through The Return and the Sky. Younger readers will battle to understand but it is worth persisting. The enemy have a voice and they plan the death of Todd and the rest of the ‘Clearing’. But they also know that many will die in the process. Revenge can be horrible.
Plot aside; the deep attraction of Monsters of Men is the idea that every living creature has a voice. Todd is as deeply bonded with his horse as with Viola and she with her own horse. When a creature has a voice empathy can only follow.

This is perhaps the most exhausting novel I have ever read. Page after page of attack and counter attack and planning yet more attacks as each side tries to overcome the other. No child should ever have to face the terrible choices that Todd and Viola have to go through. The smell of blood and despair are on every page, but this is novel of soaring moments of achievement and sinking depths of despair as each side wins and loses skirmishes. Todd becomes a man. Viola a women. But the cost to both sides is a terrible one and all the settlers will be scarred for life by the battle started by the evil President Prentiss. Only Todd can end it and yet he is a boy who cannot kill. Viola must save him, must be the conscience of the whole planet, but will she live long enough to see it through?
All the other characters are there battling the Spackle and each other, Mistress Coyle and the Answer, Wilf the calm voice, and the new wisdom of The Sky, the Spackle leader who has a secret weapon in human form. However if there is anything to learn from this story is that man should probably not spread out to the other planets and contaminate the universe with squabbling.
I said earlier this is a relentless, fast paced battle and I meant it. The emotional rollercoaster that engulfs the characters can overwhelm the reader too and Monsters of Men echoes in your heart and mind long after you have put it down. Sheer brilliance from Patrick Ness.(less)

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Jan 27, 2013 David Estes rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013-dystopian

I don't usually write reviews, but I felt like I had to do something after finishing this series to...honor it. This is probably my favorite dystopian series now and might always be. Simply incredible, I was left speechless and tearful and happy at the last word. I can't read Patrick Ness's next book fast enough.

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Dec 10, 2012 Scott Pilgrim rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: dystopia-post-apocalyptic, science-fiction, alternating-povs, favorites, epic, aliens

Seen at Scott Reads It

"War makes monsters of men"

Patrick Ness's conclusion to Chaos Walking exceeded my expectations entirely. Monsters of Men is chock full of plot twists that kept me cringing and cheering for my favorite characters. When I finished it I was entirely upset not about the ending but how Chaos Walking was over. The ending was satisfyingly dramatic as I expected but I really wish Patrick Ness would announce a new novel or series.

The quote I referenced "War makes monsters o...more Seen at Scott Reads It

"War makes monsters of men"

Patrick Ness's conclusion to Chaos Walking exceeded my expectations entirely. Monsters of Men is chock full of plot twists that kept me cringing and cheering for my favorite characters. When I finished it I was entirely upset not about the ending but how Chaos Walking was over. The ending was satisfyingly dramatic as I expected but I really wish Patrick Ness would announce a new novel or series.

The quote I referenced "War makes monsters of men" is where the title is derive from and it is definitely a fitting title. Monsters of Men is almost entirely a war between the Spackle, the Answer and the Mayor. The action scenes in Monsters of Men were brutally action-packed and I couldn't stop reading. I felt so overcome with emotion during this book and I was tempted to just ignore everything around me while reading. I really enjoyed seeing Todd's metamorphosis change from a little boy in Knife of Never Letting Go to a mature man in Monsters of Men.

Monsters of Men isn't just purely entertaining because it also a powerful and deep novel. Patrick Ness explores topics such as terrorism heroics, colonialism, and so much more. What does being a terrorist mean? Do the needs of the many exceed the needs of the few? What does it mean to be a humane person? Is doing the wrong thing okay in the name of love? Patrick Ness really created a novel that really makes you question what does it mean to be human and your morals. After reading Monsters of Men 3 days ago, it wasn't over for me because I kept thinking about it. Monsters of Men will make shatter all your beliefs and have you questioning what does it mean to be good or evil.

Honestly no review could ever compare to this novel of epic proportions. I kid you not this is one powerful and heart-breaking book that only a Grinch wouldn't like. Patrick Ness's understanding of human nature makes everything I have ever been told look primitive. I really enjoyed how the point of view in Monsters of Men alternates very frequently because it gives you so many different outlooks on the New World.

I really enjoyed 1017's point of view because we saw an entirely new angle of the Spackle unlike we have ever seen. There are not some dumb natives, the Spackle are a people entirely corrupted and destroyed by the settlers. 1017's narration was brutal but unfeigned we see how the Settlers completely destroyed their way of life selfishly and how the Spackle try to defend their culture.

Viola and Todd's perspectives were also fascinating to read because we got to see the war from both opposing sides. Even when Todd or Viola did something horribly wicked, I didn't care because I know they had good intentions. It was very interesting to see how they conquered all obstacles and defied all limits with their relationship. Todd and Viola are definitely my favorite literary couple because they are absolutely perfect for each other. I could honestly blog all day about how much I love the two of them but I'm not going to.

Monsters of Men left me speechless and it's hard to express how much I loved this book. Patrick Ness is a literary god who needs to write more books for the sake of his readers. The writing style of Monsters of Men is compelling enough to make you want to read this whopper of a book in one sitting. There's no review I could ever write that could justify my love for this mind-blowing book. Everything in Monsters of Men is just so perfect: the action, the adventure, the romance, and the plot twists. I don't have anything negative at all to say about this book and I really think Chaos Walking deserves more hype. I'm sorry for rambling and rambling but I just need to unbottle about this genre-bending book. Excuse me while I continue to fanboy and rant about how spectacular this series is.

(less)

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Apr 17, 2012 Erika rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: done-series, favorites, ya, dystopia

I'm not sure how to review this one...

Awesome, awesome… Amazing awesomeness! Yes, this is it…

I feel kinda sad it ended, I must say…

I'm gonna start by saying the things I didn't like throughout the whole series, this review contains spoilers of the knife of never letting go and the ask and the answer, so if you haven't read those yet, I suggest you to stop reading now. By now my review here is free of spoilers for this last book.

Ok, so what I didn't like in the series is Todd being special, dur...more

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Nov 17, 2010 Cinnamon rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010, reviewed, young-adult, dystopian-apocalyptic, series, sci-fi, 5-incomprehensibly-awesome

This review may also be found on A Thousand Little Pages.

Ah. Ma. Zing.

It is not often that books induce episodes of hysterical fits and render me speechless at the end. I will have to congratulate Patrick Ness on achieving that. This trilogy has been one helluva ride, and I enjoyed every single moment of it.

AJSLKDFMVILJMOIJAISODNF (Please wait as my brain restarts)

The world that Ness created is real, the character's emotions are raw. Yes, the entire book is one big war and one big attempt at pea...more

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May 27, 2010 Amanda rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2010, favorites

What an ending! The events that happened were just - I never saw them coming! And I'm so sad it's over. It's feels like when your favourite TV show ends and you know you're still going to be thinking about it for years to come and wish that you could experience it all again for the first time. Things moved a bit slower in this one for a little while but it was completely necessary to really put you in the mindset of the narrators. The major scenes were amazingly described, painting a vivid pictu...more What an ending! The events that happened were just - I never saw them coming! And I'm so sad it's over. It's feels like when your favourite TV show ends and you know you're still going to be thinking about it for years to come and wish that you could experience it all again for the first time. Things moved a bit slower in this one for a little while but it was completely necessary to really put you in the mindset of the narrators. The major scenes were amazingly described, painting a vivid picture in my (lack of) imagination. We get to see some really new depths to the characters in how they change and adapt in an increasingly dangerous world. The Mayor for one always had a surprise trick up his sleeve which makes you love to hate him.

We get introduced to a new voice here, one of the Spackle, so all sides of the wars are told with Viola with The Answer and Todd with The Ask. The differences between each of the people is so varied, it's really quite marvellous. I loved viewing the war through the Spackle's eyes and the way they interact with each other, I found that they became my favourite part of the story. It kind of reminded me of Avatar in how all things with Noise are connected and as such the Spackle were seen quite often as super tall blue people in my head until I was reminded of what they really look like.

Every time the world felt safe, a forgotten factor reminded you that it wasn't and every time the fighting felt like it may be ending, the Mayor reminded you that he was still alive. Todd really becomes a man and Viola a women. Their relationship goes through many obstacles and they discover exactly what the other means to them. I wish there could have been a few more chapters describing the next few months events, though in the way Ness ends it, he makes sure you won't be forgetting his books too soon. The brilliance of this series is really quite hard to do justice to in just words. You must read them. They are bound to only get bigger and better well-known as time goes on.

Cover: Really clever and unique. Definitely worth getting the hardcover for the clear plastic sleeve with the white writing on it.

Chaos Walking Series

1. The Knife of Never Letting Go Review
2. The Ask and the Answer Review
3. Monsters of Men

I received this book from Walker Books for review. All opinions expressed here are my own.(less)

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Jan 16, 2011 ★ Jess rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: books-i-own, 5-star-excellent, read-in-2010, special-top-favorites-♥, magnificent-writing

Im not even going to try describing this book.
All I can say is I am speechless.
Quite literally.
This book was absolutely mind-blowing, and a better-then-terrific end to my favorite trilogy of all time.
I loved the stunning characters, I loved the unique plot, I loved the perfect ending climax, the memorable scenes through out this whole series, the brilliant way Ness wrote, and the cliff-hanging, yet satisfying end to each book.

FAVORITE CHARACTERS: All of them. But actually though, I loved ev...more

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Jun 13, 2010 Monica Edinger rated it 5 of 5 stars

Whew, what an incredible ride.

It took me a while to read this only because it is so so so intense and my life when I began it was also in an intense phase. I'd come home from an emotionally and physically exhausting day at school and found a few chapters of MONSTERS OF MEN was all I could manage. But school is now done and life is far more relaxed and today I was able to spend a couple of hours in the world of this magnificent book. And I finished it --- feeling completely spent and completely...more

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Nov 24, 2012 Jennifer Wardrip marked it as to-read

Shelves: trt-posted-reviews, ebook-at-media-mall, series-bk-3, apocalyptic-dystopian, teen

Reviewed by Karin Librarian for TeensReadToo.com

MONSTERS OF MEN is the wonderful conclusion to the CHAOS WALKING trilogy. It picks up where THE ASK AND THE ANSWER leaves off - right at the beginning of WAR!

The Spackle, the Answer, and the Mayor's army are all converging on New Prentisstown - and Todd and Viola are stuck in the middle.

Patrick Ness creates the same heart-pounding suspense in this novel as he did in the first two books. Multiple points of view give the reader a full understanding o...more

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Feb 01, 2011 Linna rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: spectacular-all-time-favorites, originality, romantic-plot-tumor, gorgeous-writing, i-cried, must-have-sequels, will-change-your-life

I have been forced to give one star to every other book I've ever read because five stars is not enough for this. This series is leagues above anything else I've read lately. I can't even read anything else right now because it just can't match the brilliance that is this trilogy.

It's all so meaningless after reading about something with such a grand scale... I've been violently recommending it to everyone I know. :P

The Ask and the Answer is still my fave though. If only for Davy. DAVY EFFING P...more

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Nov 13, 2010 Donalyn rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya-science-fiction, ncbla-committee-2011-books

I ordered a copy of Monsters of Men from the UK because I couldn't bear waiting for it to come out 4 months from now in the US. This final installment in the Chaos Walking series includes everything that made the first two books riveting: Heart-pounding action and suspense interwoven with heart-breaking moments of loss and betrayal. The addition of a new narrator reflects the evolving dimensions in the Noise and shows its power to control, divide, and ultimately connect all life on New World.

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Jul 30, 2012 Mara rated it 5 of 5 stars

This review focuses mainly on Monsters of Men, but reflects back on the other two installments: The Knife of Never Letting go and The Ask and The Answer

I fell in love with this book and this series from the start and somehow feel giddy all over the place to have it be my first ever Goodreads review. A place in history, if I'm not deluding myself.

The first point I would like to address is the fact that this book is generally and, in my opinion, overly thought of as a children's book. It is not....more This review focuses mainly on Monsters of Men, but reflects back on the other two installments: The Knife of Never Letting go and The Ask and The Answer

I fell in love with this book and this series from the start and somehow feel giddy all over the place to have it be my first ever Goodreads review. A place in history, if I'm not deluding myself.

The first point I would like to address is the fact that this book is generally and, in my opinion, overly thought of as a children's book. It is not. Not in the sense that children shouldn't read it (I would encourage any above 12 to give it a go, although I believe they won't be able to get it at its' full potential), but rather in the sense that it is so much more. The issues that it tackles revolve around the human condition, our potential to be good in the face of all evil, the cruel necessity of the aforementioned good to flow from the midst of chaos and destruction. It poses a lot of moral questions and problematizes in a way that is subtle and you don't feel it nagging at you constantly, like the author wants to push some sort of personal agenda. Monsters of Men lingers on the subtle grey areas involved in any decision and conduct and rarely poses a black-white dichotomy in the construction of the plot, characters and overall theme.

While I relished in this flexibility and admired it for the types of questions it made me ask myself, I couldn't help but notice the holes and details left unattended. What actually happened in Prentisstown? What's in the journal? I also felt I didn't really understand the mayor's character at full (but oh, how I loved this antagonist anyway!). Maybe the series, and particularly the last two installments deserve a rereading as far as his character is concerned.

Needless to say, my reading of the book and the sheer pleasure of the experience hasn't been dwarfed by these details. I'm usually a book-reading Nazi and small things can ruin a novel for me, but here the good seemed to compensate the bad. Maybe it's why I felt so compelled to review it.

Finally, let me add some other things that I really loved about the book:
- the relationship between Todd and Viola, so natural and sweet and never once obnoxiously romantic (the plague of most YA)
- the animals. Manchee, Acorn, Angharrad, truly compelling additions to the cast of characters
- the pace and writing style that envelopes and convinces with every line
- the ending: brilliant, stunning, overwhelming, I could actually hear music in my head, thundering drums and whooping battle chimes of hope.
(less)

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Mar 19, 2012 Winny Lee rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: finished-within-a-week

Currently writing this with an extremely wet face.

I won't be reviewing any more books on Goodreads, as I have died. My heart has broken and been stitched back together in the space of about twenty minutes but I couldn't make it because this book is so wonderful and pleasurable to read, that I've gone to heaven.

Okay, so just kidding. But I genuinely have no words (for once) to properly convey how this book has made me feel. It is just so bloody brilliant that if you're on the fence about starti...more

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May 04, 2010 H.J. Harper added it

Holy flipping crap, I have this in my hands right now and cannot read it because I am at work. Of course, the irony is that if I was not at work I wouldn't have it in my hands right now since I work in a bookshop. I asked my manager if I could take the rest of the afternoon off to read this and he laughed. I don't think he realised I wasn't kidding.

9 likes · like · see review

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topics	posts	views	last activity
Todd needs to wake up. Has to!	11	43	18 hours, 42 min ago
What was your favorite book?	5	16	Jun 06, 2013 11:07am
What was your favorite book?	1	4	May 20, 2013 02:35pm
Crazy for Chaos W...: Todd or Lee??	28	106	Apr 19, 2013 02:22pm
Prentisstown..MAJOR SPOILER!!	8	44	Mar 22, 2013 12:12pm
Ending Left Open, Will there be a Fourth Book?	3	41	Jan 14, 2013 07:22am
Am I the only one who loves Mayor Prentiss?	50	163	Jan 13, 2013 08:16pm

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About Patrick Ness

Patrick Ness, an award-winning novelist, has written for England’s Radio 4 and Sunday Telegraph and is a literary critic for The Guardian. He has written many books, including the Chaos Walking Trilogy, The Crash of Hennington, Topics About Which I Know Nothing, and A Monster Calls.

He has won numerous awards, including the Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize, the Booktrust Teenage Prize, and the Co...more

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Books by Patrick Ness

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

The Ask and the Answer (Chaos Walking, #2)

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“It's not how we fall. It's how we get back up again.” — 255 people liked it

“To say you have no choice is to relieve yourself of responsibility.” — 242 people liked it

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