The Knife of Never Letting Go (Chaos Walking, #1) in Addicted to YA

Sep 23, 2011 Kim rated it it was ok

Shelves: dystopia, fantasy, depressing, want-to-throw-it-across-the-room-en, post-apocalyptic, young-adult, book-club

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Let's see, where do I begin?

Ok, the setting was pretty decent, post-apocalyptic, farmland early settlements. I got an idea of where we were without distracting from the story. Settlers came from another planet and settled here, which seems pretty much a standard form of earth with the exception of "noise". I could visualize the differences in the settlements.

The characters in the beginning were pretty craptastic. Every man you meet seems like a complete jerk and Todd Hewitt is such a naive litt Let's see, where do I begin?

Ok, the setting was pretty decent, post-apocalyptic, farmland early settlements. I got an idea of where we were without distracting from the story. Settlers came from another planet and settled here, which seems pretty much a standard form of earth with the exception of "noise". I could visualize the differences in the settlements.

The characters in the beginning were pretty craptastic. Every man you meet seems like a complete jerk and Todd Hewitt is such a naive little boy who has a ton of growing up to do. I don't really care for Todd but I can see how he grows in the story (in some ways) and half the time I'm screaming at him because he's just making bad decisions. I didn't really understand the one time he was able to actually kill something it was something so innocent and all the men who deserved it just kept kicking the crap out of him, his dog and Viola. You finally meet some characters that actually care about Todd and try to do what's right. So many YA novels have only dictating miserable adults. I liked Ben and Wilf and Hildy. Viola was okay. She talked but didn't really reveal much about herself so I didn't really like or dislike her. I LOVED Manchee. I would love a Manchee at home.

The story was written differently. Everything was mispelled in the way I imagine these settlers would spell because they are written the way they sound. This didn't bother me too much, although at the beginning I thought I was getting into a book similar to "The Road" and I was nervous. What was different is when a different character spoke or you heard his "noise." It was written in a different font and/or typical punctuation was used so you could actually tell who was talking. The mispellings and different fonts didn't bother me as much as I thought they would. The idea of everyone hearing the male's "noise" intrigued me, pretty original.

In the book they keep talking about hope, and it actually makes you think there will be some. I was eager for them to get to Haven. To finally get past Aaron and get away from the army. I think this was the author's intention, you are pushing for them to beat the odds, which is why the ending tore at me so much. There was a lot of segregation in this book since you couldn't hear the women's "noise" and only the men's, and I saw some potential for feminist book clubs meeting about this book.

The plot kept me intrigued. Todd knowing nothing, which is exactly what we know at the beginning helped. Answers are given along the way. Some of what you learn you could forsee even when Todd couldn't. At one point it got to be too much. There was just too much of the same hurdle over and over. What is with Aaron? Is he the guy that never dies? Honestly I almost thought we were going full zombie at one point. Part of me was thinking okay, this is a little too much. On their journey so many other things could have happened but it seemed to be the same situation, different place on the way to Haven with a different man who Todd should kill but can't. How many times will we have to re-read this scene?

It moved pretty fast for the most part. There were some slow parts but it didn't make me put down the book.

The beginning really gripped me and the author kept me reading through, I was so eager for the ending. Maybe that's why I am so upset by it. I hated the ending. One of those throw it across the room endings. If you haven't finished the book, stop here if my *spoilers below* hasn't already detracted you. I read a review that simply stated "I felt like this book pissed in my cheerios." I completely agree. The ending brings you completely full circle back to the beginning. There is no hope. The town empty? The flipping mayor waiting there? Viola getting shot? All in the last what, 10 pages? Seriously?! What was the point?! Absolutely nothing was accomplished except maybe Viola grew herself a pair of cajones by finally getting rid of the psycho. But at the end you are left in the same situation Todd was in, at the beginning. Todd and Viola alone without anyone to protect, help, teach, anything. The mayor and the evil army has them trapped and Viola is now dying. I have no hope left in this book and while perhaps the point of the ending was a cliffhanger "I have to read the next book," that's not what it got out of me. I don't have any desire to continue the series because basically you are starting all over again. And now I'm simply depressed and need a new bowl of cheerios.

There is cussing, and death and murder, but no romance, not one on the kiddos reading list.

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