The Ask and the Answer by Patrick Ness

[Leigh, ⚔️ Wonder Woman ⚔️]

Join us. We will start reading tomorrow.

[Leigh, ⚔️ Wonder Woman ⚔️]

Just started? Love Manchee!

[Sheri, Bookworm]

Only a couple of chapters in and there's so much, lol...

The grammar is going to drive me nuts until I get used to it. Most of his words I can understand, even when they are spelled how they sound...but what is horrorpilashuns????? (pg 25)

The world/setting is interesting...at one point he says "twelve years of thirteen long months each." That's different.

[Sheri, Bookworm]

Leigh wrote: "Just started? Love Manchi!"

Oh my goodness, being able to hear your dog would be priceless! I'm always wondering what mine is thinking, lol (or the cats)!

[Leigh, ⚔️ Wonder Woman ⚔️]

Sheri wrote: "Only a couple of chapters in and there's so much, lol...

The grammar is going to drive me nuts until I get used to it. Most of his words I can understand, even when they are spelled how they soun..."

I'm listening to it, but I know what you mean. The language is interesting. I incessant noise what make me crazy too.

[Leigh, ⚔️ Wonder Woman ⚔️]

Sheri wrote: "Leigh wrote: "Just started? Love Manchi!"

Oh my goodness, being able to hear your dog would be priceless! I'm always wondering what mine is thinking, lol (or the cats)!"

I'm sure it would be quite interesting to hear what cats are thinking.

[Leigh, ⚔️ Wonder Woman ⚔️]

Aaron is crazy! (view spoiler)[ I thought all females are gone? The silence? Why can't Todd hear the girl's thoughts? She can't speak pe doesn't. Maybe that's why her thoughts are quiet? What did the Mayor and the rest of the town want with Todd? (hide spoiler)]

[Sheri, Bookworm]

I'm wondering where the girl came from. (view spoiler)[They obviously aren't on earth (two moons), so is she from Earth? Was everyone in Todd's town from Earth at one point? (hide spoiler)]

[Leigh, ⚔️ Wonder Woman ⚔️]

I'm assuming she is from Earth.

[Sheri, Bookworm]

This is getting interesting. What is really going on in Prentisstown? And why do the men want Todd?

[Leigh, ⚔️ Wonder Woman ⚔️]

I know right. They wanted him bad.

[Leigh, ⚔️ Wonder Woman ⚔️]

What is the real reason there are no women in Prentisstown? Where did the women go?

[Leigh, ⚔️ Wonder Woman ⚔️]

The Mayor of Prentisstown is all about power and control. What is so special about Todd?

[Sheri, Bookworm]

I like the way the author describes sounds using Todd's voice and limited vocabulary/knowledge.

Like how stars might sound. Or moons. But not mountains. Too floaty for mountains. Its a sound like one planet singing to another, high and stretched and full of different voices starting at different notes and sloping down to other different notes but all weaving together in a rope of sound that's sad but not sad and slow but not slow and all singing one word.

[Leigh, ⚔️ Wonder Woman ⚔️]

It is interesting. I like the contrast of the noise that the men have compared to the quiet/silence the women have.

Todd finds Viola's quiet soothing. I would too if all I heard was noise.

[Leigh, ⚔️ Wonder Woman ⚔️]

WTH! Why did Todd kill the Spakle but couldn't kill Aaron? Aaron was/is more of a threat. There is a lot that we/Todd don't know. What really is going on?

[Leigh, ⚔️ Wonder Woman ⚔️]

Holy Crap! It didn't just end like that!

Where are you Sheri?

[Sheri, Bookworm]

Leigh wrote: "WTH! Why did Todd kill the Spakle but couldn't kill Aaron? Aaron was/is more of a threat. There is a lot that we/Todd don't know. What really is going on?"

I know, I was wondering the same thing. I mean he was told all his life the Spackle were bad...but still it seemed too violent for him.

I'm around 70%...possibly finishing tonight??

[Leigh, ⚔️ Wonder Woman ⚔️]

More shockers to come, Sheri.

[Sheri, Bookworm]

Haha, looking forward to it. Based on what David was saying in the BotM thread, we're going to need to read the rest of the trilogy :)

[Leigh, ⚔️ Wonder Woman ⚔️]

Sheri wrote: "Haha, looking forward to it. Based on what David was saying in the BotM thread, we're going to need to read the rest of the trilogy :)"

I'm up for that.

[Sheri, Bookworm]

Lol, that ending :) I loved this book. It did take a while to get into the language. Did the narrator use an accent and a lot of slang?

Poor Manchee, I loved him :(

[Sheri, Bookworm]

I can get the next two from the library. Just let me know when you want to start.

[Leigh, ⚔️ Wonder Woman ⚔️]

Sheri wrote: "Lol, that ending :) I loved this book. It did take a while to get into the language. Did the narrator use an accent and a lot of slang?

Poor Manchee, I loved him :("

I was so sad about Manchee! That ending was a killer! I need to get my hands on the next two audios. Do you want to start the next one Thursday 27th?

[Sheri, Bookworm]

Leigh wrote: "Do you want to start the next one Thursday 27th?"

Sounds good :)

[Leigh, ⚔️ Wonder Woman ⚔️]

Are we still starting today?

[Sheri, Bookworm]

Oh, I forgot about it! Yep, we can still start today. I just downloaded it. I'll be reading this one, too, so I'll probably get behind you...hopefully not too far since I'll have time to read this weekend :)

[Leigh, ⚔️ Wonder Woman ⚔️]

Cool. I will start it today.

[Leigh, ⚔️ Wonder Woman ⚔️]

What makes the Mayor so powerful? Why is he able to control everyone? Why do they still want Todd? Why did the Mayor need Todd to tell him Viola's name?

[Leigh, ⚔️ Wonder Woman ⚔️]

The Mayor must have some mind control ability. He is definitely a good a manipulating people to do his bidding. He has a plan for Todd.

[Leigh, ⚔️ Wonder Woman ⚔️]

There are so many conspiracies going on.

[Leigh, ⚔️ Wonder Woman ⚔️]

Davy is such an Evil Bastard!

[Sheri, Bookworm]

Leigh wrote: "The Mayor must have some mind control ability. He is definitely a good a manipulating people to do his bidding. He has a plan for Todd."

there's got to be something going on with the mayor/president. I wonder if the people are easier to control off the cure.

[Sheri, Bookworm]

Leigh wrote: "There are so many conspiracies going on."

I know! And without being able to hear thoughts it's hard to know who to trust.

[Leigh, ⚔️ Wonder Woman ⚔️]

Sheri wrote: "Leigh wrote: "The Mayor must have some mind control ability. He is definitely a good a manipulating people to do his bidding. He has a plan for Todd."

there's got to be something going on with the..."

I was thinking the same thing. He can also use his mind as a weapon. It's cool in a demented way. I can't help comparing him to dictators in history. He has charisma, highly intelligent, strong willed, good tactically, and most of all willing to use others to get what he wants. I guess the same could be said for a serial killer.

[Leigh, ⚔️ Wonder Woman ⚔️]

War makes monsters and monsters make war.

Who is the better side? The Ask or The Answer

They both have done things that are terrible, but The Ask is really cruel. They enjoy torturing people.

[Leigh, ⚔️ Wonder Woman ⚔️]

Wow! Davy is showing some sensitivity.

[Leigh, ⚔️ Wonder Woman ⚔️]

I didn't think I would ever say Poor Davy. Did he really have a chance to be a better person when his dad was constantly saying he was nothing?

Mayor/President really needs to die already.

[Leigh, ⚔️ Wonder Woman ⚔️]

Holy Crap! Just finished it! Talk about twist and turns!

[Sheri, Bookworm]

I need to catch up! I think I'm around 25%. The women all disappeared!

[Leigh, ⚔️ Wonder Woman ⚔️]

Sheri wrote: "I need to catch up! I think I'm around 25%. The women all disappeared!"

Yes, there is so much going on...the discrimination/distrust of women and Spakle. In both cases the men can't hear them so therefore they distrust them.

[Sheri, Bookworm]

I'll hopefully be finishing this tonight!

We can start the other one whenever. Next week?

[Leigh, ⚔️ Wonder Woman ⚔️]

Next week will be good for me.

[Leigh, ⚔️ Wonder Woman ⚔️]

While I like Todd, I think Viola is the stronger character.

[Sheri, Bookworm]

I finished this a couple of days ago but haven't had a chance to comment here yet...

So this author obviously loves cliffhangers. I guess he knows what it takes to make you want to keep reading, lol.

The mayor/president is definitely crazy. He needs to go. (view spoiler)[I lost a little respect for Todd for not killing him. After everything he did...it really needs done. At the VERY least, lock him up and throw away the key. Don't let him go!! (hide spoiler)] And now here come the Spackle.

I agree with you...poor Davy. He never knew who to trust and always chose wrong. Though...the mayor does have some crazy hypnotic stuff going on.

I think both the Ask and the Answer are doing things wrong. Though, I think a lot of what the Answer is being blamed for the Ask actually did???

[Leigh, ⚔️ Wonder Woman ⚔️]

Totally agree about Todd. He should have sucked it up and did what needed to be done. That's why I thought Viola was the stronger character, she did what needed to be done.

The answer got blamed for a lot that the Ask/mayor did. The Spackle are a prime example.

Cliffhangers are a killer!

[Sheri, Bookworm]

I don't like the alternating viewpoints between Todd and viola. I like how the first book was just Todd. And now throwing the Spackle in there… It's confusing, lol. They have different words for everything. I figured I knew who was talking right away, but you don't always know what it is he's talking about.

[Leigh, ⚔️ Wonder Woman ⚔️]

I wasn't necessarily a fan of that either but I guess the author did it so we could have both Viola's and Todd's story. Since they were separated, we were able to learn what happened to Viola through her own voice.