Who Would Like This Book:
This one is a real rollercoaster! Patrick Ness throws you headfirst into an original, gritty dystopia full of secrets, tension, and action. The concept of 'Noise' - where every thought is out in the open - makes for a uniquely intense reading experience. Todd and his talking dog Manchee (who definitely steals some hearts!) are impossible not to root for. If you love edge-of-your-seat adventures, dark coming-of-age journeys, and stories that make you question society, you'll be hooked. Great for fans of The Hunger Games and anyone who likes sci-fi with real emotional punch - even adults will get drawn into the wild ride.
Who May Not Like This Book:
Some readers found the constant tension exhausting and were frustrated by the story’s slow reveals, repetition, and cliffhanger ending. The intentional misspellings and dialect can take a while to get used to, and if you’re not a fan of non-stop action or dark, sometimes violent, stories - even involving beloved animals - this may not be your cup of tea. It's not a light or feel-good read, and a few felt let down by characters who didn’t always make the smartest choices or by villains who just wouldn’t quit.
About:
In a world where everyone's thoughts are audible, Todd, the last boy in Prentisstown, is on the cusp of manhood when he discovers a patch of silence, leading him to flee his town. Along with a girl named Viola, Todd embarks on a journey to find Haven, a settlement rumored to have no Noise, all while being pursued by the men from Prentisstown. The book explores themes of identity, friendship, and survival in a post-apocalyptic setting, with a unique writing style that immerses readers in the protagonist's thoughts and emotions.
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Notes:
Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings
Content warnings include high violence, animal death, and themes of oppression and trauma.
From The Publisher:
Todd Hewitt is the only boy in a town of men. Ever since the settlers were infected with the Noise germ, Todd can hear everything the men think, and they hear everything he thinks. In the midst of the cacophony, Todd knows that the town is hiding something from him: something so awful he is forced to flee. With hostile men from the town in pursuit, Todd stumbles upon a strange and eerily silent creature: a girl. Who is she? Why wasn't she killed by the germ like all the females on New World? Propelled by Todd's gritty narration, readers are in for a white-knuckle journey in which a boy on the cusp of manhood must unlearn everything he knows in order to figure out who he truly is.
Ratings (106)
Incredible (15) | |
Loved It (51) | |
Liked It (10) | |
It Was OK (18) | |
Did Not Like (11) | |
Hated It (1) |
Reader Stats (305):
Read It (108) | |
Currently Reading (2) | |
Want To Read (129) | |
Did Not Finish (10) | |
Not Interested (56) |
7 comment(s)
The Knife of Never Letting Go made me think it'd be a settler saga about this New World (which is actually a planet; very sci-fi feel) where all the men can hear each other's thoughts, and all the women died out. And in a way, it is, but to say that's ALL it is would be miscontruing.
The story follows Todd Hewitt, who is due to become a man soon. One day, he's out at the swamp collecting apples for his uncles when he finds *gasp* a girl! And suddenly he has to leave his town behind to run for his life with this random girl he just met, who we later learn is named Viola. Why? We don't know. Is it because he met the girl? Because he's close to becoming a man? Because no one really wanted him to bring back apples from the swamp in the first place?
The book is written in a strange sort of dialect, with intentional misspellings to show Todd's way of speaking. I had a bit of a chuckle when he tried to correct Viola for her English, since she was speaking the closest thing to what we would consider 'proper' English nowadays. But everyone thought she was weird for it. I really enjoy the way Ness has made Todd's voice shine through like that, though, and I like the different fonts that indicate different men's Noise, or thoughts.
However, the book feels a little repetitive at times. Run from the bad guys, Todd and Viola argue, they make up, the bad guys show up, they pull some escape by the skin of their teeth, run some more, feel they're safe, and then... rinse and repeat. About the third time this happened, I was starting to feel quite a bit of deja vu. But at least there are plenty of plot twists and revelations to keep you guessing (even though some of them are fairly predictable, especially once you get at least halfway through the book; for example, no one really stays dead, so I stopped marvelling at each 'But I thought you died!' encounter Todd had).
Even with the deja vu feel of it, however, I was really enjoying this book. It had a nice, grasping rhythm, and Todd and Viola were absolutely adorable together. I was going to give it four stars- until I got to the end. Without spoiling too much, it was a terrible cliff-hanger and made me feel like I just wasted all that time reading it. I'm a little mad about it, but I suppose there's nothing for it but to read the sequel if I really want to know what happens next in Todd and Viola's little saga. Unfortunately, the cliff-hanger trick makes me wonder if the author might pull a similar shenanigan in the next one...
The writing style of this book was so cool. It's nice to sometimes read a book that doesn't have perfect grammar and spelling on purpose. It gave the characters and story more depth. The storyline was just so obscure and original that it was really fun to read. Also, I've mentioned before how much I love books where you know nothing at the start but learn more and more about the world in the book as you read on. This book was a perfect example of that. I love how at first you believe everything that Todd believes and you learn new things about his world at the same rate that he does. Great book with a 'WTF' ending that makes me need to read the next one.
P.s. Manchee is the best fictional dog character in any book I've ever read.
The writing style of this book was so cool. It's nice to sometimes read a book that doesn't have perfect grammar and spelling on purpose. It gave the characters and story more depth. The storyline was just so obscure and original that it was really fun to read. Also, I've mentioned before how much I love books where you know nothing at the start but learn more and more about the world in the book as you read on. This book was a perfect example of that. I love how at first you believe everything that Todd believes and you learn new things about his world at the same rate that he does. Great book with a 'WTF' ending that makes me need to read the next one.
P.s. Manchee is the best fictional dog character in any book I've ever read.
Doesn't feel like quite a 4 stars but a 3 stars is to little. Bumped up from a 3.5 stars. I thought the "noise" and different kind of Dialect would be more tricky to read but it was relatively easy to read. The story was intriguing although no character quite stood out. Curious to see what the next book is going to be like
I found this series at my local goodwill and the covers caught my eye. I noticed it said children's fiction prize winner at the top, but spoiler alert: this is not for children. I suppose it may be appropriate for kids 15+ due to the violence. That being said, I really enjoyed the concept of this story. It wasnt hard for me to get past Todd's incorrect spelling of many words. It was slightly harder to get past the whining, but then I had to remember this book is being narrated by a 13 year old boy. I hope that the next two books can keep my interest!
Usually, I hate books written in dialects. And Todd's country voice is one that I find particularly grating, so I normally would throw this book across the room while running away in the opposite direction as quickly as possible. However, I purchased this on my Kindle without reading a sample first, so I decided to power through it. I'm glad I did.
The dialect grew on me and it was fitting for the character. I can't imagine living in a world where you could hear the thoughts of every person/animal at all times. And let me tell you - Patrick Ness does not pull any punches. Some messed up stuff happens to this kid - it's a violent, bloody world that I would never want to live in.
The absolute best part of this book is the dog Manchee. Who needs human romance when you've got dog love?
When I first started this book, I had difficulty getting past the 'pidgin' English. However, I decided because the plot sounded awesome (and because I had already purchased the sequels on Amazon since they were a Kindle Daily Deal) that I should give it another try.
And I'm really glad I did.
What can you read after
The Knife of Never Letting Go?
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