The Knife of Never Letting Go

This was okay. I was invested, it's a great study of “make everything terrible and then make it worse” and upping stakes and there was definitely lots of effective tension and action throughout, not to mention the voice and premise are absolutely unique.

But IDK. As a trans person, I'm not really an enormous fan of stories whose entire premise relies on how different boys are from girls and vice versa. There were some things I certainly appreciated about this book, but the gender stuff kind of killed it for me. YMMV.

This was pretty good. The action in it kind of felt serialized though, like Todd, the protagonist got into trouble three pages from the end of every chapter. Tune in next chapter to see Todd elude baddies once more, same Bat time, same Bat channel.


Also, jhc, if you as a fictional character were given a plot laden journal explaining a bunch of mysterious crap, I don't care, you'd read it. Post haste. Not wait for 400 pages and then plop down and read only the first entry. That was infuriating.


All that being said, I really did like this book. I loved the dog so much. Will definitely read the sequel to this one.

This was a highly original book. The concept of hearing people's thoughts all day...I dont know how the characters didnt go completly mad, well not all of them at least. I enjoyed watching Todd's evolution and the author's ability to show us what he was feeling without coming right out and labeling emotions. I also liked seeing the slow formation of friendship and the realization that not everything was as it seemed to Todd. That being said, I did have a few issues. My biggest would be the main antagonist's ability to live through circumstances that by all rights should have killed them. I understand this is a work of fiction and truth can be stretched, but it still has to be somewhat in the realm of possibility. My second issue was the language. Yes I understand that there is a new culture, and different ways to say or spell words, but don't actually change the written word, it disrupts the flow for the reader. I struggled with the creative spelling and written out accents for the first half of the book. I will move on and read the next book, the ending certainly leaves on a cliffhanger and I want to know what comes next.

Goodreads recommended this for me. So I had no idea what to expect, other than a YA series. And boy what an effin adventure. At first I really disliked the writing style and the narrative voice. But the more I read, the more it grew on me. I really appreciated it later, because it gives you that last grain of salt that makes the world much more alive. As soon as Ness included a bit of scifi I was hooked. The characters grew so well that my heart nearly broke at some twists. The story stays interesting and tense until the heartbreaking and crazy abrupt ending. And after seeing that the other two books are even better rated, I can't wait to continue the adventure!

As always, my full review can be found at SFF Book Review.Let me say that I've had some bad luck with YA fiction this year. Some of the very hyped books have disappointed me terribly and I had almost given up hope. Patrick Ness convinced me with his small but striking book [b:A Monster Calls 8621462 A Monster Calls Patrick Ness http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1356015593s/8621462.jpg 13492114], so I thought his trilogy would be worth a shot.And I was rewarded. This fast-paced YA adventure is a romp through the New World which is as strange as it is fascinating. I was positively surprised at some choices Patrick Ness made for his characters. They aren't perfect in any way, they make mistakes and sometimes, they have to make decisions between one of two evils. At a certain point, the author had me in tears, and at many others at the edge of my seat.I also loved the underlying theme of death, responsibility and courage. The book was much darker than I expected but I enjoyed it so much that I'll be starting [b:The Ask and the Answer 6043849 The Ask and the Answer (Chaos Walking, #2) Patrick Ness http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1347305027s/6043849.jpg 6219422] right away. The cliffhanger at the end of this book may have to do with it. But honestly, this is one hyped YA book that didn't disappoint!7,5/10

What an awesome book this was. It. Never. Stops. The only thing that bothered me was Aaron because I think it was the only unnecessarily prolonged part of the story.

It made me cry my eyes out at that certain part. I put down the book and did not read it for two nights.

Overall great book, even greater ending. I don't usually jump into the second book in a serie but man, I gotta keep reading this.

I really wanted to like this book. And it was really good! Up until.... well i'm sure the people who have read this book will know what scene I'm talking about. It was the single most horrible scene in a novel I have EVER read. It destroyed me. SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER: Manchee's death scene. Omg. I can hear about people being tortured and hurt or dying and its horrible and I cry but I can get over it. If an animal suffers like that I can't handle it. I refuse to finish this book because it hurt me so badly. I seriously cried for an hour. Anyway, this was my choice for family bookclub. No one else wanted to go through that part so we're all putting the book down and won't be finishing it. Not only was it the death of the animal it was HOW Manchee died. I just can't even....

I listened to the audiobook of this one and I think maybe it's just not for me.

First of all, I don't much care for first person narratives.

But the worst part is that I felt like the author was deliberately withholding details so that he could artificially boost tension.

The WORST, though is the brutal murder of the talking dog, Manchee, who was the best character in the whole book.

I also don't understand how so many secrets were kept from a boy who was almost 13 years old – actually more than 14 years old – in a town where every man's thoughts are being broadcast for the world to hear. And it's a town that is plotting a major political coup. But, sure, that one boy is able to not find out about it.

Anyway. This book is just not my jam.

Great fast-paced chase, I also adored the fact that information about New World gets revealed gradually, mantaining curiosity in the reader. I also liked the presence of interesting themes (the possibility of reading other people's thoughts, regimes, war, etc.). BUT there's a big “but”: I don't find Todd a believable character, not to mention the exagerated amount of unfortunate events he finds himself into, which sounded like an excuse to keep the reader hooked without mantaining credibility and coherence. Too many times Todd played dumb, too many times he was reluctant to take specific actions that anyone in his situations would have taken (I'm not specifing further in order to avoid spoilers). A character so unbelievable that shattered into pieces my suspension of disbelief.
However, to anyone reading this far in this review, keep in mind that the aforementioned flaws seems to be typical of the young adult genre, meaning that if you are accustomed to them and want to focus on the good parts, I encourage you to read it anyway. Overall it's an interesting read.

This book was a struggle to finish. The more I think about this book, the more enraged I get. How did this win so many awards?!?!?!? The only award can give this book is the fact it has created a new shelf on goodreads for me - books I have purchased but won't read because the prequel was so terrible.

Things I liked:
Manchee!! - The most relatable and likable character of the whole book. It gets an extra star just because of Manchee.

Things I didn't like:
Basically everything else.
SpoilerAfter the death of Manchee, the dog, I really didn't care how the story ended. Manchee was the only thing going for this book and I enjoyed picking it up to just see how he would react to various situations. “Todd?!”.
Todd himself was incredibly predictable, boring, and unlikable. Oh no, a challenging situation, I better hesitate until somebody else helps me out.
Aaron was stupidly over powered. It was like the author had just watched the terminator and figured that having an indestructible robot was a good plot line to include in their own story; but, then forgot to make them into a robot.
I liked Viola but her flipping between helpless captive and keeping Todd in line became predictable. I would be tempted to read the next book just to see if she survives but she would have to otherwise Todd would curl up into a ball and cry himself to death for the remainder of the series.


Regrettably I bought the entire series on special. I guess the library is getting a brand new trilogy!

REREAD, May 2021: Well, I cried again :') I love Todd, Viola, and Manchee
_____
ORIGINAL REVIEW, 2018:You can read the full, spoiler-free review on my blog!

MY RATING: 4 Stars
I'm taking away one star for breaking my heart (among a few other things).
I also may have slammed a few tables along the way.

—-
“I feel empty. All over empty.”
ME TOO, TODD. ME TOO. 

I would just like to confirm something here: yes, I made a blog post about never using Audiobooks and then proceeded to binge-listen to this one in less than 2 days.

This was my first audiobook.

And let me tell you, it was magic.

MY THOUGHTS: 
- First of all, I would not have been able to get through this book if I had not been using the audiobook! At first I read a sample of the first chapter, and it was pretty difficult due to Todd's misspellings and the way his accent is portrayed (I guess). 
- So if you've tried reading this book but found the above hard to get through, I highly recommend the audiobook! I listened to it on 1.2x speed, and that was pretty good for me. 
- After about the second chapter, I was hooked. Some parts were a bit confusing, but I got through and was able to figure most of the issues out. And after a while, I got the hang of how things worked in the world, so it got easier. 
- I'll admit, there were a few parts in the middle when I wasn't paying attention very much. But I can't decide on if that was because I was focusing too hard the homework I was doing at the time, or if it had to do with the story itself. 
- Overall, I think this book was a nice combination of fast-paced scenes and gentle scenes. Especially because the main characters are young, it's interesting to see how they think (sometimes literally). I also liked how emotional Todd could get, which is always good.

My thoughts on characters:
- Todd: Overall, I like Todd. He repeated phrases a lot, but most of it was when he was surprised, in shock, or in panic. I'll give him a break because I'd be panicked too! I mean, can you imagine going through all of this as a young teen? Nick Podehl did a good job narrating him, too.
- Viola: I like Viola, too. I'm wondering about her background and everything that got her into this situation, but I know we'll find out more in the next book.
- Manchee: The Goodest Boy. The BEST Boy. (AKA: everyone's favorite character. I have confirmed this with at least 3 other people.)
- I'll keep you posted on whether or not I get a dog and name him Manchee. It will happen.

So I'm excited to listen to the next book, but of course, nothing will be the same after that one scene that broke my heart. 

Good Boy Rating? 15/10 would adopt Manchee

A fantastic reread of one of my favourite books from when I was younger. The world and concept of Prentisstown kept me captivated and turning the pages as quickly as I could.

Todd is the youngest boy in a town filled with only men. His world is overwhelmed with the noise of men???s thoughts which are projected into the air around them. When Todd is a month from his thirteenth birthday, on which he becomes a man, he discovers a patch of quiet in the swamp near his town. No thought can penetrate the quiet, and this discovery changes his perception of the world he knew.

The book was an excellent piece of teen fiction I can???t wait read the rest of the series as I never read past the first book in the series before.

Pros: high tension, action packed, interesting concept, character growth, good use of literary techniques to achieve the above, great message, you'll be left reaching for the next book in the series

Cons: There's some violence, so it's rated 14 and up, some actual swearing (and lots of ‘fake' swearing), for stronger teen readers

Unlike the older men in his village of Prentisstown, Todd Hewitt was born on this world. He was born with the Noise - the sound of everyone's thoughts - man and animal, night and day. Born after the war that killed all the natives, the Spacks. Born after the Spacks unleashed the germ that caused the Noise and killed all the women.

Todd Hewitt is 30 days from his 13th birthday. Thirty days from becoming a man when he and his dog Manchee come across something they've never encountered before. Silence.

This encounter turns Todd's world upside down, as everything he thought he knew about his world is brought into question. He's forced to flee with the source of the silence in an attempt to find answers and safety from the men of Prentisstown. Men who are finally putting into motion a plan they've been brewing for years.

Patrick Ness is a master of the craft. He uses first person to get the reader into Todd's head and, despite the Noise, Todd and those around him manage to keep secrets - from each other and the reader.

Repetition is used for emphasis, while clipped phrases are a means of ratcheting up the tension. Ness also cleverly sidesteps the use of profanity by using ‘effing', while letting the reader know the boy isn't REALLY saying ‘effing'.

Every time you get close to understanding what's going on something else happens, forcing Todd further along his journey, and pulling the reader along for the ride.

There's also a great message towards the end. And you'll want the sequel on hand when you finish this one.

This is one of the best teen books I've ever read. It's great for both teens and adults, and you'll be hard pressed not to read on.

second read april 2021
ngl wasn't as fun the second time bc i already knew what happened - wish i could read this first the first time again! still loved the story tho & still 5 stars from me!

first read nov 2018
The first time I came across The Knife of Never Letting Go was on my younger sister's bookshelf. She has a collection of less than ten novels on her book and I wanted to read anything and everything at the beginning of my never-ending book binge. I saw this book had amazing reviews on Goodreads and those that I followed gave it a minimum of 4 stars. I read the synopsis and sigh it was a dystopian book.

See, I'm a realistic fiction kind of gal and I love a good romance and mystery book, but I hadn't really considered reading dystopia. During the Hunger Games craze of the early 2010's it seemed like everyone and their mother was writing a “super cool unique” dystopian book. I've read two that I remember in that time, those being Divergent by Veronica Roth and Delirium by Lauren Oliver, the first I thought was okay and the second I thought was kind of... bad. So, I was kind of turned off by the genere. Because The Knife of Never Letting Go had such good reviews and my little sister constantly telling me how AMAZING it was, I decided to finally start reading it.The first 40-50 pages were really hard for me to read. The reason I stick to realistic fiction is that I know the exact type of world they're in, but every dystopian society is different. I found all the introduction prose at the beginning boring and I almost stopped reading - until I got to page 55 and I COULDN'T stop. I loved the diction, I loved how unpredictable and tense the plot was, I loved Ness's word choice in the narration and how we had a faultless unreliable narrator. I also hated how much I loved the satisfyingly unsatisfying ending. I can't wait to read the next book in the series!!!!I also cried a lot while reading lmao: -Todd being forced to leave Cillian and Ben and him having no idea why-Todd hearing in Prentiss Jr's lying Noise about how he shot Cillian and Ben “twixt the eyes”-Todd and Viola floating down the river in boat while Aaron crushed Manchee to death-Todd and Viola finding Ben before finding Haven and Ben sacrifices himself to Prentiss Jr. so Todd and VIola can escapeJust such a good read :””””””(

UPDATE: Re-read on April 2, 2024 !!!
4.5/5
I devoured this book when I was 18, and I remember it left a lingering, fuzzy impression on me. Fast forward a decade later, and with a newfound appreciation for the finer points of dystopian fiction (and a slightly sturdier wallet lol), I decided to revisit this series, hoping I could also finish the last two books once and for all. Let's just say... it hit different.

This time around, armed with an adult perspective, the novel's depth became startlingly clear. Marketed as a young adult book, “The Knife of Never Letting Go” tackles some brutally complex themes. The constant barrage of exposed thoughts, the suffocating structure of New World-ian society, and the fight for individuality – these are experiences that resonate far more powerfully with a seasoned reader.

Ness crafts wonderfully endearing characters with the likes of Viola Eadem Todd Hewitt and his loyal dog, Manchee (NOOOOO!!!!). On the flip side, the antagonists are chillingly effective – you can practically feel the EVIL radiating off the pages. The narrative also throws plenty of thought-provoking quotes your way, making you ponder the nature of society and oppression.

Honestly, “The Knife of Never Letting Go” is one of the best YA dystopian novels I've ever encountered. Re-reading it even strengthens that point. It's a shame the movie adaptation flopped because of how inaccurate and stupid it was. The world Ness created is begging to be brought to life on screen for a second chance, and I'd like to see this being adapted into a TV series. And that ending, though? How could you leave us with that! internal screaming

Off to the second book! My 18-year old self would be very proud.




ACTUAL RATING: 4.3 (Reviewed in April 21, 2014)[WARNING: This review may contain spoilers. So read at your own risk!]The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick is one of the most intriguing novels I have ever read. But I couldn't really find myself committed nor engaged during the first few chapters.Ness wrote this book in the perspectives/POVs of our young protagonist, Todd Hewitt. He's about to become a man at the age of 13 in about a month (according to Prentisstown's laws). Education isn't really essential in the story's setting, which is conveyed by the writer's grammatical and typographical errors. His companion, Manchee was also an important character in the story. Being there to guide and save Todd during times of conflicts and despair. I almost wept when he got killed, it was too damn soon in my own opinion. As for Viola, I don't have any complaints regarding with her character. She has a very mysterious personality which I really liked about, and hey! She saved our main character several times. Aaron's character, on the other hand, felt very bleak although I adored his bravery just to get killed (yeah you heard me right) by Todd (you'll learn why this is an important mission for him once you read the story). But unfortunately, he was killed by someone else and I wouldn't spoil who it was.The idea of the “Noise” also amazed me in so many ways. It's really unique and felt very original. It can be confusing at times but you'll quickly get the hang of it once you arrive at Part II. There are also terms/slangs that are written in this book but I won't compare it to The Maze Runner because it's very clear that this book came out first.I recommend this to people who are very patient when it comes to reading. It was really slow at first but it started to catch pace as soon as the intense parts came, like the author was already rushing through to finishing this book. It's really hard to put down and you'll finish it in no time ;)

Overall I found this an easily digestable story (though it got emotionally compromising at times!) that is easy to get into and to follow. Then suddenly before you know it, you're caring for these characters.
The story is relatively simple, which was both a positive and a negative - I enjoyed the story a lot because it wasn't an overly complex one, but I did get tired of it when it was nearing the end because the way it all started to unfold wasn't overly interesting to me (anymore). Because of that, I'll likely not check out the rest of the trilogy.