Erin S. (nantuckerin) reviewed on 9/21/2009 + 158 more book reviews

Helpful Score: 4

I'm not very tolerant of books written in a strong dialect -- especially if it's a voice meant to show a lack of education. Or "edukayshun", as the narrator of The Knife of Never Letting Go would say.

But only a few chapters into Patrick Ness' first volume of the Chaos Walking trilogy, it becomes quickly apparent that what Todd Hewitt has to say is much more important than the words he uses.

The story follows a boy in the days preceding his 13th birthday -- the day that he becomes a man in his settlement, Prentisstown. All of the men in Prentisstown can hear one another's thoughts as a result of the Noise germ, a weapon used by the hostile aliens that were defeated more than a generation ago. Unfortunately, the Noise germ also made all animals speak -- and killed all the women.

But this dark story has a darker backstory, and as Todd -- the last boy in his settlement -- approaches his most important birthday, events are put into motion that reveal a history of deceit and tragedy that still ripples through the community today.

If this review sounds deliberately vague -- it is. The Knife of Never Letting Go has many wonderful twists and turns, and I don't want to risk spoiling any of them. Ness is expert at unveiling details about his characters and the world they live in one morsel at a time, and letting the story unfold naturally. No synopsis paragraphs here. The author makes readers wait and see, and witness the events through Todd's disbelieving eyes.

Todd himself is an interesting character. He's caught on the cusp of adulthood, but innocent in many ways. His best friend is his (talking) dog Manchee, and their relationship is one of the most intriguing in the book. I thought a talking dog was going to be a silly device, but I was proved very wrong.

I think this would be an interesting read to share with an AP English class, science fiction/fantasy book club or other group of advanced readers. There is a lot of symbolism worth discussing -- the repeated use of the knife and its many meanings throughout the book has especially been gnawing at my mind. Overall, a wonderful read. I will look forward to picking up its sequel, The Ask and the Answer, very soon.

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