Series: Chaos Walking (1)
Author: Patrick Ness
Publisher: Candlewick Press (2009)
Genre: young adult, science fiction
Pages: 496
Description
Prentisstown isn't like other towns. Everyone can hear everyone else's thoughts in an overwhleming, never0ending stream of Noise. Just a month away from th birthday that will make him a man, Todd and his dog, Manchee--whose thoughts Todd can hear, too, whether he wants to or not--stumble upon an area of complete silence. They find that in a town where privacy is impossible, something terrible has been hidden--a secret so awful that Todd and Manchee must run for their lives. But how do you escape when your pursuers can hear your every thought? (from cover)
Reaction
Back in September, I attended Wordstock, a conference in Portland, OR, for writers. At it I got to see Patrick Ness speak, first at a panel and then at his own reading. I was blown away, and couldn't wait to get my hands on his books. Well, it took me two weeks, but I finally finished this first book in his Chaos Walking series, and I have to say, it definitely lived up to my expectations.
I knew I was in for good writing, a unique setting, and a powerful character voice; I didn't expect to be as physically and emotionally effected by the book. It should be said, this is not a happy feel-good book. You really get attached to these characters, who are dealing with some really rough shit, and when they get hurt--well, it makes you mad. The ending is especially frustrating, because it leaves off at a cliffhanger. I actually had to read a few chapters of another book just so I could relax enough to fall asleep.
In addition to having a very strong character-voice, The Knife of Never Letting Go has amazing pacing. If I taught a writing class, I would use this as am example. This is how you pace a thrilling, gripping story, without exhausting your readers. There are quiet moments in the book, here and there, but for the most part it's running, running, running. The action scenes are painful and powerful. The sad scenes are heart-wrenching. All-in-all, this is really just a great book.
Design
Although I personal prefer the original British cover, the cover I have here is not bad. It doesn't look particularly young adult though, which really seems appropriate to this book. There are some great visual elements in the interior, specifically how they depict Noise. The designers clearly took the book's content into consideration, and did a great job.
Appeal
Although this is technically a young adult book, I think it will appeal a lot to adult readers of sci fi and rougher fantasy. It will crossover very well, almost seamlessly, since the content is on the graphic side (at least violence-wise). So while the title and cover don't scream YA, that's perfectly ok for this book.
Final Rating
5/5 and I'm desperate for more.
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