Showing posts with label Patrick Ness. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Patrick Ness. Show all posts

Saturday, October 31, 2009

The Ask and the Answer by Patrick Ness


This sequel to The Knife of Never Letting Go takes readers deeper into Patrick Ness's treacherous New World.

Todd and Viola reached Haven only to find that it was not the place of safety they expected. They've been separated, and they're being manipulated by opposing sides in an oncoming war. Todd and Viola will each have to do unspeakable things in order to survive, and to find one another again.

The Knife of Never Letting Go was the story of two young people running for their lives. As such, it was a fast-paced thriller full of action and danger. The Ask and the Answer, however, is more political intrigue than action story. The danger and suspense are still present on every page, but the narrative moves a little more slowly than its predecessor. Possibly the most brilliant decision Mr. Ness made in writing this novel was the addition of Viola's first person narrative. Books written in first person tend to make the reader certain that the character doing the narration will survive. In splitting the story between two narrators, Ness upped the danger quotient, and had me convinced that no character was safe.

The Ask and the Answer is book 2 in the Chaos Walking series. If you're a fan of suspense novels, this series is for you.

Monday, August 31, 2009

The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness


Todd Hewitt is the only boy in a town of men, in a world where everyone can hear everyone else's thoughts. In school, he was taught that the same virus that caused the inescapable thought Noise also killed the female population. But when Todd comes hears a pocket of complete silence in the swamp outside town, the town's reaction puts an end to everything Todd thought he knew. To survive, Todd, his dog Manchee (who also makes thought Noise), and their mysterious new companion must go on the run. Their only hope lies in Haven, New World's first and largest city.

But can they get there before Todd's past catches up to them?

The Knife of Letting Go is an action packed read that will keep you guessing and get you thinking about the nature of good and evil, truth and lies, right and wrong. A must read for lovers of adventure.