The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness

Series: Chaos Walking Trilogy (Book 1)

Title: The Knife of Never Letting Go

Author: Patrick Ness

Published: 2014

Genre: Science Fantasy

Grade Level: Young Adult

-Trigger Warning: Violence

-Movie Rating: PG-13 vulgar language (A LOT)

-Features: Illiteracy

 

Audiobook:

Narrated by: Nick Podehl

Length: 11hrs 54min

Recommend: YES!!

 

Blurb (from goodreads):

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. Todd is just a month away from becoming a man, but in the midst of the cacophony, he knows that the town is hiding something from him -- something so awful Todd is forced to flee with only his dog, whose simple, loyal voice he hears too.

With hostile men from the town in pursuit, the two stumble 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.

 

My Scores: Re-read

Writing Style: Top Notch

I absolutely love the voice! It is so emotionally raw!

This novel must have been an editor’s worst nightmare! The writing style of this book features the Todd Hewitt’s illiteracy through misspelled words, run-on sentences, and fragmented sentences. There is also heavy use of different fonts and sizes that add intensity to the action scenes.

For this reason, I highly recommend reading the novel along with the audiobook. Using the audiobook will help you navigate through all the misspellings quicker, and by seeing the text you won’t miss out on all the voice has to offer.

 

Characters: Absolutely Amazing

These characters were impressive! Even if they were only there for a few pages, it felt like you really got to know them. It’s more than I could ever ask for in a YA novel. I swear to you that I became so invested in these characters that when they died I had the urge to throw them a funeral.

The MC, Todd Hewitt, is a foul-mouthed, angry teenage boy who can’t wait to “become a man.” But underneath all that anger is a boy with so much heart that sometimes it will literally tear your own heart into pieces.  

And, oh man, the antagonists in this novel are worthy of their own horror movie. Some take so much absolute pleasure in the torture of other human beings that it literally creeped me out. Some are so complex and manipulative that they have our protagonists constantly questioning their own sanity. Others are just certifiably and violently crazy.

 

Plot: So Many Plot Twists

The plot is fast-paced, action-packed, and completely unpredictable.

Every moment felt so real because our young protagonists never quite knew what they should do next. Nothing was laid out for them. They had to figure it all out as they went. They only had their own sense of morality to guide them, and sometimes they didn’t even listen to it.

On top of that, Todd’s entire worldview kept changing with every new discovery he made on his wildly terrifying journey. Just when Todd thinks he’s got it all figured out, everything goes pear-shaped.

 

Overall: Totally Obsessed

I am totally obsessed with this novel! It’s so out-of-the-box, action-packed, and full of wonderful characters!

 

Messaging: What does it mean to “become a man”?

 

Goodreads Rating: 5 out of 5 stars