Book Review: "The Knife of Never Letting Go" by Patrick Ness

(Series: Chaos Walking #1)
My Rating: 

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Plot Tease
Prentisstown isn't like other towns. Everyone can hear everyone else's thoughts in an overwhelming stream of Noise. Just before the birthday that will make him a man Todd and his dog, Manchee stumble upon an area of complete silence. 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?

Book Review
The Knife of Never Letting Go feels really unique straight from the beginning. Ness' writing style in this book is stream of consciousness and Todd is a pervasive, sometimes overwhelming character. That, combined with the fact that the other people on this world are telepathic, makes it a very vivid, fast paced story.

Before I review the main characters, I have to tell you about Ben and Cillian, Todd's adoptive parents. These two are really only in the book for a few chapters at the most, but man. Talk about bravery and love.

These two literally put everything on the line for their family. From their first words, it's very obvious that the bond they share is strong and enduring. There's some evidence that even in this future-society homosexuality is a fringe lifestyle, and the way Ben and Cillian stand up... Just, really, these two remind me of those friends that everyone wants. The kind of love everyone should know.

Manchee's hilarious. Because of the telepathy, his thoughts are also part of the main dialogue. He thinks in short or one-word sentences about the most ridiculous things. Like squirrels and smells and having to go to the bathroom. Yet it's so endearing somehow. Todd and his dog get in some tough situations, and Manchee demonstrates awesome devotion. Manchee's character development is a little lacking through the novel - but he's a realistic dog. What can we really expect?

Todd tells the story, and because of this you see his personality layers and change strongly. But when he feels fear or pain? Patrick Ness nailed it with his writing. Todd's struggles and desperation seem to lift off the page and dive straight into your heart. The book reads so much like thought that it almost seems to become your own. 

He's a teenage boy, with jumbled thoughts and conflicting ideas. So many times, he wants desperately to seem brave and like a 'man'. He flirts with curse words hesitantly like any other growing boy. In all honesty Todd's a bit of a coward at first: not to mention self-absorbed.

Amazingly, over the course of the story he develops honest maturity, to the point of being able to truly put someone else above himself. The kind of self-sacrifice he eventually demonstrates would have been impossible for him in the beginning. He learns to stand up to wrongness and protect the defenseless.

What's different is that he does this without any kind of mentor figure, as most book 'heroes' would do. As an audience you'll stumble along as he grows, going in every thought as he finds a purpose in his life beyond the stunted ideas of the men in Prentisstown. I read this book in a few days. The style helps it to go really fast and easy. 

I wouldn't recommend this book for young kids: it deals with real-world violence and racism, and touches peripherally on rape and genocide. It's done tastefully and with good reason, though. The Knife of Never Letting Go can be read as a worthwhile social commentary or just a great story in equal parts. 

What do you think?
Have you read this book or any others by Patrick Ness?
Do you like first-person books?
Can you imagine loving someone so much you'd be able to give your life for them?
Have you ever had an animal best friend?

"'War is like a monster,' he says, almost to himself. 'War is the devil. It starts and it consumes and it grows and grows and grows.' He's looking at me now. 'And otherwise normal men become monsters, too.'" - The Knife of Never Letting Go

Cost: New $8.07/Used $2.88 (This book is available on Nook and Kindle.)
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