- Hardcover: 496 pages
- Publisher: Walker (5 May 2008)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 1406310255
- ISBN-13: 978-1406310252
- Product Dimensions: 21.6 x 14.6 x 4.4 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (136 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 312,588 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
The Knife of Never Letting Go (Chaos Walking)
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More About the Author
Product Description
Review
"* "Ness is a young writer of exciting quality and unpredictability." The Times * "One of the best first sentences I've ever read and a book that lives up to it!" Frank Cottrell-Boyce"
Book Description
An unflinching novel about the impossible choices of growing up, by an award-winning writer.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
52 of 55 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Todd Hewitt is twelve, the last boy in Prentisstown, a town of only men. He lives in a world full of "noise" in which the private thoughts of every man and animal are audible. In one month he will be thirteen and a man. But the town is keeping secrets from him, secrets that will force him to go on the run from the mayor and the men of Prentisstown along with his dog and the first girl he has ever met.
This is quite frankly an astounding novel, quite deserving of the awards Ness has won. It is furiously paced with terrifying, exhilarating and heartbreaking moments, with fantastic cliff-hangers interspersed with philosophical pauses. It is one of those gems that are sometimes found in children's literature; a genuinely original novel that is also well written, grabs hold of the imagination and will not allow you to put it down. You will find yourself growing more and more attached to Todd and Viola as the story and their friendship progresses, and feel genuine affection for Todd's dog and sidekick, Manchee, whose behaviour is both hilarious and heart-warming. At its core it is a story about a boy forced to grow up fast in a world crumbling into madness and armed only with his conviction to do right to help him take on the desperate fight to survive.
The book is aimed at young teenagers, and we would recommend it for readers aged 13 and upwards, but it will also appeal very strongly to adults. I can not rate this highly enough. If the well thought out plot line, characters that lift from the page and the genuinely original idea at the core of the book wasn't enough, Ness's dialogue and style of writing would be enough to recommend this book. If you want to read a truly great piece of children's fiction then this is the one for you.
This is quite frankly an astounding novel, quite deserving of the awards Ness has won. It is furiously paced with terrifying, exhilarating and heartbreaking moments, with fantastic cliff-hangers interspersed with philosophical pauses. It is one of those gems that are sometimes found in children's literature; a genuinely original novel that is also well written, grabs hold of the imagination and will not allow you to put it down. You will find yourself growing more and more attached to Todd and Viola as the story and their friendship progresses, and feel genuine affection for Todd's dog and sidekick, Manchee, whose behaviour is both hilarious and heart-warming. At its core it is a story about a boy forced to grow up fast in a world crumbling into madness and armed only with his conviction to do right to help him take on the desperate fight to survive.
The book is aimed at young teenagers, and we would recommend it for readers aged 13 and upwards, but it will also appeal very strongly to adults. I can not rate this highly enough. If the well thought out plot line, characters that lift from the page and the genuinely original idea at the core of the book wasn't enough, Ness's dialogue and style of writing would be enough to recommend this book. If you want to read a truly great piece of children's fiction then this is the one for you.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
What a revelation this turned out to be. Whilst Ness doesn't deliver the kind of philosophical and intellectual depth and challenge of Phillip Pullman's brilliant "Dark Materials" trilogy, he has written a story that compares well with those landmark volumes in terms of literary merit, readability and sheer excitement.
The text is written in the first person, one of the most challenging forms of fiction to both write and read I feel, taking the view of a teenager (Todd) on a planet that has been settled by a small group of what are effectively refugees from Earth. Don't despair of the sci-fi concept, because this is in many ways just a handy conceit to allow Ness to play with a range of very clever literary devices and to free up the moral landscape within which his characters operate. Similar to Pullman's inspired idea of characters in his world having, in essence, external souls in the form of animals, Ness's protaganists are afflicted with "noise": they can hear each other's thoughts. He handles this device quite brilliantly, using it to drive the plot but not tripping up on the myriad of potential complications that could arise. The book is really about growing up and understanding your identity, but it takes the form of a quest or journey, which is physical in the A to B sense but spiritual and personal in the context of the character's personalities.
The triumph of the book lies in the sheer quality of the writing however. It is largely written in Todd's vernacular, a version of American hick I suppose, and uses sentence structure and (even in the Kindle version) formatting of text to add impact and tension. I've seen other reviewers complaining that this makes the book hard to read, and querying deliberate spelling errors and abbreviations, but personally I'm happy to see these sort of devices used if they add to the overall impact of the novel, and in this case they absolutely do.
I would say that parents should think carefully before letting younger children read this book. It is occasionally very violent and graphic, is morally ambiguous in parts, contains serious bad language and hints broadly at rape and other very adult themes, including genocide. As with Pullman's books, I'm not entirely clear how you define this as a children's or teenager's book anyway. For me it addresses adult sensibilities just as much as it does kid's. However, a well adjusted and intelligent teenager should be able to handle it, and it may prove to be a good source of discussion and debate. It's nothing worse than you'd get on prime time TV, and you could do a lot worse than adding it to a literature curriculum in my opinion.
In the end it is a great read and I couldn't put it down as it lurched towards a conclusion. It is also exciting, with some unexpected twists, and surprisingly shocking in places, perhaps because of the graphic nature of parts of it (which perhaps I wasn't expecting in a children's book) but also because Ness is not afraid to go down the hard narrative road. Sentimental it isn't.
I've already started the second part of the trilogy, which is already proving to be clever, surprising and potentially rather deeper in terms of its themes.
Hugely recommended.
The text is written in the first person, one of the most challenging forms of fiction to both write and read I feel, taking the view of a teenager (Todd) on a planet that has been settled by a small group of what are effectively refugees from Earth. Don't despair of the sci-fi concept, because this is in many ways just a handy conceit to allow Ness to play with a range of very clever literary devices and to free up the moral landscape within which his characters operate. Similar to Pullman's inspired idea of characters in his world having, in essence, external souls in the form of animals, Ness's protaganists are afflicted with "noise": they can hear each other's thoughts. He handles this device quite brilliantly, using it to drive the plot but not tripping up on the myriad of potential complications that could arise. The book is really about growing up and understanding your identity, but it takes the form of a quest or journey, which is physical in the A to B sense but spiritual and personal in the context of the character's personalities.
The triumph of the book lies in the sheer quality of the writing however. It is largely written in Todd's vernacular, a version of American hick I suppose, and uses sentence structure and (even in the Kindle version) formatting of text to add impact and tension. I've seen other reviewers complaining that this makes the book hard to read, and querying deliberate spelling errors and abbreviations, but personally I'm happy to see these sort of devices used if they add to the overall impact of the novel, and in this case they absolutely do.
I would say that parents should think carefully before letting younger children read this book. It is occasionally very violent and graphic, is morally ambiguous in parts, contains serious bad language and hints broadly at rape and other very adult themes, including genocide. As with Pullman's books, I'm not entirely clear how you define this as a children's or teenager's book anyway. For me it addresses adult sensibilities just as much as it does kid's. However, a well adjusted and intelligent teenager should be able to handle it, and it may prove to be a good source of discussion and debate. It's nothing worse than you'd get on prime time TV, and you could do a lot worse than adding it to a literature curriculum in my opinion.
In the end it is a great read and I couldn't put it down as it lurched towards a conclusion. It is also exciting, with some unexpected twists, and surprisingly shocking in places, perhaps because of the graphic nature of parts of it (which perhaps I wasn't expecting in a children's book) but also because Ness is not afraid to go down the hard narrative road. Sentimental it isn't.
I've already started the second part of the trilogy, which is already proving to be clever, surprising and potentially rather deeper in terms of its themes.
Hugely recommended.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness is the story of Todd Hewitt, a boy on the verge of manhood who lives in a place called Prentisstown. In Prentisstown there is Noise - every man, boy and animal (there are no women) projects their thoughts and can be heard. Pictures, shouts, dark thoughts, happiness - nothing is secret, all is shared. On a day leading up to Todd's birthday, he is wandering in the swamp near Prentisstown and hears an absence of Noise, something he has never encountered before. At this point Todd's life changes irrevocably and he is forced on the run from everything and everyone he has ever known.
This is the best novel I have read this year by a LONG way. It was simply tremendous - breathless, exciting and yet with a heart and morals and discussion points that lifts it far beyond the realm of most YA fiction. I would say quite honestly that it is about the best children's/YA book I have read EVER.
The novel lives and dies on how well you get on with Todd - the story is told from his first person perspective, even down to his heavy dialect. As such, you encounter words such as 'direkshun' and 'ain't' is used profligately. I could see that this might irritate some people reading The Knife of Never Letting Go, but personally I felt this gave the novel an immediacy and intimacy - you literally heard and felt everything Todd experienced. I particularly enjoyed the way Todd would correct himself, or talk directly to the reader ("Run!" I shout to Manchee, turning and making a break for the back doors. (Shut up, you honestly think a knife is a match for a machete?)
Another wonderful facet to the tale is the fact that animals are able to talk as well. The aforementioned Manchee is Todd's dog - and we learn at the start of the book that even though animals CAN talk, it doesn't mean they have anything profound to say: "Squirrel, Todd! Squirrel!" Manchee reminded me a great deal, in fact, of Doug from the Pixar film Up - an amusing sidekick in a lot of ways, but also capable of providing incredibly touching moments. Manchee was probably my favourite part of The Knife of Never Letting Go.
The titular knife represented, for me, the march into adulthood that Todd is forced to experience. Early on in the novel it is said that a knife makes no decisions, the hand holding it does - and thereafter is used to demonstrate the decisions that Todd must make as he becomes a man. There is also decent social commentary on what adulthood involves.
I liked the way that the fact it is the MEN who project the Noise, and the women who remain silent. It seemed rather a sardonic nod to the fact that this is almost role reversal from real life (or certainly what is perceived to be the case). It also allowed Ness to explore matters of importance to boys and men - not wanting to appear cowardly, discovering morals and lines of honour, how to treat women. All of these were represented both realistically and very sympathetically.
Honestly, I cannot wax lyrical enough about this book. I had seen it read and reviewed by others, but had very little interest. I only picked it up this time around because the third novel of the series has been shortlisted for the Arthur C Clarke award - and I am so glad that I was directed to do so. This novel FEELS important. It is horrific, funny and thoughtful by turn - and never less than brilliant.
This is the best novel I have read this year by a LONG way. It was simply tremendous - breathless, exciting and yet with a heart and morals and discussion points that lifts it far beyond the realm of most YA fiction. I would say quite honestly that it is about the best children's/YA book I have read EVER.
The novel lives and dies on how well you get on with Todd - the story is told from his first person perspective, even down to his heavy dialect. As such, you encounter words such as 'direkshun' and 'ain't' is used profligately. I could see that this might irritate some people reading The Knife of Never Letting Go, but personally I felt this gave the novel an immediacy and intimacy - you literally heard and felt everything Todd experienced. I particularly enjoyed the way Todd would correct himself, or talk directly to the reader ("Run!" I shout to Manchee, turning and making a break for the back doors. (Shut up, you honestly think a knife is a match for a machete?)
Another wonderful facet to the tale is the fact that animals are able to talk as well. The aforementioned Manchee is Todd's dog - and we learn at the start of the book that even though animals CAN talk, it doesn't mean they have anything profound to say: "Squirrel, Todd! Squirrel!" Manchee reminded me a great deal, in fact, of Doug from the Pixar film Up - an amusing sidekick in a lot of ways, but also capable of providing incredibly touching moments. Manchee was probably my favourite part of The Knife of Never Letting Go.
The titular knife represented, for me, the march into adulthood that Todd is forced to experience. Early on in the novel it is said that a knife makes no decisions, the hand holding it does - and thereafter is used to demonstrate the decisions that Todd must make as he becomes a man. There is also decent social commentary on what adulthood involves.
I liked the way that the fact it is the MEN who project the Noise, and the women who remain silent. It seemed rather a sardonic nod to the fact that this is almost role reversal from real life (or certainly what is perceived to be the case). It also allowed Ness to explore matters of importance to boys and men - not wanting to appear cowardly, discovering morals and lines of honour, how to treat women. All of these were represented both realistically and very sympathetically.
Honestly, I cannot wax lyrical enough about this book. I had seen it read and reviewed by others, but had very little interest. I only picked it up this time around because the third novel of the series has been shortlisted for the Arthur C Clarke award - and I am so glad that I was directed to do so. This novel FEELS important. It is horrific, funny and thoughtful by turn - and never less than brilliant.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
AMAZING!
the knife of never letting go was brillaint! one of the best books ever. im 13 and i have read all the books in this series and could not put any of them down!!
Published 6 days ago by alice neal
This book made me physically ache with joy, pain, hope & despair
This book made me physically ache with joy, pain, hope and despair. It has the most beautiful, equal relationship at the centre of it between two, well, children really - at least... Read more
Published 18 days ago by Gruffalo Girl
More than just your typical children's book
Todd Hewitt is a Prentisstown boy. The last Prentisstown boy in a town full of men and their noise. The never ending stream of their noise which is the thoughts and images in their... Read more
Published 1 month ago by I. English
The Knife of Never Letting Go (Chaos Walking
This book is bad for your health! If you start reading it you wont put it down no matter what time of day it is!!!
It's brilliant, very different, funny, sad, exciting .... Read more
It's brilliant, very different, funny, sad, exciting .... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Kim M
Everyone should read this book
Patrick Ness is a phenomenal writer.
I don't think I've ever needed to know what happened to a character as much as I did with this book. Read more
I don't think I've ever needed to know what happened to a character as much as I did with this book. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Andrew G
A Long Delay
Got this book for my 12th birthday and attempted to read it but struggled (I'll tell you why later). I eventually gave up and returned the book to its place on the shelf. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Gordius
A Cut Above the Rest
A very original and fast-paced novel. The characters are all beautiful, believable, and in some way flawed and you grow to love them for this. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Anna Clare
Good Stuff
The first book is I admit rather slow in the beginning, with the protagonist writing in first person and using his own colloquial and abbreviated language that takes a while to get... Read more
Published 2 months ago by Jack Ruby
chaos walking trilogy
Absolutely brilliant read. They were recommended and are now doing the rounds in the family! They really are all superb
Published 2 months ago by Mr. B. F. Knowles
Amazing!
I loved the entire trilogy! The unique structure it has (deliberate spelling mistakes etc) really puts you in the shoes of the main character, who cannot read. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Kk
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