The Knife of Never Letting Go - Patrick Ness

Read for: YA Challenge

On several occasions recently, I have heard about a book that has received good reviews or hype, only to pick it up and be a little disappointed by the blurb on the back cover. Almost every time it has been a young adult book, that I am slowly moving away from reading, despite the recent flurry caused by my joining the 2009 YA Challenge. Despite this, almost every time I actually read one of these books, the quality of the writing far outweighs the cover blurb and I am forced to remind myself that these are not written by the author, but by the publishing house. It is far better to attempt reading the first few pages of a book, to see if it strikes any accord with me before I decide whether or not to buy/borrow it.

On that note, The Knife of Never Letting Go was no different. And yes, I read it, and oh yes, I loved it. Although off to a slightly lukewarm start, with a character I could not immediately identify with, in a setting that felt all too familiar, Ness soon established his tale as something quite different. Our main character, Todd is a young man on the cusp of adulthood. His home, Prentisstown, is a somewhat backwards town, with a notable difference from own our world. Here, a race of alien beings called the Spackle have introduced a virus that has wiped out all the women, the mothers, daughters, all of them. The men have survived, but the virus has had an interesting effect on them. No man's thoughts are his own. Everyone can hear everyone else's thoughts all the time, nothing can be kept to oneself. Another interesting side effect of the virus is that they can also hear the thoughts of other animals, though usually more primative and instinctual, such as those of Todd's dog, Manchee.

Although strange to us, this is the world Todd has grown up in, so his entire world is shaken when one day he finds a spot of quiet by the swamp. Soon Todd discovers that many many truths have been hidden from him and nothing is truly as it seems. To say any more about the plot would reveal too much, but suffice to say that the action is perpetual, with few chances to take a breath or pause to absorb the events. The Knife of Never Letting Go is not a happy book. Don't get me wrong, there are laughs here, or rather moments that make you smile, usually concerning the adorably dim Manchee and his affection for Todd. However Ness does not hold back, and his characters are forced to experience the truest darkness of human nature, either by their own hands or others, which creates a rollercoaster ride of emotion for the reader. I was quite exhausted by the end.

I honestly did not expect to find this book live up to its reviews. The plot and opening pages seemed a bit woolly to me, but very little perseverence was required for me to quickly discover the sheer astounding quality of Patrick Ness' writing and storytelling. To call it absorbing or gripping would be an understatement. I loved the concept of Noise, and the allusions to the tremendous dividing line of gender and what that means for society. Again, I cannot say any more without giving the plot away.

Suffice to say, here is yet another book where the blogging world has been right on the button. A fantastic novel, whether young adult or not (this book is quite violent in places), it was not unexpected that I would feel drained and perhaps a little unfulfilled at the end. This is of course because there is a sequel, the Ask and the Answer, which I shall shortly be hunting down at the library, though I'll be lucky to get my paws on a copy!

My message to you dear reader...get out there and read this. It is surely one of the best young adult fantasies I have read in a very very long time.

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Becky's Book Reviews