Reviews with content warning for Misogyny - The Knife of Never Letting Go

An oldie but it was a goodie. Not sure it really needed to be so long, as parts seemed to drag on, especially towards the end, but overall a strong story. It’s only the second Patrick Ness I’ve read, but I am still impressed. I will continue with the series at some point.

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durrareadsstuff's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

I really enjoyed this book. The writing style is immersive and it's how the narrator/main character would actually tell the story. I wished there was a pov from Viola because I think her character could be more developed. The plot was amazing, and the twists I didn't see coming.

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btrz7's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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sarahasyouwish's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

This is a very engaging start to a dystopian YA series. The concept is unique and well executed. The writing style Ness uses really helps immerse you in the world and helps you understand what being bombarded by others’ thoughts would be like. The two main characters are both teenagers and they are written like teenagers which I appreciate. The story is told from Todd’s perspective, and thus, like him, we are left unaware of the reality and truths of this world until they are revealed along the way. Figuring things out as we go was an effective way to keep the reader’s interest up throughout the story. The pacing was very quick and THAT ENDING definitely left me wanting to continue on with the series.

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sporadicreader's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

What a great, action-packed book! While the first half is much stronger than the second half, I was enthralled till the end. The premise is intriguing, the narrative voice is compelling and emotionally engaging, and the characters are distinct and interesting. The pacing of this is mostly fast and I think that is owed in most part to the narration. It has elements of stream-of-consciousness which keep you tumbling forward.

Now that's the good. The not so good is, as stated above, the second half. There is a scene about half-way through in which the momentum comes to a screeching halt. This scene was particularly shocking to read in a YA novel featuring a 12 year-old protagonist but not surprising within the context of the dystopian world. It's a dark, cruel place. But where the forward movement understandably stops, it labors to pick back up again. Not only because of what literally happens to the protagonist but because it is needlessly dragged out. Some heavy editing needed to have taken place in this latter half.

Another issue, the reveal in the climax of the story was a bit myopic. We are meant to believe something about the protagonist that doesn't quite add up with a prior event and that prior event is kind of forgotten seemingly for the sake of making this reveal work and it just didn't quite sit right for me. I can't really go into detail without spoiling.

Lastly, this is not a standalone book which I think is more of a personal criticism from me. I prefer when books in a series have a certain amount of closure with each book. For me, it increases the chances of me rereading the series, either in part or in whole. It also tells me how strong the world/plot is that it can compel me to continue on with the series despite the closure. But I also understand this is targeted to YA so maybe cliffhangers are more effective for the target audience.

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oliverlang's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

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jewishpadme's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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