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b0gd0g's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
janetmf3's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
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.
For readers who crave a gripping and provocative adventure that explores the complexities of hope, identity, and the unbreakable bonds of friendship in a gripping dystopian world, The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness is a must-read.
I wouldn't let my review of this book deter people from reading it, because it just isn't in my genre of interest. I only listened to this book because we choose it as our Junior Book Club book for the summer, and since it was available on BorrowBox I thought I should listen to it before going back to work.
Now it isn't to say I didn't enjoy elements of this book, I was gripped by certain elements and parts of the story, but overall it just isn't my type of book, I don't like most dystopian books, but from the dystopians that I have read, it's one of the better ones.
For readers who crave a gripping and provocative adventure that explores the complexities of hope, identity, and the unbreakable bonds of friendship in a gripping dystopian world, The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness is a must-read.
I wouldn't let my review of this book deter people from reading it, because it just isn't in my genre of interest. I only listened to this book because we choose it as our Junior Book Club book for the summer, and since it was available on BorrowBox I thought I should listen to it before going back to work.
Now it isn't to say I didn't enjoy elements of this book, I was gripped by certain elements and parts of the story, but overall it just isn't my type of book, I don't like most dystopian books, but from the dystopians that I have read, it's one of the better ones.
brendalovesbooks's review against another edition
1.0
Well that was pretty terrible. I should have went with my gut the many, many times I wanted to quit reading this, but the good reviews convinced me to keep reading. It only ever got worse.
cgreaderbee's review against another edition
4.0
At this point, I’ve come to expect the unexpected from Ness. His books can vary widely, in voice & feel & subject/genre. KNIFE is no different.
Admittedly, the intensity of Todd’s narrating voice may be jarring or off-putting for some. But for a boy grown in a world where men’s thoughts are on 24/7 broadcast in the form of “noise,” it made a lot of sense being so immersed in Todd’s head. It felt very true to his character, and this world.
Speaking of, Ness’ worlds & what-if concepts are as captivating as they are disturbing at times. I have a feeling this is going to continue to be a strong & moving trilogy. Add that with one of the most devastating character deaths in all my years of reading (seriously. I was like … wait wut?? *SOB*), and you have a (audio)book I would recommend to anyone who can handle a little pain.
Admittedly, the intensity of Todd’s narrating voice may be jarring or off-putting for some. But for a boy grown in a world where men’s thoughts are on 24/7 broadcast in the form of “noise,” it made a lot of sense being so immersed in Todd’s head. It felt very true to his character, and this world.
Speaking of, Ness’ worlds & what-if concepts are as captivating as they are disturbing at times. I have a feeling this is going to continue to be a strong & moving trilogy. Add that with one of the most devastating character deaths in all my years of reading (seriously. I was like … wait wut?? *SOB*), and you have a (audio)book I would recommend to anyone who can handle a little pain.
pageboi31's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
This was a recommendation from one of my friends! I was a little nervous going in, only because most of the previous books they've had me read we differed from each other in terms of enjoyment, but I had a pretty good feeling about this one. My only regret is not getting to this book in time in July, where it would've been my top of the month!
I have lots of different feelings and thoughts about this book, all as disorganized as the Noise. The premise of this book is a classic one: a coming of age story for a boy as he runs away from everything he knows and is thrown into the world to figure it out on his own...but that's obviously putting it in the vaguest terms possible. Todd Hewitt is the last boy in a colony of men on New World, a distant planet from Earth. Everything on this planetbesides women , including the various wildlife and natives known as Spacks, have the Noise: a disease(?) that causes your thoughts to be heard aloud for others to hear.
I love the way the author used different typefaces for the Noise, and that first chapter in Prentisstown was very cool to read!
Todd as a protagonist was ok. I was worried the accent and frequent misspellings would get on my nerves, but luckily it was a nonissue. He reminds me of other teen boys trying to navigate their place in the world and becoming an adult, so his whininess didn't bother me too much; Plus, him and Viola go through A LOT. I love how their relationship struggles and grows over time, and how Todd learns to care about more than just himself and understands Viola, even if he can't hear her literal thoughts.
This book is incredibly bleak most of the time. I love how the author tried to have characters push this message of hope and the importance of hope, but those characters just die...and our protagonists are left struggling to survive the entire time.And don't get me started about how Todd and Viola finally get a moment to be happy and they get in a deadly scuffle with Aaron, barely walk away and then immediately Viola gets shot and Todd runs to Haven, only to find the town was taken over by Mayor Prentiss and he no longer has the Noise too!? WHAT!? . This book is a bittersweet, happiness-free zone...I wonder what teen me would've felt if I read it back when it first came out.
Whelp, that gut-wrenching cliffhanger means I definitely will be reading the next book! I hope the lore/history of New World and the first colonists is explained more. I can understand why these details are a little lackingconsidering Todd was not educated about these things and lied to, only having his Mom's book and other adults to fill in those gaps .
Also, I thought animal deaths in books were already bad, but MY GOSH adding the ability to talk makes them so much worse...RIP Manchee
I have lots of different feelings and thoughts about this book, all as disorganized as the Noise. The premise of this book is a classic one: a coming of age story for a boy as he runs away from everything he knows and is thrown into the world to figure it out on his own...but that's obviously putting it in the vaguest terms possible. Todd Hewitt is the last boy in a colony of men on New World, a distant planet from Earth. Everything on this planet
I love the way the author used different typefaces for the Noise, and that first chapter in Prentisstown was very cool to read!
Todd as a protagonist was ok. I was worried the accent and frequent misspellings would get on my nerves, but luckily it was a nonissue. He reminds me of other teen boys trying to navigate their place in the world and becoming an adult, so his whininess didn't bother me too much; Plus, him and Viola go through A LOT. I love how their relationship struggles and grows over time, and how Todd learns to care about more than just himself and understands Viola, even if he can't hear her literal thoughts.
This book is incredibly bleak most of the time. I love how the author tried to have characters push this message of hope and the importance of hope, but those characters just die...and our protagonists are left struggling to survive the entire time.
Whelp, that gut-wrenching cliffhanger means I definitely will be reading the next book! I hope the lore/history of New World and the first colonists is explained more. I can understand why these details are a little lacking
emleemay's review against another edition
5.0
“Knowledge is dangerous and men lie and the world changes, whether I want it to or not.”
Every once in a while I find myself back on the Goodreads page of a book I read and adored a few years ago. I see the cover and remember first holding it in my hands and not knowing I was in for a magical experience. My eyes scan the description and I get goosebumps as I'm taken back into the story, feeling echoes of the emotions I felt once again. Then I glance down... and see my "review".
That's when I start to wonder how I possibly made it through high school English. I mean, really. Some of the words I used aren't even words. Which is totally unacceptable for a book - a trilogy, in fact - as fantastic as this one.
And it is amazing. I have read all three books several times and count them amongst my all time favourites, across all genres, adult, YA or otherwise. It shouldn't be so incredible - an adventure/survival story about a thirteen year-old boy and his dog doesn't sound so impressive - but, oh, it's just so much deeper, thought-provoking, sad, funny, chilling... everything than you would imagine. It's one of the most rich, meaningful stories I've ever read.
It tells the story of Todd, the last boy in Prentisstown, who will become a man on his 13th birthday. Prentisstown, though, is not your average town - everyone in the town is male and they can hear one another's thoughts (called "noise"). In a town like this, you'd think keeping a secret would be impossible.
But we soon find out that noise can lie and that Prentisstown has some very dark secrets. What really happened to the women of Prentisstown? What lies on the other side of the swamp? And why is it so important that Todd, just one boy, reaches his birthday and becomes a man?
It's a novel with fantastic characters and possibly my favourite animal character ever. And it's built on some seriously dark themes. You might not expect that from a YA book promising talking animals and adventure, but there are underlying themes of dehumanization, colonization, slavery, racism and sexism. And - as if that wasn't enough - it's a ridiculously addictive pageturner that demands you pick up the sequel immediately after (I'm warning you).
When I try to put words together for the books I really love, they never seem like enough. I read back over my review and get frustrated because nothing I say seems to capture that inexplicable pull of wonder, excitement, horror and delight that was flooding through me while I read the book. I'm sorry for that. At least, though, I have written a better review than before.
You may be thinking "that's a bit arrogant of her to come along and say that this is a better review". But, really, you should have seen the last one.
Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Tumblr
Every once in a while I find myself back on the Goodreads page of a book I read and adored a few years ago. I see the cover and remember first holding it in my hands and not knowing I was in for a magical experience. My eyes scan the description and I get goosebumps as I'm taken back into the story, feeling echoes of the emotions I felt once again. Then I glance down... and see my "review".
That's when I start to wonder how I possibly made it through high school English. I mean, really. Some of the words I used aren't even words. Which is totally unacceptable for a book - a trilogy, in fact - as fantastic as this one.
And it is amazing. I have read all three books several times and count them amongst my all time favourites, across all genres, adult, YA or otherwise. It shouldn't be so incredible - an adventure/survival story about a thirteen year-old boy and his dog doesn't sound so impressive - but, oh, it's just so much deeper, thought-provoking, sad, funny, chilling... everything than you would imagine. It's one of the most rich, meaningful stories I've ever read.
It tells the story of Todd, the last boy in Prentisstown, who will become a man on his 13th birthday. Prentisstown, though, is not your average town - everyone in the town is male and they can hear one another's thoughts (called "noise"). In a town like this, you'd think keeping a secret would be impossible.
But we soon find out that noise can lie and that Prentisstown has some very dark secrets. What really happened to the women of Prentisstown? What lies on the other side of the swamp? And why is it so important that Todd, just one boy, reaches his birthday and becomes a man?
It's a novel with fantastic characters and possibly my favourite animal character ever. And it's built on some seriously dark themes. You might not expect that from a YA book promising talking animals and adventure, but there are underlying themes of dehumanization, colonization, slavery, racism and sexism. And - as if that wasn't enough - it's a ridiculously addictive pageturner that demands you pick up the sequel immediately after (I'm warning you).
When I try to put words together for the books I really love, they never seem like enough. I read back over my review and get frustrated because nothing I say seems to capture that inexplicable pull of wonder, excitement, horror and delight that was flooding through me while I read the book. I'm sorry for that. At least, though, I have written a better review than before.
You may be thinking "that's a bit arrogant of her to come along and say that this is a better review". But, really, you should have seen the last one.
Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Tumblr
beansprout344's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
hksmith's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
It took me a while to get into the style of writing but by the end I think it was an enthralling read
babymadcap's review against another edition
5.0
I had a hard time getting into this book at first but, I'm glad that I finished it. It really gets you thinking about what makes a person a killer, or what makes a person a bad person. I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes things that are out of the ordinary, scarily out of the ordinary!
justinereads's review against another edition
4.0
Read this in 2 days. The way Ness writes his characters - they just draw me completely into their world, unable to distance myself emotionally.