The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness

Ness, P. (2008). The knife of never letting go. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press.

Todd lives in Prentisstown with his guardians Ben and Cillian. “Noise” is a germ where men and animals can “hear” thoughts. No females live in Prentisstown. Todd hears a hole in the noise near the swamp and realizes it’s a girl, Viola. Todd’s forced to leave Prentisstown by Ben and Cillian because they fear for his safety. The mayor of Prentisstown organizes an army of men who pursue them. The army follows the three, conquers towns, and kills many people. The three escape close encounters with the army from Prentisstown. To stay alive and reach Haven, Todd and Viola meet many people. Some help them while others try to harm them. Todd realizes everything he’s been told throughout his life was a lie. They reach Haven only to find it deserted and Mayor Prentiss in charge. Viola gets shot and readers don’t know if she lives. The Knife of Never Letting Go is the first book of a fictional fantasy trilogy, Chaos Walking by Patrick Ness. It targets young adults readers with an adventure of a young boy filled with suspend and anxiety. The author creates suspense by beginning the book with difficult to understand actions of what is happening. As the book progresses, the reader begins to understand why things are what they are. After beginning to understand what is going on, the reader become engrossed in the adventures of Todd and Viola. The constant “Noise” that is present represents the information that is everywhere today in all forms of media, like email, texts, messaging, etc. The book is enthralled with emotions including fear, hatefulness, anger, anxiety, and relief. Todd, many times, has a man vs. self-conflict, trying to decide if he should kill people. I would recommend this book to students who love reading trilogies. Here is a book trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tj4fowWo7xM