Whoa.
Patrick Ness is quickly proving himself to be one of my all-time favorite authors. I’ve had the Chaos Walking trilogy on my to-read list for months now, and I’m rather annoyed that it took me this long to finally get to its first installment. Thankfully, my sad, procrastinating self was spurred into action after I read Ness’s A Monster Calls, which was so beautifully gripping that it convinced me to finally crack open The Knife of Letting Go.
And then it took me almost two full months to finish it. Aren’t I terrible?
Despite what my extremely spotty progress through this one may lead you to believe, I really loved this book. It’s unorthodox, creative, and powerful. It’s a marvelous piece of fiction that has firmly convinced me that Ness is an immensely talented writer whom I will probably have to begin worshiping in the near future. Or, at the very least, following with a degree of obsession that could possibly be classified as slightly unhealthy.
Or very unhealthy. Whatever. The man hasn’t let me down yet.
Now, let me explain to you why you need to read this book. Why it is a shining beacon in the inane realms of contemporary YA fiction. Why I must write a long and tearful apology to Mr. Ness to attempt to explain why my reading of his novel was so unnecessarily prolonged and hesitant.
(Forgive me!)
The Writing
Unique in its presentation, the writing is admittedly a bit difficult to get into. It is rambling and borderline incoherent, written in a stream-of-consciousness style that is filled with misspellings and grammatical errors. Done to reflect the mindset and speaking style of the protagonist, it takes some time to adjust to. You may find it rather frustrating initially, as I did, but you need to trust me here. Stick with it. It gets easier to absorb very quickly, and you’ll be glad that you gave it a chance when it does. It’s a surprisingly rewarding style of narration that really allows you to connect to the speaker and his story, and once you’ve slogged your way through the first few chapters, you’ll find yourself breezing through the pages.
Past the strangeness of Ness’ methods lies some powerful and beautiful writing. It’s descriptive and immediate, deliberate and addictive. It gives every scene a wonderful sense of intensity and poignancy, and I couldn’t get enough of it.
The Story
Ness has crafted a distinctive and incredibly interesting world here, with a complex and twisted story to fill it with. In a genre that is proving to be increasingly unoriginal and cliché, there’s something truly special here. The concept of the Noise is particularly fascinating, adding a completely new dynamic to the plot and its characters. And this isn’t the kind of idea that is thrown in as a mere novelty that adds nothing to the work as a whole, there only to make it seem interesting and new on the surface. Ness infuses his entire world with his creativity, and it plays a significant role in the events that transpire.
And what events they are. This story is clever. Shocking. Heart-wrenching. Touching. It moves at a breakneck pace, yet also spends ample time on the characters and their more intimate interactions. There are plenty of action-packed sequences and jaw-dropping twists, but there are also numerous moments – smaller, but still mighty – of emotional development and personal growth. And, heck, I’ll admit it: I cried at one point. This story is not one that you’re going to forget anytime soon. It’ll stick with you, and it will make you think.
And, wow, that ending. I am so glad that I do not have to wait a year or two for the sequel. Because the wait would probably kill me.
The Characters
The people that populate this novel’s pages are well-realized and emotionally charged. Todd and Viola come across as believable teenagers that brim with complexity and humanity, striking a sharply realistic balance between adult maturity and childlike innocence. They also foster a relationship that develops steadily and believably, becoming almost unbearably sweet by the story’s conclusion. I guarantee that you’ll be rooting hard for them by the end.
The villains, meanwhile, aren’t entirely one-dimensional or predictable, and harbor motives that will continually surprise and disgust you. They’re also very, very evil, so there’s no need to worry about any half-baked or laughable antagonists. You want something sinister? Something really, truly vile? You’ve got it.
Finally, the many secondary characters flesh out the story and complement the world-building perfectly. They give the plot life and a sense of community, providing flavor and diversity. I’m eager to discover more about them in the sequels, but the light touch that they impart here works well in the context of the narrative.
And So…
Seriously, people. You need to read Patrick Ness. The man needs more attention from the book community. This is a wonderful first installment in what will likely prove to be an incredible series, and it pains me to know how relatively unknown it is at present. Good YA literature isn’t gone. It’s just hiding in the back, on the dusty shelves that few browse. It’s unfair, but sometimes the things that we most treasure are the things that go unnoticed by others, that do not gain the attention that they deserve. If anything, that just makes them more special.
Still, I do hope that Ness one day gets his turn in the spotlight. He certainly deserves it.
Samantha Marie Andrus
I oh so Adore Mr. Ness!!!!
Honestly, at first I couldn’t get into this book and I found it hard to become emotionally invested…but then BAMMMMB…tears and shit and ugh, and damn dog, stupid journal…I’m done…
Yep, love now I do…
AH
Nice review. This is one series that I’ve recommended to people over and over again. It is so well done and it was full of surprises throughout. The last book will definitely blow you away.
Lectus
This is one of my all time favorite series! I got the first book from the library, you know, just in case I didn’t like it. As soon as I finished it, I went to Amazon to buy the other two. I read they are going to make it into a movie. I wonder how that is going to work….
Annie07
I read this a long while ago and have been meaning to reread it in preparation for the next few books because I honestly don’t think I can get away with remembering, like 1/1000000000th of the book. I’m super happy you liked this though! It definitely gives me the extra motivation to reread it. With the arrival of Rick Yancey and his dystopia/sci-fi novel, I totally forgot about Patrick Ness so thanks for reminding me! The Knife of Never Letting Go is definitely one of my all time favourite books. And OHMYGOSH, the ending??? I almost cried.
cynicalsapphire
Funny! I actually reviewed this last week too, which is odd with backlist titles. Like you, I was impressed with the writing and the world building. I didn’t quite see the depth in the villains, particularly in Aaron (also, why wouldn’t he DIE?), but otherwise it was really strong for me. I’d been warned about the writing, so it didn’t slow me down as much as it did at first (when I DNFed on page one a few years ago – haha). The Knife of Never Letting Go didn’t get to my heart, but I have high hopes for the second book, which seems to be the audience favorite.
Forever17Books
Absolutely love this review! I read all three books last summer and have seriously become a Patrick Ness fangirl. It does take a bit to get used to the writing but so very worth it to continue. I really hope you love the next two books just as much. 🙂
LynnM
I picked this up on a Friday morning at the library, got through the entire thing in one day and headed back to the library for the second and third books in the trilogy. This book absolutely blew me away! Not anything like I expected, but so very good. I do hope they make a movie of it because it is one of the best dystopian YA titles out there – nothing at all like the clones that seem to crowd the shelves of bookstores these days.
Fangs4Fantasy
Must… resist… adding to reading list! Daaamn it’s there. You’re totally to blame if I read this and start fanpoodling the author.
alexalovesbooks
I actually have not started this series yet, even though I meant to this year! It does sound pretty fantastic, honestly. And I’ve been curious about it ever since I first spotted the book in the store! I’m glad you ended up enjoying it. Your review is convincing me that I *must* read it soon!
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Lou
I love this book! But then I love anything written by Patrick Ness, his books inspire me to become a better writer. I think i might be his stalker too lol
carmen
FIVE STARS WITHOUT HESITATION.
I have to admit, when I first read the first couple of pages, I didn’t like all the “ain’t’s” and on going sentences. So I put it down on my dresser. I ran out of books to read and decided to let this one get in my hands until I made another visit to the book store. I COULDN’T STOP READING IT. This book has so much potential. The characters were amazing, they all had their own flaws, their own stories. The plot was so unique. I’ve read tons of books without realizing most had a similar plot; romance, cheesy plots. I didn’t even like sci-fi much until I read this! This book is probably one of the best! It left me at a cliffhanger, so I’m waiting for my mom to take me the the book store to buy the last two. Let’s just hope Ness makes a fourth book! The trilogy is amazing.
Susan
This book is utterly incredible. I was hooked from the very first page.