Reviews

The Independent


"Sets a high standard in an already crowded fantasy fiction genre."


Amazon.com

Don't let this one go...January 12, 2010
By MsPolitix
Format: Paperback
  
...or you'll have missed out on a brilliant book. I won't regale you with plot details (you can find them easily enough and I'd hate to spoil this for you), I'll just tell you why I loved it.

A few months ago, I was complaining to a friend that there was nothing really original coming out these days in the areas of speculative fiction, particularly when it comes to the YA end of the spectrum. It all seems to be vampires this, werewolves that, discovering latent magical powers here, falling in angsty love with someone with magical powers there....My friend listened patiently and then recommended that I read the "The Knife of Never Letting Go." Friends are great.

I chewed through this book in a few sessions. I wouldn't have put it down if everyday life hadn't so rudely interrupted. It made me laugh, cry and cheer. Than I gave it to my partner who is not a keen fiction reader and he loved it as well.

Before Patrick Ness started punching out punchy fiction, he was (and still is) a journalist. It shows. Not a word is wasted in this book, the prose is always expertly crafted and never dithering waffle. The post-apocalyptic dystopian world is unique and wonderfully buily, even though we only get to see it through the eyes of Todd, our illiterate protagonist. Ness evokes a rare and pure honesty in Todd's voice that immediately sweeps us up in the action and continues to hurtle us through the story until we slam into the brick wall of an ending.

"The Knife of Never Letting Go" is a masterpiece in itself, but thank the Muses that Chaos Walking is going to be a trilogy.

5.0 out of 5 stars. You'll never let go, either., October 9, 2010.
By H. Fontenot "H. Fontenot"


The Knife of Never Letting Go is, as protagonist Todd Hewitt might say, ruddy brilliant. I think there are four basic reasons for this, and I'll do my best to explain those here without giving away spoilers.

#1) Todd Hewitt himself. It is RARE that I actually favor a lead character over all others; usually they pale compared to, say, the witty best friend or love interest, or even sometimes the clever villain. Todd is different. He's very nearly illiterate, speaks in the country dialect that is all he knows from his life in New World, and makes a few bad, and at times heartbreaking decisions...and for all that, you cannot NOT like him. He is perhaps all the more enduring for those very reasons.

#2) The writing. I can't remember the last book I read in which the narration so perfectly reflected the narrator. I never once thought, "A boy his age wouldn't really say or do that." This novel is tight, fast-paced, thoughtful. Here's a small example: "My feet are tired and sore. Hers must be, too. I've got blisters and aches and my heart hurts from all I miss and all that's gone. And hers does, too. But we run. Boy, do we run. Cuz maybe (shut up)--Just maybe (don't think it)--Maybe there really is hope at the end of the road."

#3) The Grit. This book is wonderfully gritty. Basically it's one long chase scene on a planet where (almost) everyone can hear everyone else's thoughts, and at all times trouble is either happening or about to happen. If you're a nail- biter you might want to wear gloves while reading, because the suspense is downright agonizing at certain points. These characters and their situations feel real. You cry for them when their worlds crumble and then cheer them on when they pick themselves up. The story goes to dark places and stays there, but in an endless string of YA fiction where authors are hesitant to even scratch their characters, let alone break a bone or two, this is refreshing and credible.

#4) Bigness. Unlike so, so many teen novels these days, The Knife is about much more than a boy/girl relationship. Yes, much of what Todd does is fueled by his devotion to someone, but the story is much bigger than that one connection. Consequences are far reaching, and the choices of one boy end up affecting many.

If none of the above is compelling enough to make you read The Knife, I have a #5 reason for you: Manchee. Who is Manchee? Read the book. And just to warn you, the ending is a huge cliffhanger, so you might want to have the second one, The Ask and the Answer, close at hand.


The Sunday Telegraph

"Furiously paced, terrifying, exhilarating, and heartbreaking, The Knife of Never Letting Go haunts your imagination."

Dodging Commas

Review: I opened this book and saw words like ‘thru’ and ‘stayshun’ and shuddered. Then I read the first page. And the second. And, typical of my reading habits, I closed the book in the early hours of the morning. Last week I gave a pretty brutal review of Eve … this week, I can gain some literary karma points with absolute OMGTHISISAWESOME raving about Patrick Ness’ first book in his amazing series. The narrative is nothing less than brilliant. Despite being told from Todd’s perspective and thus lending towards his point of view, the characters are believable and each have their own strong voices. The language – including the “ain’t” and the “thru” and the numerous variations on spelling – is honest in its representation of a young, uneducated boy trying to articulate his experiences. In The Knife of Never Letting Go the character of Todd becomes so real that you cannot help but trust him, cheer for him, cry for him, and feel a terrible sense of anxious anticipation as he tries to reach Haven. This sort of book is exactly why I think young adult fiction should be given a new name more appealing to “adults” – it’s not a book only for “young adults”. If you’re new to dystopian settings, read this book. If you appreciate unique characters and use of language, read this book. If you enjoy a good story, read this book. If you have air in your lungs, read this book. The only negative thing I could say about The Knife of Never Letting Go is this: if you don’t have the other two books in the Chaos Walking trilogy beside you while you read the first, you may find yourself wandering the streets at 3am searching for a 24 hour bookstore.

Source: http://dodgingcommas.wordpress.com/2011/12/05/book-review-the-knife-of-never-letting-go-by-patrick-ness/


Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books


"The nicely balanced mix of coming-of-age novel, science-fiction adventure, and dystopic thriller will make this an appealing choice for a range of genre readers."