Sunday Salon Review: The Chaos Walking Trilogy by Patrick Ness

The Knife of Never Letting Go
(Candlewick, 2008 - Science Fiction YA - 496 pgs)

The Ask and the Answer
(Candlewick, 2010 - Science Fiction YA - 528 pgs)

Monsters of Men
(Candlewick, 2011 - Science Fiction YA - 608 pgs)


Have you ever finished a book and then had a hard time picking up another? You just aren't ready to let the last one go. The characters, the story and the world became such a part of your own life that you have trouble moving on. That is the way it has been for me and Patrick Ness' Chaos Walking Trilogy. I didn't rest until I had the entire trilogy under my belt--and the short story "The New World" (Candlewick, 2010 - Science Fiction YA - Short Story) set in the same world. I was glued to every page, unable to tear myself away, not completely, even when I wasn't able to read.

It is hard to discuss any aspect of the trilogy without giving something important away. The trilogy opens with The Knife of Never Letting Go and what a start it is!

From the author's website:

Todd Hewitt is the last boy in Prentisstown.

But Prentisstown isn't like other towns. Everyone can hear everyone else's thoughts in a constant, overwhelming, never-ending Noise. There is no privacy. There are no secrets.

Or are there?

Just one month away from the birthday that will make him a man, Todd unexpectedly stumbles upon a spot of complete silence.

Which is impossible.

Prentisstown has been lying to him.

And now he's going to have to run...

It is impossible not to fall in love with Todd. He is innocent and good. He is compassionate and smart. Even despite the community he grew up in.

As The Knife of Never Letting Go was full of hope even in the worst of times, the second book in the trilogy, The Ask and the Answer, was much more dire, much more horrible. All hope seemed lost. Both of the main characters have to make difficult choices, some of which there is no easy or good answer. I was reminded of Ugwu from Half of a Yellow Sun, who was put into an impossible situation--risk his own life by speaking up or be complicit in the rape of a woman and survive. Likewise, Todd was put into a terrible position, having to do things no man should. It was with a heavy heart that I read the middle book in the trilogy. Todd was no longer innocent. I didn't like some of the things he did, but I still felt for him. I still believed in him.

Monsters of Men is a fitting title for not only the final book in the trilogy but the entire trilogy. Throughout the series, we see the horrors that man can wreck on one another, both in the pursuit of power and survival. Even the most despicable of characters in the books are merely human. Flawed and vulnerable. With fears and doubts, just like everyone else. As much as I hated one particular character, by the end, I had to admit that even he was not entirely a monster.

If you have noticed that I haven't provided a synopsis for more than the first book, it is simply because I can't think of a way to provide one without giving away too much. There is much I would like to mention and discuss--the trilogy cries out for discussion, but I don't want to spoil it for anyone. What I will say is that the trilogy is all at once a coming of age story and a commentary about humanity in all its ugliness as well as beauty. Through his characters, Patrick Ness brings the ambiguity of morality to the forefront.

I vaguely recall complaints about the spelling and slang in the novels when I first heard about the books a couple of years ago. I hardly noticed it, being so immersed in Todd's world. Thinking back on it, I actually think such language choices by the author were quite fitting given Todd's inability to read and his lack of a proper education.

I cried. I held my breath. I found myself praying for a good outcome. When all was said and done, and I reached the final sentence in the trilogy, I wanted more. Not because the book didn't end well, but rather because I wasn't ready to let Todd go. I wasn't ready to leave the New World behind. Not yet.

You can learn more about Patrick Ness and his books at the author's website.

Source: I bought an e-book copies of these books and short story for my own enjoyment.

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© 2011, Wendy Runyon of Musings of a Bookish Kitty. All Rights Reserved.If you're reading this on a site other than Musings of a Bookish Kitty or Wendy's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.