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Monsters of Men by Patrick Ness

Posted on December 31, 2010
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Reason(s) for Reading:
  • Because The Knife of Never Letting Go blew me away.
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Summary from GoodReads:

“War,” says the Mayor. “At last.” Three armies march on New Prentisstown, each one intent on destroying the others. Todd and Viola are caught in the middle, with no chance of escape. As the battles commence, how can they hope to stop the fighting? How can there ever be peace when they’re so hopelessly outnumbered? And if war makes monsters of men, what terrible choices await? But then a third voice breaks into the battle, one bent on revenge – the electrifying finale to the award-winning “Chaos Walking” trilogy, Monsters of Men is a heart-stopping novel about power, survival, and the devastating realities of war.

My Review:

This trilogy blew me away.  This book in particular left me speechless.  I love science fiction and I often wish I could write it – but when I read a book like Monsters of Men, I can’t express just how happy it makes me that there are people out there like Patrick Ness writing books like this for the genre.

How do I review this book without giving too much away?  First of all – Todd and Viola.  The relationship between these two is everything a romantic relationship should be.  The devotion and the give and take of trust – all without any unnecessary intimate scene’s.

This book contains so much heartbreak and triumph – all wrapped up together.  The magnitude of the emotional investment needed is huge, however.  There were times I couldn’t breath because of the emotion rising inside of me and, I confess, to crying my heart out over one specific part.

These books are so. good.  I could use adjective after adjective to describe them – but then I would just sound like some inane fan girl jabbering away so I’ll not gush too much, also so that I don’t reveal too much.

My advice for when you pick up these books (and you should):.

1. Have them all.

2. Set aside a large block of time.

3. Read them as soon as possible.

Check out these review(s):

Presenting Lenore

Jenny’s Books

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The Ask and the Answer by Patrick Ness

Posted on December 29, 2010
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Reason(s) for Reading:
  • Because The Knife of Never Letting Go blew me away.
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Summary from GoodReads:

We were in the square, in the square where I’d run, holding her, carrying her, telling her to stay alive, stay alive till we got safe, till we got to Haven so I could save her – But there weren’t no safety, no safety at all, there was just him and his men…Fleeing before a relentless army, Todd has carried a desperately wounded Viola right into the hands of their worst enemy, Mayor Prentiss. Immediately separated from Viola and imprisoned, Todd is forced to learn the ways of the Mayor’s new order. But what secrets are hiding just outside of town? And where is Viola? Is she even still alive? And who are the mysterious Answer? And then, one day, the bombs begin to explode…”The Ask and the Answer” is a tense, shocking and deeply moving novel of resistance under the most extreme pressure. This is the second title in the “Chaos Walking” trilogy.

My Review:

After reading The Knife of Never Letting Go I admit, I had my doubts about the sequel.  How can anything top that writing (not to mention some.. less than enthusiastic reviews I read).  I flip-flopped a bit, debating on whether to pick up The Ask and the Answer immediately or read something else first – but finally my curiosity won over.  I had to know what happened.

I am sorry I doubted Patrick Ness.  This second book in the trilogy further cemented my complete awe for the man’s writing.  I wondered how he would deal with a potential romance relationship, how he would justify the continuation of two characters who seemed to be at deaths door.  But he pulled it off and then some.

This book, however, fully convinced me that it’s for an older audience.  There are war-time torture technique’s used, and although we’re not given all the details (just Todd’s horror impressions on what he is seeing), the effect is traumatic and chilling.  The overall message being portrayed in this book is terrifying, depressing and it has me longing for hope from.. somewhere.

This series is intense and it’s worthy of every award and nomination it’s received.  I cannot believe I haven’t seen more buzz about it and will do my best to get the word out because it deserves to be read.

Check out these review(s):

At Home with Books

Manda’s Movements

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The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness

Posted on December 27, 2010
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Summary from GoodReads:

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…

My Review:

My first thought when I put this book down was…

Are you kidding me?!

I now understand why one book blogger states that she is an “evangelist” for this book.  This book, this.. amazing book, it had me in tears, it had me choked up, it had me laughing, it had me angry and it had me completely tied around it’s figurative finger.

The Knife of Never Letting Go is one seriously intense book – do not pick it up until you have the time ready, because you will not want to put it down until you’ve turned the last page.  And even then – you’ll be wishing you did the smart thing and had the next book ready.

There is so much I love about this book.  I loved Todd, his innocence, his struggle and his instinct for survival and protection in a world that did not foster one of those feelings.  I loved Viola’s intelligence and her empathy for Todd and for others.  I loved how human she is, how, in spite of all the odds against her she still takes the time to grieve and to feel for her own losses but never lets it get in the way of what needs to be done.

And then there’s Manchee.  Manchee is Todd’s dog, the dog he never wanted – and much like the famous dog of Disney fame, Manchee thinks a dog’s joyous, loyal thoughts.  Everything from Squirrel! to Ow, Todd? (the question mark killed me – it’s so .. doggie), Manchee endears himself to the reader and .. man, I can’t talk about him without crying.  What kind of book does this to a reader?!

Most of all though, this book goes to show just how powerful writing in the first person can be.  Because not only do we hear Todd’s thoughts, but so does everyone else.  The others surrounding him hear what we think is narrative, but it’s really Todd’s thoughts.  We hear words how he says them, we hear his lack of education, we are there in his mind, dealing with the fear and the confusion and the never-ending run from everything that is evil.

This is a book I’ll be recommending eagerly to every teenager in my life.  Fantastic story, great characters and a style of writing I can only stand in awe of.  Well done, Patrick Ness, well done.

Check out these review(s):

Good Books and Good Wine

Hey Lady

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World War Z by Max Brooks

Posted on November 22, 2010
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Reason(s) for Reading:
  • Who wouldn’t love to read a book about a good zombie war?
  • It’s gotten high praise from a friend.
I  also recommend:

Summary from GoodReads:

The Zombie War came unthinkably close to eradicating humanity. Max Brooks, driven by the urgency of preserving the acid-etched first-hand experiences of the survivors from those apocalyptic years, traveled across the United States of America and throughout the world, from decimated cities that once teemed with upwards of thirty million souls to the most remote and inhospitable areas of the planet. He recorded the testimony of men, women, and sometimes children who came face-to-face with the living, or at least the undead, hell of that dreadful time.World War Z is the result. Never before have we had access to a document that so powerfully conveys the depth of fear and horror, and also the ineradicable spirit of resistance, that gripped human society through the plague years.

My Review:

Well, now I know what we should do to prevent a zombie war from happening.

This was an.. unexpected type of story.  I’d heard from a friend that this book was fun to read, but I think I was thinking of it more along the  lines of a Pride and Prejudice and Zombies type of book, a kind of tongue-in-cheek war novel.  What I got was along the lines of.. a documentary, with fake interviews that felt real, a scenario that was both fascinating and filled with horror, and a story that just kept gaining momentum.

Max Brooks writes World War Z without it seeming full of gimmicks and, while reading through some of the reviews on the book, I noticed that there were a few comments about how all of the interviews sounded the same.  In a way, they were – at the beginning of the book the narrator speaks to how he’s writing the book with the emotions that his employer won’t allow in their report.  He’s documenting, editing and compiling on his own and the end result is a product that, ultimately, is written by one man and influenced by those he interviewed.  Was this meant to be a serious piece of news? Not at all.  But it was close enough to give the illusion of that, and that’s what I really enjoyed about the book.

Fantastic read – highly recommended for those who enjoy war stories and are looking for something just a bit different.

Check out these review(s):

Life & Times of a “New” New Yorker

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