The Ask and the Answer (Chaos Walking)

Two is probably generous. This is just bad writing. Nothing really happens most of the book (except of course the jock "falls in love" with the school nerd in 2 days! The ending is over the top ridiculous. Can't believe I actually finished this

I'm just not getting how "amazing" this series of books is. My teenager has told me I have to read this series, but I don't find great story lines or great characters. I like the talking animals, and I still miss the dog. Don't ask me to care about Todd or Viola. I can't wait for the last book, which generally gets the worst reviews.

This is a violent book. No getting around it. And though the whole point is about the difficult decisions and sacrifices of resistance under oppression and fear, I didn't think it needed to be quite so graphically violent. Especially for YA. There's a great deal of explicit torture, and several main characters die sudden violent deaths.

I thought Todd was a little unbelievable at parts, especially when he was going along with the evil things the mayor wanted. Because after Viola [MINOR SPOILER] was no longer providing leverage for the Mayor, Todd really could have run. And he should have at least considered that that Answer had nothing to do with the Spackle tragedy [END SPOILER]. One of the points of the book is how regular people end up doing bad things in situations like this (think of normal Germans in the 30s and 40s turning into Nazis). However, from Todd's actions and bravery in Book 1, his behavior in parts of Book 2 just seemed out of character.

Viola's point of view added a new dimension, but it was way too much like Todd's. The writing is so very stylistic that it's unrealistic to have two POVs that are basically the same. Viola's spelling's better and she doesn't say "shut up" to the reader quite so much, but otherwise they were similar enough that I got confused which POV I was in sometimes, especially toward the end.

And speaking of the end, I don't really like the big cliffhanger. It's not quite as drastic as Book 1's cliffhanger, but it's still unsatisfying. Of course, now I'm going to read the next one, so I guess it served its purpose.

The premise and the philosophical questions explored were really profound. I loved examining the tough choices and moral gray area of resistance and terrorism. I REALLY loved that the Spackle Todd tried to help hated him even more. Very darkly realistic. Mistress Coyle was a fascinating character. The Mayor was creepy in his psychological warfare. Davy was also interesting. Patrick Ness does a great job with thought-provoking characters.

Overall, it was a disturbing but darkly enlightening book.

WARNING: EXTREME VIOLENCE and some language and other adult themes.

It was an astounding page turner, but my thoughts are all over the map after reading this book. I loved it, I hated it, I was overjoyed, and then I was cast downwards into a deep depression. The storyline was so intense and sometimes it went so dark that I found myself struggling to stay afloat. And just when I thought I couldn’t take it anymore, something astronomical happens. It’s as if I’m freefalling into oblivion and there’s no stopping my panicking and pain and then the next thing I know I’m being whipped upwards towards safety and it’s like I am sailing ecstatically through the clouds. Never before have my emotions towards a book or its characters been so chaotic. Even though I did emotionally struggle with parts of this book I HAVE to continue this series. When any book can toy with your emotions and feelings towards a storyline and characters so much, there is something HUGE there. And you have to continue on, even if you know your heart may get broken again and again.

After that insane cliff hanger in TKONLG, we are still struggling to figure out what’s going to happen to Todd and Voila. How can a moment that was supposed to be so happy and monumental turn into a life sentence of doom and possible death? My mind was reeling from that. Todd and Viola are forcefully separated and neither knows if the other is really alive. The others well-being and life is being dangled in each of their faces. They are each told that as long as they comply with what they are told to do, then the other will stay alive. They are trapped, and they are left with no choice. Because each will do anything, and I do mean anything, to make sure the other one will stay alive. And so the path of deceit, tarnishing your soul, strength and bravery begins.

I struggled with Todd in TKONLG and I’m not going to lie and say I didn’t struggle with him in this book. He is SUCH a redeemable person but it pained me to watch his soul turn so black in this book. His actions and lack of actions broke my heart again and again. His choices or lack of choices, depending upon how you see it, was devastating. He is on such a hard journey and I kept hoping against hope that he would be given the chance to redeem himself. Because when Viola is in the picture, he is an amazing man. An absolutely amazing man that takes your breath away. His love towards her is so intense and so innocent that you can’t help but instantly fall in love with him. And I honestly didn’t know if I would ever see that Todd again.

I love Viola. She is strong, resilient, smart and her love for Todd is remarkable. I agreed with her choices and values and she is definitely a force to be reckoned with! I loved getting to read part of the book from her point of view. It was fascinating being in her head and following her on her journey and meeting all the new characters she was introduced to.

All in all? I really liked this book! The action was intense, the characters were truly unique, my love towards some characters turned sour and others whom I never once saw as redeemable I truly started to like and care for. But some parts seriously disturbed me and even reminded me of past historical events that are truly horrifying. I didn’t realize how dark this book could go. But even with all of my problems with the book, I’m still continuing onward. And I’ll still be recommending this to my friends that I know can handle the storyline and the issues that bothered me. Now onto the final leg of the journey, and here’s hoping my Kindle doesn’t get thrown across the room again like in TKONLG. :)

Book Two of the Chaos Walking Trilogy. – Possible Spoilers for Book One.

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?

So I finally found the time to dive into book two of this trilogy (Book one being The Knife of Never Letting Go) and as always with YA trilogies I was intrigued to see how the author “managed” the middle part of a story – its a fine line, between keeping up the standard of the first, making it fit well with both part one and what is intended for the finale, plus drawing the reader further into the world created and (hopefully) leaving them all agog to find out how it all pans out…

Well, agog doesnt quite describe how I’m feeling right now having just finished this, but one thing is for sure – I am thanking my lucky stars that “Monsters of Men” the final part of this terrific tale is currently looking right at me – no waiting! I can’t imagine how annoyed I would be in this moment had I read this when it was first released – why? Because its godamn brilliant thats why!

Patrick Ness has pretty much thrown the rule book out of the window with the world he has created here – and the characters who inhabit it – a fascinating, heady mix of glorious madness and mayhem and from an adult point of view, almost a morality tale. Intriguing.

After their desperate race against time and an army,despite their best efforts Viola and Todd have inadvertantly ended up caught in the clutches of Mayor Prentiss after all – with Viola severely injured, their choices seem limited. So ended “The Knife of Never Letting Go” and when “The Ask and the Answer” begins we pick up right where we left off.

Separated and threatened, it seems as if our two heroes will end up on different sides – and here is where things get extremely complex for the pair of them…caught between two enigmatic and persuasive power hungry people, just which side is the “right” side? As they each make choices they may come to regret, the story pulls you along at a frantic pace, yet still manages to give you an emotional blast. War is coming it seems – and can war ever be the answer, no matter what the question?

My favourite part of this novel was the developing relationship, not between Viola and Todd, but between Todd and Davy – son of the Mayor. Constantly at each others throats, enemies thrown together not by choice but by circumstance, they bicker, they fight, neither one is likely to give any ground and they are poles apart. YET one scene involving these two was the scene that had me in tears – sobbing like a baby. Wonderful characterisation – definitely some of the best in the YA world perhaps even in the world of books as a whole.

By the end of this I was desperate DESPERATE to know what the outcome will be for all of these people – because to me they are now people. And of course the animals – oh Angharrad you stole my heart.

Read it. Live it. Love it.

Happy Reading Folks!

**Paperback purchased via the store UK**

While it had some weaknesses, the first book in this series, The Knife of Never Letting Go, won me over by telling an original story with some interesting themes, and keeping the level of tension high. In it, Ness imagined a planet colony of religious settlers that had come to start over with a low-tech life. But, oh, by the way, there was a war with the native aliens, all the women are dead, and everyone can hear everyone else's thoughts, all the time. The main character, Todd Hewitt, begins to realize that he wasn't told the whole truth, and ends up fleeing the dark designs of his town's leaders, several enemies hot on his trail.

This book picks up right where the cliffhanger ending of that one left off, and adds Viola's perspective to the story, alternating between it and Todd's (I don't think it's much of a spoiler to reveal that women weren't totally gone, since we learned this fairly early in the first book). However, where the Mayor was simply a sinister bad guy before, he becomes a more complex character -- still ruthless, but with a paternal, reasonable side that keeps us guessing. Meanwhile, an uprising against the Mayor/President begins, with the opposing leader showing a few ruthless streaks of her own. And Todd and Viola end up on opposite sides, split first by circumstance, then by an unforgivable atrocity that both factions blame on the other.

What I appreciated about this book was Ness's front-and-center focus on the issue of how decent people get sucked into monstrous things. Todd doesn't trust the Mayor, yet finds himself being maneuvered into positions of greater responsibility, until he becomes too culpable in events to be able to simply walk away. Of course, the Mayor is manipulating him, letting Todd's desire to feel like he has some level of control over things work into the Mayor's own plans. Meanwhile, something similar happens to Viola over in the opposing camp, as she gets pulled into a campaign of bombing attacks against civilian targets. Both feel believably conflicted, yearning to be reunited, but also uncertain and angry over the other's perceived choices.

I also liked the way the "noise" creates a different power dynamic between men and women, one gender having a hard time hiding its thoughts and emotions, while the the other remains unreadable. Hard to imagine that some men wouldn't take to this loss of privacy and control with great anger, while the constant bombardment of male thoughts might drive women closer together. Not that Ness digs into this issue too deeply, but it's an interesting backdrop.

On the down side, I thought the drama could be heavy-handed and I eventually had issues with the believability of the central villains, who are a little too cartoonish in some moments, a little too smart in others. The final battle featured some elements that seemed lifted from the Star Wars movies, but with more speechifying. Another complaint is Ness's tendency to contrive sudden events that conveniently interrupt something else that's happening.

Still, there are some effective moments in the story, such as scenes involving Todd and a labor detail of Spackle, the native aliens, and the character development of Davy, who starts off as an overbearing bully, but becomes more human and sympathetic later. And the harrowing ending sets up a lot of possibilities for the last book.

On the audiobook experience, I liked (as before) the personality Podehl gives to Todd's voice, though moments when he yells "nooooooo!!" remind me, unfortunately, of Adam Sandler's "they're all gonna laugh at you!" skit. Angela Dawe does a decent but unremarkable job as Viola.

Thomas and Viola did not expect what was waiting for them in Haven. The notorious murderer might have won, but Viola and Thomas will keep fighting. As the days grow old Thomas doesn't even know if Viola is alive or where she is. The hardest part of being taken away from everyone you trust is not knowing who to believe. As desperation and hopelessness rise, a group of women band together to form the Answer, a terrorist group build to fight off the president. So who do you trust, a manipulative treacherous murderer, or a terrorist and greedy criminal. In a world where thoughts, feelings, and desire are always present, there's no escape for Thomas and Viola.

The sequel to The Knife of Never Letting Go really flowed well. The story line seemed to continue and bring us farther into New World. The novel is well written taking away the fact that the style is very original and feels very real, the first person writing style is well thought out. Since we only see what the characters see, as readers, we can only hope to figure out what is really going on. Some characters can be very misleading. They all lie and most of them are down right crazy. Which ones are telling the truth? Is it all a lie? These questions popped into my head numerous amounts of times.

The Ask and the Answer started with something different compared to book one. The points of views change between Viola and Todd. Since the characters are separated this was a very good idea and I always liked a female protagonist rather then a male. The point of views change frequently! This is great because I hate really long chapters, but in this novel you barely read 3 pages before it changes to Todd's point of View or Viola's.

The antagonists in this novel are quite solid. They are the typical evil masterminds but the Mayor is so complex and devious! It seems like he knows everything and plays mind games with everyone. He's very manipulative and he can seem to be a good guy, but of course it's always an act. The antagonist is just out right genius. That's one more reason to hate on him!

The pace was disappointing. I was used to book one's fast pace nonstop action where book two seemed to go on dreadfully slow. I believe Patrick Ness wanted to reduce the pace in order to bring some loose strings together as well as create some suspense and deception. I can agree that it did work. Many questions were answered and Mr. Ness did succeed in creating a suspenseful chapter or two, but it did not substitute for the lack of fast pace action!

The Ask and the Answer, when I finished this book, I was in awe. I loved this book, and instantly this series I wanted this book to be a movie. When I sat and thought about this book, I understood just than how real, and how raw this book was. There is just so much to this book, how the running pair of Viola and Todd go through a worst ordeal than the first book. Viola and Todd in this book, are not only stranded, but split apart to deal with the new world in their own way.

Todd is split and put into the church chapel with the old mayor of the world and Mr Prentiss and his son run the city on their own. Okay well maybe more so Mayor Prentiss more so than anyone else, and as the town is taken over the cure to the noise is slowly taken away. The town used to be silent, a cure running through everyone so that they could live in peace. A larger town, not by our standards today, but by theirs a few hundreds or thousands of men in one localized area with their noise open wide to everyone would get loud and almost impossible to sleep or live by.

Viola is put into the houses, where groups of women heal those who are injured. Houses of Healing, and the Mistresses who lead the others, each in different house, all seem to have a different agenda of their own. Both Todd and Viola struggle time and time again to get to each other. Their firm belief that each other can save the world, and together they are capable of everything is a romance and a ideology that every couple should have.

However the story goes awry when the houses of healing turn into a revolutionary group with Mistress Coyle, the house leader for Viola. Having been part of the original war with the Spackle, the revolutionary group, The Ask, know how to fight a war. And when they bomb New Prentisstown and take off. Their war has started.

As well, Todd's found himself involved with rebuilding a church or some type of barracks out of town and his crew of Spackle help rebuild. However Davy, the new Mayor's son, views them as slaves and incompetent; whereas, Todd is the opposite and empathizes with he Spackle. However, when the Mayor wants the Spackle banded, a growing resent rises through the Spackle group; and as well the events leading to the completion of the building of The Answer, ends with a genocide.

The worlds of the The Ask and The Answer collide hard, and with the two groups waging war on each other. Mistress Coyle and Mayor Prentiss, two nearly identical leaders with the same intent; both Coyle and Prentiss want to lead the world into a future which they control. A world in which everyone would suffer, but both of those view the world as better with one group than the others. A world that Todd and Viola are stuck in the middle of; stuck in the middle of a waging war that they are all in between.

This book is just everything I was looking for, there is so much action and drama. The raw emotion and pain in this book, felt both by Viola and Todd. The Ask and the Answer shows a world with separation of sexes. How men are greater than women or whatever. Than there is that bit of raw betrayal, the sacrifices Todd and Viola make for each other. This book is everything, that a reader couldn't hep pass up. I enjoyed this book, I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to see a book that involves a couple who struggle through a dystopia unlike any other, through gender issues and fight through anything just to get back to each other. A book that involves a government torturing its own people, but not only the adults but the children as well. I will never forget the scene of Viola being water boarded in the city, while Todd watches.

As well, this book makes my shelf and I started the last book, Monsters of Men. I hope the series goes great with the rest and ends just as well. Here's to the greatest couple I've read in a book and I hope to see more of them. And here's to Monsters of Men, and hoping for a fantastic end!

Although the first book in this series, The Knife of Never Letting Go was good and had a cliff hanger ending that was satisfying so it did not make me feel that I needed to read the next one. I decided to read this one anyway. This book had a satisfying cliff hanger too. Something that I liked about this book was how it was told, not just from the perspective of Todd, but from Viola too. As continuation of the last one, it was good, although it felt as if it were stalling for the next one. This book shows how people can manipulate with power and what power does to someone. It is also about what makes a boy into a man. It was very interesting and even though it is science fiction, it is also very philosophical about power. I think I will read on to see where it goes.

This book, THIS BOOK! It was amazing! After I finished reading A Knife of Never Letting Go, the first book in the Chaos Walking trilogy, I was so anxious to dive back into this world Patrick Ness has created, and find out what has become of our beloved characters, Todd and Viola. I was not disappointed in the least! In fact, I daresay this sequel was even better!

The Ask and the Answer takes place right where the first book ends. Todd and Viola have been separated, both wondering what has become of the other. This time we get both of their point of views, which I thinked worked tremendously for the story. With Mayor Prentiss, or President Prentiss as he prefers to be called now, taking over the town of Haven, problems arise which leads a group called The Answer to wage war on the President. His solution of retaliation is, the Ask. What was great about this storyline involving the 2 groups is that through the alternating points of view, we get to see a bit of what both are doing to wage war on each other. Between both sides, I could never tell what was a lie or the truth. There was so much back and forth, wondering who you could trust and hoping the characters picked the right people to believe. The pacing was on point and I flew through the pages, anxious to get to the end.

What I have to commend the author for is the character development. Such remarkable changes were seen across the board. Todd had some struggles. He kind of checks out, emotionally, at a point but his devotion to Viola never wavers. Viola becomes even stronger and more determined, if possible. The best transformation for me though was of Davy Prentiss. I hated him in The Knife of Never Letting Go and through most of this one. He is an evil villain who was doing terrible things to the characters I loved. But somehow, he GREW on me! I was able to see layers peel away from that boy and reveal someone who was just trying to please his father and someone who really had no one who cared for him. It is so rare to find a transformation like that and I applaud the author for how well he was able to pull it off.

Another surprise for me was how much I enjoyed the Spackle, who are the alien inhabitants of this New World. They are much more prevalent than they were in The Knife of Never Letting Go and so mysterious and interesting.. I am looking forward to even more of them in the conclusion, Monsters of Men.

Overall, this sequel was exceptional with its twists and turns and never knowing which direction it might take. The plot was fresh and kept me on the edge until the very end. I implore anyone who loves Dystopian and Sci-Fi to read this amazing series!

~Sara @ Forever 17 Books

"Your noise reveals you Todd Hewitt." A voice -- In the darkness. I blink open my eyes. Everything is shadows and blur and it feels like the world's spinning and my blood is too hot and my brain is clogged and I can't think and it's dark -- I blink again. Wait. No, WAIT -- Just now, just NOW we were in the square -- Just now SHE was in my arms."

As with Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins, it will difficult to review this book without giving anything away. First, I don't want to spoil anything for people who haven't read The Knife of Never Letting Go. Because really....you NEED to read that book. And secondly, I don't wait to spoil anything from THIS book. So, basically this is going to be a non-review of a book that I LOVED.

What can I say then about The Ask and The Answer? The book begins almost immediately from the point that The Knife of Never Letting Go ended. Todd awakens to find that they have indeed made it to Haven, although it seems that the Army has made it there before him and Viola. Haven, now called New Prentisstown, is under the control of Mayor Prentiss. And Todd has no idea where Viola is or what happened to her.

In this book enemies become friends and friends become enemies. Although the pace of this book is not quite as neck-breaking as the first, it is equally gut-wrenching. Todd is forced to do things he would never have done before. And he loses himself because of it. The once-innocent Todd learns the ways of the "New" world. And shatters himself in the process. Things are not always black and white now. And the shades of gray can be very dangerous. But one thing we know about Todd....he's strong. And good. And nothing can possibly change that. Or can it??

I don't know if it's possible, but I would have to say this book is better than the first. I wasn't quite as dizzy reading it. But my heart-strings were pulled and manipulated just as much. I have a new character I love: "boycolt, boycolt". Once again, we are sucked completely into the lives of Todd and Viola. We see a glimpse into the psyche that is Mayor Prentiss and we see lots of darkness. We see what it is like for his son, Davy, growing up with such a man as a father. And we find a new enemy out there. So many questions as well. Is the Answer enemy or friend?? And what will happen when the settlers reach the New World?

I, for one, am having a hard time waiting for all the answers to come. Book 3, Monster of Men will not be available in the US until May. I'm already chomping at the bit to get it! (pun, definitely intended!) As far as I'm concerned, this is a Must Read Series for anyone that wants to be completely and totally drawn into a dystopian world. It almost physically HURTS to read it, the intensity is so high. But again, isn't that the sign of a fantastic book?? Most definitely given a 5 Star review!!

What I loved about this book:

The amazing world that is created.
It is completely unique. Space travelers, nonhuman beings, new world order. Good intriguing stuff.

The pacing and intenseness of this book. I listened to the audio version and the manner in which the story is delivered left me breathless. I never wanted the book to end.

The strong affection and love the characters have for each other.

Their tie is almost tangible. Todd and Viola never lose sight that the survival and happiness of the other person is their goal.

The questioning of people in authority. Showing their intentions behind their action. I love this.

The questioning of whether desiring a certain right outcome justifies doing wrong things to make the right thing come about. If a righteous rebel group wants to overthrow a fascist dictator, is it okay to use brutal force on the civilians to do so? Is it okay to sacrifice innocents? Where is the line of morality if an innocent was never intended to die, but does?

The drawing of characters and situations that show how easy it is for people to be co-opted and encouraged to do hurtful evil things to other living creatures in order to save themselves or others they love. Or perhaps the motive of the co-opted is just to get a long. But isn't this still wrong?

Beautifully writing the slippery slope of morality and submission. Tiny steps taken in following orders and swallowing discomfort lead to grander choices down the road.

The heroine. Viola is an amazing heroine. She is brave, self-sacrificing and she never loses sight of what is right. Ness wrote Viola in such a way that she is truly inspiring, I loved having her point of view in this book.

I loved the mysteries and the slow reveals. I loved not knowing who I could believe or should believe.

The violence served a purpose; it was not all just for entertainment. Instead, Ness was leading the readers down a path of questioning people's choices and questioning those in power.

Problems with this book:

The morality represented in the book. I do not accept that feeling bad or guilty about one's bad acts redeems the actor.

A future (moral and good) leader would never submit to immoral acts as easily as Todd did.

People who love each other are not so easily misled about each other.

The ending is frustrating. Very frustrating.

Todd still keeps making the same stupid choices.

Poor Davey. In a way Davey was this book's Manchee. I feel bad for how, as I assume, that Davey was emotionally neglected and abused by his father. He still did some really bad stuff. Asking for forgiveness and feeling bad, again I don't think it makes it all okay.

Viola and Todd's belief that love conquers all. It doesn't. And I guess, the ending of this book demonstrates that. Love is great and solves a lot of problems, but it doesn't conquer all.

[WARNING: spoilers for The Knife of Never Letting Go will necessarily follow.]

By the end of The Knife of Never Letting Go, Todd and Viola's flight had come to a stunning end as they discovered that the army from which they'd been fleeing all this time had already conquered everything in sight. What, then, does this new world order look like? Such is the central question of The Ask and the Answer, which finds our heroes thrust into two very diametrically opposed camps and forced to question whether the ends can ever truly justify the means. Like the best sequels, The Ask and the Answer feels less like a rehashing and more like a continuation of the first book's story, all while deepening the world that Ness has so vividly created. The first volume of the series was filled with grayed morality, and this book only increases that depth beautifully, covering some of the same ground Suzanne Collins did in Mockingjay but doing so in starker and maybe even more unflinching terms. The Ask and the Answer has to rank up there with the most engaging and fascinating science-fiction I've read in some time, as Ness takes his central conceits and follows them all the way to their logical ends, all while taking the time to create fully-realized, complex characters who defy easy description and moral choices that aren't as readily apparent as we might wish. The end result...well, let me be honest: if you think The Hunger Games is bleak (and it is), the Chaos Walking series makes those books look positively radiant and cheerful in comparison. But the story being told here is so riveting and fascinating, the characters so involving, the world so compelling, that the question of whether it's too bleak never comes up. Instead, you find yourself drawn into the tale inexorably, and the only time you'll stop is when you hit the end. And let me tell you: once again, you better have the next book ready. Because there's no way you'll want to wait for more.

I loved the dynamic between Viola and Todd, even thought they spent most of this book apart. Knife of Never Letting Go set up their strong friendship, and the Ask and The Answer proved how strong it was.

Normally I don't like when the perspectives change, particularly when the first book has only one perspective. Here, it worked, however, as Todd's voice is so clearly New World (explanayshun, for example), and Viola's voice is clearly that of one who comes from an educated background.

Both Todd and Viola find their loyalties being tested and divided and both make mistakes that have disastrous effects on their relationship. They continue to be as loyal as ever, however, even at the expense of others' lives.

After the painful loss of Manchee in "Knife," I was leery of Todd's burgeoning relationship with Angharrad, the horse he is assigned, but it was a delight to see how this skittish horse became very loyal to Todd, eventually going from Boy Colt to Todd, reminding me a lot of Manchee.

Unbelievably, Patrick Ness made me love one of the characters I hated from "Knife." He's got amazing characterization, and his characters are not necessarily straight up good or evil. Characters you might see initially as good later on become ambiguous, and you end up not knowing who you'd want to "win."

A stellar book. I can't wait to read the third book, and I hope Patrick Ness continues to write.

Unfortunately not the fast paced thrill ride of a read that THE KNIFE OF NEVER LETTING GO was. No, THE ASK AND THE ANSWER (Chaos Walking #2) is a much slower story that is all about mind tricks, as Viola and Todd struggle under the thumb of their old enemy Mayor Prentiss.

Now newly self appointed President Prentiss flexes his control over the pair of teens as well as the rest of New World's remaining population. Haven has been claimed and renamed New Prentiss Town and quickly becomes that of a police state of horrors under its new ruler and his army. All the men and women are once again separated including Todd and Viola. Despicable acts of evil and violence become part of daily life. With the threat of mutiny and war again rising on New World, Todd and Viola find themselves confused, beaten and trapped on different sides.

There is no question that Patrick Ness is an awesome writer with a completely original story to tell. The Chaos Walking Trilogy is one with a strong concept that is entirely unique and intriguing. And although I didn't love this second much slower installment as I did the firs; I'm still hooked by the idea of a world trying to function under the duress of "noise". The Chaos Walking series is definitely worth a look, especially under the skillful narration of the ever so talented Nick Podehl and this time's added narrator Angela Dawe, as the voice of Viola.

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.

The Ask and the Answer picks up immediately after The Knife of Never Letting Go left off. Viola has been shot and the two of them have been separated by Mayor Printiss and Todd has no idea if Viola has even survived. Not to be too spoilerly but off course she does and the novel switches between Todd and Viola throughout the whole book.

With the Mayor taking over the newly called new Printisstown the women in the town start to revolt because they do no wish to have the same fate as the women from the original Printisstown and you follow both Todd and Viola as war starts to break out.

The Knife of Never Letting Go was a thrilling non stop chase while Todd ran from the mayor and slowly figured out the truth about his hometown. The Ask and the Answer is more psychologically driven and you see why people make the decision they do if the only outcome is more bloodshed. I enjoyed the Ask and the Answer much more than I did the Knife of Never Letting Go and the writing is not nearly as infuriating - Todd is still a narrator for half the novel but his spelling and language skills have greatly improved since the first novel.

In The Ask and the Answer, Patrick Ness brilliantly dramatizes both the utter horror of war, and the even greater horror of passive submission to tyranny---which is, after all, simply a permanent state of war against the populace. The clear lesson to be drawn is that force must be used in retaliation only, and always, in self-defense against those who initiate its use for any other reason. The first book of the series, The Knife of Never Letting Go, was pretty good and quite interesting, but this follow-up is truly great. The violence is even more brutal, but less gratuitously over-the-top; this book is more about thoughtful thematic and character development, as the characters learn what it means to be adults.

Unfortunately, in the final book Ness ends up equivocating on or vaguely passing over most of the deeper issues he raises throughout the series, but the trilogy is still worth reading for this remarkable second installment. Four and a half stars.

In The Ask and the Answer, Patrick Ness brilliantly dramatizes both the utter horror of war, and the even greater horror of passive submission to tyranny---which is, after all, simply a permanent state of war against the populace. The clear lesson to be drawn is that force must be used in retaliation only, and always, in self-defense against those who initiate its use for any other reason. The first book of the series, The Knife of Never Letting Go, was pretty good and quite interesting, but this follow-up is truly great. The violence is even more brutal, but less gratuitously over-the-top; this book is more about thoughtful thematic and character development, as the characters learn what it means to be adults.

Unfortunately, in the final book Ness ends up equivocating on or vaguely passing over most of the deeper issues he raises throughout the series, but the trilogy is still worth reading for this remarkable second installment. Four and a half stars.

Ness is missing a critical component of satisfying YA fiction: growth. Todd and Viola muck around without growing as characters (except some ham handed attempts in the medical field). Secondary characters are wooden props. Gratuitous violence and thinly veiled rape threats borderline on disturbing. I would not recommend to any young adult reader. Ness squandered the promising world he established in The Knife. I won't be reading book 3.

Another great book by Patrick Ness! This series is starting to become one of my favorites!

Todd and Viola made it all the way to Haven still alive and intact, but upon arrival find no one except....Mayor Prentiss. Viola is dying from a gunshot wound and Todd is begging the Mayor for help. Viola is whisked off to a healer and Todd taken to be questioned. Not so nicely I might add.

Todd and Viola are kept separated for mostly all of this book. Todd is put to work with the Spackle out in the field and Viola is helping the healers in the woman's house. There is not a moment that goes by without them thinking of one another, but are having a hard time deciding whom they can trust??? Can they even trust each other?

I was so engrossed in this book that it only took me one day to read. I am so excited to read the final chapter of the trilogy, Monsters of Men. At the end of each book are HUGE cliffhangers, so make sure you have the next one ready.

This was an exceptional sequel to 'The Knife of Never Letting Go'. Filled with suspense and unflinching violence, it follows the same tone as the first novel yet adds more to the characters as they mature and their childishness falls away.

Surprisingly, I would definitely call this novel 'feminist'. As we learn in the first book, women are immune to The Noise. Women are silent. That's the first thing to ponder on. Further, in this book women are horrifically repressed and subjected to horror and suffering for no reason except that they are women and therefore 'must have an affinity with other women'. It is very powerful, as is the portrayal of Viola; it is nice to see strong, brave women in YA fiction.

One very silly thing which really made me smile every time they came up were the horses! I love them. They call Todd 'boy colt' and have this air of majesty and ethereal...ness! I don't really know why I loved them so much but I really did.