The Ask and the Answer (Reissue with bonus short story)

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

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.

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.

This sequel takes on a completely different atmosphere than the first installment had, putting the characters into even tougher situations than before--thing is, most of the time it felt like the characters were dolls meant to move the story in a certain direction than actual humans. The two main viewpoints are kids who just had their whole world blown apart not too long ago, but you'd hardly notice besides it being mentioned a few pages. This could have been on purpose, but it's not done in a very convincing way. This shows, I think, how little thought is put into what the character would do as opposed to what the author wants them to do.
While I personally didn't enjoy it as much as I'd have liked to, I would recommend the sequel if you're more interested in thought-reading warfare than inspection of the human mind.

(this is the second book in the Chaos Walking trilogy. there will be spoilers for the first book, "The Knife of Never Letting Go", but not for "The Ask and the Answer".

in a sentence or so: Todd and Viola finally arrive to Haven, only to discover that Mayor Prentiss has beat them there, and taken over the town. they are immediately separated, the town is divided over whether to trust the new leadership or to revolt...and then the bombing begins.

this book begins right where the first book left off. like, within seconds of the first book. Todd and Viola finally arrive at Haven, a place they weren't even sure actually existed, just to have their hope and their victory snatched out from beneath them and forced - yet again - into a painful, confusing existence. the antagonist of the first book, Mayor Prentiss, has made himself president of Haven and changed the name to New Prentisstown (a bit of an ego, that guy).

within moments of their capture, Todd and Viola are separated and questioned. told from first person perspective in alternating chapters between Viola and Todd, we learn that Todd is forced to work alongside Davy (president's son, shot Viola, not the best friend of Todd) managing the Spackle, the world's native population. Todd is faced with constant challenges to who he is, how he will treat these slaves, and what choices he will make in order to stay true to the man he has become and the man Viola knows him to be. however, being bullied by Davy and managing a silent work force come with extreme challenges...and that's on top of the loss of Viola and the uncertainty of what the heck is going on in New Prentisstown and what big plans the president seems to have for him.

Viola is sent to a healing center where Mistress Coyle cares for her, and begins to train her as a healer. during her time there, Viola learns that Mistress Coyle has a history of rebellion and fighting against unruly authority. when Mistress Coyle disappears and the bombings start in New Prentisstown, Viola not only connects the dots but is also pursued by Mistress Coyle from the outside of town. eventually, Viola chooses to join the resistance - called The Answer - and reluctantly leaves her broken Todd behind.

to describe this book as heavy and violent is an understatement. President Prentiss is relentless in his desire to rule, manipulate, and gain information from the people of New Prentisstown. however, he is sneaky and manipulative in his methods and seems to have mastered his Noise and the art of influencing other's Noise. perhaps that is why the President is able to slowly get away with segregating the men from the women, enforcing strict curfews, and - when things really start to heat up - banding the women with ID tags used for livestock and torturing potential informants.

the middle book of a series has a tough job - advancing the story, sustaining interest, and being a solid stand alone read. the ask and the answer does that and more. this is highly character driven, emotive, heavy, bursting with hard choices and broken characters where even the good guys aren't squeaky clean. there is a bit of a holocaust-ish feel with the numbering and the torture and the slow acceptance of the people in New Prentisstown to just accept the leadership to stay alive, but this alternate reality created by Ness is original and creative and his characters are so raw and so real that, despite being the middle book of a trilogy, i found myself learning new things about them and wanting to keep reading and keep learning more. the true intentions of others are difficult to determine and deliberately revealed.

i cannot WAIT for the conclusion of this series due to excellent writing, heartfelt characters, and a solid cliffhanger. may 2010 cannot come soon enough.

fave quote: "They treat me as if I'm a little dangerous. I'm slightly surprised to find I kind of like it" (Viola, 257)

fix er up: this is a big ole hunk of a book. at just over 500 pages, this was no easy quest. that may turn some readers off - but if you are into the kind of story that Ness weaves (and believe me, you would be) then clear your schedule and make this happe

I really enjoy becoming entrenched in the characters that Mr. Ness has introduced to me. I found myself forgetting that it was science fiction. It all seemed so real; especially the emotions, mine and those emanating from his pages. This book can make your stomach tighten in fear that it's not going to go the way you would like. (Especially after reading the first book in this trilogy.) It is highly recommended that you read this book second and I'm very much looking forward to the third and final book.