There are a whole lot of ideas flying around in The Knife of Never Letting Go. The central premise is that men can hear each other’s thoughts, constantly giving off what they call “Noise.” That’d be enough to keep things interesting, but then other ideas are layered on top of it: it takes place on an alien planet, all women were wiped out by a virus, and oh yeah, animals can talk. In fact, the book opens with:
“The first thing you find out when yer dog learns to talk is that dogs don’t got nothing much to say. About anything.”
That “yer” tips you off to the style the book is written in. It’s told from the perspective of Todd, a twelve(ish) year old kid who actually talks like a kid. The novel is brilliantly written in his voice, with plenty of misspelled words, misunderstandings, and internal struggle. I find the parenthetical “shut up” after admitting any emotion to the reader particularly cute.
The point of view and style are a kid’s, but the substance of the story is very much adult. It goes to some dark places, made all the darker by characters that are easy to care about. I shouldn’t have read this at work, because it almost made me break down during my lunch break (shut up).
At least Ness takes responsibility for his actions:
I was ready to gushingly recommend this book like I’ve never gushingly recommended before, but there is one problem: it’s the first in a series. It’s very much the first in a series. By the end, I wasn’t quite expecting cliffhanger after cliffhanger, followed by needing to read two more books. I suppose it’s still a positive that it left me wanting more, but, uuungh.
Anyway, read my Noise: read this book.
Phronk.com 
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4 responses to “Book Review: The Knife of Never Letting Go, by Patrick Ness”
This has been on my “to read” list for quite some time. Maybe I'll need to move it up and give it a read soon. I do most of my reading on the subway though, don't want people on the train to see me cry.
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This has been on my “to read” list for quite some time. Maybe I'll need to move it up and give it a read soon. I do most of my reading on the subway though, don't want people on the train to see me cry.
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*TRUTH & Victory! BREAKING CLUES in the MURDER CASE – by Dani Kekoa: JonBenét Ramsey Ransom Note – ShadowGov = “Small Foreign Faction” led by Convicted Child Abuser & Serial Child-Killer, Robert Adolph Enyart of Denver Bible Cult.
This has been a work in progress, but in light of the recent child murders & abductions in the CO area, I thought I would blow the whistle a little sooner on who murdered JonBenet Ramsey so the community can be aware of the MONSTER among us. Some changes still may be made, but here it is…Boulder PD & Westminster PD have a copy too! 😉
The “Small Foreign Faction” includes the following “group of individuals” who have been bound together for over twenty years: Master-mind Pastor Bob Enyart who wants to take over the country, his supporter Sheriff’s Deputy and snuff-style horror novelist, Gordon Carroll . Ex-US Marine, friend and BEL Co-Host, Doug McBurney, who also has a business called Bound Inc. in addition to his YouTube account under BoundInc. Other long-time criminal offenders such as Ken Scott and countless unknown political assassins belong to ShadowGov. The combination of these clinically-ill characteristics makes these ShadowGov men textbook cases as dangerous threats to society. According to Enyart, as of the late 1990's he has “Judges” stationed in 100 major cities nationwide ready for orders.
Founder of ShadowGov.com, Pastor Bob Enyart of Denver Bible Church: A Twice Divorced, Adulterer, Porn Addict, Convicted Child-Abuser, a “Christian” radio talk-show host (KGOV.com), “prolife” spokesman for American Right to Life, as well as the “key” person” behind PersonhoodUSA and other “pro-life” organizations.
Bob Enyart is also the Religious Psychopath who MURDERED Jon Benet Ramsey & framed her parents for the crime.
Victory, S.B.T.C = ShadowGov Breaks The Case = Strangle Bind Torture Children
READ JBR Ransom Note Public Doc: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1e1OjFLI45j53YcCK_OA7AS8RmpXSRbC96EWcwEoGdTw/edit
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*TRUTH & Victory! BREAKING CLUES in the MURDER CASE – by Dani Kekoa: JonBenét Ramsey Ransom Note – ShadowGov = “Small Foreign Faction” led by Convicted Child Abuser & Serial Child-Killer, Robert Adolph Enyart of Denver Bible Cult.This has been a work in progress, but in light of the recent child murders & abductions in the CO area, I thought I would blow the whistle a little sooner on who murdered JonBenet Ramsey so the community can be aware of the MONSTER among us. Some changes still may be made, but here it is…Boulder PD & Westminster PD have a copy too! 😉 The “Small Foreign Faction” includes the following “group of individuals” who have been bound together for over twenty years: Master-mind Pastor Bob Enyart who wants to take over the country, his supporter Sheriff’s Deputy and snuff-style horror novelist, Gordon Carroll . Ex-US Marine, friend and BEL Co-Host, Doug McBurney, who also has a business called Bound Inc. in addition to his YouTube account under BoundInc. Other long-time criminal offenders such as Ken Scott and countless unknown political assassins belong to ShadowGov. The combination of these clinically-ill characteristics makes these ShadowGov men textbook cases as dangerous threats to society. According to Enyart, as of the late 1990's he has “Judges” stationed in 100 major cities nationwide ready for orders. Founder of ShadowGov.com, Pastor Bob Enyart of Denver Bible Church: A Twice Divorced, Adulterer, Porn Addict, Convicted Child-Abuser, a “Christian” radio talk-show host (KGOV.com), “prolife” spokesman for American Right to Life, as well as the “key” person” behind PersonhoodUSA and other “pro-life” organizations.Bob Enyart is also the Religious Psychopath who MURDERED Jon Benet Ramsey & framed her parents for the crime.Victory, S.B.T.C = ShadowGov Breaks The Case = Strangle Bind Torture ChildrenREAD JBR Ransom Note Public Doc: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1e1OjFLI45j53YcCK_OA7AS8RmpXSRbC96EWcwEoGdTw/edit
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