The Knife of Never Letting Go

Todd Hewitt lives in a town comprised of only men. That isn’t the only unique feature though. In Prentisstown, everyone’s thoughts are both visible and audible. This leads to a tremendous Noise, and secrets are buried and drowned out through screaming thoughts. This town has a monsterous secret that Todd stumbles upon while walking through the swamp. Once he discovers this secret, he is thrust into a race for his life. While on the run, he learns that everything he has ever known is a lie.

This science fiction thriller is great for any YA reader who loves dystopian and apocolyptic series’. Patrick Ness has a way of writing that keeps you turning the pages, and then buying the next two books in the series the moment you finish reading The Knife of Never Letting Go. An obvious follow up novel would be the next two books in Patrick Ness’ Chaos Walking Trilogy, Monsters of Men and The Ask and The Answer.

Chapter 6: Fiction Genres for Adolescents

Science Fiction and Fantasy writers create alternate universes that are still wholly real to the reader and often times provide a parallel for the times that we are currently living in, or with issues that we are currently dealing with. In The Knife of Never Letting Go, Patrick Ness created a main character that YA readers will identify with: he feels alone and lied to, and is searching for the truth. 

Ness, P. (2008). The knife of never letting go. Cambridge, Mass.: Candlewick Press.