We travel at a good clip with no dull or wasted places and just when we think its going to work out ok for him. There are satisfyingly horrible 'baddies' and events, and very likeable 'goodies' in the story. We journey with Todd as he is forced to leave his home, discover the cause of the quiet within the 'noise' and face his many difficulties with Manchee but without vital knowledge.

The construction and imagery of this new world is subtle and believably alien, the characters true and the events dramatic, graphic and surprising. It's a coming-of-age storyline yet its quite complex. One of the best spoken books I've ever heard.Īwesome, can't wait for the next in the series. Like Philip Pullman, he doesn't give an inch. Ness' s writing is intense, rhythmic, slow and repetitive. Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?Īnyone who has read this will be in no doubt what the most moving scene is! I arrived at work in tears and felt it tugging at my heart all day. The character of Manchee the dog is an amazing achievement.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Knife of Never Letting Go? Not over- dramatic warm and gutsy and real. It kept getting put at the bottom of the pile.Then I started listening on my way into school and back and was quickly gripped and thoroughly involved. I am a school librarian and the kids have been telling me for a while that this was wonderful- but I have grown a bit allergic to Dystopian Fantasy- indeed, any fantasy recently!- and this is a tough one to get into. What did you like most about The Knife of Never Letting Go? I've just listened to the audio book and Humphry Bower does his usual amazing job turning in a powerful, energetic performance, (except I'd always thought of the settlers having an American deep south accent! but what do I know, rural England works too!). The story of a boy and his dog and a girl, who are running for their lives seems simple, but like the very best literature, the actual way this story is written is revolutionary and transporting. It's hard to describe how I fealt reading this book the prose is so raw and brutal and funny and tragic and very 'new'. This comes from a 40 something teacher who has to plough through some drab 'teen' fiction for a living, and who's favourite author is Jane Austen!. I read this book a couple of years ago, based on a librarian's recommendation and once I'd got passed the first few confusing pages and got used to the raw writing style I realised it was one of the most amazing books I'd ever read in my life.

The knife of never letting go series