Book Review: More Than This by Patrick Ness

Pros: interesting philosophy, some fun characters, heart-wrenching situations

Cons: somewhat open ended story

For Parents: some sexual content, gay content (nothing graphic), suicide, some violence, off screen bullying and abuse

When Seth Wearing drowns in the ocean he expects that to be the end.  So he's shocked when he wakes up outside the house in England where he lived as a child.  The house his family moved from quickly after the incident.   The incident that changed his younger brother.  

His new world is abandoned, overgrown with plants and empty of human life.  And Seth has no idea what's going on.  But he suspects this is Hell.

This is an interesting story that will keep you on your toes.  While I did see a few of the plot twists coming, others were complete surprises.  It's a tough novel to discuss without potentially spoiling some of the plot twists, but I'll try.

I love Seth as a character.  He's constantly doubting the new world he finds himself in, while at the same time reliving in dreams the best and worst times of his life.  I also love Thomasz, with his broken english and intelligent plans.  He really doesn't get the credit he deserves from the other characters.  Regine is also great as a feisty overweight black teen who understands more about Seth than Seth's willing to tell.  Seth's best friends are interesting too, and I was blown away when a particular relationship came to light.  It put the use of the friendly insult 'homo' they use in a different, and more positive, light.

Some of the characters have truly gut-wrenching moments to share.  There is some abuse and bullying mentioned, as well as other violence.  But as with the sexual content, there's nothing graphic.

It takes a while to discover what's really going on, and at times Seth's reticence to explain his past and inability to explain what he discovers about his present is frustrating as you want to know what he's learned/experienced.  The ending was fairly open to interpretation, which makes the book thought-provoking, though I'd have liked another chapter delivering more of a sense of closure.

This is a book about growing up.  About learning that everyone else is the centre of their universe just as you are the centre of yours.  While it's easy to take everything others do personally, not every action is meant as a reaction to you or what you've done.  Despite having some valuable life lessons this isn't a preachy novel and Seth doesn't come by these realizations easily.  But they are good, hopeful, lessons for teens.  And I hope a lot of teens - and adults - pick up this book.

Book Review: Monsters of men by Patrick Ness

Pros: fast paced, action packed, shows some of the realities of war, learn more about the indigenous race

Cons: it's hard to believe how willing people are to follow Pres. Prentiss considering all the evils he has perpetrated, no downtime for the characters to consider their actions and thereby reducing character growth for this book

The spackle army has arrived along with another scout ship from the approaching colonists.  Both Todd and Viola are forced to make difficult decisions with regards to how to handle things that are happening too fast.  They want peace.  Is war really what's required to achieve it?  And is Pres. Prentiss redeemable the way his actions in leading the army make it appear?

The final volume of the Chaos Walking trilogy is a wild ride of war, terrorism, almost peace and tough choices.

For the first time we get to see the world from the point of view of the indigenous race, the Land (whom the humans call the spackle).  It's a culture adapted to a world where all thoughts are shared.  The way information is shared and hidden was creatively decided by the author.

The book had less down time for the characters to think about their actions - making it a bit of a wearying read for me.  I wanted to see more introspection, more consideration and discussion of consequences - at least by the adults.  But things happened so quickly and each chapter seemed to bring a new crisis.  There was no time to rest - for the characters or the reader.

I also found it hard to believe how willing the people - especially Todd - were to forget Pres. Prentiss's crimes.  Todd was tortured by the man!  He watched Viola tortured by his order.  The man banded all the women, killed all the spackle slaves.  He purposely caused the war with the spackle and yet the townsmen all cheered for him.  Yes, it's partially explained away by the President having power via Noise over people, but really, that much power?  Enough power to make the women forget the bands on their arms?

Then again, difficult situations can cause people to do strange things, and if the President was the only one with the skills to save them then maybe it's understandable that the people ignored the past and focused on the present.

The ending was surprising and remarkably well written.  It somehow fit the story - increasing the tragedy while again showing what can be learned through trials.

Chaos Walking.  Go read it.

Book Review: The Ask and the Answer by Patrick Ness

Pros: tense, shows how good people can be made to do bad things, thought provoking, great writing

Cons: incorrect grammar and spelling may be challenging for weak readers, violent

For Parents: fair amount of swearing, terrorism, torture (not excessively graphic but it is described), no sex

Todd and Viola have reached Haven, now New Prentisstown.  Separated by President Prentiss and not knowing if the other is alive, Todd's put to work under Davy Prentis's command.  Meanwhile, Viola learns about the Answer, a resistance movement against the President's rule.

But things quickly escalate for both protagonists and the line between good and evil is broken as each makes difficult choices.

Todd, Viola and Davy are all fleshed out characters.  Their motivations and decisions, while not always good, are understandable given the circumstances.

There's a fair bit of violence in this book, including torture.  While it's not excessive, younger readers will find it disturbing.  There's also more swearing in this book than the previous one.

It's a thought provoking book, showing not only how people will give up freedoms in the face of terrorism (both from guerrillas and the government) and how easy it is to go from one depravity to a worse one; to relax your morals bit by bit until nothing's sacrosanct.  Or almost nothing.

Great writing, fist person POV (both Todd and Viola) and lots of action make this a fantastic read.

Book Review: The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness

Pros: high tension, action packed, interesting concept, character growth, good use of literary techniques to achieve the above, great message, you'll be left reaching for the next book in the series

Cons: There's some violence, so it's rated 14 and up, some actual swearing (and lots of 'fake' swearing),  for stronger teen readers

Unlike the older men in his village of Prentisstown, Todd Hewitt was born on this world.  He was born with the Noise - the sound of everyone's thoughts - man and animal,  night and day.  Born after the war that killed all the natives, the Spacks.  Born after the Spacks unleashed the germ that caused the Noise and killed all the women.

Todd Hewitt is 30 days from his 13th birthday.  Thirty days from becoming a man when he and his dog Manchee come across something they've never encountered before.  Silence.

This encounter turns Todd's world upside down, as everything he thought he knew about his world is brought into question.  He's forced to flee with the source of the silence in an attempt to find answers and safety from the men of Prentisstown.  Men who are finally putting into motion a plan they've been brewing for years.

Patrick Ness is a master of the craft.  He uses first person to get the reader into Todd's head and, despite the Noise, Todd and those around him manage to keep secrets - from each other and the reader.

Repetition is used for emphasis, while clipped phrases are a means of ratcheting up the tension.  Ness also cleverly sidesteps the use of profanity by using 'effing', while letting the reader know the boy isn't REALLY saying 'effing'.

Every time you get close to understanding what's going on something else happens, forcing Todd further along his journey, and pulling the reader along for the ride.

There's also a great message towards the end.  And you'll want the sequel on hand when you finish this one.

This is one of the best teen books I've ever read.  It's great for both teens and adults, and you'll be hard pressed not to read on.