The Ask and the Answer

Chaos Walking, Book 2

By: Patrick Ness

Narrated by: Angela Dawe, Nick Podehl

The riveting Chaos Walking trilogy by two-time Carnegie Medalist Patrick Ness.

“Grim and beautifully written.... Superb.... This is among the best YA science fiction novels of the year.” (Publishers Weekly, starred review)

Reaching the end of their flight in The Knife of Never Letting Go, Todd and Viola did not find healing and hope in Haven. They found instead their worst enemy, Mayor Prentiss, waiting to welcome them to New Prentisstown. There they are forced into separate lives: Todd to prison, and Viola to a house of healing where her wounds are treated. Soon Viola is swept into the ruthless activities of the Answer, while Todd faces impossible choices when forced to join the mayor’s oppressive new regime. In alternating narratives the two struggle to reconcile their own dubious actions with their deepest beliefs. Torn by confusion and compromise, suspicion and betrayal, can their trust in each other possibly survive?

©2010 Patrick Ness (P)2010 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Science fiction lovers will be looking for the next installment in this fast-paced and imaginative series." ( School Library Journal)

As good as the first book

I don’t like how Mr. Ness enjoys leaving his books end on cliffhangers. Very annoying.

Wonderful

The story is so grand I can't wait to start the 3rd in the series

Such a good story

Even better than the first. Loved it and couldn’t wait to finish the story. Very Divergent/Hunger Games, so if you enjoyed those this is for you.

Terrible protagonist

The main character is whiny, codependent, obsessed with a very narrow definition of what it means to be a good person, and meanwhile engages in and is complicit in terrible acts, but it's all okay because the heroine still likes him. He's terrible.

the first book was great, but this one . . .

The Knife of Never Letting Go was a brilliant and tragic exploration of the hard choices of life and personal struggle between trying to be good and trying to survive.

Book 2 explores further what it means to be human, what it means to feel out of control. It's well written and takes an interesting and good twist when book 2 adds the voice of Viola, the female protagonist. It's all a bit too real when it comes to the horrors of war, the unfairness of life, and the weakness of men. It gives some insight into how well-intentioned people can become monsters. war, slavery, rape, masogeny, genocide. all things you must suffer through when reading this book.

the ending, however, becomes a long-winded diatribe from the villain and the decision our idiot main character makes at the last moment of the book can only be justified by the need for a third book in the trilogy.

The author is brilliant, the story and characters depthful and engaging (well, the female characters are a little flatter than the male characters, but I'll forgive the author for this), but the ending of book two - a book which spends all of its time dragging your heart and soul through the muck of the very worst of human action - after this ending, I'm so annoyed that I don't think I'll be reading book 3.