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Prentisstown isn't like other towns. Everyone can hear everyone else's thoughts in an overwhelming, never-ending stream of Noise. Just a month away from the birthday that will make him a man, Todd and his dog, Manchee -- whose thoughts Todd can hear too, whether he wants to or not -- stumble upon an area of complete silence. They find that in a town where privacy is impossible, something terrible has been hidden -- a secret so awful that Todd and Manchee must run for their lives.

But how do you escape when your pursuers can hear your every thought?

i am reading my Czeh version of the book so I hope the names are not that different :)
Chapters 1-3 (view spoiler)[ I cannot really imagine anyone would hear my thoughts. And living without women - so sad! So now I am quite curious what happened with the world, why does Todd have to leave? (hide spoiler)]

Chapters 4-6 (view spoiler)[If I were Todd I would be so mad! You tell me I have to escape? But why? I want to know what's happening?? And then there's the girl - that's gonna be interesting :) (hide spoiler)]

I'm starting this one this morning! Hopefully will catch up to you so I can read through the spoiler tags =)

Elise wrote: "I'm starting this one this morning! Hopefully will catch up to you so I can read through the spoiler tags =)"

I hope you'll like it :)

Chapter 9 (view spoiler)[ I just have more and more questions and no questions get answered in this book! It's a bit frustrating :D Where is the girl from? Does she understand Todd? Does she speak the same language? :D (hide spoiler)]

Up to Chapter 4 (pg 39)

Petra wrote: "i am reading my Czeh version of the book so I hope the names are not that different :)
Chapters 1-3 [spoilers removed]"

It's definitely an interesting plot so far. Why did they leave the Old World? Is the really the reasons that the Church gave or for something else?

My God, though, the writing style is difficult to get through at first. The dog is SUPER annoying (as are the other animals), and Todd's narrative and "broken English" is grating my nerves at times. I'm hoping it's like Red Blood Road and you get used to the vernacular the further into the book you get. I can definitely see how people could go crazy from having to listen to not just the thoughts of everyone around them, but all the animals too! I don't think I'd be able to live with it. How about you?

Why do you think the natives on the planet got rid of all the women? Do you think it was just to handicap the intruders and try to get them to leave, or do you think they had other reasons in mind too?

Elise wrote: "Up to Chapter 4 (pg 39)

Petra wrote: "i am reading my Czeh version of the book so I hope the names are not that different :)
Chapters 1-3 [spoilers removed]"

It's definitely an interesting plot..."

Well as I am reading the translated version the writing style is not so visible but I've heard that some people are not fond of it. I actually don't like reading in Czech but the book was super cheap and English original versions are super expensive in the Czech Republic so I decided to go with Czech.

I guess there was a reason to get rid of women but I have no idea why. I do think it will be some crazy twisted and weird reason as there are some weird characters - Aaron and the Mayor.

As for Manchee - I've heard amazing things about the dog but he is kind of annoing :D But I like the idea of animal eing able to speak - even though they just speak nonsense.

I've only read the first page so far, and the dog was already totally annoying. And I'm struggling with the writing style so far. But it's only the first page, so I dunno.

Twila wrote: "I've only read the first page so far, and the dog was already totally annoying. And I'm struggling with the writing style so far. But it's only the first page, so I dunno."

Now I am tempted to go for English version and to see the writing style... :D damn :D

Chapter 10-11 (view spoiler)[I wonder whether the girl can heat the noise or not... and why is the whole town following one boy? Is he somehow special? It could be something with the fact that Todd is the youngest in the town... (hide spoiler)]

Elise wrote: "Up to Chapter 4 (pg 39)

Petra wrote: "i am reading my Czeh version of the book so I hope the names are not that different :)
Chapters 1-3 [spoilers removed]"

It's definitely an interesting plot..."

I definitely would not be able stay sane if I heard every animal's thoughts. But I always thought it would be really cool to know what my dog was thinking, but not so much now if all they can think about is poo.

I have no idea why all they killed off the women. Like, do they want the world to end or something?
The writing is getting on my nerves as well, but I'm slowly (very slowly) getting used to it.

What I like is how very original this story seems so far.

Petra wrote: "Twila wrote: "I've only read the first page so far, and the dog was already totally annoying. And I'm struggling with the writing style so far. But it's only the first page, so I dunno."

Now I am ..."

So in Czech, the writing seems very normal?
Now I wish I could read Czech :D

Twila wrote: "Petra wrote: "Twila wrote: "I've only read the first page so far, and the dog was already totally annoying. And I'm struggling with the writing style so far. But it's only the first page, so I dunn..."

It seems a bit vernacular but otherwise the reading experience is perfectly okay :D

Up to Part II/Chapter 7 (pg 67)

Petra wrote: " I do think it will be some crazy twisted and weird reason as there are some weird characters - Aaron and the Mayor. "

Aaron is definitely weird! Going around, punching people just for saying curse words. Seriously? And it appears, based on Aaron's revelation, that everyone in the small community knows about the secret except for Todd. Doesn't seem like his family did him much good by keeping it a secret from him. If I were Todd, I would have been angry too!


Twila wrote: "But I always thought it would be really cool to know what my dog was thinking, but not so much now if all they can think about is poo."

I used to think this too until I got a dog of my own. She's so simple minded I know all she thinking about is pee, poo, food, treat!, and sleeeeeep. It would be kind of interesting to know what animals are thinking, like when my dog spots a squirrel climbing up a tree, but only if it was an ability you could turn on and off, so you wouldn't have to listen to everything and everything all the time unfiltered.

I definitely want to know more about the Spackles; I think they don't want the world to end, but they do want the humans who have invaded them to die off. That's my guess so far.

Now that I'm through part 1, the narrative seems to be a little easier to adjust to.

P.S. I wonder why no one ever thought Todd to run zig zag from crocs since they don't have peripheral vision... unless these are different than the crocs we have on Earth.

@Elise. A lot of people actually don't know that fact about Crocs and Alligators. And I don't know, but Todd doesn't seem to be very educated. With the way he talks and all.

Chapter 9 (view spoiler)[ I think Todd not killing Aaron will someday come back to bite him. Aaron seems like a relentless person. He will hunt them down, I think.
And I wonder why the girl is silent. She understands him, so ...? (hide spoiler)]

Twila wrote: "@Elise. A lot of people actually don't know that fact about Crocs and Alligators. And I don't know, but Todd doesn't seem to be very educated. With the way he talks and all."

I didn't realize that! I guess we learned that here because my entire home state is basically a swamp and they are a regular site even in cities.

I think Todd is actually rather educated, relatively speaking compared to the rest, thanks to the guys who raised him. But their whole society is based on repression of the written word, etc. so I get what you're saying =)

Elise wrote: "Up to Part II/Chapter 7 (pg 67)

Petra wrote: " I do think it will be some crazy twisted and weird reason as there are some weird characters - Aaron and the Mayor. "

Aaron is definitely weird! Go..."

I didn't know that about crocs! :D

Chapter 14 (view spoiler)[ okay, so Viola is finally talking. If the virus didn't kill the women then people had to do it... but the question is why? (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 15 (view spoiler)[ oh no... New settlers that want to come to this crazy weird world...that's not a good thing! I wonder if the world is just some random planet or a planet we know... (hide spoiler)]

Up to Chapter 10 (pg 93)

Petra wrote: "Chapter 9 I just have more and more questions and no questions get answered in this book! It's a bit frustrating :D"

This is exactly my thought at the end of chapter nine! On one hand, it really sucks you into the story, making you want to curl up in bed and binge read it. On the other hand, it is infuriating sometimes!

The new character is definitely intriguing, bringing more questions than answers, as is what she led him to, making us just as confused as he is at this point.

Hi, guys :) Would you mind if I joined you? My friend Ivy might be joining us as well. I'm behind and probably won't catch up. But hope you don't mind discussing with me anyway!

Up to Chapter 7/ Part II (pg. 67/ 13%)
I would definitely go crazy having to listen to all those thoughts! I know my own thoughts often fall into patterns and repetitions (and that's with lots of new books to keep my mind occupied, which they don't have in Prentisstown)- I would HATE having to listen to everyone else's! (Not to mention other people's fantasies- MAJOR EWW!) And the animals! It would certainly take the joy out of owning a pet, IMO. Part of the advantage of pets is that they're restful to be around (which wouldn't be true if they were constantly thinking about poo and you could hear it).

It's definitely a good plot premise. I'm very curious about everything and also doubtful about what Todd has been taught about what happened in their world. I have a partial theory about the women dying, but don't want to say too much.

I've never been crazy about books that utilize a form of dialect, instead of what we'd consider proper English. I understand its value as a storytelling and artistic tool, but it's still just not my favorite. Probably it's the fact that the editor part of me wants to go through and correct all the "mistakes" taking away from my reading enjoyment. So far, this is bugging me less than most though. It's an interesting choice to plant us so deeply within Todd's POV that even his poor grasp of spelling comes through.

Is it just me, or do tons of fantasy/dystopia/sci-fi writers anymore introduce you to their book's world by throwing you a bunch of terms specific to it without explaining what they mean, just expecting you to figure it out? I know infodumps aren't great (though I think I'm less bothered by them than some people, as long as they don't go on for forever), but I also don't like to have to guess about things in books (especially regarding world building). I'm not saying this book is any worse about this than most books I've read lately. These opening chapters immediately drew me in and left me wanting more. However, I was also very confused, trying to figure out the context of the book, how our world connected to theirs. Combining a bunch of references, I've figured it out I think, but it took a bit more thought than I might have liked (which makes me sound lazy, which I guess I am to some degree as a reader). But major points for the originality of the book and premise. Maybe that was the reason I struggled with context- Ness painted a real picture for me right away, which I didn't fit with my idea of a sci-fi type book (but that's a good thing, ultimately).

Did you guys have any theories about the (view spoiler)[quiet before it was revealed to be a girl? (hide spoiler)] Unfortunately, I had read a review at some point that told me that, so I already knew.

I had forgotten that about crocodiles- it's good to know! They scare me to death- I'm glad I don't live where you do, Elise ;)

Yay Emily! I'm glad you could join us. And your friend as well. The more the merrier!

I only ever thought about what it would be like to hear animals' thoughts, not other humans'. Now that I think about it, it sounds like a very terrible thing to live through if you can't turn it off and on.
There are a lot of perverted people in the world, and seeing their thoughts?... No please.

I don't have any theories about the quiet. The girl is a whole enigma to me :D

But if you don't know it for sure, I totally want to hear your theory about the women dying!

Emily wrote: "Is it just me, or do tons of fantasy/dystopia/sci-fi writers anymore introduce you to their book's world by throwing you a bunch of terms specific to it without explaining what they mean, just expecting you to figure it out? I know infodumps aren't great (though I think I'm less bothered by them than some people, as long as they don't go on for forever), but I also don't like to have to guess about things in books (especially regarding world building). I'm not saying this book is any worse about this than most books I've read lately. These opening chapters immediately drew me in and left me wanting more. However, I was also very confused, trying to figure out the context of the book, how our world connected to theirs. Combining a bunch of references, I've figured it out I think, but it took a bit more thought than I might have liked (which makes me sound lazy, which I guess I am to some degree as a reader). But major points for the originality of the book and premise. Maybe that was the reason I struggled with context- Ness painted a real picture for me right away, which I didn't fit with my idea of a sci-fi type book (but that's a good thing, ultimately)."

I actually kind of like it when they do this. It makes it confusing a lot of times, but it also really gets me invested in the story. I like it even more when it's the same revelations for the characters themselves - where they don't understand what is going on either, and you learn it as they do. I feel like I connect so much with the characters that way. Have you read Inside Out/Outside In books? This is one of my favorite examples of a book/series like that.


Twila wrote: "There are a lot of perverted people in the world, and seeing their thoughts?... No please."

I thought Ness handled that point well with the way Todd was saying he'd never seen a woman in person, only through vids and through the Noise. And that when he saw it through the Noise, they were always naked. And that's a tame way of probably putting all the different type things you would pick up on with the Noise. On one hand, I think it could help cut down on premeditated violence (because you would hear someone plotting bad things about you). But I don't know if that benefit would outweigh the costs.

Twila wrote: "Yay Emily! I'm glad you could join us. And your friend as well. The more the merrier!..."
Thanks, Twila!


Twila wrote: "Now that I think about it, it sounds like a very terrible thing to live through if you can't turn it off and on.
There are a lot of perverted people in the world, and seeing their thoughts?... No please."

I completely agree!


Twila wrote: "I don't have any theories about the quiet. The girl is a whole enigma to me :D
But if you don't know it for sure, I totally want to hear your theory about the women dying!"

All I found out about (view spoiler)[the quiet is that it was a girl, (hide spoiler)] so from here on I'll get to find out things as the author intended.
It's just a hunch (and I definitley haven't figured out the details), but my partial theory about the women dying is that (view spoiler)[the men are actually responsible for their deaths, not the spackles. Maybe the men accidentally released a virus intended for the Spackles, but it backfired somehow. Maybe they intentionally killed the women for some reason. But it seems strange to me that the Spackles would release a germ that would kill the women, instead of one killing the men, because it is more often the men who are fighters. Just a thought. (hide spoiler)]


Elise wrote: "I actually kind of like it when they do this. It makes it confusing a lot of times, but it also really gets me invested in the story. I like it even more when it's the same revelations for the characters themselves - where they don't understand what is going on either, and you learn it as they do. I feel like I connect so much with the characters that way."

I totally agree that it's awesome when we learn things along with the characters (like Harry Potter style). Having the MC start out as an outsider is a great way to introduce the readers to a world in a gradual and understandable way, without tons of infodumps, etc. I think this book is going to be great because we get to go on Todd's journey with him as he figures out the truths about his world and town.
And maybe the method employed by this and other books is the best possible way for bringing us up to speed on what a character knows starting off and what the world (when it's a significantly alternate world, like this one) is like. I just read a lot of fantasy and sometimes wish there was a way to fast track the first few chapters, so I could immediately have a handle on the world- but obviously that's not realistic ;)

Up to Part III/Chapter 13 (pg 131)


Twila wrote: "Chapter 9 [hide spoiler]"

I hadn't really thought much about this, because I guess I stupidly thought Todd's journey out of town would be a simply one. But you were totally right about this! And Todd realizes pretty darn quick too.


Emily wrote: "It's just a hunch (and I definitley haven't figured out the details), but my partial theory about the women dying is that (view spoiler)"

That's an interesting thought and makes a lot of sense. I just wonder how the humans would have (view spoiler)[known about the Noise germ in the first place. I am still trying to figure out what Todd would have had to do to reach manhood in a month. Was he supposed to kill the girl, which is why Ben and the other guy freaked when he told them about the void in the Noise? (hide spoiler)]


I definitely like (view spoiler)[the girl. I figured all along she could talk/understand him, but was staying silent while she tried to gauge Todd's character and true intentions - especially if she could hear his Noise even though he couldn't hear hers. But where did she come from? And why? (hide spoiler)] I'm still more than a little confused about this whole world, but it's early on yet!

Chapter 18 (view spoiler)[ I want to know what exactly happened between Prentisstown and Farbranch! (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 19 (view spoiler)[ I just want my answers not other questions! It's a bit frustrating to have everything without the answer - like what did Todd see in Mathew's noise? (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 23 (view spoiler)[Oh I hate young Prentiss... how people can be so horrible? I guess it has to do something with the upbringing... And seriously! It's so nice that Todd is not able to kill a person - he's a teenager and those should not be able to kill! I hope he manages to go through his journey without killing (hide spoiler)]


I have to say, I've heard so many booktubers talk about this series, that it is one of their favourite but I don't see it... it's quite likeable but what makes it so popular? I don't get it... For example, I love A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness.. I know I can enjoy his books... but this one is just okay I would say (so far)

The end of the fourth part (view spoiler)[ Oh noooo! I really thought he could survive without killing... and Aaron again? Why doesn't he die? :D (hide spoiler)]

Up to Part III/ Chapter 13 (pg. 131/ 25%)

I'm definitely liking this book, but wouldn't say I'm loving it. For one thing, the somewhat horror-ish aspects make me uncomfortable. (I've never liked horror at all- I don't like being scared or grossed out.)

All the many questions building up without any answers is a bit frustrating, but it's definitely kept my brain engaged, thinking about it since I started the book! I've started to put a few things possibly together, but it wasn't easy. I think Ness potentially managed to hide some clues really cleverly in the first few chapters (which I read twice because I was somewhat confused, something I think is paying off) that my subconscious has managed to fit together (though I could be wrong). And I'm loving the process of that fitting together, the little "oh maybe that's..." moments! But there's still a ton left unanswered for me. Hopefully, we'll start getting some answers now!

Ness seems to me to be fairly demanding from his readers, which isn't a bad thing, IMO! Similar to how I had to work to put things together, his writing style lets you fill a lot in with imagination, giving you little hints and letting you connect those bits as you want. For example, I find it very interesting that he's never really described Manchee (unless I missed it). How do you guys picture him? In my mind, he's this unrealistic, almost cartoonish, mashup mutt (which is a bit strange, I admit).

I realized that I got invested in Todd quite quickly for me (like within the first 10%), and I'm really not sure how Ness managed to do that! In fact, I'm also attached to Ben and Cillian, (view spoiler)[despite our brief introduction to them. I really hope they aren't dead! (hide spoiler)] One thing that definitely bothered me about Todd, though, was that (view spoiler)[he gave up so easily on trying to read the note Ben left him. Obviously, it's important! And he needs more information to know if letting Viola stay with him is safe or not. Hopefully, she can read, so she can help him read the journal now. I like her as well, what I've seen so far. Having her not speak at first was an interesting choice on the author's part (beyond it's obvious uses for the plot) because I feel like I know her well in some ways and in others she's a complete blank slate. (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 31 (view spoiler)[ Nooooo Manchee!! I didn't like the dog that much but the scene was so hard... (hide spoiler)]

The sixth part - finally getting some answers! (view spoiler)[ So basically all Prentisstown men are crazy, weird and mental! Prentiss himself is craving power and he makes monsters out of regular men... and they killed the women! for the most stupid reasons ever. I liked the scene where Viola reads from the Todd's mother's book. That was very emotional!

And it's nice to see that people can know each other even without the noise - Todd understands Viola even though she doesn't have the noise.

Okay... Aaron is so mental! At least he is finally dead but poor Viola... and then she got shot! I hope she'll survive. But the book finished and I have not the idea of ending... I think it's too much open for my taste. (hide spoiler)]

I am up to part IV after binge reading last night. And I am loving this! The entire concept and the world in which the characters find themselves is so intriguing!

I find myself always wondering if this planet is Earth, but the 2 moons throw me off. It gets mentioned often enough that I'm curious if it will play bigger part in the story.

I think I like the dialect myself. It really immerses you in the character of Todd and his mindset and way of thinking. He isn't uneducated exactly, although at some points he frustrates me. (view spoiler)[He is too prideful to let Viola help him read the journal and that grates on me so hard. He knows he can't read that well. If he would just accept her help, they could figure things out faster. (hide spoiler)] There is another thing that bothers me about him and that is (view spoiler)[that he seems so confused when people tell him things that don't match up to his own knowledge when he was told that he was lied to. (hide spoiler)] It doesn't bother me as a major flaw and I understand the reasoning behind it. Getting hit with all this information when you've been told something else your whole life would be hard.

Manchee is really endearing to me. I like that his character really seems to get that pure dog feeling through to the reader. He is occasionally annoying and doesn't always listen, but he is loyal and protects Todd when it matters. I always find myself fearing for his little life because dogs in media doesn't equal a happy ending most of the time. (view spoiler)[His poor tail! My heart was overwhelmed at that part. (hide spoiler)]

I'm so curious as to the reasoning behind (view spoiler)[why the people of Prentisstown want Todd back so badly. Why were the women killed off? What is the backstory of Prentisstown and why is it such taboo? What sorts of things did Todd see in the other men's Noise? (that one really gets me) (hide spoiler)]

@Emily I totally get what you mean about the character descriptions. I can't really recall what any of them look like. Although I believe Manchee has pointed ears only because at one point when they were running it said that he laid his ears back. This little thing makes me see him as a sort of small German Shepherd, which sounds completely wrong. I can't remember at all if/when Todd and Viola were described.
(view spoiler)[I think Cillian would have survived while Ben died only because of the strife it will cause between him and Todd, but that's total speculation. (hide spoiler)]

I'm up to chapter 16
I'm really starting to appreciate the writing style and dialect. It makes the book feel so different than any other YA I've read before. Initially, I really didn't like it, but after about 15%, I'm really enjoying it.
And I'm also starting to care for Manchee. He does get annoying, but don't all our dogs get annoying sometimes? I think he's written very well. And I picture him as just a mutt though, since we are given no descriptions.

And there are two moons? How did I miss that?

At this point, I'm just really wondering what happens to the boys when they become "men". Your theory is really great Emily!
This isn't an easy read though. It's taking me a lot of concentration and thinking trying to put this all together. I love when books are like this though :)

Up to Part IV/Chapter 20 (pg 213)

Petra wrote: "like what did Todd see in Mathew's noise?"

This is what is frustrating me right now too! I don't mind learning along with the character as the plot unravels - that's actually my favorite type of narrative. But when the character finds out but hides it from us? NOT COOL, TODD, NOT COOL!!!!!!


Ivy wrote: "I find myself always wondering if this planet is Earth, but the 2 moons throw me off. It gets mentioned often enough that I'm curious if it will play bigger part in the story."

It feels like, to me, that they left Earth - the allusions to people fighting wars and killing each other, plus the religious groups developed to ship off world to the New World and that Earth is the Old World. I thought for a bit it could have been Earth, but then they revealed that (view spoiler)[they live in space ships and have some rather advanced technology we don't have yet (hide spoiler)].

Also, I'm glad you brought up the two moons because the cover have been bugging me and I need to vent for a second. On the cover, both moons are in the same phase, which makes no sense to me! Even if the planet has two satellites orbiting it and is in a binary star universe, how would both moons be in the same phase? It would mean each moon would be precisely in the same alignment with each of one of the stars. It makes no sense to my science geeky brain (but I realize it has nothing to do with the plot, so I apologize for the tangent).

I'm starting to get in line behind Emily's philosophy behind what happened to the women. It's still unclear, even though Todd apparently heard it through the Noise but doesn't want to believe it and share it with us. But his reaction leads me to believe that (view spoiler)[for some reason, the guys in Todd's settlement killed off all the women and separated themselves from the rest of the settlements over this for one reason or another (hide spoiler)].


Twila wrote: "This isn't an easy read though. It's taking me a lot of concentration and thinking trying to put this all together. I love when books are like this though :) "

True that! I haven't been able to speed read through it at all. It definitely takes more concentration than most novels.

Up to Part IV (pg. 213/ 41%)

Yay, Ivy! Glad you're enjoying it so much!

I also got the sense that the Old World is a futuristic Earth from which settlers have come to populate this New World. (This confused me a bit a first- aligning the fact of the two moons with Todd's use of "Jesus" when swearing in the first chapter.)
Yes, Twila, there are two moons (they've mentioned it in passing a few times).
The two moons being in the same phase on your cover does sound inaccurate even to me, Elise (and I know very little about astronomy).

Todd definitely isn't the fastest on the uptake in figuring out that (view spoiler)[he's been lied to and everything he believes is incorrect! And yeah, his not accepting Viola's help in reading the journal really irritates me as well. (hide spoiler)]

I don't remember Todd and Viola being described either, beyond her having short hair.

The way Ness is intentionally holding back information at this point (like by having Todd not tell us why he sees in other men's Noise) isn't my favorite.

So, question: did you guys get the impression that Ben and Cillian were a couple? I meant to ask this question at the beginning, but forgot, and it's still on my mind. I thought so, but that doesn't necessarily line up with the type of religious the settlers from Prentisstown seem to be, plus at one point, "They clasp hands..." (pg. 47) instead of hugging or anything.

One thing that bugs me a little bit about this book is that there's a sense of such clear distinctions being drawn between men and women. For example, (view spoiler)[when Todd first sees Viola, he immediately knows she's a girl: "she ain’t another boy. She just ain’t. She ain’t me. She ain’t nothing like me at all. She’s something completely other else altogether..." (pg. 69). The Noise virus affecting men and women differently doesn't necessarily bother me because that's possibly just biology, but I'm getting a sense that it goes beyond that in this story. (hide spoiler)] I view the sexes as more equal than that and with less differences between them beyond the obvious.
(view spoiler)[The women being in charge in Farbranch is interesting, but it makes sense. The women would have an advantage in this world because they can read the men's noise without giving off any of their own. (hide spoiler)]

The question that's foremost on my mind right now is (view spoiler)[how exactly and why Viola's quiet impacts Todd. Like when he says, "I still feel my heart pull towards her silence, still feel like I’ve lost something terrible, something so sad I want to weep." (pg. 133). Is it just her quiet that makes him feel this way or any girl/woman's quiet? (hide spoiler)]

Up to Ch XXXVIII (pg 413)

I was hoping to binge through the end since I have two new books to start tomorrow, but I just ran out of steam after the last chapter.

First off, (view spoiler)[Manchee! I don't know why it's so, but it seems like people - myself included! - always seem to care more when animals, especially pets, die than when people do. Probably because animals are more innocent and less deserving of it. The scene with Manchee is no exception. It hit me hard. (hide spoiler)]


Emily wrote: "So, question: did you guys get the impression that Ben and Cillian were a couple? I meant to ask this question at the beginning, but forgot, and it's still on my mind. I thought so, but that doesn't necessarily line up with the type of religious the settlers from Prentisstown seem to be, plus at one point, "They clasp hands..." (pg. 47) instead of hugging or anything."

This was hard for me to read. It felt like they were, right, because it sounds like they came to the New World together, and they were already living on the farm together when they took Todd in to raise him. But you're also right that at least with present day churches that type of relationship is frowned upon and they didn't seem very romantic with each other. But I do think either way they were great dads for Todd =)


Ivy wrote: "I think I like the dialect myself. It really immerses you in the character of Todd and his mindset and way of thinking. He isn't uneducated exactly, although at some points he frustrates me. (view spoiler) There is another thing that bothers me about him and that is (view spoiler) It doesn't bother me as a major flaw and I understand the reasoning behind it. Getting hit with all this information when you've been told something else your whole life would be hard. "

The dialect does start to become natural the further you get into the book. Although it feels at times like it's just natural writing with present day English/grammar, but then at other times Todd speaks or narrates in the phontic speech excessively. I found, later into the novel, that it felt like there was an imbalance that irritated me some. But maybe that's just because the dialect/spellings become second nature the further I got in.

Now, about that revelation where we finally figure out what Todd has been hiding from us for a lot of the time now (again, not cool Todd). It just felt... deflating. (view spoiler)[Did the men in the town really just kill the women because they didn't like the fact that they weren't afflicted by the Noise and that they felt like they couldn't trust them since they couldn't hear their thoughts? Really? And the ones who didn't assist in the killings just stood by and let the crazies go on a murder spree? (hide spoiler)] After 400 pages of build up and suspense and Todd hiding the truth, it felt like when you open a huge box at Christmas just to find a puny little present stuffed down in a gallon of wrapping paper. It just felt a little unsatisfying after all the crazy build up Ness put into it. But, I'm not finished yet, so you never know!


Emily wrote: "One thing that bugs me a little bit about this book is that there's a sense of such clear distinctions being drawn between men and women. For example, (view spoiler) I view the sexes as more equal than that and with less differences between them beyond the obvious."

I saw the differences we saw in Todd's initial reaction as maybe more the distinction in that she didn't have a Noise over anything else, and maybe not in the characteristics of women versus men themselves. But I agree 100% that I view the sexes as more equal with few differences other than anatomy.

Up to Part VI/ Chapter 32 (pg. 353/ 68%)

(view spoiler)[NOOOOO!!! MANCHEE!
Unfortunately, Ivy's paranoia proves justified. Wow, that was a powerfully written scene. I actually had been fairly ambivalent about Manchee for a long time, but ultimately I was very fond of him. His innocence and loyalty won out over his annoyingness- the same things that are why his death affected me so much. He was always good-natured and there to back up Todd, and he didn't seem to have the capability for maliciousness, making him completely undeserving of what happened. I think I'll find myself missing even his repetitive remarks for the rest of the book/ series. (hide spoiler)]


Elise wrote: "The dialect does start to become natural the further you get into the book. Although it feels at times like it's just natural writing with present day English/grammar, but then at other times Todd speaks or narrates in the phontic speech excessively. I found, later into the novel, that it felt like there was an imbalance that irritated me some. But maybe that's just because the dialect/spellings become second nature the further I got in."

It does seem like there are times when Ness remembered to use the dialect and spellings more and times when he didn't as much. But I might just be noticing it more at some points and less at others because it's become far more natural for me as well as I read.

Finished
A solid 4 stars for me. It was quite gripping and very original.
(view spoiler)[That ending was quite a cliff hanger. (hide spoiler)] I plan to continue and am very interested to see where Ness takes this story in the next books.

I agree, Elise, that when all the answers were finally revealed it felt a bit anticlimactic. I think Ness waited a bit too long to tell us everything and a hundred pages before or so the revelations would have had more impact. I hadn't realized (view spoiler)[that Aaron wanted Todd to kill HIM or exactly WHY the men of Prentisstown killed the women. Speaking of, I think it was fear of the women being able to read their noise and not wanting the women to have power over them that motivated Mayor Prentiss to lead the town to mass murder. Still very weak reasoning. I wonder if all men are affected in an emotional way by women's quiet like Todd is and if that also played a part. (hide spoiler)]

It annoys me that in so many books (view spoiler)[no one ever actually has to take the time to heal- they can almost die, be in a coma, wake up, and then run for hours. I get that desperation and adrenaline are a factor, but the human body still doesn't really work like that from what I know. (hide spoiler)]

Finished

I think after the big revelation, I felt a little bit let down, though I am glad I finally figured out where the title comes from as I was starting to wonder if I was ever going to figure it out!

Emily, I agree about the ending (view spoiler)[being a cliffhanger! (hide spoiler)] I plan to continue the series as well, though I was a little disappointed that (view spoiler)[Ness seemed to go for the shock and awe at the end. I know crazy zealots like Aaron are real, but it makes his character hard to believe in when he is trying so hard to get Todd to kill him! And then having Viola kill him after trying to keep Todd from breaking bad the whole time felt a little out of character for her (hide spoiler)]. I think Emily's also right that Ness waited too long for the big reveal, and thus it had a little less impact to us readers.


Emily wrote: "It annoys me that in so many books (view spoiler) "

I know, right?! This really bugs me in television shows too! (view spoiler)[Like when someone gets shot, but everyone basically acts as if it is just a flesh wound. In comparison, I always feel like such a wuss when I see how easy it is to brush the dirt off in fiction! (hide spoiler)]

This book is getting a 3 or 3.5 out of me. Still debating how much I'm rather bummed about the reveal/ending.

I actually don't understand the title- could someone help me out and explain?

(view spoiler)[I thought that Aaron wanting Todd to kill him explained a lot of things. For example, Aaron not seeming to care about his awful and disfiguring injuries. Also, him killing Manchee- he couldn't really have believed that Todd would trade Viola for a dog (even a wonderful, beloved dog), so that part didn't really make sense to me at the time. However, I see your point, Elise, that it's hard to believe that someone would be driven to make someone else kill them. But he thought it would make him a martyr/ saint, and people in our world (like suicide bombers) do crazy things for similar reasons. (hide spoiler)]
(view spoiler)[Personally, I didn't necessarily find Viola killing Aaron to be out of character. I can understand why you see it that way, Elise, but I always kind of thought she had that in her- the ability to do what was necessary, as demonstrated by her ability to survive and adapt after the crash and her parents' deaths. Plus, it kept Todd from killing someone- something she'd been fighting to do the whole time. I think she was willing to sacrifice her own clear conscience to keep Todd from doing something that might lead him down a bad path. (hide spoiler)]

Did you guys have a bonus story at the end of your copies? My library's Kindle copy had a story from Viola's POV about the events before this book started. It was really interesting to get a look at Viola in her own environment before everything happened and to see her not just through Todd's perspective.

Emily wrote: "I actually don't understand the title- could someone help me out and explain?

The knife might be a metaphor, but I didn't see that much into the title. I think it's more of the actual knife he carries the whole time, which symbolized his bridge/method into manhood in the community he grew up in. His whole struggle with (view spoiler)[killing certain people throughout the novel (hide spoiler)] always seems to come down to him holding the knife and not being able to use it to finish the job. And I think the never letting go part has to do with his innocence/his boyhood trait he struggles with retaining the whole novel. I'm not overly fond of the title, myself, but I *think* that is what it represents.


Emily wrote: "(view spoiler)
(view spoiler)"

I think my whole issue with it is (and I know this is very naive of me) that I find it hard to believe any 14 year old has it in their heart to want to murder/kill someone. But considering this is a completely different culture and setting than the sheltered one I've grown up it, that's probably why. And just yesterday, I read about the 17 year old that kept convincing her boyfriend to kill himself. And that wasn't even about self defense/protection, that's just a sicko. Hurts my heart.


Emily wrote: "Did you guys have a bonus story at the end of your copies? My library's Kindle copy had a story from Viola's POV about the events before this book started. It was really interesting to get a look at Viola in her own environment before everything happened and to see her not just through Todd's perspective."

I didn't; I think my library had an old first edition or something close in hardcover. I'll have to see if this is a downloadable novella or something available through Overdrive.

Elise wrote: "The knife might be a metaphor, but I didn't see that much into the title. I think it's more of the actu..."

Thanks, Elise. Your explanation clears up a lot of my confusion about the "never letting go" part of the title. I'm not too crazy about the title either. Obviously, the knife part makes sense, and it's a central object and symbol in the story. But since Ness never uses the "never letting go" phrase in the book, it's not obvious what it refers to with regards to the story. I think it can be fine to use a title that doesn't make sense to a person before they start the book, but it should be pretty clear, IMO, by the time the reader finishes it. Although I guess it fits with the rest of Ness's writing style- having to pay attention and think about it.


Elise wrote: "I think my whole issue with it is (and I know this is very naive of me) that I find it hard to believe any 14 year old has it in their heart to want to murder/kill someone. But considering this is a completely different culture and setting than the sheltered one I've grown up it, that's probably why...

I do find it quite hard to believe that (view spoiler)[every one of the boys in Prentisstown other than Todd was convinced, basically through peer pressure, to kill someone to "become a man". You'd think at least one of the other boys wouldn't have been able to do it for one of various reasons. So, yes, I agree with you in that way and do find that somewhat unrealistic, regardless of the different culture and the difficult circumstances under which those boys had been living. (hide spoiler)] Todd and Viola, on the other hand, are under a huge amount of pressure. (view spoiler)[They have been hunted and forced to run into completely unknown circumstances for which they are unprepared, they are trying to protect themselves and each other, their parents are dead, etc. (hide spoiler)] So I find it more believable, although it still hurts my heart as well, especially when I think about how young they are.


Looks like the story, called "The New World", is free on Amazon :)

I really enjoyed all the emotion the book evoked it in me, although it was really hitting my serious weak point. I believe it also has to do with the way that Ness writes and the repetitiveness that he uses. Something about that certain format always gets me more than if I simply have to read it once. It shows an emphasis that I appreciate.

I agree with you, Emily, that I don't really care for the title of the book. I like the cover a lot though, especially the newer, more "minimalist" one. (I am aware that I am probably using the wrong word to describe it)

I personally found it fitting (view spoiler)[that Viola was the one to kill Aaron. She despised him and the things he did to her and even if she didn't want to kill him (even though she stated that she did), she was saving Todd and her own lives in the process. I think it is rather justified on her part. The one thing I didn't get is why it matters so much that Todd not kill. I don't agree with this idea but maybe I'm just ruthless. I suppose these characters were only 13/14. (hide spoiler)]

I am amazed that even though most of the book was them journeying, I didn't get bored at any point. I thoroughly enjoyed all of it, even if the ending was sort of ehh.

I found that the reveal of the secrets were pretty obvious, for the most part. I found the reasoning behind (view spoiler)[the men of Prentisstown killing off the women to be a bit far fetched, but I remind myself that it was a stressful time for them all what with the Noise assaulting their minds at all moments and the distrust that would lead to towards the women. (hide spoiler)]

Ivy wrote: "I personally found it fitting (view spoiler)"

I totally agree with you here. While I wasn't exactly happy about how it played out, I do think it had way more personal impact this way than with the alternative.


Ivy wrote: "I am amazed that even though most of the book was them journeying, I didn't get bored at any point. I thoroughly enjoyed all of it, even if the ending was sort of ehh."

This is a really good point that I hadn't stopped to think about. While I had a few issues with this book, I was definitely never bored at any point along the journey.

I like the covers as well (and I think minimalist is a great word to describe the most updated version). Although I actually think this one: is my favorite. If you look closely, it has faint words overlapping sections to represent the noise, which I like. But the knife ones are good too.

(view spoiler)[I'm with you that a bit too much emphasis is maybe put on keeping Todd "innocent." Of course, it would be preferable if anyone, particularly a young teenager, didn't kill. That said, Todd and Viola did everything they could to avoid killing Aaron, and in the end, it was an act of essentially self-defense. If Todd had been the one to do it, I think it would have changed him, but not in some truly horrific way. I think the moral implications and effect on Todd would have been much greater if he'd killed Aaron or Davy Prentiss, Jr. earlier in cold blood when they were incapacitated, however. The book is an interesting exploration of this subject. What I don't understand is why Todd killing the Spackle doesn't "count" to a greater degree. I know Todd feels guilty about it, but I would feel infinitely worse for unnecessarily killing a cognizant creature, even if of a different species than me, who was simply going about his business, than killing someone who was actively hunting me and my companion with the aim of harming us and others. (hide spoiler)]

For a survival/ journey story, it did really manage to keep my attention as well. I think because as Todd traveled, he was discovering so much about himself, his world, and Viola.

can someone tell me if this is a good book to read? thanks!!

Emily wrote: "I like the covers as well (and I think minimalist is a great word to describe the most updated version). Although I actually think this one: is my ..."

I totally agree about the point you made about the Spackle. I thought it was terribly sad, and definitely should have counted, for the exact same points you made. (view spoiler)[Just look at the news. The homicides and murders that make the news are less the self defense cases where someone killed someone intent on hurting them and mostly cases where the victim is deemed harmless and scared for their life from a killer they weren't expecting. Just because it's a difference species/not human, suddenly it's okay? (hide spoiler)]

I just finished last night! I'm so sorry I fell behind.
I'm having a really hard time in deciding what to rate this. Either 3.5 or 4, but I don't know what to choose. I loved how original it was and I've never quite read anything like this. I felt like the pacing was slow at some points, not enough that it bored me, but I guess I just like really fast paced books. I'm not a big fan of cliff-hanger endings and so I didn't enjoy the ending all too much. But at some point, I will definitely be picking up book 2.
You girls are really thoughtful. You made this a great reading experience! :)