Monsters of Men (#3) by Patrick Ness

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Title: Monsters of Men

Author: Patrick Ness
Series: Chaos Walking (Book #3)

Genre: Young Adult, Science Fiction

Length: 603 pages

Published: 2010

Publisher: Candlewick Press

Brief Synopsis: (Taken from Goodreads) "War," says the Mayor. "At last." Three armies march on New Prentisstown, each one intent on destroying the others. Todd and Viola are caught in the middle, with no chance of escape. As the battles commence, how can they hope to stop the fighting? How can there ever be peace when they're so hopelessly outnumbered? And if war makes monsters of men, what terrible choices await? But then a third voice breaks into the battle, one bent on revenge - the electrifying finale to the award-winning "Chaos Walking" trilogy, Monsters of Men is a heart-stopping novel about power, survival, and the devastating realities of war.

My Review:

I give this book a 5 out of 5. 

This was an amazing conclusion to the trilogy. You really get to see the way the Mayor has evolved throughout the story, as this super-villain that's supposedly turning good. Viola is, of course, completely unconvinced, but Todd thinks he's really making a change in the Mayor. And he has. 

Whether it's for the better or not, you will have to see for yourself in this harrowing conclusion.

You can purchase Monsters of Men through Amazon in either hard copy or Kindle format. 

Have you read Monsters of Men? If so, leave a comment and let me know your thoughts! 

Please note: I was not compensated in any way for this review. It is strictly my opinion.

The Ask and the Answer (#2) by Patrick Ness

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Title: The Ask and the Answer

Author: Patrick Ness
Series: Chaos Walking (Book #2)

Genre: Science Fiction, Young Adult

Length: 519 pages

Published: 2009

Publisher: Candlewick Press

Brief Synopsis: (Taken from Goodreads) Reaching the end of their tense and desperate 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, aimed at overthrowing the tyrannical government. Todd, meanwhile, faces impossible choices when forced to join the mayor’s oppressive new regime. In alternating narratives — Todd’s gritty and volatile; Viola’s calmer but equally stubborn — 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?

My Review:

I give this book a 5 out of 5. 

This was a great follow up to The Knife of Never Letting Go. Todd and Viola are separated and held in different locations. The Mayor spends his days using them to get what he wants. We get to read the story in both Todd's and Viola's voices. The plot thickens, lies are told, lies are revealed, and both Todd and Viola do things they don't wish to do - all in the name of trying to get back to each other. 

Everything comes to a head after they are reunited. Todd learns things about himself that he never knew were possible. If you read the first book in this trilogy, definitely keep going. The action seriously does not stop.

You can purchase The Ask and the Answer through Amazon in either hard copy or Kindle format. 

Have you read The Ask and the Answer? If so, leave a comment and let me know your thoughts! 

Please note: I was not compensated in any way for this review. It is strictly my opinion.

The Knife of Never Letting Go (#1) by Patrick Ness

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Title: The Knife of Never Letting Go

Author: Patrick Ness
Series: Chaos Walking (Book #1)

Genre: Young Adult, Science Fiction

Length: 478 pages

Published: 2008

Publisher: Walker

Brief Synopsis: (Taken from Goodreads) 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?

My Review:

I give this book a 5 out of 5. 

Once the action started (a few chapters in), it really never stopped. First, Todd finds some mysterious silence in the swamp outside of town: an oddity in a world where everyone hears everyone else's thoughts and there's no way to turn it off. Then, he finds he must flee town sooner than anticipated: as quickly as he can. He soon finds out that the silence he encountered is a girl roughly the same age as he is. Together, with his dog Manchee, the pair take off into the wilderness fleeing from the men of his town. 

Everything Todd knows is a lie, as he finds out soon enough. As they flee the advancing army, the pair end up relying on each other to keep safe. Through loss, surprise re-appearances of old friends, re-appearances of old enemies, and friendship, the trio make their way to Haven, a town that Todd never knew existed; armed with nothing but their own innocence, hope, and luck.

The ending is a bit of a surprise, but almost not too much of one, if you look back at all of Todd and Viola's adventures. 

This is really an amazing tale. I'm eager to get started on the sequel and will definitely be letting you all know whether or not it's any good. It's a fast, action packed read, despite being nearly 500 pages long. Definitely pick up a copy of this soon!

You can purchase The Knife of Never Letting Go through Amazon in either hard copy or Kindle format. 

Have you read The Knife of Never Letting Go? If so, leave a comment and let me know your thoughts! 

Please note: I was not compensated in any way for this review. It is strictly my opinion.

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness

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Title: A Monster Calls

Author: Patrick Ness
Illustrator: Jim Kay

Genre: Children's Science Fiction

Length: 215 pages

Published: 2011

Publisher: Walker Books

Brief Synopsis: (Taken from Goodreads) The monster showed up after midnight. As they do.

But it isn't the monster Conor's been expecting. He's been expecting the one from his nightmare, the one he's had nearly every night since his mother started her treatments, the one with the darkness and the wind and the screaming...

This monster is something different, though. Something ancient, something wild. And it wants the most dangerous thing of all from Conor.

It wants the truth.

My Review:

I give this book a 5 out of 5. 

I read this book last summer, but it's still stuck with me. As a pre-teen I watched my mother go through radiation to battle a brain tumor, so I felt that this book struck a chord within me. It brought back all of those fears and emotions that I had when I was twelve. 

The story follows Conor as he begins having these horrifying nightmares. His father has a new family in the United States and his mother is dying of cancer. She ends up in the hospital and Conor has to go stay with his grandmother. He goes through the typical teenage emotions (because cancer is something horrible that no teenager or child is truly equipped to cope with) and acts out, both at school and at home. In his dreams, a monster comes to life and starts telling him stories. The stories all seem to end horribly for the people involved, but Conor learns a lesson with each one. And then he learns that there is a way to save his mother. But he has to be worthy of this cure. 

I cried at various points throughout the book, especially at the end. It resonated so deeply and brought up so many of the feelings that I had buried from my mother's illness. I feel like the author did an amazing job conveying the emotions that a young teen would feel at the news that he may lose his parent to such an awful, debilitating disease. 

I definitely recommend that you read this book. It's short, and even if it was a thousand pages long, it would be worth the time.

You can purchase A Monster Calls through Amazon in either hard copy or Kindle format (although I suggest sticking with the hard copy edition as the illustrations were amazing and terrifying at the same time). 

Have you read A Monster Calls? If so, leave a comment and let me know your thoughts! 

Please note: I was not compensated in any way for this review. It is strictly my opinion.