Imagine you're the only boy in a town of men. And you can hear everything they think. And they can hear everything you think. Imagine you don't fit in with their plans... Todd Hewitt is just one month away from the birthday that will make him a man. But his town has been keeping secrets from him. Secrets that are going to force him to run... The new edition of this unflinching novel about fear, flight and the terrifying path of self-discovery features the short story, The New World. Set before the events of The Knife of Never Letting Go, it is the story of Viola's dramatic journey to the New World. (via Goodreads)
You may recall me mentioning The Knife of Never Letting Go, and how I came across it, in my last blog post. It's admittedly the first book that I've read cover to cover for months (though this doesn't include two or three audio books which I've listened to in the meantime).
I'd say that the novel has automatically earned a place on my 'top reads' list, purely because of the way it pulled me in and inspired me to read again. Many books have tried over the months, but this is the only one that could pique my interest and keep it there.
Although, having said that, it wasn't perfect. I found the language, grammar, and spelling a little annoying at first, though I soon got used to it. This is actually an important element to the story, as the protagonist, Todd, narrates the book and everything he tells us can also be heard by the characters around him. It's part of his stream of consciousness, or his 'Noise' as it's called in the book, and reflects the way that he speaks out loud.
The novel's emotional elements are really what drives it forward. At one point, I had tears in my eyes from reading a particularly heartbreaking scene. The characters are also strong and believable, and I found myself identifying with Todd and his ever changing world.
There are two more books after this which I'm thinking about reading at some point in the future, though I didn't find the ending strong enough to have me leaping into the next installment straight away.
Altogether, The Knife of Letting Go is a fast paced and exciting novel. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoyed The Hunger Games trilogy or The Maze Runner series.
Rating: 4 / 5
