Review: Monsters of Men by Patrick Ness (Chaos Walking #3)

In the final book of the Chaos Walking trilogy: oh my God, argh no, seriously?  Just when you thought the end of The Ask and the Answer meant things couldn't possibly get any worse, they do.  Spectacularly.  And then you get repeatedly punched in the gut.

Title & Author: Monsters of Men by Patrick Ness
Published: 2010
Series: Chaos Walking #3
Pages: 603 (Walker Books, 2010)
Challenge: Series Catch-Up
Status: Owned book

Note: As with The Ask and the Answer, please don't read this review if you haven't read the previous books in the series (The Knife of Never Letting Go is #1).  While I don't spoil Monsters of Men I do discuss plot details from the earlier books.

Synopsis: As a world-ending war surges around them, Todd and Viola face monstrous decisions. The indigenous Spackle, thinking and acting as one, have mobilized to avenge their murdered people. Ruthless human leaders prepare to defend their factions at all costs, even as a convoy of new settlers approaches. And as the ceaseless Noise lays all thoughts bare, the projected will of the few threatens to overwhelm the desperate desire of the many. The consequences of each action, each word, are unspeakably vast: To follow a tyrant or a terrorist? To save the life of the one you love most, or thousands of strangers? To believe in redemption, or assume it is lost? Becoming adults amid the turmoil, Todd and Viola question all they have known, racing through horror and outrage toward a shocking finale. (from Goodreads)

First Line: "'War,' says Mayor Prentiss, his eyes glinting. 'At last.'"

Review: As the end of The Ask and the Answer and the first words of this book suggest, Monsters of Men is all about war.  There is a lot of fighting.  I didn't find this off putting (I am a huge fan of battle and action scenes, they are often my favourite thing in books and movies) but I know some other readers do - so, just to be warned, lots of fighting and battle and blood and death.  It never feels gratuitous, but it is constant for the first 1/3 or so of the book and this can be grinding.  It's completely realistic, but there isn't much breathing space.

Not that this book is all about the action.  It is, ultimately, a book about peace.  Peace is what most people are striving for, and what characters like Mayor bloody Prentiss (I really think I'm just going to take to calling him that) are constantly trying to prevent.  There is the added issue of thousands of settlers being on their way, potentially to land in either a war zone or to be wiped out by the Spackle, which makes a drive for a decent peace treaty - not like the one reached after the first war, which lead to a Spackle slave population - even more important.

This is all making it sound like a very simplistic plot.  And, to an extent, it is.  It is a relentless plot, just as the first two books are, and there are just as many twists and turns with as many surprises as you'd expect.  A lot of the focus is on the Spackle - there is now a third voice added to Todd and Viola's and it is absolutely awesome and adds a new layer to the debate about peace and war, justice and revenge.  The genius of this book, as with The Ask and the Answer, is that there are no simple solutions and pretty much every side is justified in their actions in some way (except Mayor bloody Prentiss).  Like the best science fiction it makes you think about the real world, about issues we have to deal with, and does so with an amazing story that left me crying and shuddering and wanting to recommend it to as many people as possible.

Does it work as the last book in a trilogy?  Hell, yes.  It is a fantastic finale, which brings together all the themes and works perfectly.  I did not feel remotely let down by any part of it.  I really don't think I can recommend this trilogy to people enough - it is painful and intense and there are times when you care so much that it hurts, but it is so worth the read.  I just wish I'd read all three last year when I first read The Knife of Never Letting Go.
Rating: 10/10

Review: The Ask and the Answer by Patrick Ness (Chaos Walking #2)

In the second book of The Chaos Walking trilogy, just when you think things can't get worse they do.  Every time.  And it hurts (though not as much as it will in the finale).

Title & Author: The Ask and the Answer by Patrick Ness
Published: 2009
Series: Chaos Walking #2
Pages: 517 (Walker Books, 2009)
Challenge: Series Catch-Up
Status: Owned book

Note: If you haven't read The Knife of Never Letting Go I strongly recommend you do so before reading this review.  While I don't spoil The Ask and the Answer I do, by necessity, discuss the ending of the first book which is not something you want spoiled.  Trust me.

Synopsis: Fleeing before a relentless army, Todd has carried a desperately wounded Viola right into the hands of their worst enemy, Mayor Prentiss.

Immediately separated from Viola and imprisoned, Todd is forced to learn the ways of the Mayor's new order.

But what secrets are hiding just outside of town?
And where is Viola? Is she even still alive?
And who are the mysterious Answer?

And then, one day, the bombs begin to explode... (from Goodreads)

First line: "'Your Noise reveals you, Todd Hewitt.'"

Review: So, the ending of The Knife of Never Letting Go was pretty bad, right?  Viola's been gut shot, Todd can't find anyone to help, and Mayor Prentiss has taken over Haven, renamed it Prentisstown and declared himself President.  Things can't get much worse, right?  Wrong, they get spectacularly worse in epic ways.

The book is told from Todd and Viola's perspectives, which is great and Viola Eade is a total bamf and Todd is just as cool as ever.  What's less great is that neither of them know what's happening to the other, so first there's the tension of Todd wondering if Viola survived, then there's all sorts of misunderstandings as they both try to muddle through and figure out just what the other one is up to.  And given that they end up on opposite sides of a fight between Mayor "I'm a nice guy really" Prentiss and Mistress "I know best let's blow stuff up" Coyle there are a lot of things to misunderstand.  This could become annoying, but Patrick Ness handles it well and there's only one moment when I wanted to smack myself in the forehead then slap them both because, guys, really, think things through for a bit and see that you're being played. 

Just as The Knife of Never Letting Go dealt with 'big' issues through a fantastic plot, so The Ask and the Answer addresses the little matters of dictatorship and terrorism while driving relentlessly to an ending with no easy choices.  I do like that Patrick Ness didn't make all those in opposition to the Mayor perfect or even likeable; it's more real that way, and opens up two matters for consideration.  Because as despicable as the Mayor is, the reaction some of the residents of Haven have to him both make things worse and give him the opportunity to improve his public image. 

And I really feel like I can't say more because, again, spoilers.  The one thing I will say is: make sure you have Monsters of Men to hand before you finish The Ask and the Answer.  Because if you though the cliffhanger to The Knife of Never Letting Go was evil you are wildly unprepared for the end of The Ask and the Answer.  Every plotline speeds up, rushes towards a conclusion - and then something wholly unexpected happens, which leads to Todd having to make a terrifying decision.  And then the book ends.
Ultimately I don't love this book as much as I love The Knife of Never Letting Go, but it is an exceptionally good read and an excellent middle book of a trilogy.

Rating: 9/10

Review: The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness (Chaos Walking #1)

In The Knife of Never Letting Go, subjects such as war, love, feminism, misogyny and death are dealt with in a way that is a) beautiful and b) so intense oh my God I couldn't stop reading even though it hurt.  And that's just the start of a series that will wreck you.

Title & Author: The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness
Published: 2008
Series: Chaos Walking #1
Pages: 479 (Walker Books, 2008)
Challenge: Series Catch-Up
Status: Owned book

Synopsis: Todd Hewitt is the only boy in a town of men. Ever since the settlers were infected with the Noise germ, Todd can hear everything the men think, and they hear everything he thinks. Todd is just a month away from becoming a man, but in the midst of the cacophony, he knows that the town is hiding something from him -- something so awful Todd is forced to flee with only his dog, whose simple, loyal voice he hears too.  (edited from Goodreads because hello spoilers much?)

First Line: "The first thing you find out when yer dog starts to talk is that dogs don't got nothing much to say.  About anything."

Review: This is a difficult review to write because a) I love this book so damn much, I've read it twice now and know I'll reread it repeatedly; and b) I want to say a lot but don't want to spoil.  A lot of what makes this book so good is the constant surprise and mystery and wondering just what Patrick Ness is going to drop his characters into next.  And then you find out and it hurts and you want it to stop but you also can't stop reading and then you get to the end and let out all the swears because I warn you now, cliffhanger o'clock.  Have the rest of the trilogy ready to go because it really needs to be read together or you'll go mad with anticipation.

So, without wanting to spoil anything: Todd Hewitt is the last boy in Prentisstown, which is the last settlement on New World.  When Todd was a baby the Noise germ (released by the Spackle, the native aliens, during a war that eventually wiped them out) killed all the women of the town and made it so the thoughts of everyone and everything else can be heard.  All the time.  Forever.  This is shown in the book as a mass of words and fonts that are hard to differentiate and give you a sense of just how nightmarish this world is.  Todd has learned to hide his Noise a little, but he's still only twelve and stuff leaks out - and when he finds something strange in the swamp, he knows he has to keep it a secret.  Only he fails and has to run and then it's a manic chase across New World in which he learns that everything he thought was true isn't.

And there's death and violence and war and grief and seriously, this book is so good.  There's one bit (and people who've read it before know what it is) that I still can't believe Patrick Ness did because you do not do that sort of thing.  That is crossing a line.  I had forgotten it happened on my reread and I actually tried to convince myself it wasn't going to occur.  That it did and it hurt as much this time as before is testament to how this book sucks you in and makes you care about the characters.

I'm really not sure this review conveys how much I love and admire this book (although maybe the sheer incoherence gets that across).  I just think everyone should read it, and then continue with the rest of the trilogy.  It made me cry and think and swear, all of which are good things when I'm reading.  Read it.

Rating: 10/10