TL;DR – If you like dystopian science fiction and intense action, read this book for the characters, the immersive aesthetic, and the realism/pacing combination that will keep your heart racing like you’re on LSD. On the other hand, this book might not be for you if you like neat endings, dislike violence and prefer traditionally inspiring stories.
Like many of us, I recently discovered that Lionsgate is going to be releasing Chaos Walking about midway through March (it should probably already be out by the time of this posting, actually. I hope). Noting that my second-favorite force-wielder (because Obi-Wan’s great) and second-favorite Spiderman (because I’m ride or die for Miles Morales) were going to be starring in the film, my interest was immediately piqued, and I decided to re-read the book the movie’s set to be based on, The Knife of Never Letting Go. I first read the book in high school, so I wasn’t expecting any surprises during my re-read. But then I realized just how much I’d forgotten about this story.
So, strap in, kids, and let’s talk about The Knife of Never Letting Go.
The first book in the Chaos Walking series by Patrick Ness follows the story of Todd Hewitt, a boy who lives on a planet where everyone can hear each other’s thoughts in a never-ending stream of consciousness. However, when Todd finds a girl in the swamp by his town, the first girl he’s ever seen and the only one in his town, it sets off a chain of events that will change his life, and his planet, forever.
For me, TKNLG stands apart from the plethora of other YA dystopian novels through its original conceit and the overall tone of the book. Ness created a world that has a defined aesthetic from the very first page, rendering a setting that lives and breathes and feels so close to home that at times I forgot I was reading about an alien planet, even though everyone’s thoughts are broadcasted for all to hear. It’s this lack of presumption that captured me in the beginning – I didn’t feel like I was reading a story cultivated to fit the dystopian genre with the tropes we’ve all come to expect, such as a clearly segmented society based on personality traits or an insistence on the perfection of the ruling class, etc. I found this to be refreshing, and my lack of ability to rely on tropes to predict the story intrigued me.
Beyond the aesthetic and tone of the world, if you like a fast read, Ness has written the book for you. TKNLG is truly relentless and takes no time in dropping you into the thick of the story. You might think this would make the book seem rushed, but it works – instead, the pacing only adds to the experience and suspense, where a reader can empathize with the desperation of the characters themselves.
While we’re on the subject, the characters in this book truly shine. By the end, I didn’t feel like I was reading about people with as much depth as the pages they were printed on, but reading about someone I already knew, maybe someone I’d went to school with or met one summer, years ago. The villains are disturbing and in no way hackneyed, the heroes are fully fleshed and relatable people who I loved to watch grow and hated to see fail, even as I knew that they would.
Additionally, I was delighted to find a book that doesn’t shy away from class differences in its story – and not in the way that the low-born girl wonders how she’ll ever be worthy of the perfect, shining himbo she sits next to in class, but in the way that two people who come from (literally) different worlds don’t understand each other, but need to if they want to survive. I also found it very refreshing to see a world where it’s not assumed that those who might stereotypically be thought of as ‘backward’ or ‘low-class’ from how they speak or present themselves are in the wrong. In Ness’ world, everywhere is backcountry and everyone can be a hero or a villain.
But, of course, I figure it’s not a review if I don’t put down one or two disclaimers. If you read this book, know that it’s not self-contained. This may seem obvious for a book that’s the first in a trilogy, but if you’re the type who prefers books, even those in a series, to be able to stand on their own, this one may not be for you.
Also, TKNLG is dark. It’s the kind of book that disturbed me the same way that The Veldt, Harrison Bergeron, The Yellow Wallpaper and The Lottery did, in that it is unflinching in its examination of human cruelty and toxic masculinity. The book is brutal and hard, right up there with The Hunger Games, but not wantonly so. The violence serves a purpose and never feels as though it’s done purely to try and give your granny a heart attack, but to immerse you and ask pointed questions about the type of person you want to be and what kind of world you want to live in. Still, if you’re not in the mood to stomach some injury, this book may not be your best bet.
Finally, if you’re the type that finds books without clearly defined roles and answers, TKNLG could be highly frustrating at best, and a downer at worst. I might even go so far as to say there are no heroes in this book. At least, not in the traditional sense. Instead, this book asks what any of us can do in a bleak world that serves naught but a buffet of bad options. Some people find this dispiriting and ask why they would read escapism that doesn’t truly allow them to escape from a world that’s fraught enough as it is. Others find it inspiring to watch people with their backs against the wall and see what choices they make.
Overall, The Knife of Never Letting Go is a gripping read that I think is well worth the sleepless nights you’re likely to put into it, particularly in the age we live in that asks us about truth, the choices of perception, and living in a world that doesn’t have easy answers. It’s kind of like the game Dark Souls. As long as you know what you’re going in for, Patrick Ness’ novel delivers and provides what lots of great literature does: Questions without answers, save for those you give them.
