Tag Archives: patrick ness

2014, Book Review, coming of age, dystopian, series, YA

[Review] The Ask and the Answer – Patrick Ness

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Book Title:       The Ask and the Answer (Chaos Walking Trilogy, #02)
Author:                        Patrick Ness
Number of pages:  519

Synopsis:

the ask and the answer - patrick ness (cover)We were in the square, in the square where I’d run, holding her, carrying her, telling her to stay alive, stay alive till we got safe, till we got to Haven so I could save her – But there weren’t no safety, no safety at all, there was just him and his men…

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…

(re: Goodreads @ The Ask and the Answer by Patrick Ness)

Should this book be picked up? the tl;dr spoiler-less review:

– Ness is a wizard. You can’t prove me wrong.
– Character development of supporting cast is stellar. Also, a horse tries to replace Manchee–get out.
– Narrative is slower paced but the tension and suspense of all the unknowns keep the energy alive with some unexpected plot twists.
– Everything you thought you knew from the first novel may be discarded because doubt and question marks are thrown everywhere and at everything.
– The ambition in thematic discussion is elevated to regard a wider breadth of issues (i.e. war and terrorism, groupthink culture, ambiguity of morality, philosophical ideologies, hope and faith, racism, pressures of self-identity in a information-filled world).

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Initial Thoughts

I think I would have enjoyed this book if I sat down and read through it instead of sporadic reading while on commute. Alas, it was still good but I think it could have been better if the circumstance of the reading environment were different. That being said, I don’t think I was able to truly capture the essence of this novel in this review…but I tried anyway.

This is the second book to the Chaos Walking Trilogy, if you would like to read my review regarding the first book, The Knife of Never Letting Go, you can click here.

Disclaimer: Potential spoilers inherent to this review from here onward.

Continue reading [Review] The Ask and the Answer – Patrick Ness →

2014, meme, music monday

[Music Monday] – #9 – Luke Sital-Singh – Dark

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Music Monday is a weekly meme hosted by the Total Book Geek. The purpose of this bookish variant is to match a book with a particular song; whether it is character defining, a narrative element, or just an overall book defining track.

So why am I doing this? Well if I had to choose to only have one of the five traditional senses, it would be sound perception above all else. And hey I think it’d be neat to share music I listen to on a daily basis!

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This Week’s Song:
Dark – Luke Sital-Singh 

Book Selected:
A Monster Calls – Patrick Ness

Initial Thoughts:

This is a companion post to the review of review of A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness. If you haven’t read the book, well, I think you should…so you shouldn’t read any further into this post to save yourself from potential spoilers that I may or may not guarantee will be in this post. But you can surely listen to the song! (I sure hope the track plays cause there was no embed button so I adapted one from the general format).

But first off: I’d like to thank Suits for introducing this song to me. The piano track and the vocal work make me feel all the feels again—both in Suits and A Monster Calls.

Continue reading [Music Monday] – #9 – Luke Sital-Singh – Dark →

Book Review, contemporary, death, fantasy, horror, realistic fiction, standalone, YA

[Review] A Monster Calls – Patrick Ness

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Book Title:                     A Monster Calls (Standalone)
Author:                            Patrick Ness, Jim Kay (Illustrator)
Number of pages:     215

Synopsis:

TA Monster Calls - Patrick Ness (Cover)he 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.

(re: Goodreads @ A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness)

Should this book be picked up? the tl;dr spoiler-less review:

– If you are interested in this book in any capacity, skip all reviews and just delve into it (the copy with the artwork specifically)
– The writing is simple and powerful; don’t be fooled at this being advertised as kid-lit
– Unless you’re a robot, you will likely feel all the emotions tied to the stages of loss and grief

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Initial Thoughts

No, I do not think that I am on a Ness binge (but damn is he rising up the ranks in favesies).

But let’s get onto the more important issue: why is the plain-text version of this book more expensive than the one with art? At least, I’m pretty sure it’s like a buck more for zero art. Now why would anyone want to buy that?

In truth, I don’t want this review to go into thorough detail like I usually do with most books. This is something that I can’t be bothered to ramble about (even if I know I won’t be able to shut up once I start) because I am in the firm belief that the less hype and the less you’re in contact with this book, the better position you are to fully enjoy it. But continuity calls for some analysis, I guess, and maybe I’ll find some clarity on how I feel about this book (because I honestly don’t know).

Disclaimer: Potential spoilers inherent to this review from here onward.

Continue reading [Review] A Monster Calls – Patrick Ness →