Book Review: The Knife of Never Letting Go 

By Patrick Ness 

4 Stars 

The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness is about Todd Hewitt, almost thirteen years old and almost a man. Twenty years before the story, humans got fed up with the polluted and angry world that is Earth and decided to move to a recently discovered planet. Upon arriving on New World, the church settlers were greeted by an alien species called the Spackle, and a terrible war ensued over who would own the land. Eventually, the humans won, but not before the Spackle released a germ which revealed the thoughts of every man and killed every woman. This is the world that Todd was born into, a world in which secrets and privacy are denied, and the partnership of a woman is unknown.  

Patrick Ness’s writing style is simple yet artistic, varying in length and repetition to increase impact. The characters were all genuine and colourful regardless of how much time they were or weren’t given on the page, and as the story progressed, I found each one of them growing on me. The plot was very well written, grabbing my attention on the very first page, starting strong yet small and building as it continued. Each twist and turn down the path was one which I hung onto, and by the end of the book, I knew that I would continue the journey through the rest of the series. The pure emotion a mere book can give you is all in The Knife of Never Letting Go; the anguish and the pain, and to top it all off, the joy. By the end of the book, I was wishing that it would never finish. 

Reviewed by Ayesha 

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