Reviews with content warning for Rape - The Ask and the Answer

Reviews tagging 'Rape'

The Ask and the Answer by Patrick Ness

9 reviews

mailenlovesreading's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

OMG. This book was SO much better than the first. The character development of literally EVERYONE was INSANE.

Fun drinking game: take a shot everytime you see the word boom.

———

Firstly, Mayor/President Prentiss is such a good villain that I honestly love his character. He is so manipulative and intelligent and a horrible person

(the torture and imprisonment and genocide he inflicted was insane)

but that made him such a good character.

Coming up with The Ask in retribution to The Answer was kinda ironically funny (let’s admit it), but also I’m not forgetting the evilness that stemmed from that. He was just such a powerful villain.

I mean, silencing his Noise from others hearing it without the help of the cure, using Noise as a weapon, and being able to mind control others, is just insane.

His whole attempted “I hope you can see me as your father one day” thing was WEIRD but along with manipulating Todd and Viola and using them against each other, it was purposeful and wow.

I’m gushing over him but he was just such a good villain!!!

I mean, he even killed his own son. wtf. Poor Davy :(

———

Poor Davy. If you told me in the last book that I would feel bad for him, I’d never in a million years believe it.

I loved the enemies-to-friends with Davy and Todd, and Davy’s character arc was the saddest yet.

All Davy wanted was his dad’s approval and love, but all his dad cared about was getting Todd on his side as his “son”. But Davy, despite resenting Todd for this, he still loved Todd because he was the only friend he had. AW.

——
The only thing in his Noise is me holding a gun on him.

His only friend holding a gun on him.

“I gave you yer book. I gave you back yer book.”
——

AND THEN HE DIES. ARE YOU KIDDING ME? And it’s brushed over too. I don’t often feel bad when characters die but this one got me, even though I saw it coming.

He was just a sad and lonely boy that only wanted someone to love him. 😭😭😭😭

———

Moving on, sadly, to the Spackle. I was very interested in seeing how that aspect progressed,

so it was tragic when they were massacred. I knew it was the Mayor’s doing, another intelligent move on his part to make it look like the Answer was at fault.

I’m so excited that they are coming back, albeit as an enemy army led by 1017 that no doubt hates Todd, but I am looking forward to some resolution with that hopefully. Even though it’s a bit worrisome for Todd and Viola that they now have three enemy fronts to fight against.

———

Finally, Todd and Viola.

They went so far on opposite sides that I never thought they’d be able to get back to each other. Especially as Todd spiralled further into the control (and his depression, aw).

Their relationship is very sweet and they deserve peace together once this is over.

——
Oh, good girl.
My Noise swells with pride.
That’s my girl.

Oh!! Hands up if you blushed…. 🙋‍♀️
——

Butttt, they are only 14(ish)!!!! Which is crazy to me how these fully-grown adults (Mistress Coyle and Mayor Prentiss) are obsessed with them and their potential power/threat.

They are just kids :(

———

I loved this book, I was thinking about it even when I wasn’t reading it, looking forward to the next time I’d pick it up.

Patrick Ness has created and developed these characters and the plot so well and cleverly. The character development arcs go crazy.

Can’t wait to read the next book!!

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teyn's review against another edition

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adventurous slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Diverse cast of characters? No

3.0

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mylittlebookcase's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark reflective tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

Holy moly the themes in this book are dark and complex! Ness has really done a good job at highlighting how grey events can be even when they're clearly black and white at the same time too! A great book series for teens who are starting to notice the world around us.

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asourceoffiction's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I feel like Viola and Todd just can't catch a break in this series; this second installment starts with them thrown into a whole new state of constant peril. But I love that this story is totally different from The Knife of Never Letting Go, where the characters are fleeing from the Mayor of Prentisstown. Here they have reached Haven but it does not provide the safety they desperately sought. Instead the pair are thrown onto opposite sides of a war.

It's so clever that Viola and Todd's chapters are written in different fonts, which makes all of the writing feel like their Noise. So the story is told from inside their heads rather than from an objective external source. It makes the different behaviours they encounter from their 'leaders' all the more intriguing; it's clear that Todd doesn't agree with the Mayor (who really ramps up the insidious in this book), but is stuck in his position and has to shut down to cope. But at the same time you can see that Mistress Coyle is not a wholly innocent party acting purely in defence. It really pulls you into the politics and shows how easy it is to become complicit to keep yourself or those you love safe.

As with the first book, this ends on a HUGE cliffhanger where things are clearly all about to go (even more) horribly wrong. Suffice to say I can't wait to read Monsters of Men.

Content Warnings

queen_'s review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional hopeful sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

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poormansmynah's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional tense

4.0

After I finished the first book in this series ngl I was so distraught and exhausted from what I'd read I had to have a break before I started this one. So needless to say the break definitely hyped up my expectations for the sequel, and I really enjoyed it! I'd say I preferred the first one to this one just because it was a little more fast paced, but apart from that this really had everything in it that I loved about the first one and more

*cough cough* TODD AND VIOLA *cough cough*

. It was sooo good and I can't wait to read the third and final one :')

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abyanismangil's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

A bit tropey but kinda vibes

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shaunaxx's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

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ellioteverafter's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

"So, who are you then, Todd Hewitt?" he says. "What makes you so special?
Now that, I think, is a very good asking.

Oh, what a turn. Just enough predictability so nothing seemed too far-fetched, but a healthy amount of mystery and twist elements. The second book of the Chaos Walking trilogy takes a very dark road in an already bleak universe. Thankfully, I checked out both books two and three at the same time so as soon as I finish this review, I'll be moving on to the next.

Todd Hewitt, how are you going to fix this?

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