blyttgh's review against another edition
3.0
3.8/5 This was a very intriguing book. I would it a higher rating if hadn't taken me so long to read it.
arctoarcturus's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I really enjoyed the writing and overall themes -- a lot of great and thoughtful concepts, creative writing styles and extremely emotive. I would have given it four stars except for the utterly exhausting and traumatic plot. These kids can't catch a break, almost to the point of me wanting to put the book down completely. I often felt tense out of sheer frustration while reading because it seemed like the author was intentionally flipping the table before the reader had a chance to recover from the last upsetting episode. And while I get that this was probably a purposeful writing device, it made my experience of the book far less enjoyable, not because I was empathizing with the characters, but because I was feeling exasperation towards the author.
While I'd love to keep reading the series to dive deeper into the concepts and characters, I'm not sure I have the energy for all the trauma porn.
While I'd love to keep reading the series to dive deeper into the concepts and characters, I'm not sure I have the energy for all the trauma porn.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Animal cruelty, Religious bigotry, Misogyny, Gun violence, Xenophobia, and Animal death
Moderate: Sexual violence
Minor: Genocide, War, and Torture
srharris's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars.
I liked this book, I really did but I was a bit disappointed by the ending. I know it is a trilogy and obviously our heroes have to go through some shit to get to the finish line, however, it seemed like nothing good at all happened to them at all.
I kept reading waiting for the happy part to happen, even if I knew their happiness wouldn't last, but there didn't seem to be. Todd and Viola went through nothing but struggles and just when I thought there was hope, the worst thing happened and then the book ended.
An interesting, entertaining story, it truly did keep me guessing until the end, although I was not happy with the ending.
Worth the read.
I liked this book, I really did but I was a bit disappointed by the ending. I know it is a trilogy and obviously our heroes have to go through some shit to get to the finish line, however, it seemed like nothing good at all happened to them at all.
I kept reading waiting for the happy part to happen, even if I knew their happiness wouldn't last, but there didn't seem to be. Todd and Viola went through nothing but struggles and just when I thought there was hope, the worst thing happened and then the book ended.
An interesting, entertaining story, it truly did keep me guessing until the end, although I was not happy with the ending.
Worth the read.
book_becca's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
Not an awful book, predictable at times. Writing style was not for me but can see the appeal.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Vomit, Abandonment, Death of parent, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual violence, Violence, War, Misogyny, Body horror, and Death
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Gun violence, Gore, Genocide, Colonisation, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Torture, and Kidnapping
rainbowsick's review against another edition
5.0
HOW CAN YOU LEAVE ME ON A CLIFFHANGER LIKE THAT
i love this book okay. there's a couple of flaws of course, (no book is without them), but i love all the concepts and the fast paced action and the feelings and how there isn't a stupid sickly love story and how every character is flawed and broken and all the secrets and hidden meanings and the battle for manhood and freedom and happiness and I LOVE THIS BOOK .
i couldn't put this book down (well i did, but you understand my point) i wanted to read the whole book and devour it in one night, but at the same time, i didn't want it to end. i'm glad that it's part of a series, i think it feels right. (too many people write series' (?) these days, it usually angers me, because some things just need to be left open) but i think there are things that needs answering and i would die if i was left with this cliffhanger for ever.
this book is frustrating and sad and beautiful and confusing and happy and tragic and mysterious and everything you could possibly ask for (and even bloody aliens!)
i'm a big puddle of feels right now.
(walk away martha, just buy the next book and walk away)
i love this book okay. there's a couple of flaws of course, (no book is without them), but i love all the concepts and the fast paced action and the feelings and how there isn't a stupid sickly love story and how every character is flawed and broken and all the secrets and hidden meanings and the battle for manhood and freedom and happiness and I LOVE THIS BOOK .
i couldn't put this book down (well i did, but you understand my point) i wanted to read the whole book and devour it in one night, but at the same time, i didn't want it to end. i'm glad that it's part of a series, i think it feels right. (too many people write series' (?) these days, it usually angers me, because some things just need to be left open) but i think there are things that needs answering and i would die if i was left with this cliffhanger for ever.
this book is frustrating and sad and beautiful and confusing and happy and tragic and mysterious and everything you could possibly ask for (and even bloody aliens!)
i'm a big puddle of feels right now.
(walk away martha, just buy the next book and walk away)
shelfreflectionofficial's review against another edition
4.0
I read these books back in 2016, but the first movie (I’m assuming they’ll make more…?) just came out so I’m revamping my review since my original review on Goodreads was only a couple sentences! (Movie comparison at the end.)
The premise: Todd is the youngest male in an all-male village, Prentisstown, where everyone can hear everyone’s thoughts (pretty interesting plot point). But something is amiss. Where are all the women? When he is nearing his coming of age ritual, becoming more and more cognizant of something awry, his guardians help him escape. This triggers an aggressive game of cat and mouse. When he stumbles across a girl, Viola, and she has no discernible thoughts, Todd is off on an intense, heart-wrenching, journey of escape and discovery- both the existential and exploratory kinds.
This series is one where you become very invested in the story. It’s one I hated and I loved. My memory of specifics in each book is foggy, but I remember being somewhat relieved when it was over because I would get anxiety from my readings. The constant intensity is a bit exhausting. I suppose that kind of emotional investment is a marker of good writing.
The writing style of the book is very unique. At times there are words smattered on the pages in all size of fonts, overlapping each other creating a mess but delivering a message. It captures the chaos of audible thoughts, the struggle of trying to hide what you’re thinking- whether for vanity or safety-and the immaturity of the main character, Todd. His voice is childish, wandering, wondering, and transparent. Which makes the things he goes through that much more gripping, authentic, and suspenseful. (Disclaimer: including some swearing, not my preference, but feels less offensive in this series than other books for some reason)
This is not a pretty story all tied together with a bow. I mean, if Patrick Ness is willing to kill off Todd’s dog (his best friend) in the very first book then there are no lengths he will not go. I’ve read plenty of books where the main character is matched against his opponent and they go back and forth until someone finally ‘wins.’ But typically you have a sense of ‘they’re no match for our hero!’ and your overall demeanor is one of anticipation, triumph, and vindication. You won’t find that here.
This is a story where Todd seems far out-matched. Every time hope crests, it comes crashing down again. The bad guys are dark and evil and you wonder how he will ever survive. How can good ever triumph here? IsTodd, the picture of innocence, corruptible?
You’ll have to read it for yourself to find out if Ness offers enough hope at the end to be satisfactory.
Besides an emotionally hijacking suspense story, this book also offers conversation on race, sex (gender), humanity, manipulation, and colonization in a futuristic but yet archaic setting. I feel this series is like nothing you’ve ever read before, but only you can determine if you’re up for it.
**As to the movie:**
It was quite different. The credits said Patrick Ness helped write the screenplay but I’m wondering why he diverged from the storyline so much. For example, Viola’s ship with the next wave of colonists doesn’t come into play until the end of the series, but the movie is portraying it docking before anything remotely similar to book two happens.
I don’t want to give too many spoilers so I won’t discuss all the differences in the plot. It took forever for them to finally release the movie and with all the production struggles, I’m wondering if they will even be able to manage a sequel of any kind. If no follow-up comes to fruition, it makes this first movie a lot worse because of the things left out and the way it ended.
My husband never read the books, but he thought the movie was pretty good. So there’s that… Books are usually better than the movies anyway, but if you’re debating between reading the books or watching the movies, you might have to do both (read first) because the movie will take you on a different journey.
The premise: Todd is the youngest male in an all-male village, Prentisstown, where everyone can hear everyone’s thoughts (pretty interesting plot point). But something is amiss. Where are all the women? When he is nearing his coming of age ritual, becoming more and more cognizant of something awry, his guardians help him escape. This triggers an aggressive game of cat and mouse. When he stumbles across a girl, Viola, and she has no discernible thoughts, Todd is off on an intense, heart-wrenching, journey of escape and discovery- both the existential and exploratory kinds.
This series is one where you become very invested in the story. It’s one I hated and I loved. My memory of specifics in each book is foggy, but I remember being somewhat relieved when it was over because I would get anxiety from my readings. The constant intensity is a bit exhausting. I suppose that kind of emotional investment is a marker of good writing.
The writing style of the book is very unique. At times there are words smattered on the pages in all size of fonts, overlapping each other creating a mess but delivering a message. It captures the chaos of audible thoughts, the struggle of trying to hide what you’re thinking- whether for vanity or safety-and the immaturity of the main character, Todd. His voice is childish, wandering, wondering, and transparent. Which makes the things he goes through that much more gripping, authentic, and suspenseful. (Disclaimer: including some swearing, not my preference, but feels less offensive in this series than other books for some reason)
This is not a pretty story all tied together with a bow. I mean, if Patrick Ness is willing to kill off Todd’s dog (his best friend) in the very first book then there are no lengths he will not go. I’ve read plenty of books where the main character is matched against his opponent and they go back and forth until someone finally ‘wins.’ But typically you have a sense of ‘they’re no match for our hero!’ and your overall demeanor is one of anticipation, triumph, and vindication. You won’t find that here.
This is a story where Todd seems far out-matched. Every time hope crests, it comes crashing down again. The bad guys are dark and evil and you wonder how he will ever survive. How can good ever triumph here? IsTodd, the picture of innocence, corruptible?
You’ll have to read it for yourself to find out if Ness offers enough hope at the end to be satisfactory.
Besides an emotionally hijacking suspense story, this book also offers conversation on race, sex (gender), humanity, manipulation, and colonization in a futuristic but yet archaic setting. I feel this series is like nothing you’ve ever read before, but only you can determine if you’re up for it.
**As to the movie:**
It was quite different. The credits said Patrick Ness helped write the screenplay but I’m wondering why he diverged from the storyline so much. For example, Viola’s ship with the next wave of colonists doesn’t come into play until the end of the series, but the movie is portraying it docking before anything remotely similar to book two happens.
I don’t want to give too many spoilers so I won’t discuss all the differences in the plot. It took forever for them to finally release the movie and with all the production struggles, I’m wondering if they will even be able to manage a sequel of any kind. If no follow-up comes to fruition, it makes this first movie a lot worse because of the things left out and the way it ended.
My husband never read the books, but he thought the movie was pretty good. So there’s that… Books are usually better than the movies anyway, but if you’re debating between reading the books or watching the movies, you might have to do both (read first) because the movie will take you on a different journey.
froydis's review against another edition
5.0
This is one of the best series I've read for a while, and this book starts it off. Its much better "the Hunger Games" - has a deeper plot and more realistic characters. It is DARK, but brings up some vital issues for today's world.
emilyroseallen's review against another edition
4.0
To be honest, the only reason that I read this book was because I heard they were making a movie with Daisy Ridley and Tom Holland. Coincidentally enough, after reading this book, I'm not even happy with the casting anymore! But let me say, it's obvious why they're making this book into a movie. Because wow, it's a great read.
Initially, I found myself turned away by the subpar grammar from the main character, and, frankly, every other character other than Viola. But honestly, that was really the only thing that I really didn't like. And once I got used to it, I was able to completely tune it out and just get absorbed in the story.
First and foremost, this book was unlike any scifi/dystopia I've ever read. Most of the books I've read lately have all had the same basic plot or main character, and it was refreshing when I found that this one didn't. Todd isn't shoved into some mission to overthrow the government or save the world, he just wants to protect his friend. He's a kid, and he has flaws, which is demonstrated again and again throughout the story, especially with his prejudice towards the spackle. His flaws are brutal and obvious, and don't eventually help him: he has to overcome them. That was something that I loved about this book - in other scifi/dystopian books I've read the protagonist's flaws are usually something that other characters hate but they use to their advantage. Todd's were ones that he had to learn to move past, instead of embracing them, which I thought was a refreshing character arc.
Viola was the same - she wasn't the classic perfect sidekick that was there as a love interest or comedy. She was a full, well-developed character that had just as many flaws and problems as Todd, and had her own mission to complete, which drove the book to its conclusion. I loved how she and Todd were both essential for each other, and how she didn't exist solely to cement Todd's character growth, but how he was needed for her's, too.
At first, I didn't like either character, because I thought they were, frankly, a little bit bratty and annoying. But then it clicked: these characters are both kids. I mean, Todd spends the book counting down to his twelfth birthday! It made me realize that in so many other books I've seen characters who are supposed to be kids or teenagers acting like fully-grown adults, and that I'd become accustomed to it. Seeing these two characters having the occasional breakdown and fight made me realize that they were more real than any other character that I'd ever read about. They were children, and they were entitled to act like it, which was something that I enjoyed about the book as I got used to it.
The plot itself, too, was amazing! I usually find myself correctly predicting what happens later on in a book, but this entire read was filled with twists and turns that I never could've anticipated. Readers are left with only the fragmented knowledge that Todd has, which leaves gaps in the story that, personally, kept me hooked. I needed to keep reading because I needed to know what all the other characters knew that Todd didn't. Because of that, I read this entire book in one sitting - it was impossible for me to put down.
This entire book was like nothing I'd ever read before. The writing style, the characters, the plot - all of it was completely unique. And it was an emotional landslide, too! I laughed, I -literally- cried, and at one point I even had to put the book down because I was so angry. This book was a totally new, in my opinion. I couldn't find anything in it that reminded me of, frankly, anything else I'd ever read.
I rated this book 4/5 because overall, it was amazing. I had some problems with grammar and the characters being frustrating, but everything else was fantastic! Honestly, I would recommend this to anyone, just because it's such a unique book.
Initially, I found myself turned away by the subpar grammar from the main character, and, frankly, every other character other than Viola. But honestly, that was really the only thing that I really didn't like. And once I got used to it, I was able to completely tune it out and just get absorbed in the story.
First and foremost, this book was unlike any scifi/dystopia I've ever read. Most of the books I've read lately have all had the same basic plot or main character, and it was refreshing when I found that this one didn't. Todd isn't shoved into some mission to overthrow the government or save the world, he just wants to protect his friend. He's a kid, and he has flaws, which is demonstrated again and again throughout the story, especially with his prejudice towards the spackle. His flaws are brutal and obvious, and don't eventually help him: he has to overcome them. That was something that I loved about this book - in other scifi/dystopian books I've read the protagonist's flaws are usually something that other characters hate but they use to their advantage. Todd's were ones that he had to learn to move past, instead of embracing them, which I thought was a refreshing character arc.
Viola was the same - she wasn't the classic perfect sidekick that was there as a love interest or comedy. She was a full, well-developed character that had just as many flaws and problems as Todd, and had her own mission to complete, which drove the book to its conclusion. I loved how she and Todd were both essential for each other, and how she didn't exist solely to cement Todd's character growth, but how he was needed for her's, too.
At first, I didn't like either character, because I thought they were, frankly, a little bit bratty and annoying. But then it clicked: these characters are both kids. I mean, Todd spends the book counting down to his twelfth birthday! It made me realize that in so many other books I've seen characters who are supposed to be kids or teenagers acting like fully-grown adults, and that I'd become accustomed to it. Seeing these two characters having the occasional breakdown and fight made me realize that they were more real than any other character that I'd ever read about. They were children, and they were entitled to act like it, which was something that I enjoyed about the book as I got used to it.
The plot itself, too, was amazing! I usually find myself correctly predicting what happens later on in a book, but this entire read was filled with twists and turns that I never could've anticipated. Readers are left with only the fragmented knowledge that Todd has, which leaves gaps in the story that, personally, kept me hooked. I needed to keep reading because I needed to know what all the other characters knew that Todd didn't. Because of that, I read this entire book in one sitting - it was impossible for me to put down.
This entire book was like nothing I'd ever read before. The writing style, the characters, the plot - all of it was completely unique. And it was an emotional landslide, too! I laughed, I -literally- cried, and at one point I even had to put the book down because I was so angry. This book was a totally new, in my opinion. I couldn't find anything in it that reminded me of, frankly, anything else I'd ever read.
I rated this book 4/5 because overall, it was amazing. I had some problems with grammar and the characters being frustrating, but everything else was fantastic! Honestly, I would recommend this to anyone, just because it's such a unique book.
sidtahoora's review against another edition
5.0
Words: unique and engaging
Comments:
- After literal years, I finally got around to reading this (remember the recommendation Rowaidah?) and was instantly hooked.
- I found the plot of this book to still be different, even among the Hunger Games and the Maze Runner books out there, because the writing is what sets it apart. Also the concept - Noise. Being able to hear everyone's, everyone hearing yours, no control, no hiding, no secrets and yet you still can't differentiate lies and the truth. Already getting started on part 2 of this series, but review on that later!
Comments:
- After literal years, I finally got around to reading this (remember the recommendation Rowaidah?) and was instantly hooked.
- I found the plot of this book to still be different, even among the Hunger Games and the Maze Runner books out there, because the writing is what sets it apart. Also the concept - Noise. Being able to hear everyone's, everyone hearing yours, no control, no hiding, no secrets and yet you still can't differentiate lies and the truth. Already getting started on part 2 of this series, but review on that later!