Reviews tagging 'Misogyny'

The Ask and the Answer by Patrick Ness

18 reviews

katy_heath's review against another edition

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challenging dark informative sad tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Is this book important? Yes. Did I enjoy reading it? Absolutely not. I’m convinced at this point that Patrick Ness is slowly ruining my life and all hope I have in humanity.

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mailenlovesreading's review against another edition

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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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leiaheenan's review against another edition

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adventurous dark tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

“We are the choices we make.”

If you thought the first book in the series was good, just wait for this one. I’ll admit, I was a bit frustrated with the slow start, but once the pace picked up, it never stopped. There were other details I think that were unnecessary and oddly placed
such as Davey’s death. I really think that there was an incredible opportunity to see their friendship develop more, and his death wasn’t given the space it deserved because so much else was happening at the same time.
. The way that manipulation is written in this book is absolutely phenomenal, and really illustrates the actual process and thought behind the manipulation. Overall, just a great read, and I cannot wait to read the final book of the trilogy.

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sassyykassie's review against another edition

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

4.5


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whitenoise's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective 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

5.0


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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.

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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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margaret_s_library's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional inspiring reflective 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

5.0


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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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sneha_m's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional reflective sad 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

4.0


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