One Noisy Novel

In young Todd Hewitt’s bizarre world, created by ‘Patrick Ness’ in his award winning novel ‘The Knife of Never Letting Go’, Todd is just thirty days shy of officially becoming a man in the eyes of Prentisstown and its men. Being the last boy in Prentisstown can’t be fun and coupled with the fact that there are no women, this town is really like no other on ‘Old World’. However on ‘New World’ becoming a man at age thirteen and hearing the crazed, confusing thoughts of the men around you in one huge mess of ‘Noise’ is considered normal to a trusting Todd and his annoying, unwanted dog ‘Manchee’. All of these abnormalities don’t seem at all unnatural until one day at a stinking swap, the only place where Todd feels a sense of quiet; he hears it, absolute and undeniable silence.

The determined, strong-mined and illiterate Todd Hewitt is a boy who just can’t wait to become a man. He is one courageous young man who will do anything for the ones he loves and I really enjoyed seeing a change in Todd on so many occasions. The first of which being him meeting Viola, a mysterious girl from ‘Old World’. I found Todd very believable because of the way he spoke. Ness really gave him a voice right down to changing the spelling of words to show Todd’s illiteracy. An example of this is how Todd says ‘exploshun’ and ‘interrupshun’ and ‘ain’t’ as opposed to how they are actually spelt and said. Todd’s main challenge throughout the book really is that he cannot kill. The concept is always there throughout the novel however it is not actually revealed in any obvious way until later on in the novel.

In this novel there were more memorable, mind-blowing scenes than I could count on my fingers and toes! One that I think really helps to create the essence of the novel would definitely be (CAREFUL-LITTLE SPOILER AHEAD) when the boy who supposedly cannot kill, kills a ‘Spackle’. The Spackle are creatures that are look a little like human’s except much bigger, much whiter and much stranger. They were thought to be demolished in the Spackle War which was also when the Noise Germ spread and supposedly killed all the women. Let’s just say it wasn't really a great time for New World. I really like this scene because I think it really outlines how little Todd really knows about the world he lives in and this is yet another moment when Todd’s world as he knows it is flipped upside down.

I believe that this book was set mainly in the harsh bush and scrub of nature because the environment acted as a weighted reminder of the cruelty of the world. I also think that the scene mentioned above helps to remind the reader of that Todd really doesn’t know anything about what he’s doing and that he really trusted in what he was told by the malicious ‘Mayor Prentiss’, who’s army had been chasing Todd ever since he escaped into the bush.

I strongly believe that the themes explored in this novel include; adolescence, innocence, death, loss, determination and distrust. I believe that innocence is a pertinent theme because it is the whole reason that Todd has to run from Prentisstown. (SPOILER AHEAD) Being the last boy in Prentisstown means that Todd is the only one that hasn't participated in the ritual in which you become a man. This ritual consists of the boy killing a man. Todd, being the boy that can’t kill is the last one who hasn't killed which the mayor who constantly reminds Todd that “If one falls, we all fall” which is why Todd is the last piece of the puzzle, the last innocent person who the mayor cannot control, the last boy with a mind of his own which the mayor just cannot have.

I think that this book would suit anyone who likes a chase. Anyone who likes a novel with many exciting and carefully placed twists and turns would LOVE this novel. ‘The Knife of Never Letting Go’ is truly a novel that is not like any other and one that you will be lucky to read if you ever get the chance. 

Five Faction Fiction

Veronica Roth’s New York Times best seller ‘Divergent’ is a  thrilling, riveting and electrifying, adventure that follows the choices, friendships and hardships of a sixteen year old Beatrice Prior, later known as ‘Tris’. When young Tris Prior is forced by a divided society where everyone must conform, to choose the faction she will spend the rest of her life in; Abnegation (the selfless) Candor (the honest) Erudite (the intelligent,) Amity (the peaceful) and Dauntless (the fearless), she discovers that she does not quite fit. On the day of her ‘Choosing Ceremony’ Tris surprises everyone, including herself, with the decision she makes.

Alright so, who is Tris? Tris is a strong-willed sixteen-year-old girl who hates showing weakness and is unsure as to where she fits in her divided, futuristic, Chicago world. It was really enjoyable following Tris’ thoughts and adventures because she was a believable character with the common teenage problem, fitting in, which made her relatable. Although, Tris’ trouble fitting in had nothing to do with the head cheerleader being nasty. Tris is different.

As mentioned before, Tris had to make several choices about which faction to choose in the ‘Choosing Ceremony’ and many others. This choice, like many of those others that she was forced to make, were difficult for her because it was either ‘faction before blood’ as the society says or what she had known her whole life ‘others (in this case family) before self’ as the Abnegation had taught her. With the knowledge that Tris gains from her time in her new faction and from getting to know her attractive yet mysterious initiation instructor ‘Four’ who she just cant seem to stop thinking about (yes girls, he’s the guy) , Tris begins to understand that the world she thought was perfect, is not quite. She discovers that there is evil in the people she thought were the most pure and trustworthy and that in the world there are others like her.

There are many very memorable scenes in this engaging book, however, a personal favourite would have to be the scene in which Tris is attacked, then saved by the increasingly romantic Four. 

In this scene, some of  Tris’ fellow initiates Al (a supposed friend), Peter (a foe) and Drew (Peters lacky), attack Tris due to her ranking first after the fear simulations which are a test that show your true inner strength. Peter exclaims that he will not be ‘outranked by a Stiff (an unaffectionate name for someone from Abnegation) as the three boys turn Tris black and blue and dangle her over ‘The Chasm’. ‘The Chasm’ is a large water filled ravine lined with jagged rocks. Just as Tris feels as though her inner strength may not be enough this time, Four comes to save the day. Tris later wakes up to the comfort of Fours living space.

This scene was memorable, in my strong opinion, because it was a weighted reminder of the cruelty of faction initiation and the fragility of friendship when things go well for one and not for others. The significance of this scene, in my opinion, is that it showed the weakness within Peter, Drew and Al alike and how people, even in situations that are not quite the same, turn on each other for irrational reasons. It was also a time for the reader to once again see the relationship budding for Tris and Four when he cares for her and ‘tenses when [she] mentions what they did to [her].’  The author made a conscious decision to have the scene take place in ‘The Chasm’ because it is portrayed throughout the novel as a hazardous and dreadful place, the place where people jump the barrier and plunge to their deaths. This place suits the scene because it is seen as a dark space and therefore more fear is instilled in the reader.

During the novel themes such as family, guilt and choices were developed strongly. The themes family and guilt are connected because Tris feels as though by choosing the faction she wanted she was betraying her family and the faction she originated from. The theme of choices is also connected to the above themes because Tris had to make many choices that involved her family which in turn caused her to feel guilt.

The definite message presented in this novel is that there is not just one good trait to possess and that diversity is important. The idea of diversity is similar to the book title, Divergent and I think this is deliberate. This book also outlines the fact that people cannot be simply identified according to a certain part of their personality.

‘I have a theory that selflessness and bravery aren't all that different’ is something that Four says whilst trying to help Tris see that she is not as different from her family as she first thought. This very simple sentence is very well written and really catches the essence of Tris’ struggle with herself. Another small excerpt is ‘human beings as a whole cannot be good for long before the bad creeps back in and poisons us again.’ in my mind, this sentence captures the idea that the seemingly perfect society is not so perfect and that human nature is not perfect either. In these sentences and throughout the entire book Roth consistently brings the story to life in the mind. She uses a colourful range of descriptive language and there are several examples of sensory imagery such as when Tris is being  attacked and she mentions the ‘mist touch[ing] [her] ankles.’ The scene is written so well that you too can feel the mist touching your ankles and the hand of Peter wrapped around your throat blocking the air.

With its sophisticated language, character and storyline that is easy to follow and intriguing I believe that this book would appeal to adults and children alike. This book would be enjoyed by anyone who loves a fast paced, action-filled novel with a blooming romance on the side.