The Knife of Never Letting Go facts for kids
First edition cover
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| Author | Patrick Ness |
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| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Series | Chaos Walking |
| Genre | Young-adult, science fiction |
| Publisher | Walker Books |
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Publication date
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5 May 2008 |
| Pages | 496 |
| ISBN | 978-1-4063-1025-2 |
| OCLC | 233261939 |
| Followed by | The Ask and the Answer |
The Knife of Never Letting Go is an exciting science fiction novel for young adults. It was written by British-American author Patrick Ness. The book was released by Walker Books on May 5, 2008. It's the first book in the thrilling Chaos Walking series. The story continues in The Ask and the Answer and Monsters of Men. This book follows Todd Hewitt, a 13-year-old boy. He lives in Prentisstown, a place where everyone can hear each other's thoughts. These thoughts are called "Noise." Todd runs away after he discovers a big secret about his town's past.
Critics really loved the novel. It won several awards, including the Booktrust Teenage Prize and the Guardian Award. It also won the James Tiptree, Jr. Award. The Knife was Patrick Ness's first book written for teens. He got the idea for a world where people can't escape constant thoughts. He knew this idea would be perfect for young readers.
Story Summary
Todd Hewitt is the only boy left in Prentisstown. This small town is on a new planet called 'New World'. Humans have only recently started living there. Todd is just days away from his thirteenth birthday. In Prentisstown, this is the age when all boys "become men."
Todd has been told that all the women and most men on New World died. This happened during a war with the Spackle. The Spackle are the planet's native people. They are blamed for releasing a "germ" that caused many deaths. This germ was especially deadly to women. The people of Prentisstown claim that all Spackle were wiped out. Todd believes this story. Because of the germ, the remaining men in Prentisstown can hear everyone's thoughts. This constant flow of thoughts is called "Noise."
The men of Prentisstown believe they are the last people left on New World. This is what Mayor Prentiss, who the town is named after, tells them.
At the start of the book, Todd and his dog, Manchee, find a quiet spot. It's a "hole in the Noise" in a swamp nearby. Todd and Manchee are confused. They quickly go back to town.
Todd tells his adoptive parents, Ben and Cillian, about the silence. His "Noise" accidentally shares this discovery with the whole town. Ben and Cillian then reveal a secret. They have been planning Todd's escape from Prentisstown his whole life. They immediately make him leave with only a small bag of supplies. Manchee goes with him. Todd doesn't want to go, but he obeys. Cillian fights off Davy Prentiss, the Mayor's son, and other men. Ben gives Todd his hunting knife. He also gives him his deceased mother's diary.
Todd escapes into the swamp with Manchee. There, he finds a girl who has no "Noise." She is the first girl Todd has ever seen in person. He had only seen girls in videos and photos before. The girl doesn't say anything.
Suddenly, the town preacher, Aaron, attacks Todd, Manchee, and the girl. Aaron has been bothering Todd with fights lately. Todd and Manchee push Aaron into the swamp's lake. Crocodiles then attack him. The girl quietly leads Todd through the swamp. They go to her scout ship. Her parents' bodies are inside. Todd realizes she crash-landed on New World. Todd's mother's diary has a map. With its help, the three start traveling together. They head towards Farbranch, a town marked on the map. Todd hopes Farbranch still exists. He hopes it can protect them from Prentisstown.
Todd realizes he might pass the germ to the girl. He thinks it could kill her. She hears this thought in his "Noise" and runs away. Todd and Manchee chase her. They all meet Aaron and other Prentisstown men at a bridge. The men are tracking them. The girl saves them by pouring lighter fluid on the bridge. She sets it on fire with her campfire kit. After this, she bravely speaks. She finally tells Todd her name: Viola.
A woman named Hildy finds Todd and Viola. They are near the town of Farbranch. Hildy tells Todd that the Noise germ is not deadly for women. It doesn't affect them at all. None of the women have "Noise." She takes the three to her settlement. At night, an army from Prentisstown arrives. They burn down the town. They kill anyone who won't join them. Todd, Viola, and Manchee escape. They flee towards Haven. People say there might be a cure for "Noise" there. They also hope to find a radio tower. They want to contact Viola's people, who are coming to settle the planet.
After a few days, Davy finds them again. Viola manages to shock Davy. Todd thinks about killing him but can't. Instead, Todd ties Davy up. Then he and Viola head for Haven. During their journey, Todd, Viola, and Manchee find a live Spackle. Todd is shocked. He thought all Spackle were killed in the war. He worries about an attack. He is also frustrated with himself for not killing Davy. Todd attacks the Spackle. He kills it but instantly regrets it.
Aaron appears and stabs Todd. He kidnaps Viola. Todd wakes up and chases Aaron. But his stab wound gets infected, and he quickly weakens. Todd finds Viola and Aaron. He uses Manchee to distract Aaron. He tries to rescue Viola. The plan doesn't work. Todd and Viola manage to get away. But they have to leave Manchee behind with Aaron. Aaron kills the dog in a fit of anger. The pair escape on a boat. Todd passes out from his injuries.
Todd wakes up. A doctor in another town is taking care of him. He insists on a walk. He finds Ben hiding outside of town. Ben tells him that Cillian died during Todd's escape. The people of this new town call Ben a murderer. This is because he is from Prentisstown. But Ben and Todd convince the townspeople to help them. They will fight the approaching Prentisstown army. As the army gets closer, Ben, Todd, and Viola use the confusion to escape.
After getting some distance, Ben explains the truth. The "Noise" germ is natural to the planet. It was not an attack by the Spackle. The men of Prentisstown went crazy because of the "Noise." They were angry that women could remain silent. So, they did terrible things to the women. They were then kicked out of the other settlements on New World for their crimes. The boys were supposed to learn a "version of the truth" from the Mayor. This would happen on their thirteenth birthday. This is why Todd was sent away before "becoming a man." He could only be accepted by the rest of the world if his thoughts were completely innocent.
Ben, Todd, and Viola continue towards Haven. But Davy finds them again. Ben distracts Davy so Todd and Viola can run. But then the crazy Aaron corners the two. They are in a cave near a waterfall by Haven. Todd suddenly realizes something. The boys of Prentisstown become "men" by killing someone when they turn sixteen. Aaron sees himself as a sacrifice for the "last boy" in Prentisstown. He tries to make Todd kill him. Viola tries to stop Aaron. She grabs the knife and stabs Aaron in the neck. He falls into the waterfall and dies.
Davy again stops the pair on their way to Haven. He shoots Viola. Todd fights Davy. He escapes and carries a dying Viola to Haven for help. However, Mayor Prentiss is already there to meet them. Haven surrendered without a fight. The Mayor declares himself President of New World. Todd feels despair. He then realizes he can't hear the Mayor's "Noise." Todd has no other choice. He surrenders to the Mayor to save Viola.
Setting
The Knife of Never Letting Go is set in Prentisstown. This town was taken over by a small group of religious settlers. They came from 'Old World'. The town is near a swamp. The settlers have some advanced technology. But they mostly farm to survive. The rural setting of the book has been compared to the worlds in Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and The Night of the Hunter.
Awards and Recognition
- 2008 Booktrust Teenage Prize
- 2008 Guardian Award
- 2008 James Tiptree, Jr. Award
- Other Recognitions
- 2009 Carnegie Medal shortlist
- 2009 Manchester Book Award longlist
Film Adaptation
In 2011, Lionsgate bought the rights to make movies from the Chaos Walking book series. Joe Drake, the president of Lionsgate, said they chose the books because they are so exciting. He said the stories make you want to keep reading. He believed they would make movies you wouldn't want to miss in theaters.
The movie, Chaos Walking: The Knife of Never Letting Go, was produced by Doug Davison. Jamie Linden wrote the screenplay. Doug Liman was in talks to direct the film. On August 5, 2016, it was announced that Tom Holland (from Spider-Man) and Daisy Ridley (from Star Wars) would star in the movie.
The screenplay was written by Patrick Ness, Charlie Kaufman, and John Lee Hancock. Doug Liman directed it. Filming began in August 2017. The movie was first set to be released on March 1, 2020. However, it was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and extra filming. The film was released in US theaters on March 5, 2021.
