This past summer, for my Media and Society class, we collected data from our days. That is, conversations – we wrote down conversations we observed, and ones we participated in.  The information was then mined for similarities, categorized, and put in collections.  It was then these observations became media.

Such a society exists in The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness. The first in the “Chaos Walking” series introduces us to a world in which there are no women left, and every thought by a man or child is audible to all those around, due to an infection known as “Noise.”  Todd Hewlitt is the last boy in the strange settlement of Prentisstown.  His birthday is around the corner, and he’s about to become a man.   With only his dog,  the ever-faithful Manchee, for companionship, Todd ventures to pick apples in a clearing. Only it’s silent and devoid of noise.  More importantly, a girl, Viola Eade, whose spaceship has crashed, and she is its only survivor.    Todd soon learns Viola’s existence poses a threat and the two flee, pursued by the townspeople.

There’s a lot going on in this book, but unlike some dystopian novels I’ve read, The Knife of Never Letting Go appears to have a very clear direction. There’s a great deal of mystery and intrigue in this society, but as Todd uncovers more, the readers learn the real history of Prentisstown along width him. The varying fonts throughout Knife really illustrate  the overwhelming cacophony of thoughts that surround the members of Prentisstown, and let us feel like we’re on the run with Todd as well.   The writing is quick paced, and I flew through the novel, each chapter becoming more taut with suspense as Todd discovers the dark secrets of those he trusted.    The voice of Todd, however, was my favorite.  The improper grammar, the introspective moments , the running stream of consciousness, in other books it would grate on a reader’s nerves perhaps, here, it fuses together perfectly.   His growing loss of innocence is amplified in lines such as the following:

“Men lie, and they lie to theirselves most of all.”

“And there’s so much sorrow in his noise, so much worry and edginess, I know he’s speaking true, I know he can’t help what’s happening and I hate it…  We don’t say anything more. What else is there to say? Everything and nothing. You can’t say everything, so you don’t say nothing.”

This is a heavy read and will stick with you for quite some time.   The novel approaches so many topics from information to the role of women, to colonization, I could easily see it used in a classroom. On Twitter, I suggested it might make an interesting read next to Fahrenheit 451, with the constrasting themes of the ending of the dissemination of information and the overwhelming power of information.

Two things worth noting:  One issue I had with the storyline: Todd’s abuse of Manchee.  However, I did consider that within this society such treatment of animals isn’t vilified.     Also the foster guardians of Todd, Ben and Cillian, their relationship wasn’t explicitly stated, but it seemed that the two men were a couple who displayed nothing but devotion and care for Todd.  I found this refreshing in a YA novel, and liked that it just existed in the backdrop.

I’d recommend The Knife of Never Letting Go to fans of dystopian fiction, Fahrenheit 451, Candor, Margaret Atwood.

The second book in this series, The Ask and the Answer, has been released in hardcover as well. I warn you, The Knife ends on very unsettling cliffhanger. You’ll want to get The Ask and the Answer immediately.

Copy for review provided by the publisher.

Claire Voyante, the heroine from Dream Life, is back in the newest book from Lauren Mechling.  Recovered from her frenetic first semester at Henry Hudson High School, she’s settled in to life as an undercover psychic dream-having fairly well. She’s got a quasi-boyfriend, some new friends, and of course, Becca Shuttleworth is her best friend.  But when Becca starts hanging out with her old friends,  Claire has a dream of a girl raising a gun at her friend’s head, and decides to to investigate.  It’s then she learns Becca’s secret: She’s joined The Blue Moons, an ages old secret society of girls who perform random acts of good all around the city.  But their altruism doesn’t go unnoticed..a rival group is targeting The Blue Moons, intent on exposing their identities. At first it seems like simple cattiness, but could it be something more?  In the romantic department, Claire’s luck is lackluster.  Like Becca, Andy’s making excuses not to see her too.  If she’s so psychic..how come she didn’t see any of this coming?

In my Dream Girl review, I called the book a “delightful pastiche.”  In regards to Dream Life, I’d think of it more of a dessert, too rich for some, but still simply satisfying.   My favorite aspect of the first book, the dialogue, came back just as strong and enjoyable.   It’s not just Claire’s sarcastic observations filling the book with humor, warmth and real moments, but the adult voices as well, such as when Mechling writes the voice of Jon-Jon, a portly Southern gentleman who’s found himself at home on Claire’s grandmother’s couch:

“She’s catching an ice sculpture show,”Jon-John said lazily. “I had to pass on the opportunity, I’m a Southern boy and the only ice sculpture I like is in the shape of a cube, in a glass of bourbon.”

Once again, I could find several passages I love, but I’d rather have you read and react to them.

All of the characters, from the new to the returning, have a distinct voice.  In particular, the Blue Moons. I loved how they varied, and the unique traits they had, such as Sill’s Veronica Lake-inspired hairdo. A simple element in a large plot, but it’s just an example of how Mechling weaves contemporary, mystical, and vintage elements in for a compelling story.    Reading Dream Girl isn’t essential, but will enhance your enjoyment of the characters and the world in they inhabit.

Take a look at the fantastic trailer for Dream Life below!

[vimeo 7993012]

Copy for review provided by the publisher.