Published: 2009
Pages: 519
Genre: Young Adult/Dystopian
**This is the second novel in the Chaos Walking Trilogy. There are spoilers regarding the first book in the series, The Knife of Never Letting Go.
Todd and Viola are separated as Mayor Prentiss (now President Prentiss) overtakes Haven (now known as "New Prentisstown"). Todd is taken prisoner by Mayor/President Prentiss, while Viola is sent off to a healing house due to her gunshot wound from the end of the last novel. The healing house women (and Viola) eventually run off and form The Answer, who are opposed to President Prentiss and his tyranny.
Todd and Viola spend the entire book apart and this time half the book is written from Viola's perspective (the first novel was written just by Todd's). I liked that separating the two allowed us to see both opposing sides of the coming war. They are also each heavily swayed by both sides and the reader is never sure which side they may choose. Like the first book, I was never sure what was going to happen next.
This book was also more brutal than the first. I thought the first was dark and violent, but this ones takes the cake. First treating the Spackle (the planet natives) like cattle, then the women -- not to mention the torture that was going on to try and get information from the other side of the battle. It was horrifying.
And the ending! Wow...I can definitely say that I never saw that coming. Patrick Ness is an amazing author. He knows how to build up tension and keep you guessing with his characters. I can't wait to read the next book to figure out what happens next.
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