The Knife of Never Letting Go
by Patrick Ness
reviewed by Hannah Huynh
The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness is a science fiction novel full of suspense. Prentisstown, where the protagonist of the novel is raised, is different from other settlements. In Prentisstown, everyone’s thoughts could be heard in the continuous and never ending pouring of Noise. This strange town is comprised of only men who all have the disease known to them as Noise. The protagonist of the novel, Todd, is raised in this strange town where stories passed down for generations could possibly be all lies. One day after discovering something strange, Todd is suddenly told by his foster parents to leave Prentisstown and to never come back, but how can Todd escape the people chasing him down if they could hear all of his thoughts through his Noise?
The Knife of Never Letting Go is a coming of age novel that takes place in a town that has not fully come of age yet. Themes of the book include, manipulation, guilt, and choice.
This novel reflects the theme of manipulation because Todd was raised in a web of lies with the help of Mayor Prentiss. Todd struggles with guilt in this novel. An example of Todd struggling with guilt is when he tries to decide whether to Aaron or not. The theme of choice is reflected throughout the novel because the whole plot of the story is mostly based on choices made throughout the entirety of the book. When Todd flees Prentisstown, he has no more rules to follow and must make the right decisions to guide the rest of his journey with his dog, Manchee, and his new companion, Viola. Another example of the theme of choice being reflected in the novel is when Todd says, “A knife ain't just a thing, is it? It's a choice, it's something you do. A knife says yes or no, cut or not, die or don't. A knife takes a decision out of your hand and puts it in the world and it never goes back again” (Ness 84). When Todd says this, he is saying that everything is based on choice and that what you do is up to you to decide. Ness also uses symbolism. One example of a symbol is the knife. Todd has three different phases in how he sees the knife he was given. Todd first thinks that having the knife is bad. He then goes on to think that the knife makes people do bad things. In the end, Todd realizes that the knife is in his control and that he must take responsibility for all the actions done with the knife. The knife is very symbolic in the novel and also shows Todd’s character development through the different ways he sees the knife. The narration of the novel is in first person which is from the point of view of protagonist, Todd. This type of narration allows us to get to know the character well, but we also know the character’s response to all situations which creates more mystery and suspense.
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