Could have been exceptional

What did you like best about The Knife of Never Letting Go? What did you like least?

Amid the many YA books set in a dystopian world, I'd say the depiction of New World in The Knife of Never Letting Go is really a cut above average. Ness cleverly undermines Todd's fast-held beliefs as he moves forward on his journey, discovering the world beyond his small village; and while the story isn't entirely unpredictable, it's still entertaining. What didn't I like? I think the casting was wrong. Humphrey Bower does a great job of differentiating between the characters and bringing life to the drama - but as the voice of Todd, he just sounded wrong, more like an old man than a 13-year-old boy.

What other book might you compare The Knife of Never Letting Go to, and why?

In terms of world-building, The Knife of Never Letting Go is certainly comparable with the work of Philip Pullman, Suzanne Collins and Malorie Blackman - and I think fans of those authors would love Ness.

What three words best describe Humphrey Bower’s voice?

Consistent but irritating

If this book were a film would you go see it?

Yes

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Brilliant

Would you listen to The Knife of Never Letting Go again? Why?

Yes, I would and I'm sure to listen to the rest in the series. It took me a little to get into it but I ended up being very emotionally attached to the characters and loved the story

What did you like best about this story?

How I was so drawn in and became attached to the characters which I haven't done in the last few books I've read and listened to.

What does Humphrey Bower bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?

I'm not sure if it would be harder to read because a lot of the dialogue is in the settler's accent, at first I found this hard to listen to but I got used to it and the narrator did a great job.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Yes definitely! But I don't want to spoil anything...

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Brilliant

and now I am off to buy book 2!!
so different. need to know what happens next!

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Lovely

Very pleasurable listen. Novel alien environment, full of bitter-sweet moments that tug at the heart. Not sure what I needed to make this 5 star. Maybe it's a symptom of it being the first part of a trilogy. Definitely much more to be explored in this very interesting world with strong characters that aren't simple embodiments of good and evil but are strong hero's and villains.

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Couldn't put it down!

Absolutely loved it. From the very beginning I was hooked and found myself listening at every opportunity. The narrator is excellent with all the voices and I loved the style of writing and the accents. Before I got to the end I had already downloaded the next two books and will be starting book 2 in a minute.

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Heartbreaking and Sweet

My second read of this story, and I listened to the audio version this time, and…..wow! Fantastic narration from Humphrey Bower, he really brought Todd and all the characters to life, from all the Prentisstown men (full of evil), to sweet Viola, who only wants to do the right thing by her ‘mothership’ so to speak, to many other characters ending with my favourite one, Manchee. I loved the relationship between Todd and Manchee, it actually brought tears to my eyes, both in joy and sadness. Emotional (very much so), highly entertaining and suspenseful, some super stress filled moments, and some truly heartbreaking scenes. I loved it.

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Excellent!

Great story and read brilliantly!

However, this is a 3 part story and you'll end up buying two more audiobooks. ;)

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12 people found this helpful

Strong

I’m not sure if this is YA but I found it a very good and well written book. I did find the violence quite strong and the emotional side very involving. I really liked Manchi but often became frustrated with Todd.
Will recommend and share this title.

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Absolute diamond of a story

I have to say.
The concept of the story is
so different from most sci-fi.

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A stunning book

What made the experience of listening to The Knife of Never Letting Go the most enjoyable?

The narrator transports you right into the story and the characters. His voice, the sounds and special effects makes the whole listening experience so visual.

What other book might you compare The Knife of Never Letting Go to, and why?

A similar genre as The lord of the rings but really stands up as something special in it's own right -more real than fantasy. It made me think of the world we live in and the decisions that man makes.

Have you listened to any of Humphrey Bower’s other performances? How does this one compare?

I have now completed the Chaos Walking Trilogy and the narration is excellent in all of them

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I was able to listen to it in fairly long bouts and, yes, it does make you want to know what happens next. I quickly moved on to the other two books in the trilogy.

Any additional comments?

I bought this book for my son and I would say it is suitable for teenager to adult. It has had me in tears and 'on the edge of my seat' through out. You need to listen to the whole trilogy - you will want to anyway.

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