The Knife of Never Letting Go

Summary:
Twelve year old Todd is the last boy in Prentisstown. There are no women or girls and Todd is the only male under the age of 12. Todd is told that when settlers landed, a germ took over that killed all the women. The men were not killed, but the germ made it so that all of their inner thoughts could be heard. Just before his thirteenth birthday, Todd learns that this is not completely true. The germ did not kill the women. In fact, women were unaffected by the Noise that plagued the men. As a result the men in Prentisstown killed all of the women and were cut off from the rest of the New World for their crime. When a girl crash lands outside Prentisstown, she and Todd set off to try to warn the rest of New World that Prentisstown has world domination in mind.

Strengths:
The main strengths of this dystopian young adult novel lie in the plot's creativity. The settlers have discovered a world very similar to Earth but the idea of a native germ that has a detrimental but non fatal effect on humans is fresh and interesting. The information overload that exists in the book is parallel to the information overload present in today's society with the prevalence of the internet and smart phones. The action is fairly nonstop once Todd leaves Prentisstown. The main characters are easy to relate to and their motivations and decision making is complex. The plot twists and turns often leave the reader off balance and the ending leaves the reader wanting to read the two sequel books.

If you like this book, check out these!

The Hunger Games
Ender's Game

Ness, P. (2008). The knife of never letting go. Cambridge, Mass.: Candlewick Press.

Comments

El Deafo

Summary: When 4 year old Cece gets meningitis, her parents are scared. But she recovers and everything seems like it is going to be just fine, until they discover that Cece has suffered permanent hearing loss. Told through a graphic novel, Cece Bell's somewhat autobiographical story stars a world of bunnies where Cece navigates her first grade year while dealing with her deafness, wearing a hearing aid and making friends. She copes by creating an alter ego for herself, "El Deafo", the hearing aid wearing superhero. In the end, Cece gains confidence and learns to be more assertive with other people who just don't understand how their interactions with her can have an effect. Strengths: This graphic novel is geared towards a younger set of readers than most of the books I will be reviewing this fall in this blog, but it still has some value and strengths for the young adult reader. The theme of dealing with being different will resonate with young adult readers,

Learning New Things

It has been a while since my last update, so first here's what's been going on. I left my music teacher position of 14 years to take a 1/2 library 1/2 music position at a public PK-3rd grade Academy that focuses on using GT best practices for all students, whether or not they've been identified as gifted. I inherited a library that was staffed the previous year by a 1/2 time librarian and a 1/2 time assistant, who were both on another campus 1/2 time, which is tough. I've gotten really lucky to be mentored by a phenomenal librarian who is only blocks from my school, knows a TON about the district I'm in and how it's run and is just a great person. Because I could basically do the music job in my sleep, I've spent something like 3/4 of my time in the library, trying to get my bearings, get programs off the ground and provide a welcoming space for my teachers and students. So far, it's been going well. This first post back is going to be focusing on a

Gabi: A Girl in Pieces

Summary: Gabi is a high school senior who is pulled in all directions. Her diary chronicles the sixteen year old's senior year of high school. Her best friend is pregnant, her other best friend is kicked out of his house after he comes out to his parents, her father is a meth addict and her mother nags and disapproves but is still supportive. Gabi's diary is full of teenage thoughts, poetry and her looking toward the future that she hopes will happen at Berkeley. Through the novel we see Gabi learn and grow as she deals with the world happening around her and her social and environmental awareness as well as sense of self grows. Strengths: This book gives a voice to a young, Latino woman in a genre that very rarely features that sort of character. As a result, there are issues discussed in this book that you won't find in very many other young adult books. Gabi struggles with racism, her weight and the problems of the people she cares about. The narrative of her d

The Bard's Books

Search This Blog