The Knife of Never Letting Go

Chaos Walking, Book 1

By: Patrick Ness

Narrated by: Nick Podehl

Now a major motion picture, the first novel in the riveting Chaos Walking trilogy by two-time Carnegie Medalist Patrick Ness.

“Narrated with crack dramatic and comic timing.... The cliffhanger ending is as effective as a shot to the gut.” --Booklist (starred review)

Todd Hewitt is the only boy in a town of men. Ever since the settlers were infected with the Noise germ, Todd can hear everything the men think, and they hear everything he thinks. Todd is just a month away from becoming a man, but in the midst of the cacophony, he knows that the town is hiding something from him - something so awful Todd is forced to flee with only his dog, whose simple, loyal voice he hears too. With hostile men from the town in pursuit, the two stumble upon a strange and eerily silent creature: a girl. Who is she? Why wasn't she killed by the germ like all the females on New World? Propelled by Todd's gritty narration, readers are in for a white-knuckle journey in which a boy on the cusp of manhood must unlearn everything he knows in order to figure out who he truly is.

©2008 Patrick Ness (P)2010 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Furiously paced, terrifying, exhilarating, and heartbreaking, The Knife of Never Letting Go is a book that haunts your imagination." ( Sunday Telegraph, UK)

"A penetrating look at...what it takes to be a man in a society gone horribly wrong." ( Booklist)

"A series opener as promising as it is provocative." ( The Horn Book)

Incredible Voice Acting

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

The voice acting is incredible, this was one of my first audio books and Nick Podehl did an excellent job with each of the characters, They were all distinct and believable.

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

This was a young adult book, it had many twists and turns. It was not like other sci-fi books I had read, it dealt less with technology and more with an incredible story.

Have you listened to any of Nick Podehl’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I have not, I did get the sequel and so far it is as good as this was.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I laughed at parts. For the most part, I felt like I was on the edge of my seat, anxious to keep the story going and find out what was about to happen.

Annoying Main Character

Is there anything you would change about this book?

The Main Character is beyond Annoying. Nick Podehl does a great job portraying a little brat of a child. The only problem with this, is i was annoyed so much i had to stop listening to this book. While this book well written, and had a story that keep some of my attention, the main character was a young boy that all i wanted to do was smack.

If you’ve listened to books by Patrick Ness before, how does this one compare?

no

What about Nick Podehl’s performance did you like?

Another Great performance by Nick Podehl.

Was The Knife of Never Letting Go worth the listening time?

Not in my mind.

Just Ok

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

I would not recommend this book. There are so many better books out there.

Do you think The Knife of Never Letting Go needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

I know there is a follow up but I will not be reading it.

Imaginative story, great narration, quick pacing

What did you like best about this story?

Firstly that it's so unique. The author has a great imagination and told the story well. It wasn't bare-bones dry, but it wasn't dripping in excess adjectives and exposition either. Manchee was a favorite also.

Have you listened to any of Nick Podehl’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

This is the first time I've heard this narrator, and I just loved him. In fact, I listened to a sample on a whim, not knowing anything about the book and decided within 60 seconds to buy it because I was so engaged by Nick Podehl! He's got a lot of personality and sounded enthused about this story. And the way he voiced the animals, that was a big selling point to me. If I had read the book description first, I may never have listened to the sample.

Narrator knocks another one out of the park

I love Nick Podehl's narration in The Kingkiller series, and this book proves it is no fluke. His energy, emotion, distinctive voices, and even more distinctive accents really make this more of a Performance than just a narration.

The book itself is entertaining and well-written, both thought-provoking and heart-tugging enough at times to generate enough interest for me to continue the series. And if there was ever any doubt, the narration performance clinches it.

Absolutely Brilliant!!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I would and HAVE many times already. The narrator is just incredible and so perfectly fitted for this novel. I attempted to read the story in hardcover and could not get into it and so I decided to try listening and I am SO glad I did. The subsequent novels are even better.

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

I hate comparing books, this story is very unique

Which character – as performed by Nick Podehl – was your favorite?

Manchee!!!! and of course Todd :)

Any additional comments?

perfect example of why audiobooks are awesome

14 ? I'm a bit confused.

Although there were some interesting elements to the story, I had great difficulty convincing myself that the main character was 14 years old. I think my favorite part of the story was the relationship between Todd and his dog.

First of all

How dare they end the book like that! I was in the middle of work when the book just ended with that Cliff hanger. This book was a wild ride. I loved the narration. It really brought the story to life. But wow. Just wow. I listened to the entire book at work. I had to pause what I was doing just to catch my breath. I will definitely continue this series with audio. I cannot rate this book and experience high enough

it was decent

performance was ok, the story was kinda sluggish and bit slow, although there were kinda exciting parts , but nothing too exciting throughout development ,disliked the main character, also every time there was suppose to be a reveal all of a sudden something happens, I think it's a cheap way to keep the reader reading

Easy but Depressing Read

No Spoilers here:
Even though some cusswords come out abbreviated, there is A LOT of cussing.

It is a post apocalyptic story. All women are gone...or ARE they....I like the level of interest in which all the men have their inner thoughts exposed for all others. It is sociologically neat to see how different people handle the issue of being able to see/hear everything that men/boys think. However, (just like in real life) it isn't always so plain and easy to see what kind of person someone is just because you can see their thoughts. Ironic, no?
The downside of the book was that you have to read the second book, AND the characters are not terribly lovable. They make the story kind of dark and frustratingly depressing. Don't mistake my meaning, it is a good read if you want something kind of dark and very dramatically serious. No humor whatsoever in this book, and very few breathers from the terror and struggle. Hunger Games had more humor in it than this book.

The Narrator did a wonderful job giving the story layers. People have emotions and expressions that matched what the narrator provided. I have read and listened to this book, and it is definitely a better listen. Favorite Character: Manchie. Why? The narrator did such a good job with this dog's character voice that my husband and I were quoting him for weeks.