Customer Reviews

Ask and the Answer (Chaos Walking)

5 star:		(27)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I've just put the book down and....Wow. Just wow. There's no sophomore slump here; if anything this book is better since the first one ended in such a maddening place. Don't get me wrong, Mr. Ness ends this one in a doozy of a cliffhanger as well but at least this one ties up some loose ends and has some semblance of completion to it.

Since the product description already mentions this, I don't feel it's a spoiler to say that Viola survives the shooting. In fact, she narrates a big portion of this story so you can see things from both the men's and women's perspective. The plot is just as compelling as the first book (maybe even more so?) and deals with issues of trust, love, leadership, and of course, war. Especially war -- how it's ingrained in humanity, yet it strips it of us.

Ness' writing is top notch. Those who are grammar and spelling sticklers might wince at times but the misspellings and creative grammar are just a few of the tools Ness uses to convey train of thought. And see, that's where Ness shines. He has the uncanny ability to capture the duality of human cognition. How we talk to ourselves, evaluate and measure our decisions, how we vacillate in our opinions.

Definitely, without a doubt, this book is worth your time.(You must have read the first book to understand anything in this one though.) Take out your calendar and clear a weekend because if you're like me, you won't be able to put it down. Now I'm on pins and needles in anticipation of the third book!

Gold Star Award Winner!

It is important to read the first book in the CHAOS WALKING trilogy, THE KNIFE OF NEVER LETTING GO, before beginning THE ASK AND THE ANSWER. Patrick Ness doesn't leave anything out when he begins book two of the trilogy; THE ASK AND THE ANSWER picks up exactly where THE KNIFE OF NEVER LETTING GO leaves off.

Todd, after being captured by Mayor Prentiss' men, wakes up with thoughts of Viola. He is beside himself with worry since Viola was dying in his arms when they were captured. Is she dead or alive? No one will tell him, and it is consuming his thoughts.

Thoughts that everyone around him can hear.

While everyone around Todd can hear what he is thinking, he can't hear the thoughts around him. It seems Mayor Prentiss has found a way to stop his Noise and the Noise of his men, thus explaining how Todd and Viola were lured into Haven and captured.

Mayor Prentiss, now calling himself President Prentiss, uses Todd's concern for Viola to control him and force him into working with Prentiss' son, Davy, the one who shot Viola in the first place. Todd can't stand the people around him and feels the tasks assigned to him are barbaric and inhumane.

Fear for Viola's safety prevents him from going against Prentiss and he suffers along with the other townspeople as security gets tighter and more strict every day because of a rebel uprising by a group calling themselves The Answer.

Then...bombs...begin...to...explode.

Patrick Ness has done it again. THE ASK AND THE ANSWER contains the same heart-pounding excitement as THE KNIFE OF NEVER LETTING GO. The reader will experience Todd's internal struggle with every decision he is forced to make in order to survive under Prentiss' control.

You won't be able to stop reading and you'll be disappointed when you get to the end. The third installment in this fantastic trilogy can't come soon enough.

Reviewed by: Karin Librarian

"Your noise reveals you Todd Hewitt." A voice -- In the darkness. I blink open my eyes. Everything is shadows and blur and it feels like the world's spinning and my blood is too hot and my brain is clogged and I can't think and it's dark -- I blink again. Wait. No, WAIT -- Just now, just NOW we were in the square -- Just now SHE was in my arms."

As with Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins, it will difficult to review this book without giving anything away. First, I don't want to spoil anything for people who haven't read The Knife of Never Letting Go. Because really....you NEED to read that book. And secondly, I don't wait to spoil anything from THIS book. So, basically this is going to be a non-review of a book that I LOVED.

What can I say then about The Ask and The Answer? The book begins almost immediately from the point that The Knife of Never Letting Go ended. Todd awakens to find that they have indeed made it to Haven, although it seems that the Army has made it there before him and Viola. Haven, now called New Prentisstown, is under the control of Mayor Prentiss. And Todd has no idea where Viola is or what happened to her.

In this book enemies become friends and friends become enemies. Although the pace of this book is not quite as neck-breaking as the first, it is equally gut-wrenching. Todd is forced to do things he would never have done before. And he loses himself because of it. The once-innocent Todd learns the ways of the "New" world. And shatters himself in the process. Things are not always black and white now. And the shades of gray can be very dangerous. But one thing we know about Todd....he's strong. And good. And nothing can possibly change that. Or can it??

I don't know if it's possible, but I would have to say this book is better than the first. I wasn't quite as dizzy reading it. But my heart-strings were pulled and manipulated just as much. I have a new character I love: "boycolt, boycolt". Once again, we are sucked completely into the lives of Todd and Viola. We see a glimpse into the psyche that is Mayor Prentiss and we see lots of darkness. We see what it is like for his son, Davy, growing up with such a man as a father. And we find a new enemy out there. So many questions as well. Is the Answer enemy or friend?? And what will happen when the settlers reach the New World?

I, for one, am having a hard time waiting for all the answers to come. Book 3, Monster of Men will not be available in the US until May. I'm already chomping at the bit to get it! (pun, definitely intended!) As far as I'm concerned, this is a Must Read Series for anyone that wants to be completely and totally drawn into a dystopian world. It almost physically HURTS to read it, the intensity is so high. But again, isn't that the sign of a fantastic book?? Most definitely given a 5 Star review!!

I won't lie, I am really disappointed in and exhausted by this novel. "The Ask and the Answer" is very little like the first book in the trilogy "The Knife of Never Letting Go."

If the first one is a fast-paced chase kind of story, which keeps you hooked by gradual revelation of the New World's mysteries of Noise, Haven, Viola's origin, etc., this book is basically an account of a civil war between Mayor Prentiss's army and the resistance called here the Answer. The book raises various issues of genocide, war ethics, torture, and holding onto one's identity under pressure.

All issues are interesting, but I find myself surprisingly uninterested in them, mainly because in this book I am strangely detached from Todd and Viola. In these tough circumstances they are nothing more than naive petulant children used as pawns in various evil plans. They are described as so strongly attached that they are willing to do almost anything for one another and yet they are so easily led to mistrust each other.This mistrust constantly gets them and people around them in trouble, it's painful to read. I think pretty much in this book you simply can't find even one likable person. Todd is the one I dislike the most at this point. No matter how hard the author tries to make us believe that Todd still holds on to his innocence and thus is better than everybody else, it's pretty hard to swallow when you know what Todd has done for no good reason than his dear girlfriend left him.

In addition, there are the same plot holes as in the first book. I still don't understand the "specialness" of Todd, there is still a lot of build-up and allusions to various secrets that end up being not that interesting or important.

I have to give Ness some credit for skillfully creating an atmosphere of urgency in his books and showing that nobody is truly innocent in war, but unfortunately, this just isn't enough for me. Gray shades are great in theory, but I would like to see some clearer morality in my books, especially in the books written for young adults. I find that at this point the only side I would want to succeed in the story is Spackle. Not sure if Ness meant it this way though...

Two forces and who to trust? The Ask and The Answer. Captured by the enemy they fled from in The Knife of Never Letting Go, Todd and Viola begin the next chapter in their journey individually. Almost any hope they had of escaping the cunning's of Mayor Prentiss seem all but lost when Viola awakens after having nearly died, far away from Todd. As Mayor Prentiss pushes his agenda a rival force steps forward to thwart his plans. Torn to opposites sides with only their concern for the other, Todd and Viola struggle to overcome varying degrees of evil. In this, the second book of The Chaos Walking Trilogy by Patrick Ness, Todd and Viola's hope hangs by a thread leaving only their trust in the other as the single chance of survival.

Whoa. This is without a doubt, the most intense trilogy I've ever read/listened to. Every bit of it gets more intense with each chapter and you are never quite sure how things are going to end. It's also the series with the most bad guys that just won't give up. In the first book we had Aaron the Preacher, now the Mayor has triumphed forward and I'm positive there will be more emerge in the following book. Not only will the bad guys not give up, but they are without a doubt the scariest and truly evil characters I've ever seen. Patrick Ness has an uncanny ability for creating frightening characters without making them gory. He's an incredible author and I have no doubt that I'll enjoy the next book just as much as I did this one.

Now, before I talk anymore about the actual plot and storyline I have to talk about the audio recording. Incredible. Again, as with The Knife of Never Letting Go we have the absolutely brilliant Nick Podehl narrating, but what's different in The Ask and the Answer is they've added the convincing narration of Angela Dawe as well. I've never before heard anything like this audiobook. Both the narrators add so much with their individual acting skills and interpretation of each of the characters that I can hardly imagine reading the series without hearing their voices. It makes every chapter so much more intense and thrilling than I believe it would be by only reading the pages by sight. This series of audiobooks has absolutely changed my opinion of audiobooks in general and I'm now encouraging everyone I know to listen to this series at the very least. I'm convinced you'd be hooked within minutes!

As for this chapter of the Chaos Walking Trilogy, wow! Patrick Ness has created a second book that blends so seamlessly with the other two in the series, but yet could stand on it's own easily. Todd's character is so unbelievably real. What I love about his conflict is that because of the "noise" it's no longer an internal conflict. What if everything question you had, ever doubt that crossed your consciousness was exposed for the world to see and how would it change the outcome of your choices? Then add the fact that the world's greatest tyrant plays on your darkest fears and controls the fate of those you care most about. Mayor Prentiss is truly a formidable adversary, and he may not be the only one. With the addition of the "Answer" in this story Todd's ability to correctly choose is pushed to it's limits.

One of the things I had to continually remind myself of was the fact that Todd and Viola would be considered children in our society today, only 13/14 years of age. Both of their decisions are so mature, but yet they aren't. They are both single minded in their greatest concern and love for the other which governs much of their decisions.

The Ask and the Answer is another brilliant novel by Patrick Ness. The only way imaginable to add to what Ness created on New World is by making it into an audiobook, which has also been done better than I could have ever believed possible. Nick Podehl and Angela Dawe narrate the characters of Todd and Viola with heart and feeling, making their story come to life in an intense way. As the threat of the Answer and the evil intentions of Mayor Prentiss are carefully revealed this story becomes one that will long be remembered and loved by all who read/listen to it. This is a trilogy that begs to be read, but demands to be listened to.

I'm not a fan of cliffhanging books. And the first two books have been just that. But somehow, Ness has managed to keep me satiated with open endings that somehow seem tidy. Two things have kept me engrossed with the story.

The characters. The Mayor is a top-notch antagonist. He's sinister, cool and calculated; he's deceptive and pure effing evil, but somehow manages to convince you he's not. Every single time. Todd continues to grow into a strong, sympathetic and, most certainly, flawed hero. Viola, as well. And their relationship continues to mature without ever being physical in a way that is deep and meaningful, setting up the never-failing power couple that is stronger together than apart. And, a nice surprise, is seeing Davy's character grow from this whiny brat bully into a broken kid that you almost feel sorry for.

The story. Ness kept me intrigued. I was never quite sure where the story was going. There has continually been a turn or twist that I couldn't quite guess. And I think he's put together quite a convoluted plot with many moving parts that seem to be slowly coming together at a very satisfying pace, setting the stage for an interesting conclusion in the third book.

I could still do without the phonetic-style of writing for Todd and other uneducated Prentisstownies. I'm afraid it turns off people in the beginning (it almost did for me). But I've enjoyed his often rambling style of writing.

I'm eager to get to the third book. And please, Lord, let there be a conclusive ending. That would be cool.

UGH I love it, I hate it UGH!!!!
I am hooked, I am drawn into this dystopian dysfunctional world.
WHo I am supposed to hate again?? which ones are the bad guys???
I am frustrated with some of the 2 main character's weaknesses and then I remember they are only like 14...
I love the characters, I HATE the characters and their flaws. TODD what are you doing?!?!? UGH I love it but I hate it.

While it is a continuation of the first book It is pretty different.
And the ENDING??? AGAIN!!! REALLY!?!?! UGHHH I do not like the ending, I think?!? I must not hate it because the next book was loaded in my kindle withingseconds of finishing this one...

OK it is a crazy review but the book is getting pretty hard to describe :), and I mean this in a good way, I think... (less)

This book is so amazing. Maybe even better than the first, which is hard to be...

i'm online buying book 3, now- feel bad it's taken me so long because I think these books are great. He does a great job of describing men. I was powerfully introspective throughout the entire read. The "chaos walking" title makes sense only after reading.

(to avoid spoilers, you will want to finish THE KNIFE OF NEVER LETTING GO first. Just a warning.)

Patrick Ness is not about to let up on his readers after the race to safe Haven is over. He has many more suprises in store and new dimensions of his world to explore. Thus, THE ASK AND THE ANSWER is every bit as suprising and compelling as its predecessor, though it is a very different kind of book.

Once Todd and Viola reach Haven, they realize the battle against Prentisstown is over before it began, because the Mayor is there already and the city has surrendered. Todd promises he will do anything the Mayor (who now dubs himself 'President Prentiss') wants, so long as he saves Viola's life. He is interrogated and thrown into chains in the highest tower. Viola, just barely hanging on to life, is taken away...

If THE KNIFE OF NEVER LETTING GO was one huge, non-stop chase, then the ASK AND THE ANSWER is a quiet, tense, psychological waiting game, and you are waiting for the worst to happen. The one problem I had with this installment was the pacing. I didn't tear through it like I did with the first one. THE ASK AND THE ANSWER had some places where the action stagnates and leaves the reader waiting, and then in between the book speeds up with a sudden burst of excitement for a while. So, it can feel somewhat uneven, especially through the middle after the first 100 pages or so. However, suspense is in no short supply. At those times when the narrative goes full throttle, you will be on the edge of your seat, mouth hanging open in disbelief, just like watching your favorite action movie.

What Ness is doing is elaborately setting up the board for the conclusion of this and for the next book, MONSTERS OF MEN, and there are many figures and forces at play. All the prepartation sets a high bar for the final book. Watching it all unfold, you see that THE ASK AND THE ANSWER is far more complex than the first book.

The climax is relentless and heart-wrenching, and will simply leave you stunned. It is perfectly delivered and supremely satisfying, even more powerful than the climax of the first book. Ness sure knows how to end with an explosive bang. Another thrilling cliffhanger ending awaits at the end.

The slower, more deliberate nature of this book leaves plenty of room for reflection and for exploring serious themes and some dark corners of human nature. One overarching theme of this book is war - the harshness, the necessity, the fascination of it, and how integral it is to human existence. Ness handles the theme with grace and isn't one-sided about it. He also explores some heavy and dark subject matter. He will push his characters beyond their limits and show you what people are capable of, both for good and atrocity. Don't get the wrong impression; it isn't all about the horrible; it is also about the good in people and how average people can persevere through unbelievable circumstances and the resiliency of the human spirit.

I really appreciated seeing the characters, particularly Todd and Viola developed even more fully. In this book, Ness even writes from Viola's viewpoint for much of the novel. He manages to give Viola her own characteristic voice, like Todd. Although her voice is not as quirky as Todd's, it is true to Viola, and it is interesting to see from her perspective. The novel is strongly character-driven throughout, and while you may not always agree with the choices Todd and Viola make, you fully understand why they make them. They won't always succeed, but they remain sympathetic and most importantly, realistic. All the supporting characters here, in fact, are well-developed and not one-dimensional. Even President Prentiss is not the cookie-cutter "bad guy who must be stopped from taking over the world" - he is more sophisticated than that.

Can't wait for the final installment.