The Knife of Never Letting Go Audiobook By Patrick Ness cover art

The Knife of Never Letting Go

Chaos Walking, Book 1

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The Knife of Never Letting Go

By: Patrick Ness
Narrated by: Nick Podehl
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About this listen

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.
Action & Adventure Difficult Situations Dystopian Fantasy Literature & Fiction Science Fiction Science Fiction & Fantasy Violence Young Adult Fiction Suspenseful

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)

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What listeners say about The Knife of Never Letting Go

Highly rated for:

Unique Premise Captivating Storyline Excellent Narration Compelling Adventure Engaging Performance
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MEN'S MINDS ARE MESSY

IF LUCK AIN'T WITH YOU, IT'S AGAINST YOU
This is my second listen of this book. I have over a hundred books in my library, that I have not found the time to listen to, but this is one I could listen to over and over. It is considered a YA, but don't let that stop you. The whole concept of the story is new, different and just plain amazing. Ness thoroughly explores this concept and it is so entertaining. I have listened to the whole series and it does nothing but get better. Ness is a genius.

You have probably heard Podehl in the Fantasy genre and if so you already know he is a master at his craft.

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27 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Interesting but missing something great

Would you consider the audio edition of The Knife of Never Letting Go to be better than the print version?

Not having read the print version couldn't really say. Though I did enjoy the narrator and think I personally would've been confused reading everyones thoughts instead of hearing them through the narrator.

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

Made me buy the second book immediately, even though I wasn't necessarily spell bound throughout the book, the cliff hanger killed me.

What about Nick Podehl’s performance did you like?

Had a variety of voices, and didn't try to force a performance.

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

Almost made me cry near the end when well don't want to say any spoilers...

Any additional comments?

I listened to the free preview, and decided to purchase the first book. I honestly wish I hadn't listened to the preview the books are not similar imo. Though to be fair the preview is only what half hour, fourty five minutes long or something like that. I did somewhat enjoy the book and will listen to the series to see what happens.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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beginning of something big..

I really enjoyed it while I was at work. the characters are intriguing but sometimes flawed.cant wait to read the second one let see where it takes me?

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Awesome

Nick Podehl is brilliant. Couldn't imagine this book without him. Heading over to purchase the next book now!

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Payoff was a letdown

It built a lot of tension but when you found out why all of the action was happening. It wasn’t satisfying.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Unique Experience

Very 1st rate narration. Nick did an incredible job on this one...just nailing the uniqueness of the characters and story.

The plot and characters are so unique...you are going to love it or hate it. The stream of consciousness technique, the power trips, etc...are not for everyone. Some have called it a mess, but that’s because it does use a structure that we don’t see often. Give it a chance. I think it’s the best of the series.

Highly recommended.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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This is a good book

I love whoever narrated this book he voiced all the emotions that the characters were feeling and made me feel them too cuz he did such a good job story-wise it starts a little slow but once it's going it doesn't stop there are 2 or 3 small confusing parts cuz they didn't explain what was happening clearly/at all but they were minor other than that I recommend this book to anyone

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    5 out of 5 stars
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WOW

I don't think I would have enjoyed this book as much if I read it. The narration was amazing!! I loved the animal's noise. I can't wait to listen to the next book in the series.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Wow

As far as adventure sci-fi goes, this was so fulfilling. Amazing storyline, really offers something new. The two main characters are so easy to fall in love with and root for.

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narrator is fantastic

his performance carried this entire audiobook.i would listen to this again in a heartbeat. hoping he is in the next book.

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