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The Ask and the Answer (2009)

by Patrick Ness

Other authors: See the other authors section.

Series: Chaos Walking (2)

MembersReviewsPopularityAverage ratingMentions
2,9941694,564 (4.13)186
Alternate chapters follow teenagers Todd and Viola, who become separated as the Mayor's oppressive new regime takes power in New Prentisstown, a space colony where residents can hear each other's thoughts.
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» See also 186 mentions

English (165)  Dutch (2)  All languages (167)
Showing 1-5 of 165 (next | show all)
Excellent Hunger Games read-alike. I can't put it down! Reading the third now... ( )
  LibrarianDest | Jan 3, 2024 |
I was originally interested enough in part 1 that I bought part 2. In hindsight, though, it turns out I didn't like the first book that much. It was ok, but YA dystopia is not really my cup of tea and I don't see myself rereading book 1 and then starting this one now...
  zjakkelien | Jan 2, 2024 |
This is book 2 in the Chaos Walking trilogy, sequel to 'The Knife of Never Letting Go' which I had a few problems with. This volume is actually better in terms of plot as it deals with the situation once the nasty mayor from Todd's town makes himself President of the larger settlement, Haven, renaming it New Prentisstown after himself, and institutes a rule of terror. He starts off by arresting and torturing a few people, but gradually things escalate, and all women become 'the enemy'. However, he isn't the only villain, because the (mainly women) who form a resistance movement called the Answer, start off by bombing things at night or when they should otherwise be unoccupied, but a few soldiers are killed anyway, and gradually things escalate on their side also, as the new President's atrocities increase. The woman in charge of the Answer is in her own way just as ruthless as the President, and after Viola sees the President's evil at firsthand and is finally won over to the Answer, she is able to manipulate and use Viola without scruple.

The President has found a way to use 'Noise' (the uncontrolled telepathy inflicted on human males by a native virus) as a weapon, controlling those under him, including Todd. Initially Todd goes along with the duties he is given, because he believes Viola's life depends on it and is desperate to see her. Prentiss seems to be lining Todd up for greater things and preferring him to his own son, Davy, yet he is also capable of letting Todd be beaten and tortured on occasion. He constantly promises that people won't be harmed, then we see them being beaten/tortured/killed and it becomes obvious that this is with his full sanction.

Despite his best intentions, Todd finds himself drawn into inflicting cruelty on the captive natives, the Spackle, and then on human women, all the while telling himself that others would be more cruel to them, or trying to tell himself he feels nothing. Meanwhile, the lies and doublethink around both him and Viola escalate until it is impossible to tell if anyone is telling the truth. Although it is obvious that their friendship has deepened into love, both doubts the other at times, yet both are capable of acting against their own best judgment and accepting the evil which the other has committed, because of that love. And their love is also the thing which both Prentiss and the Answer's leader use to manipulate them.

The book deals with torture, genocide, scapegoating of racial groups, misogyny, and other dark themes. It doesn't do to get fond of any of the characters given the body count. As the story is unrelentingly grim, I've decided to have a rest between this and volume 3, although I might tackle the short story which I believe comes between the two. The unrelenting grim tone, and the escalation of one horror after another, means there is no light and shade in this story, and I do think it could do with some just to avoid exhausting the reader. For that reason, I've decided to award 3 stars as I can't say I 'really liked' the book. ( )
  kitsune_reader | Nov 23, 2023 |
The only thing that really bothered me about this book is I though the two main characters made some predictably bad decisions just to move the story forward. Still a great book but not quite as captivating as the 1st one. ( )
  cdaley | Nov 2, 2023 |
A great YA trilogy - worth reading. ( )
  JennyPocknall | Oct 19, 2023 |
Showing 1-5 of 165 (next | show all)
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» Add other authors (1 possible)

Author nameRoleType of authorWork?Status
Patrick Nessprimary authorall editionscalculated
Dawe, AngelaNarratorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Podehl, NickNarratorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
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Epigraph
Battle not with monsters lest you become a monster and if you gaze into the abyss the abyss gazes into you. Friedrich Nietzsche
Dedication
For Patrick Gale
First words
"Your Noise reveals you, Todd Hewitt."
Quotations
We are the choices we make.
"You are either forgetting or do not know that we already fought a great war, a war to end all wars, at just about the time you would have been born. If any repeat of that can be avoided—" (p. 36)
She looks at me carefully. "Appeasement," she says. "That's what it's called. Appeasement. It's a slippery slope."
   "What does it mean?"
   "It means you want to work with the enemy. It means you'd rather join him than beat him, and it's a sure-fire way to stay beaten."
(p. 153)
"You've got to be practical," Mayor Ledger says, "even in the face of tyrants."
(p. 301)
"I was only following orders," the Mayor mocks. "The refuge of scoundrels since the dawn of time."
(p. 454)
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(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)
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Wikipedia in English (2)

Alternate chapters follow teenagers Todd and Viola, who become separated as the Mayor's oppressive new regime takes power in New Prentisstown, a space colony where residents can hear each other's thoughts.

No library descriptions found.

Book description
Science Fiction, Suspense
Haiku summary
We are the choices
we make: do I fight or join
with my enemy?
(passion4reading)

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Candlewick Press

2 editions of this book were published by Candlewick Press.

Editions: 0763644900, 076364837X

 

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