The Ask and the Answer (Chaos Walking #2)by Patrick Ness
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Synopsis:
Part two of the literary sci-fi thriller follows a boy and a girl who are caught in a warring town where thoughts can be heard — and secrets are never safe. Reaching the end of their flight in THE KNIFE OF NEVER LETTING GO, Todd and Viola did not find healing and hope in Haven. They found instead their worst enemy, Mayor Prentiss, waiting to welcome them to New Prentisstown. There they are forced into separate lives: Todd to prison, and Viola to a house of healing where her wounds are treated. Soon Viola is swept into the ruthless activities of the Answer, while Todd faces impossible choices when forced to join the mayor’s oppressive new regime. In alternating narratives the two struggle to reconcile their own dubious actions with their deepest beliefs. Torn by confusion and compromise, suspicion and betrayal, can their trust in each other possibly survive? Includes “The Wide, Wide Sea,” a short story by Patrick Ness.
Review:
Read with Chelsea 🙂 Thank you for dealing with my billions of “what the what?!” hysterical texts. ♥ (shut up)
It was an astounding page turner, but my thoughts are all over the map after reading this book. I loved it, I hated it, I was overjoyed, and then I was cast downwards into a deep depression. The storyline was so intense and sometimes it went so dark that I found myself struggling to stay afloat. And just when I thought I couldn’t take it anymore, something astronomical happens. It’s as if I’m freefalling into oblivion and there’s no stopping my panicking and pain and then the next thing I know I’m being whipped upwards towards safety and it’s like I am sailing ecstatically through the clouds. Never before have my emotions towards a book or its characters been so chaotic. Even though I did emotionally struggle with parts of this book I HAVE to continue this series. When any book can toy with your emotions and feelings towards a storyline and characters so much, there is something HUGE there. And you have to continue on, even if you know your heart may get broken again and again.
I know this is the end, the end of all things, I can never escape from here and he’ll kill me and kill her and there’s no chance, no life, no hope, nothing.
After that insane cliff hanger in TKONLG, we are still struggling to figure out what’s going to happen to Todd and Voila. How can a moment that was supposed to be so happy and monumental turn into a life sentence of doom and possible death? My mind was reeling from that. Todd and Viola are forcefully separated and neither knows if the other is really alive. The others well-being and life is being dangled in each of their faces. They are each told that as long as they comply with what they are told to do, then the other will stay alive. They are trapped, and they are left with no choice. Because each will do anything, and I do mean anything, to make sure the other one will stay alive. And so the path of deceit, tarnishing your soul, strength and bravery begins.
I’m still the same ol’ stupid effing Todd Hewitt, powerless to do anything, powerless to save myself much less her.
I struggled with Todd in TKONLG and I’m not going to lie and say I didn’t struggle with him in this book. He is SUCH a redeemable person but it pained me to watch his soul turn so black in this book. His actions and lack of actions broke my heart again and again. His choices or lack of choices, depending upon how you see it, was devastating. He is on such a hard journey and I kept hoping against hope that he would be given the chance to redeem himself. Because when Viola is in the picture, he is an amazing man. An absolutely amazing man that takes your breath away. His love towards her is so intense and so innocent that you can’t help but instantly fall in love with him. And I honestly didn’t know if I would ever see that Todd again.
We all fall but that’s not what matters. What matters is picking yourself up again.
I love Viola. She is strong, resilient, smart and her love for Todd is remarkable. I agreed with her choices and values and she is definitely a force to be reckoned with! I loved getting to read part of the book from her point of view. It was fascinating being in her head and following her on her journey and meeting all the new characters she was introduced to. All in all? I really liked this book! The action was intense, the characters were truly unique, my love towards some characters turned sour and others whom I never once saw as redeemable I truly started to like and care for. But some parts seriously disturbed me and even reminded me of past historical events that are truly horrifying. I didn’t realize how dark this book could go. But even with all of my problems with the book, I’m still continuing onward. And I’ll still be recommending this to my friends that I know can handle the storyline and the issues that bothered me. Now onto the final leg of the journey, and here’s hoping my Kindle doesn’t get thrown across the room again like in TKONLG. 🙂
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