The Knife of Never Letting Go, Week 4

Welcome to the final week of the Online Book Club discussion of The Knife of Never Letting Go.

What did you think of the ending? Was it what you imagined it was going to be? I was definitely very surprised by the ending. I didn't see any of that coming. 

The worst part of this section, for me, was the fact that Aaron killed Manchee. I just hate reading about animal deaths, and this one was made even harder by the fact that we knew Manchee's thoughts. It was so brutal to hear how scared he was! I was so glad that Viola and Todd were reunited, but I was just sick to my stomach over Manchee. 

The first settlement that the pair make it to is weird. It seems like a great place at first, but as soon as Doctor Snow starts speaking, it becomes clear that the society views women as second-class citizens. The reaction they have to Ben is sad, too. They were so focused on making sure no one from Prentisstown comes close that they didn't see that Ben is different from the men in the town. 

How surprised were you when Todd and Viola found Ben? I felt like them finding Ben was a turning point in the book. I felt like we finally started to get some answers after the Ben section. Now we know that Cillian was killed, and we finally understand what happened to the women in Prentisstown. What did you think when you realized that the men killed off all of the women? The men were jealous that the women were able to keep their thoughts hidden, so they killed them off. That was heartbreaking. I thought it was interesting that the boys become men when they learn the secret, but I wasn't quite sure how they became complicit to the killing just by hearing about it. It wasn't until Aaron explained more at the end that I finally understood the process of the boys becoming men. What did you think when Aaron revealed that the boys become men after they kill another man from the town? That was a shock to me. And, it was a shock that Aaron wanted Todd, not Viola, all along. Aaron was so delusional. It was so hard to read that final fight scene between Aaron and Todd. I wanted Aaron gone, but I didn't want him to pressure Todd into killing him. I was so stressed that Todd was going to snap. 

Weren't you heartbroken for Viola when she had to make the choice to kill Aaron? She made the right choice, but it was sad that such a young girl had to have that act of violence on her conscience. 

I was so relieved when Viola finally read parts of the book to Todd. Her writing confirmed that the Spackle were not dangerous beings, and she provided some insight into how Aaron and the Mayor came to power. It's sick that they used messages of fear to get people to do what they wanted. Todd's mother seemed really kind and gentle. I can't believe that she was killed along with all the other women in the town. 

What did you think about the final page? Could you believe that the mayor beat them to Haven, and he ended up taking over the town? What's going to happen to Viola and Todd now? How are they going to continue on their journey? Do they have any hope? Do you think you'll read the next book to find out what happens next? 

If you liked this book and are curious to read and watch similar things, check out this list I created. Let me know if you watch or read anything on the list!

Before you go, check out the video below to find out more about Patrick Ness's inspiration and writing process!

Thanks for following along this month! I hope you'll leave a comment to let me know what you thought of the book! 

Join us again next month as we read Where the Crawdads Sing.