The Knife of Never Letting Go is a thrilling first book to the wonderful series Chaos Walking. The book centers around an almost thirteen-year-old boy named Todd Hewitt. Todd lives in a community called Prentisstown, where personal thoughts can be heard in the minds of all men. They call these thoughts the noise.

When Todd discovers something odd within his community they become a threat, prompting Todd to escape his home alongside his dog Manchee.

Along Todd’s journey to find a new place to live he runs into a girl, a gender he has never seen before as there were no women in his community. The girl’s name is Viola and the three go on a wild adventure while trying to find a safe haven from Prentisstown and its mayor.

This coming of age book does a great job of tying together action, suspense and friendship.

The action is a big component of this book. There are many instances in which Todd, Viola and even Manchee have to fight off the men from Prentisstown. In one part a man, Aaron, repeatedly attacks the kids and refuses to die. Finally, Todd and Viola escape while Manchee fights him off. The action and thrill of the many fights certainly keep the reader’s attention.

These fights also contributed to a bigger plot. The outcomes and choices that Todd and Viola make during the action sequences determine their personality and innocence.

This book is also extremely suspenseful. Throughout the many fights, there are plenty of intriguing moments that leave the reader wanting more. For example, at the end when Mayor Prentiss takes over the safe haven, it is a huge cliff-hanger. This ending leaves readers wondering if the characters will be able to survive.

Finally, a huge aspect of the story is friendship. Todd, Viola and Manchee begin the book with very tense relationships. At first, Todd hates Manchee and Viola refuses to speak to Todd. Throughout the story, they learn to love, depend on one another and they are even willing to sacrifice their lives for each other. The theme of friendship is the most endearing and interesting part of the whole story.

This first book does an amazing job of capturing the attention of its readers. It is an extremely interesting and well-written book that any sci-fi lover would enjoy.