I knew I had to finish the Chaos Walking trilogy before year's end. In short, because it deserves to be finished because it's amazing. There are all kinds of things I could say about this series, and I will gush appropriately as we go through this review, but this is what you need to know:
Reading this series was an EXPERIENCE unlike any reading experience I've had. It was more immersive, more emotionally involving, and more tangible than any other reading I can remember. I laughed, cried, and cheered. Quite literally.
In this final installment, Monsters of Men, Todd and Viola as well as the Mayor and Mistress Coyle, are fighting a war. They're fighting for their lives. They're fighting for what their world will be.
The first book in this series was frenetic in pace. It was almost painful because the reading experience was damn near breathless. The second book was a little slower, but heavier on character development...a good thing! But this final book was a great marriage of both. A frenetic pace but with additional, wonderful character development and plenty of surprises.
Ness has written one of the greatest villains of all time in the Mayor. He's ruthless, lonely, empty, vindictive, stealthy. We have innocent antiheroes in Wilf and Lee. Stunningly real, flawed, wonderful protagonists in Todd and Viola. I loved them all, and I spent the last 100 pages of the book sobbing, gasping, and generally hanging onto my seat.
What a satisfying book. What a heart-rending, beautiful series. One of the best I've ever read.
Pub. Date: September 2011
Publisher: Candlewick
Format: E-book
ISBN: 9780763656652
Source: Bought it!
I didn't love this series, but I thought this book was the best and a really nice ending to the series too.
ReplyDeleteI knew you liked the last one more than the rest of the series, so that made me even more excited to read it! Wow, what an ending!
DeleteI feel like I'm spamming your comments every time you mention this series because it's getting to the point where I REALLY need to read it. I have a few other things on in January but February is wide open for it. I'm pleased you have enjoyed it so much!
ReplyDeleteLOL, you are hardly a spammer, Ellie! I'm glad you'll have some time coming up to devote to this series. I actually had to take a brain break between the first and second book because the first one was SO EMOTIONAL. I hope you like them as much as I did.
DeleteWarm and fuzzies. I have the warm and fuzzies. So very happy.
ReplyDeleteAnd I'm so very thankful to YOU for making me read it!
DeleteI don't think this is for me but my sister loved it!
ReplyDeleteI wasn't sure it was for me either, but Heather convinced me. :)
DeleteI loved this series! It had a lot of everything and was pretty well-written.
ReplyDeleteAgreed! It's kind of one of those "something for everyone" series.
DeleteHave you read 'A Monster Calls' which Ness developed from an idea by Siobhan Dowd after she died? If not I can strongly recommend it.
ReplyDeleteI have, and I loved it! It ripped my heart out but it was "a good cry." lol
DeleteI am a terrible person and loved the first book but was kind of 'meh' about the other two. I don't know why. Mood thing maybe? Will reread one day and see...
ReplyDeleteHaha! Different strokes for different folks. :) And I know my mood certainly dictates my feelings about books.
DeleteHey, I'm with you Kailana on that feeling. Raced through the first one but found the other two to be kind of tiresome. Ness has some excellent ideas and I love the ethical complexity in his stories but I did not care for his writing style overall. I was pretty disappointed, because most people love this series.
DeleteYes, yes, yes!
ReplyDeleteHUZZAH!
DeleteColor me convinced. It's going on the TBR right this minute!
ReplyDeleteYay! The series is amazing. It starts with The Knife of Never Letting Go if you're new to this series.
DeleteI really need to read this series! I have only heard rave reviews about it.
ReplyDeleteYes!!! I hope you love it.
DeleteIt has been a while since I’ve found a book that I can truly immerse myself in, so the fact that you used that word has me intrigued!
ReplyDeleteThese are incredibly involving. I knew I'd have no trouble finishing this one before the end of the year because they grab hold and DO NOT let go!
DeleteI absolutely loved this book! Especially the ending. No spoilers but I loved the way that Ness used the different fonts and text sizes to literally climax at the end. I felt that I was actually being yelled at, so effective.
ReplyDeleteYES!!! I loved that as well. I was reading on my Nook e-reader, so it was probably slightly more effective in print, but I definitely got the idea. Very illustrative.
DeleteI do think Patrick Ness is best when you read him in print. Audiobook is not so good, I think, and even reading an ebook of a Patrick Ness book is not quite the same experience.
ReplyDeleteBUT I am so glad you loved this series. I really wanted you to and I worried that I had set up too-high expectations for it. Wasn't it amazing and didn't you cry when someone, YOU KNOW when one character turned out to be alive after all? That was so good. I cried very much.
What a recommendation! How can I not add it to the list?
ReplyDelete