Patrick Ness - Author
About the Author
Patrick Ness was born on an army base called Fort Belvoir, near Alexandria, Virginia, in the United States. His father was a drill sergeant in the US Army. He lived in Hawaii until he was almost six, spent the ten years after that in suburban Washington state, and then on to Los Angeles, where he studied English Literature at the University of Southern California.
His main job after graduating was as corporate writer at a cable company, writing manuals, form letters and speeches and once even an advertisement for the Gilroy, California Garlic Festival (this is true). If you're American and hated your cable company, he probably wrote you a letter of apology.
He got his first story published in Genre magazine in 1997 and was working on his first novel when he moved to London in 1999. He's lived here ever since. Sometimes he teaches creative writing but mostly he tries to write 1,000 words a day, 'come hell or high water'.
In May 2008, he published The Knife of Never Letting Go, his first book for young adults. It won the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize and the Booktrust Teenage Prize and he hasn't looked back since. Click here to read a Q&A with Patrick.
10 Things You Didn't Know About Patrick Ness
1. He has a tattoo of a rhinoceros.
2. He has run two marathons.
3. He is a certified scuba diver.
4. He wrote a radio comedy about vampires.
5. He has never been to New York City but...
6. He has been to Sydney, Auckland and Tokyo.
7. He got accepted into film school but turned it down to study writing.
8. He was a goth as a teenager (well, as much of a goth as you could be in Tacoma, Washington and still have to go to church every Sunday).
9. He is no longer a goth.
10. Under no circumstances will he eat onions.
Author photo © Helen Giles
Featured books by Patrick Ness
And the Ocean Was Our Sky
At once fierce and otherworldly, this impeccably produced full-colour reinvention of Moby Dick sees multi-award-winning Patrick Ness display a talent for writing that transcends age barriers. It reimagines Moby Dick from the viewpoint of a pod of whales led by Bathsheba who, “like all whales, [I] hated men, and with good reason: their bloody killings, their sloppy, wasteful harvesting proving that they killed as much for sport as for need”. And so fulfilling her grandmother’s prophecy, Bathsheba and her pod live for the hunt. Led by Captain Alexandra they find themselves in pursuit of the notorious Toby Wick, whom no one has seen, but who’s reputed to be “a devil.” As fierce battles are fought and blood is shed, questions are raised about the dangers of power and rumour to create a strange and elemental allegory that’s exquisitely enhanced by Rovina Cai’s arresting full-page illustrations.
Release
***Recommended for 16+ due to content. Book of the Month for May 2018 | Shortlisted for the CILIP Carnegie Medal 2018 |In a Nutshell: love, truth and the power of release | A gripping, soulful novel about a life-changing day, which will surely change the lives of those who read it. "Where on earth had this day come from? And where was it headed?" remarks 17 year-old Adam as a single day unfurls wave after wave of shattering disruption: first a revelation from his brother, next an ultimatum from his foul boss, then a destabilising announcement from his beloved best friend. And alongside Adam's unraveling, there’s the mesmerising narrative of the ghost of a murdered girl who’s risen from a lake in search of release. Partly modeled on two of the author’s most admired books (Virginia Woolf’s Mrs Dalloway and Judy Blume’s Forever), with this remarkable novel Ness once again demonstrates his profound understanding of the complexities of being a young adult, and of the human condition more generally. Adam’s story is pinpricked with truly nerve-touching moments, perhaps most poignantly between him and the overbearing father he fears coming-out to. At one point his dad reveals that he wishes Adam could be honest with him, and then Adam begins to let go. While revealing truths can be excruciatingly painful, doing so might also bring refreshing, life-affirming release. Heartbreaking, intense and acutely honest, this novel casts a subtle spell of hope.
The Ask and the Answer
A special anniversary edition, with a striking new cover design, to celebrate 10 years of the Chaos Walking trilogy. Prize-winning author Patrick Ness follows up The Knife of Never Letting Go with equally hard hitting The Ask and the Answer. Trying to escape, Todd and Viola fall into the hands of Mayor Prentiss. Separated from Viola and imprisoned, Todd can tell there are some deep and dark secrets outside the town. Who are the mysterious Answer? As gripping as The Knife of Never Letting Go, this is a tough but compelling story which takes readers into shocking and moving territory. ~ Julia Eccleshare Winner of the prestigious Costa Children's Book Award 2009 - the judges acclaimed it as “a major achievement in the making” Shortlisted for the CILIP Carnegie Medal 2010. Shortlisted for the Teenage Book of the Year Award 2009. CILIP CARNEGIE Medal SHORTLIST 2010: Judges’ comments "A visceral and compelling story of incredible power which combines some fantastic writing with intelligent consideration of some important issues: the nature of war, terrorism and the treatment of women. A challenging novel which really lives inside your head." Winner of the prestigious Costa Children's Book Award 2009 - the judges acclaimed it as “a major achievement in the making” Shortlisted for the Teenage Book of the Year Award 2009 | Shortlisted for the CILIP Carnegie Medal 2010 | Winner of the prestigious Costa Children's Book Award 2009
Monsters of Men
A special anniversary edition, with a striking new cover design, to celebrate 10 years of the Chaos Walking trilogy. This is a spine-tingling, page turning read. Heaped with well-deserved awards, the Chaos Walking Trilogy comes to a brilliant conclusion in Monsters of Men. Set in a dystopian future in a world where all thoughts can be heard, Todd and Viola have struggled to survive. Now three armies are marching on New Prentisstown. Todd and Viola have no chance of escape but, worse still, they have no chance of making peace. Can any hope remain in the wake of such destruction? Patrick Ness is as hard hitting and thought provoking as he was at the start of this trilogy. He does not disappoint. ~ Julia Eccleshare Winner of the CILIP Carnegie Medal 2011 | Shortlisted for the 25th Anniversary Arthur C Clarke Award in 2011 and Galaxy Children's Book Award shortlist 2010
Monsters of Men
Shortlisted for the Arthur C Clarke Award 2011. This is a spine-tingling, page turning read. Heaped with well-deserved awards, the Chaos Walking Trilogy comes to a brilliant conclusion in Monsters of Men. Set in a dystopian future in a world where all thoughts can be heard, Todd and Viola have struggled to survive. Now three armies are marching on New Prentisstown. Todd and Viola have no chance of escape but, worse still, they have no chance of making peace. Can any hope remain in the wake of such destruction? Patrick Ness is as hard hitting and thought provoking as he was at the start of this trilogy. He does not disappoint.
The Knife of Never Letting Go
A special collector's edition 10th anniversary edition | In a Nutshell: “Knowledge is dangerous” | A special anniversary edition, with a striking new cover design, to celebrate 10 years of the Chaos Walking trilogy. The electrifying and unflinching young adult novel about the impossible choices of growing up by award-winning fiction writer Patrick Ness. The population of god-fearing Prentisstown has been reduced to a mere 147 men (there are no women among them), but that’s not all that’s odd about the town. There’s no privacy here either, no silence, because everyone can hear the Noise of others’ thoughts. Everyone that is, except 12 year-old orphan Todd who, on the verge of the birthday that will see him become a man, discovers “a hole in the Noise” while walking by the dark swamp that teems with amphibians and reptiles. When Todd tells his guardians, they’re horrified. “We have got to get you outta here,” they panic and so Todd is sent back to the swamp, and told he “ain’t coming back”. Shortly after fleeing, he meets a girl in the marsh and they must flee the hunters who can hear their every thought. Page-turningly tense and stridently intelligent, this is storytelling at it’s most inventive - a powerful, exhilarating exploration of ethics, identity, fear and love. Published ten years ago, this seminal novel thoroughly deserves to be read by new generations. ~ Joanne Owen A word from the author: 'The Knife of Never Letting Go started as an idea about information overload. We're constantly surrounded by information - internet, emails, texts, etc - whether we want to be or not. To me, this can sometimes see overwhelming, sometime just so incredibly loud that it's impossible to make sense of. And I start thinking, what if you really couldn't escape? What if information never, ever stopped? And that gave me the idea of the Noise and of an intelligent, thoughtful young man buckling under the weight of it. There would come a day when he'd have no choice but to run...' What the Carnegie Award judges said: 'A bleak and unflinching novel with fascinating characters and extraordinary dialogue which creates a fully-realised world that the reader really buys into. The dog Manchee is an inspired creation! Ness conveys a real sense of terror and the ending is devastating. A novel that really stands out.' Shortlisted for the 2009 Branford Boase Best Debut Novel Award - Shortlisted for the Carnegie Award 2009 - Winner of the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize 2008 and Booktrust Teenage Prize 2008.
A Monster Calls: Special Collector's Edition
This is a gorgeous illustrated hardback of the award-winning novel complete with added interviews with author, illustrator director and cast and photos from the production. Grown from an original idea by Siobhan Dowd and beautifully illustrated by Jim Kay, Patrick Ness’s extraordinary A Monster Calls has already won numerous awards and earned universal praise. There is now a major film coming and this is the tie-in. So I’ve come to this shamefully late and can only confirm that it deserves every award, every word of praise. Written for any reader this is a truly universal story of stubborn love, terrible loss and wild magic. Books rarely make me cry but I was often in tears reading this book. It tells the story of Conor, a school boy whose mother is ill with cancer, whose father has left, whose grandmother is forbidding. He is defensive, angry and lonely at school. And then one night a monster calls – a massive walking and talking tree who takes Conor on a terrifying journey. But little is as it first seems in this story. And it is stories that become the lifeblood of this novel. Wild stories that tell the truth. Ness is brilliant at giving the reader room to feel for themselves the pain of his characters – he doesn’t direct you he just shows you what is happening and trusts you to empathise. This story is heartbreaking, profoundly scary yet also wildly affirming about the power of truth, friendship and love. If you grew up thrilling to the darkness of Dahl, enjoyed the humanity of Mark Haddon’s books this is for you. But really I think this is for everyone. It’s just superb. ~ Simon Spanton Click here to view the A Monster Calls: Special Collector's Edition.
A Monster Calls (Movie Tie-in)
Grown from an original idea by Siobhan Dowd and beautifully illustrated by Jim Kay, Patrick Ness’s extraordinary A Monster Calls has already won numerous awards and earned universal praise. There is now a major film coming and this is the tie-in. So I’ve come to this shamefully late and can only confirm that it deserves every award, every word of praise. Written for any reader this is a truly universal story of stubborn love, terrible loss and wild magic. Books rarely make me cry but I was often in tears reading this book. It tells the story of Conor, a school boy whose mother is ill with cancer, whose father has left, whose grandmother is forbidding. He is defensive, angry and lonely at school. And then one night a monster calls – a massive walking and talking tree who takes Conor on a terrifying journey. But little is as it first seems in this story. And it is stories that become the lifeblood of this novel. Wild stories that tell the truth. Ness is brilliant at giving the reader room to feel for themselves the pain of his characters – he doesn’t direct you he just shows you what is happening and trusts you to empathise. This story is heartbreaking, profoundly scary yet also wildly affirming about the power of truth, friendship and love. If you grew up thrilling to the darkness of Dahl, enjoyed the humanity of Mark Haddon’s books this is for you. But really I think this is for everyone. It’s just superb. If you’re intrigued by how the book became the film, this is a gorgeous illustrated hardback of the novel complete with added interviews with author, illustrator director and cast and photos from the production. ~ Simon Spanton Click here to view the paperback movie tie-in edition of A Monster Calls.
The Rest of Us Just Live Here
Shortlisted for the Books Are My Bag Children's Book Award 2016. Shortlisted for the CILIP Carnegie Medal 2016. Daring, beautifully written, full of ideas that will bring the reader up short, The Rest of Us Just Live Here is a dystopian adventure that mocks dystopian adventures while acknowledging the genre’s power to reveal truths, particularly about teenage lives. As one band of teenagers – those special ‘indie kids’ familiar from so many YA novels – battle to save the world from the Immortals, the main plot of the novel concerns another group of young people. Mikey is getting through his teenage years with the help of his friends and by focusing on graduating and leaving home. He also wants to declare his love for his friend Henna. It’s enough for anyone to cope with, the possibility of someone blowing up school only adds to his problems. The indie kids’ story is told entirely in chapter head summaries, the real drama is Mikey’s, and of course his story means the most to the rest of us. Original, funny, true, it can only be Patrick Ness. One of our Books of the Year 2015 - Julia Eccleshare's Pick of the Year 2015 - September 2015 Book of the Month
A Monster Calls
Prize-winning Patrick Ness displays brilliant new skills of sensitivity in this hauntingly touching story of how a boy deals with the looming threat of his mother’s death from cancer. Haunted by a monster in his dreams, denied much information by his family and treated as a weirdo by his class mates and a ‘special case’ by his teachers, Conor struggles to get to grips with the devastating emotions which threaten to overwhelm him. How he finds the courage and strength to face the end when it happens is both utterly shattering and deeply satisfying. Costa Award winner Patrick Ness spins a tale from the final idea of much-loved Carnegie Medal winner Siobhan Dowd, whose premature death from cancer prevented her from writing it herself. Zoella Book Club title Autumn 16. ------------- Winner of the 2012 Carnegie Medal Rachel Levy chair of the 2012 CILIP Carnegie judging panel said: "A Monster Calls" is an exquisite piece of writing. It is a beautifully economical, structurally brilliant and lyrically descriptive account of a challenging episode in one child's life."
A Monster Calls
One of our Great Reads You May Have Missed in 2012. Prize-winning Patrick Ness displays brilliant new skills of sensitivity in this hauntingly touching story of how a boy deals with the looming threat of his mother’s death from cancer. Haunted by a monster in his dreams, denied much information by his family and treated as a weirdo by his class mates and a ‘special case’ by his teachers, Conor struggles to get to grips with the devastating emotions which threaten to overwhelm him. How he finds the courage and strength to face the end when it happens is both utterly shattering and deeply satisfying. Costa Award winner Patrick Ness spins a tale from the final idea of much-loved Carnegie Medal winner Siobhan Dowd, whose premature death from cancer prevented her from writing it herself. ------------- Winner of the 2012 Carnegie Medal AND 2012 Kate Greenaway Medal. This is the first time, in the Awards 75 year history, that one book has won both prizes! Rachel Levy chair of the 2012 CILIP Carnegie judging panel said: "A Monster Calls" is an exquisite piece of writing. It is a beautifully economical, structurally brilliant and lyrically descriptive account of a challenging episode in one child's life." FROM ARTICLE IN GUARDIAN 26TH NOV 2012. AUTHOR FAVOURITES OF 2012:David Nicholls - 'This was the year I reset my alarm in an attempt to read more, and I'm delighted that I did. I loved Laurent Binet's smart, original HHhH (Harvill Secker) and, despite never having watched more than 30 seconds of baseball, thoroughly enjoyed Chad Harbach's funny, moving The Art of Fielding (Fourth Estate). Zadie Smith's NW was a fine London novel, Robert Macfarlane's The Old Ways sent me out on many long walks, and I was both amused and appalled by the anti-hero of Ben Lerner's Leaving the Atocha Station (Granta). I finally got round to Patrick Ness and Siobhan Dodd's A Monster Calls (Walker) and found it quite devastating.'
A Monster Calls
Prize-winning Patrick Ness displays brilliant new skills of sensitivity in this hauntingly touching story of how a boy deals with the looming threat of his mother’s death from cancer. Haunted by a monster in his dreams, denied much information by his family and treated as a weirdo by his class mates and a ‘special case’ by his teachers, Conor struggles to get to grips with the devastating emotions which threaten to overwhelm him. How he finds the courage and strength to face the end when it happens is both utterly shattering and deeply satisfying. Costa Award winner Patrick Ness spins a tale from the final idea of much-loved Carnegie Medal winner Siobhan Dowd, whose premature death from cancer prevented her from writing it herself. Zoella Book Club title Autumn 16. ------------- Winner of the 2012 Carnegie Medal Rachel Levy chair of the 2012 CILIP Carnegie judging panel said: "A Monster Calls" is an exquisite piece of writing. It is a beautifully economical, structurally brilliant and lyrically descriptive account of a challenging episode in one child's life."
A Monster Calls
One of our Great Reads You May Have Missed in 2012. Prize-winning Patrick Ness displays brilliant new skills of sensitivity in this hauntingly touching story of how a boy deals with the looming threat of his mother’s death from cancer. Haunted by a monster in his dreams, denied much information by his family and treated as a weirdo by his class mates and a ‘special case’ by his teachers, Conor struggles to get to grips with the devastating emotions which threaten to overwhelm him. How he finds the courage and strength to face the end when it happens is both utterly shattering and deeply satisfying. Costa Award winner Patrick Ness spins a tale from the final idea of much-loved Carnegie Medal winner Siobhan Dowd, whose premature death from cancer prevented her from writing it herself. ------------- Winner of the 2012 Carnegie Medal AND 2012 Kate Greenaway Medal. This is the first time, in the Awards 75 year history, that one book has won both prizes! Rachel Levy chair of the 2012 CILIP Carnegie judging panel said: "A Monster Calls" is an exquisite piece of writing. It is a beautifully economical, structurally brilliant and lyrically descriptive account of a challenging episode in one child's life." FROM ARTICLE IN GUARDIAN 26TH NOV 2012. AUTHOR FAVOURITES OF 2012:David Nicholls - 'This was the year I reset my alarm in an attempt to read more, and I'm delighted that I did. I loved Laurent Binet's smart, original HHhH (Harvill Secker) and, despite never having watched more than 30 seconds of baseball, thoroughly enjoyed Chad Harbach's funny, moving The Art of Fielding (Fourth Estate). Zadie Smith's NW was a fine London novel, Robert Macfarlane's The Old Ways sent me out on many long walks, and I was both amused and appalled by the anti-hero of Ben Lerner's Leaving the Atocha Station (Granta). I finally got round to Patrick Ness and Siobhan Dodd's A Monster Calls (Walker) and found it quite devastating.'
More Than This
Shortlisted for the 2015 CILIP Carnegie Medal. One of our Books of the Year 2014. This exceptional new novel from multi-award-winning Patrick Ness will, once again, delight his readers with a superbly written, enthralling and provocative story that raises the most profound questions of adolescence – and answers some of them. Seth drowns. A horrible, lonely death in the icy sea that ends with a blow against the rocks. But does it end? Seth wakes up alone, naked and in an empty world. He remembers his life – and above all his all-consuming love – and finds a way to survive in his new, desolate place. With two other children he meets, Seth explores new possibilities including what other lives there may be after death. In addition to our Lovereading expert opinion for More than This a small number of teenagers were lucky enough to be invited to review this title. Here's a taster....'unique and special you will be overwhelmed by the tragedy throughout the story.' Scroll down to read more reviews...
The Crane Wife
The extraordinary happens everyday. One night, George Duncan is woken by a noise in his garden. Impossibly, a great white crane has tumbled to earth, shot through its wing by an arrow. Unexpectedly moved, George helps the bird, and from the moment he watches it fly away, his life is transformed. The next day, a beautiful woman called Kumiko walks into his shop and begins to tell him the most extraordinary story. Wise, romantic, magical and funny, The Crane Wife is a celebration of the disruptive and redemptive power of love.
Monsters of Men
A special anniversary edition, with a striking new cover design, to celebrate 10 years of the Chaos Walking trilogy. This is a spine-tingling, page turning read. Heaped with well-deserved awards, the Chaos Walking Trilogy comes to a brilliant conclusion in Monsters of Men. Set in a dystopian future in a world where all thoughts can be heard, Todd and Viola have struggled to survive. Now three armies are marching on New Prentisstown. Todd and Viola have no chance of escape but, worse still, they have no chance of making peace. Can any hope remain in the wake of such destruction? Patrick Ness is as hard hitting and thought provoking as he was at the start of this trilogy. He does not disappoint. ~ Julia Eccleshare Winner of the CILIP Carnegie Medal 2011 | Shortlisted for the 25th Anniversary Arthur C Clarke Award in 2011 and Galaxy Children's Book Award shortlist 2010
Monsters of Men
Shortlisted for the Arthur C Clarke Award 2011. This is a spine-tingling, page turning read. Heaped with well-deserved awards, the Chaos Walking Trilogy comes to a brilliant conclusion in Monsters of Men. Set in a dystopian future in a world where all thoughts can be heard, Todd and Viola have struggled to survive. Now three armies are marching on New Prentisstown. Todd and Viola have no chance of escape but, worse still, they have no chance of making peace. Can any hope remain in the wake of such destruction? Patrick Ness is as hard hitting and thought provoking as he was at the start of this trilogy. He does not disappoint.
Topics About Which I Know Nothing
One of Patrick Gale's favourite books. A wonderful, humorous and bizarre collection of tales looking at how the world might have been. June 2010 Guest Editor Patrick Gale on Patrick Ness... Before he took the world’s young adults (and their parents) by storm with his Chaos Walking trilogy, Ness published one adult novel and this criminally under-noticed story collection. As strange and funny as anything from the pen of David Sedaris, it leaves one hoping Ness won’t turn his back on grown-ups for ever.
Burn
An all-consuming story of revenge, redemption and dragons from the twice Carnegie Medal-winner Patrick Ness. On a cold Sunday evening in early 1957, Sarah Dewhurst waited with her father in the parking lot of the Chevron Gas Station for the dragon he'd hired to help on the farm. This dragon, Kazimir, has more to him than meets the eye. Sarah can't help but be curious about him, an animal who supposedly doesn't have a soul but is seemingly intent on keeping her safe from the brutal attentions of Deputy Sheriff Emmett Kelby. Kazimir knows something she doesn't. He has arrived at the farm because of a prophecy. A prophecy that involves a deadly assassin, a cult of dragon worshippers, two FBI agents - and somehow, Sarah Dewhurst herself. From the bestselling author of the Chaos Walking trilogy comes a heart-stopping story of fanaticism, hope, bravery and impossible second chances, set in a world on the very brink of its own destruction. Exhilarating and heart-stopping. Russell T Davies Gloriously original and unpredictable ... Mind-bending in the best possible way. Observer A clever, complex and completely engrossing story. The Times [An] extraordinary story of fate, power and redemption ... He is a remarkable talent. Daily Mail Ness shows that although monsters exist in every world, many wish to overcome them; and even in the smoking ruins of civilisation, there is room for hope. Guardian Revenge, redemption, the Cold War and dragons. Another great tale from the master with the best opening line of any book this year. Simon Mayo You can always rely on Patrick Ness to surprise you, and this beautifully written urban fantasy doesn't disappoint ... an immersive, rewarding read. Independent Never less than gripping ... full of charm, intriguing characters and awesome, cinematic set-pieces. SFX An incredibly touching, powerful and startling read. Female First A provocative Cold War-set tale of dragon worshippers, parenthood, and the apocalypse. Entertainment Weekly Gripping until the end. Irish Times
Other books by Patrick Ness
Chaos Walking: Book 1 The Knife of Never Letting Go
The multi-award-winning novel by Patrick Ness, the first in a gripping trilogy, is now a major motion picture starring Tom Holland and Daisy Ridley. Todd Hewitt lives in a town unlike other towns. There are no women, and everyone can hear everyone else's thoughts in an overwhelming, never-ending stream of Noise. But then Todd meets someone who should not exist: a girl. Even in a town where privacy is impossible, there is a secret so terrible, they're going to have to run for their lives. But how do you escape when your pursuers can hear your every thought? Terrifying, exhilarating and heartbreaking. Sunday Telegraph
Burn
Double Carnegie winning Patrick Ness proves yet again how effortlessly he can weave a tale that juggles apocalyptic themes and astonishing action with the truly personal sphere of beliefs and actions while dealing with issues as powerful as racism, homophobia and the morality of war and underlaying it all with deeply tender stories of love. Sarah Dewhurst, finds herself at the centre of an age-old prophecy about humans and dragons, as revealed to her by Kazimir the sardonic Russian Blue dragon hired by her father in a last-ditch attempt to save their farm from bankruptcy. She also learns that an assassin is heading her way, sent by Believers who want the world emptied of human obstacles to the dragons’ dominance. Malcolm, the putative assassin, was raised from childhood in the cult and his evangelical determination to carry out his mission is matched only by his internal regrets for the life that he might have had. The plot twists and turns and grips the reader in a vice and the multiple perspectives, including the FBI agents on Malcolm’s trail, create an intense and captivating reading experience. Every character is given nuance and depth, even the extremely unpleasant Deputy Kelby has a recognisable psychology. There are no long pages of exposition, the writing is as spare and beautifully crafted as we have come to expect and yet the world building is entirely credible as well as fascinating. While the book stands satisfactorily concluded there is a tempting suggestion of more to come and I am sure all readers would anticipate this as avidly as I do. Highly recommended.
Chaos Walking Boxed Set
The complete Chaos Walking trilogy is now available in this striking boxed set. Soon to be a major motion picture starting Tom Holland and Daisy Ridley - read it before you watch the film! Prentisstown isn't like other towns. Everyone can hear everyone else's thoughts in a constant, overwhelming Noise. There is no privacy. There are no secrets. Then Todd Hewitt unexpectedly stumbles on a spot of complete silence. Which is impossible. And now he's going to have to run... Patrick Ness's award-winning modern classic makes essential, gripping reading and is soon to be a major motion picture starring Tom Holland and Daisy Ridley. This boxed set includes paperback editions of The Knife of Never Letting Go, The Ask and the Answer and Monsters of Men.
Release
***Recommended for 16+ due to content. Shortlisted for the YA Book Prize 2018 | In a Nutshell: love, truth and the power of release | A gripping, soulful novel about a life-changing day, which will surely change the lives of those who read it. "Where on earth had this day come from? And where was it headed?" remarks 17 year-old Adam as a single day unfurls wave after wave of shattering disruption: first a revelation from his brother, next an ultimatum from his foul boss, then a destabilising announcement from his beloved best friend. And alongside Adam's unraveling, there’s the mesmerising narrative of the ghost of a murdered girl who’s risen from a lake in search of release. Partly modeled on two of the author’s most admired books (Virginia Woolf’s Mrs Dalloway and Judy Blume’s Forever), with this remarkable novel Ness once again demonstrates his profound understanding of the complexities of being a young adult, and of the human condition more generally. Adam’s story is pinpricked with truly nerve-touching moments, perhaps most poignantly between him and the overbearing father he fears coming-out to. At one point his dad reveals that he wishes Adam could be honest with him, and then Adam begins to let go. While revealing truths can be excruciatingly painful, doing so might also bring refreshing, life-affirming release. Heartbreaking, intense and acutely honest, this novel casts a subtle spell of hope. ~ Joanne Owen Walker has announced the tour dates for Patrick Ness, promoting Release. The tour will begin on 26 April with a "premiere" event in partnership with Waterstones at the Curzon cinema in Soho. Dates after that: Saturday 6 May, 2pm Edinburgh - George Square Lecture Theatre (Blackwell's) Sunday 7 May, 3pm Newcastle – Tyneside Cinema (Waterstones) Monday 8 May, 7pm Manchester – Manchester Library (Waterstones) Tuesday 9 May, 7pm Sheffield – The Library Theatre (Waterstones) Wednesday 10 May, 7pm Birmingham – The Glee Club (Foyles) Thursday 11 May, 7pm Dublin – Details TBC Sunday 14 May, 2:30pm Brighton – Sallis Benney Theatre (Brighton Festivals)
Pe viata si pe moarte. Al doilea volum din trilogia Pe taramul haosului
COSTA Children's Book Award2008 Guardian Children's Fiction PrizeAl doilea volum din Trilogia Pe tA rmul haosuluiAl doilea volum al Trilogiei este o poveste pasionantA , E ocantA E i profund tulburA toare despre rezistenE a n cele mai grele condiE ii.Fugind din calea unei armate necruE A toare, Todd a dus-o pe Viola, grav rA nitA , direct n minile celui mai mare duE man al lor, Primarul Prentiss. DespA rE it pe loc de Viola E i ntemniE at, Todd e obligat sA nveE e regulile noii ordini a Primarului.Dar ce lucruri misterioase pndesc chiar n preajma oraE ului?E i unde e Viola? Mai este ea n viaE A ?E i cine se ascunde n spatele Ripostei?Iar apoi, ntr-o zi, totul scapA de sub controlUn roman alert, plin de acE iune, care exploreazA diverse teme, precum loialitatea, manipularea, ambiguitatea moralA E i violenE a, dar n care se simte mereu dorinE a de dragoste E i izbA vire. O lecturA obligatorie pentru fani. "e;-Ness e n acelaE i timp accesibil E i sofisticat, abordnd subiecte serioase - terorismul, feminismul, genocidul, iubirea - ntr-un stil inconfundabil. O carte de citit pe nerA suflate."e; - Sunday TimesOriginal E i plin de suspans."e;
Vocea pumnalului. Primul volum al trilogiei Pe taramul haosului
Nominalizat la Carnegie Award 2009, castigator al Guardian Children's Fiction Prize 2008, James Tiptree Junior Award si Booktrust Teenage Prize 2008.Todd Hewitt e ultimul bA iat din Prentisstown, un oraE mai puE in obiE nuit. Oamenii pot auzi ce gndesc ceilalE i. Tot timpul. ViaE a lor se desfA E oarA ntr-un copleE itor E i nencetat Vacarm; nu existA intimitate, nici secrete.Chiar cu o lunA nainte de a mplini 13 ani, datA la care ar urma sA devinA bA rbat, Todd descoperA ntmplA tor un loc liniE tit. FA rA Vacarm. nsA un asemenea loc nu poate exista! nseamnA cA locuitorii din Prentisstown l-au minE it.E i acum va trebui sA fugA ca sA se salveze de la moarte...Dar unde sA fugi dacA cei care te urmA resc pot auzi TOT ce gndeE ti?Un roman n tradiE ia Aventurilor lui Huckleberry Finn E i a capodoperei De veghe n lanul de secarA , despre un adolescent care fuge, mpreunA cu cinele sA u vorbitor, Manchee, spre o lume normalA . Chiar dacA asta nseamnA sA meargA pnA la capA tul lumii... E i mai departe.Ness e un scriitor foarte nzestrat, de o imprevizibilitate care-E i dA fiori. - The TimesSfrE itul plin de suspans are efectul unui glonE tras direct n stomac. - BooklistUn roman care curge ntr-un ritm furios, nspA imntA tor, captivant E i, uneori, sfE ietor. Este o carte care-E i bntuie imaginaE ia. -Sunday TelegraphNu existA nimic pe lumea asta n afarA de Vacarm, nimic altceva dect gndurile permanente ale oamenilor E i toate lucrurile venind la tine E i la tine E i la tine, din clipa n care spacE ii au dat drumul virusului Vacarmului n timpul rA zboiului, un virus care-a ucis jumA tate din bA rbaE i E i toate femeile, inclusiv pe mama mea, un virus care i-a nnebunit pe restul bA rbaE ilor E i care a nsemnat sfrE itul pentru tot neamul spacE ilor n momentul cnd oamenii, n nebunia lor, au ridicat armele."e;
The Rest of Us Just Live Here
Shortlisted for the Books Are My Bag Children's Book Award 2016. September 2015 NewGen Book of the Month. Daring, beautifully written, full of ideas that will bring the reader up short, The Rest of Us Just Live Here is a dystopian adventure that mocks dystopian adventures while acknowledging the genre’s power to reveal truths, particularly about teenage lives. As one band of teenagers – those special ‘indie kids’ familiar from so many YA novels – battle to save the world from the Immortals, the main plot of the novel concerns another group of young people. Mikey is getting through his teenage years with the help of his friends and by focusing on graduating and leaving home. He also wants to declare his love for his friend Henna. It’s enough for anyone to cope with, the possibility of someone blowing up school only adds to his problems. The indie kids’ story is told entirely in chapter head summaries, the real drama is Mikey’s, and of course his story means the most to the rest of us. Original, funny, true, it can only be Patrick Ness. ~ Andrea Reece
Rest of Us Just Live Here
Award-winning writer Patrick Ness's bold and irreverent novel powerfully reminds us that there are many different types of remarkable.Award-winning writer Patrick Ness's bold and irreverent novel powerfully asks what if you weren't the Chosen One? The one who's supposed to fight the zombies, or the soul-eating ghosts, or whatever this new thing is, with the blue lights and the death? What if you were like Mikey? Who just wants to graduate and go to prom and maybe finally work up the courage to ask Henna out before someone goes and blows up the high school. Again. Because sometimes there are problems bigger than this week's end of the world and sometimes you just have to find the extraordinary in your ordinary life. Even if your best friend might just be the God of mountain lions... An exceptional novel from the author praised by John Green as "e;an insanely beautiful writer"e;.
The Ask and the Answer
A new edition of the award-winning second novel in the Chaos Walking trilogy. Fleeing before a relentless army, Todd has carried a desperately wounded Viola right into the hands of their worst enemy, Mayor Prentiss. Immediately separated from Viola and imprisoned, Todd is forced to learn the ways of the Mayor's new order. But what secrets are hiding just outside of town? And where is Viola? Is she even still alive? And who are the mysterious Answer? And then, one day, the bombs begin to explode...
Crane Wife
A magical novel, based on a Japanese folk tale, that imagines how the life of a broken-hearted man is transformed when he rescues an injured white crane that has landed in his backyard.George Duncan is an American living and working in London. At forty-eight, he owns a small print shop, is divorced, and lonelier than he realizes. All of the women with whom he has relationships eventually leave him for being too nice. But one night he is woken by an astonishing sounda terrific keening, which is coming from somewhere in his garden. When he investigates he finds a great white crane, a bird taller than even himself. It has been shot through the wing with an arrow. Moved more than he can say, George struggles to take out the arrow from the bird's wing, saving its life before it flies away into the night sky.The next morning, a shaken George tries to go about his daily life, retreating to the back of his store and making cuttings from discarded booksa harmless, personal hobbywhen through the front door of the shop a woman walks in. Her name is Kumiko, and she asks George to help her with her own artwork. George is dumbstruck by her beauty and her enigmatic nature, and begins to fall desperately in love with her. She seems to hold the potential to change his entire life, if he could only get her to reveal the secret of who she is and why she has brought her artwork to him.Witty, magical, and romantic, The Crane Wife is a story of passion and sacrifice, that resonates on the level of dream and myth. It is a novel that celebrates the creative imagination, and the disruptive power of love.
Doctor Who
In 1945, a strange new craze for Truth Tellers is sweeping the kids of small-town America. The Fifth Doctor and Nyssa soon arrive to investigate the phenomenon, only to discover that the actual truth behind the Truth Tellers is far more sinister than anyone could have imagined...Author Patrick Ness puts his own unique spin on the Doctor, his terrifying alien enemies and time-travelling adventures.
More Than This
This exceptional new novel from multi-award-winning Patrick Ness will, once again, delight his readers with a superbly written, enthralling and provocative story that raises the most profound questions of adolescence – and answers some of them. Seth drowns. A horrible, lonely death in the icy sea that ends with a blow against the rocks. But does it end? Seth wakes up alone, naked and in an empty world. He remembers his life – and above all his all-consuming love – and finds a way to survive in his new, desolate place. With two other children he meets, Seth explores new possibilities including what other lives there may be after death. In addition to our Lovereading expert opinion for More than This a small number of teenagers were lucky enough to be invited to review this title. Here's a taster....'unique and special you will be overwhelmed by the tragedy throughout the story.' Scroll down to read more reviews...