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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.
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
***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.
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
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
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.
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.
***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)
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.
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.
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
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
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."
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."
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.'
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.'
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 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.
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...
Shortlisted for the CILIP Carnegie Medal 2010. 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. 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.
Winner of the CILIP Carnegie Medal 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. Shortlisted for the 25th Anniversary Arthur C Clarke Award in 2011 and Galaxy Children's Book Award shortlist 2010.
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
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.
May 2010 'new gen' Book of the Month title. 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.
Winner of the Costa Children's Book Award 2009. Costa Book Awards 2009 Judges' comment: "A strikingly original and compelling work." Shortlisted for the prestigious Teenage Book of the Year Award 2009. 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. Titles on this year’s Teenage Book of the Year Award shortlist include: Auslander by Paul Dowswell The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman Ostrich Boys by Keith Gray The Ant Colony by Jenny Valentine The Vanishing of Katharina Linden by Helen Grant The Ask and the Answer by Patrick Ness
A 2013 World Book Night selection. The electrifying and unflinching young adult debut novel about the impossible choices of growing up by award-winning fiction writer Patrick Ness. 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 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.' Click here to see The Ask and the Answer by Patrick Ness, winner of the prestigious Costa Children's Book Award 2009
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.
Mind-bendingly brilliant and fearlessly strange. - Frances Hardinge A haunting, lyrical fable. - The Bookseller Awe-inspiring. - The Times, Children's Book of the Week From the multi-award-winning author of A Monster Calls comes a haunting tale of power and obsession that turns the story of Moby Dick upside down. The whales of Bathsheba's pod live for the hunt. Led by the formidable Captain Alexandra, they fight a never-ending war against men. Then the whales attack a man ship, and instead of easy prey they find the trail of a myth, a monster, perhaps the devil himself... With their relentless Captain leading the chase, they embark on the final hunt, one that will forever change the worlds of whales and men.
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.
From the multi-award-winning author of A Monster Calls comes a haunting tale of power and obsession that turns the story of Moby Dick upside down. Call me Bathsheba. The whales of Bathsheba's pod live for the hunt. Led by the formidable Captain Alexandra, they fight a never-ending war against men. Then the whales attack a man ship, and instead of easy prey they find the trail of a myth, a monster, perhaps the devil himself... With their relentless Captain leading the chase, they embark on the final hunt, one that will forever change the worlds of whales and men.
***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.
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
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
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.
***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)
The most personal and tender novel yet from Patrick Ness, the twice Carnegie Medal-winning author of A Monster Calls.The most personal and tender novel yet from Patrick Ness, the twice Carnegie Medal-winning author of A Monster Calls. It's Saturday, it's summer and, although he doesn't know it yet, everything in Adam Thorn's life is going to fall apart. But maybe, just maybe, he'll find freedom from the release. Time is running out though, because way across town, a ghost has risen from the lake...
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.
