genre: dystopia, sci-fi
rating: 5/8 tentacles
Todd Hewitt lives on a planet where everyone's thoughts are psychically broadcast, even animals. When Todd finds something strange in the swamp, his stepfathers present him with his dead mother's journal and a map and urge him to escape town. Todd discovers that much of what he's been raised to believe is a lie. Interesting premise dealing with privacy, truth, and innocence.
Ness writes skillfully (although he overdoes the dialect a little in my opinion). I like the interaction between Todd and Viola. I liked watching Todd slowly make sense of the world, and could empathize with the frustration he felt when his ignorance was proven to him again and again. The way that Patrick Ness deals with the conflicts that would naturally arise from a world in which every man can see into every other man's mind, and only women can keep their thoughts private, adds ambiguous complexity to the story.
I did not like the way that readers were excluded from secrets revealed to the main characters. Withholding information creates suspense, but if withheld for too long, readers will become frustrated. If I'm going to watch somebody show or explain something to Todd, I want to be in on it. Especially if the "big reveal" later on isn't all that exciting and I could've guessed the big secret. Just tell me. What is the point of writing in first person if I don't get to experience everything Todd experiences.
I also don't like Todd because of a thing he did (didn't do) that I can't tell you about. His actions are often portrayed in a manner that seems to suggest a moral lesson, which annoys me. It feels forced to praise a character who shuns murder, even in situations where killing would be a legitimate defense, or would protect a loved one. To me, this is not admirable. It's cowardly and stupid. It's also a little implausible considering the conditions that Todd was raised in, right? Todd goes on and on about how some people grew up in luxury while in his town, people had to fight to survive. But then he only fights to survive up to a certain point. I guess personality can trump environment and up-bringing? I don't know. I feel skeptical about this.
Anyway, the writing is solid and I love the idea of Noise. On to the sequel!
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