Ness, Patrick. The knife of never letting go.

NESS, Patrick. The knife of never letting go. (Chaos Walking, Book One.) Candlewick. 496p. c2008. 978-0-7636-3931-0. $18.99. JSA*

What if everyone could hear your every thought--and you could hear theirs? On the planet of New World, all the agrarian settlers are besieged by this endless "Noise," making it almost impossible to keep a secret. Todd is the only boy in a town of men, and he's about to undergo a mysterious initiation rite. He believes all the women on the planet are dead, but when he comes upon a girl in the woods, everything abruptly changes. Todd, his faithful dog (whose thoughts can also be heard), and the girl, Viola, go on the run, pursued by a grim army of townsmen, and discover there's much more to New World than Todd had ever expected.

This riveting SF thriller is action-packed, with edge-of-your-seat chase scenes, a monstrous villain who just won't die, and moments of both anguish and triumph. Todd must deal with learning the surprising truth about his world while wrestling with moral dilemmas: is he capable of killing?. Emotionally intense, violent at times, this haunting page-turner may be awkwardly named, but it's a great read. Paula Rohrlick, KLIATT

J--Recommended for junior high school students. The contents are particular interest to young adolescents and their teachers.

S--Recommended for senior high school students.

A--Recommended for advanced students and adults. This code will help librarians and teachers working in high schools where there are honors and advanced placement students. This also will help extend KLIATT's usefulness in public libraries.

*--The asterisk highlights exceptional books.