Monsters of Men: Chaos Walking: Book Three

by Patrick Ness

Paperback, 2014

Status

Available

Call number

FIC NES

Call number

FIC NES

Description

As a world-ending war surges to life around them, Todd and Viola face monstrous decisions, questioning all they have ever known as they try to step back from the darkness and find the best way to achieve peace.

Publication

Candlewick (2014), Edition: 2nd ed., 643 pages

Original publication date

2010-05-03

Original language

English

Language

User reviews

LibraryThing member WinterFox
Caution: spoilers for The Knife of Never Letting Go and The Ask and the Answer.

So somehow I managed to hold out on reading this book for a while after reading the Ask and the Answer, with its huge cliffhanger ending of the arrival of the Spackle army in town that leaves so much up in the air, after
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the big tense showdown with the Mayor at the end of the book.

Actually, that’s not exactly true. I started Monsters of Men right after I read that book, but had to put it down after about fifty pages or so. The structure at the end of the Ask and the Answer, where Todd and Viola start switching viewpoints every couple of pages, is what's used for the entirety of this last book, along with a Spackle viewpoint at the end of each rough section. I thought that this alternating format worked quite well for the thrilling climax of a book, but comes across altogether too breathless when used for the book's entirety. I never felt that I was able to get into Todd or Viola's head the same way, and the voice of the book didn't come together quite as well for me. Some styles really do work better than others.

That said, I did really want to know what happened, and so I did eventually get over my issues with the format, and get into the story. And this concluding book of the trilogy brings us a new set of players: both the indigenous Spackle, returned in full force after the genocide of the remaining prisoners held in Haven after the last war, and the first scout ship of the new colonists, who've come looking for Viola and to see the new planet for themselves. Place alongside these Mayor Prentiss, freed by Todd after the end of the fighting of the previous book to help lead the war effort against the returned Spackle, and Mistress Coyle, still trying to take control of the town, and there's a whole stew of rivalries and shifting, trying to gain the ultimate upper hand, but generally not overtly. Just trying to paint different people in unreasonable lights can carry an argument a long way.

The story that follows, including the shape of the Spackle society and the return of 1017, actually is quite well-constructed, and a worthy end to the trilogy. It's quite thrilling, and I did really settle into the reading rhythm of it. The tension gets ratcheted up and up, if in somewhat similar ways to the previous book. This is perhaps my other problem with the book - the themes from the previous books, and the characterizations, get abbreviated and flattened reprises, alongside the new ones of what it means to be part of a group, how to communicate with others, and what war can do to people. You got the sense in the previous book that the Mayor and Mistress Coyle were more complicated folk than they come across as here, and if you want to argue that's because they're desperate or some such, you can, but I think it still doesn't come off as interesting.

On the whole, though, I did quite enjoy the book - it stays pretty dark, overall, with a relatively ambiguous ending that fits the story, but I really did enjoy it. It's hard to finish off these sorts of trilogies in style, but I think Monsters of Men does quite a good job of it. I'm satisfied with where they ended up... even if I personally wouldn't want to go there. This is a really solid set of books, though; the whole trilogy is worth the time to read, especially since you can snap through them fast once you're in it.
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LibraryThing member tiamatq
It's so hard to know what to say about this book. It's an amazing ending to the series, and it is worthy of all those cliches... my heart was racing while I read it, it kept me guessing throughout the very last pages for what would happen to my beloved characters, there were more twists and turns
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then you could shake a stick at, and I was in tears at the very end. I'm going to do my best to keep this spoiler-free.

This book, like the previous two in the series, deals with weighty issues of love, loyalty, trust, communication, and information. But Ness also delves into relationships between parents and their children, leaders and followers, and the responsibilities associated with all of these roles. And then there's the issue of redemption... can people go beyond the point of redemption?

The story focuses onto Todd and Viola, Mayor Prentiss and Mistress Coyle, and the Sky (leader of the Land - or Spackle as they are called by humans) and the Return (previously known to us as 1017). Outside of these main pairings, we have two settlers, Simone and Bradly, who are friends of Viola's and control the scout ship we saw landing at the end of The Ask and the Answer. And we have the returning Mistresses, Wilf and Jane, Lee, and Angharrad and Acorn (yes, I included the horses, because I LOVE those horses). As in The Ask and the Answer, we can draw the comparisons between the Mayor and Mistress Coyle, seeing how they each use power and politics to try and seize control. But, while I thought they were far too similar in the last book, we see them strongly diverge here as they both realize that the war has changed from the one that they started.

The reader is constantly shifting in this book, from the perspective of Todd to Viola to 1017. The changes are fast-paced and abrupt, which can take a little getting used to, since it feels like you're almost always having the rug pulled out from under you. However, it's worth it to keep with the story and just try to get into Ness's rhythm.

The ending is... ambiguous. It will make for excellent discussion, as will the way that the characters finish their own stories. Ness puts such a strong emphasis on forgiveness, acceptance, and hope throughout the series that I have a hard time not feeling hopeful at the ending. You really would be doing yourself a favor in reading this series. It has a little over everything... sci-fi, survival, adventure, animals, appeal to guys and girls, romance, super powers, and war. Maybe that makes the book sound overloaded, but it's also a beautiful story with characters who will stay with you long after you've finished reading.

On a slightly offbeat note, I don't think I'll ever be able to read or hear the word "Todd?" without getting choked up. Just typing it now has me tearing up!
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LibraryThing member dgoo
This was a beautiful conclusion (? I'm hoping for a fourth, and I think the author left it open to that) to the Chaos Walking series. The character development, plot, pacing, voice, dialogue, choice of tense was all excellent and worked so well together and for the story. The use of the present
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tense, first person puts you right there in the action, and though it could have been limiting, the author Ness put it to masterful use. I think this is a fine novel, with beautiful (that word again) and gripping inner monologue and dialogue. Ness's knack for repeating words or phrases as part of the characters' thoughts deftly conveyed the urgency and passion of the character and/or situation instead of coming off as just repetitive.

There are some big ideas here too. Do you choose your fellow or yourself? Your kind or another or does it even have to be a choice? Is it fair or desirable to know everything about someone else and they you, even if you have no choice? And is it fair if it is one sided but it doesn't have to be? How far is far enough to protect an ideal? Do you kill to save someone even if you know it will destroy your ability to live with yourself?Do you kill for that person if you know they can't but it has to be done to survive? Do you do things you find abhorrent and morally corrupt if it will keep a promise, keep you alive to save someone? Do you trust a person who has done great wrongs, horrible things, if you see them change?

Trust, redemption, love, loss, perseverance, war, peace, control, privacy, freedom, betrayal, fear, temptation, power, loyalty are all themes heavily present in the book, in all three, with no neat answers to most. And that is satisfying, because do any of us really have them?
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LibraryThing member snat
If you read my reviews of The Knife of Never Letting Go and The Ask and the Answer, you'll find that I was a smitten kitten with the Chaos Walking series. In the carbon copy world of young adult literature, these are inventive books with powerful themes resonating throughout. I have been
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anticipating the moment when I would be able to finish the last book in the trilogy, expecting to savor the return to Todd and Viola's world. So what effin' happened that led to a tepid 3 star rating? I'm still trying to figure it out.

Maybe it was series fatigue or maybe I waited too long between reading book 2 and 3 (I hate getting locked into series books, so that is a possibility). For whatever reason, Monsters of Men never grabbed me in the way the first two books did. It felt repetitive. War with the Spackle, conflict between Mayor Prentiss and Mistress Coyle, Todd and Viola don't know what to do, and on and on it goes. Each time I picked up the book, I felt like it was Groundhog Day--I could have sworn I read the same damn thing yesterday. The war was somewhat anticlimactic and I never felt any real tension. I'm rather out of sorts about this because I feel as though I somehow let down the book instead of the book letting me down. Did I miss something? Is there something I'm just not getting? These are the thoughts that plague me because I wanted, nay, needed to love this book. And I just didn't. Todd and Viola's angst over being separated was irritating to me because I could not for the life understand why they insisted on being apart ("Just walk your ass up the damn hill, Todd," I kept encouraging him throughout, but he never listened), Mayor Prentiss didn't seem like that big of a bad ass threat, and the one twist I felt like the novel was relying on was fairly predictable.

Despite this, I liked the addition of the narration from 1017's point of view. Told in the language of the indigenous people of New World, I thought Ness does a good job of making the voice seem alien and foreign. These chapters are somewhat difficult to read in terms of adjusting to the syntax and invented phrases, but I thought it added to my ability to believe in the Spackle as a separate sentient species from humans. Also, the questions of morality in war, what makes a terrorist, how do we know when we can trust our leaders, is violence ever justified are complex and worthy of our attention. Ness skillfully asks these questions without glorifying war nor necessarily vilifying it, which makes this an above average young adult read.
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LibraryThing member AshRyan
In The Knife of Never Letting Go, Patrick Ness created an intriguing sci-fi/fantasy world, full of interesting ideas and promising characters. The Ask and the Answer was a truly great follow-up: the violence was even more brutal, but less gratuitously over-the-top; it was more about thoughtful
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thematic and character development, as the characters learned what it means to be adults.

Unfortunately, it all kind of falls apart in this final installment. There are some ideas that could have gone somewhere---the Spackle character 1017 had a lot of potential, particularly the issue of whether his species' "groupthink" way of life is good or bad (or good for them but not for us, or what), and Ness examines the question of the role of personal values in physical conflict (whether it's right or wrong to "make war personal", as he puts it)---but in the end he not only doesn't answer these questions, but the final resolutions of the plot conflicts simply have nothing to do with them...plot and theme are not integrated in the end, and the whole exercise thus becomes somewhat pointless. Indeed, Ness ends up equivocating on or vaguely passing over most of the deeper issues he had raised throughout the series. In short, he made a lot of promises and failed to deliver.

Still, though this last book in the series is a disappointment after the excellent middle installment, it's still better than a lot of young adult fiction out there, and the series as a whole is definitely worth a read.
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LibraryThing member fyrefly98
Summary: Tensions between the tyrannical Mayor of New Prentisstown and the terrorist group of the Answer must be put on hold in the face of a new threat: a wave of alien Spackle sweeping down upon the settlers of the New World, united in a single thought of vengeance. Todd and Viola are caught up
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in their various sides of the war, fighting to save themselves - and each other - while working for peace for the soon-arriving settlers from Viola's ships. But how can there be peace when the only people with the power to stop the war are the ones who most want to be fighting it?

Review: Monsters of Men is in some ways a quieter book than either The Knife of Never Letting Go or The Ask and the Answer. That may seem out of keeping for a book that's about war, especially a war that's been building for at least the preceeding 600 pages. And I don't mean to imply that Monsters of Men didn't have its fair share of explosions and excitement and achingly, nail-bitingly tense moments - because it had all of those things, without question. They just seemed a little more spaced out in this book, so it didn't quite have the never-ceasing adrenaline-pumping forward hurtling momentum of the preview two books. That's not necessarily a bad thing, either - it gave each of the exciting and tense moments a little bit more space to breathe and to grow, and let them stand out more sharply against the comparably calmer background.

I continued to like the alternating and contrasting viewpoints from Viola and Todd (although: Argh, so dumbly trusting, still!), and I thought the addition of 1017's p.o.v. chapters was an interesting addition, although he wasn't quite as developed as the other two. The ending didn't present any huge surprises, but it was still quite satisfying, and well in keeping with the rest of the series. The only thing that bothered me was the way in which the Spackle form of thought/communication was held up as an ideal. Maybe it would be the ideal way to survive on a planet with Noise, I don't know, but the subsuming of all individual voices into the collective Voice seems somehow dehumanizing and contrary to everything that Todd and Viola had been fighting for.

Overall, this was a very quick, and very enjoyable read, and a satisfying end to an amazing series. 4 out of 5 stars.

Recommendation: I'm not even going to bother. If you've read the first two, you're probably already reading this one without my telling you that it's just as good.
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LibraryThing member NineLarks
It's the final battle, the culmination of the series. It's when the weapons come out and the battle lines are drawn and redrawn and blood and death reign supreme as conniving minds scheme to gain the upper hand. It becomes a war of three factions, the Mayor, the Mistress, and the Spackle. And in
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the midst of it all, Todd and Viola are trying to do the right thing, to find peace in the world and to save each other.

I can't believe I'm giving this four stars. Well, it's more like 3.75, but it's basically four stars. I came into this book with low expectations because endings are so hard to do well. But this deserves more than three stars, more than 3.5 stars. In the beginning I thought Ness wasn't that skilled at writing war - and he isn't. His battle scenes are a little clumsy as he portrays characters talking dialogue in the middle of battle and other slightly unbelievable things. But he is great at writing subterfuge and the hidden tactics of war. And this book brings us further into war, brings it into the actual death and destruction of what war is (instead of the guerrilla fighting of book 2).

We also get 1017's point of view in first person as well. I love Ness for this: giving us a new perspective with each book. That broadens our understanding of the characters and gives new insights into the world.

His style is still fairly consistent, his strengths and weakness similar to the other two books again. It has the same quick pace with truces and plans and attacks happening every other page. It's an adventure book that shows these characters grown up, but still making those hard decisions all over again.

Again, there were some things that I don't buy again (spoilers: like the silencing of Todd's Noise just by thinking the phrase or how it's opened again by talking to Ben. Too quick.).

I loved how he makes the villains sympathetic and the protagonists guilty of crimes as well (who is to say Viola or Todd is correct for wanting to kill thousands for one person?). These characters aren't flat, and they make you hurt for them in all the right ways.

There are so many mini-climaxes towards the end (so many fake endings). While I really appreciated it, there were some parts where the heroes became villains unexpectedly - and there was just not enough transition moments to make that believable as well. But the resulting plot and action that came from those twists are freaking amazing. So I'll let it go.

The ending. At first I was like... ack that's a cop-out ending, but no... it was done well. He did it justice. It didn't exactly tie up all the loose ends, but it ended on the right note. And it's hard to find a book that ends on a perfect note, so I bumped it a little bit in the ratings.

4 stars because I really did like this book a lot and the way it ended. It was entertaining, thought-provoking, had well rounded characters and great villains.
Recommended for people who read the first two books. But I would really recommend this series to anyone who likes adventure books.
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LibraryThing member 2chances
Whoa, whoa, whoa. I think Patrick Ness's trilogy took about three pounds off me - I feel like I've run an (emotional) marathon.

"Monsters of Men" (the title comes from the Todd's observation, "War makes monsters of men") picks up at exactly the moment the previous novel in the series leaves off:
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Todd has once again made a terrible choice, this time to save a man who is utterly evil, in order to try to save Viola. I thought things couldn't get grimmer than in "The Ask and the Answer," but, turns out, maybe they can. Now the settlers of New Prentisstown are being attacked by a massive army of Spackle (the indigenous people of the New World.) Todd himself is in particular danger, because the leader of the Spackle is heavily influenced by a Spackle named The Return, who has particular reasons for hating Todd. ("Monsters of Men" has an additional narrator, in addition to Todd and Viola - The Return, who helps us to understand the terrible history of this world.) But it is hard to assess whether Todd is in greater danger from the huge Spackle army, or from being the manipulative Mayor's new "son" - and from learning from the Mayor how to control the actions of others.

What makes "Monsters of Men" really brilliant is Ness's skill at crafting characters who are mostly evil - but, perhaps (we are never sure), not WHOLLY evil; and also characters who cannot, despite their desperate efforts, be wholly good. The breathless pace of the novel sweeps the reader into the same frantic experiencing/feeling/reacting dilemma that the protagonists are living with - when you have only seconds to react, and the consequences of your action are going to mean death or survival for you, or worse, for someone you love, what will you do? And how will you live with the choices you make?

Altogether, a brilliantly conceived and executed trilogy. There are some flaws - I wasn't keen on Todd's half-illiterate narration, for example - but overall, I was impressed by how Ness was able to maintain a rocket-fueled pace through three lengthy novels while never slighting complexity, nuance and emotional punch. Not for the faint of heart, though. And not for young kids, either: high school and up.
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LibraryThing member RBeffa
This is the third and final book in the Chaos Walking trilogy that began with The Knife of Never Letting Go. Reading this is like riding on a runaway train or perhaps an out of control rollercoaster. This is a terrific threesome of books. Monsters of Men was perhaps my least favorite of the three
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novels, but it has some amazing stuff in it. We certainly learn much more of the true nature of the New World.

The characters we have followed in the earlier novels return. Todd, Viola, Mayor Prentiss, Mistress Coyle, Wilf, Lee and others, and also very importantly, the horses which are very integral to the overall, dare I say it, 'charm' and heart of this richly created world. The natives of New World, The Spackle, play a huge part in this story. As the current colonists await the arrival of a generation ship bringing 5000 more settlers from earth, the Spackle launch a devastating attack.

As in the prior novel, Todd and Viola have a powerful bond and a strong, usually unspoken love for each other and will do anything they can to save the other. A lot of the drama in the story revolves around this core element. In the midst of war, which makes Monsters of Men, they are continually caught between two or three sides of the fighting.

This novel seems to be dealing more with examining larger concepts - what is the price of peace, the sacrifice of the needs of the one for the many, how power corrupts, when does a freedom fighter become indistinguishable from a terrorist, can one forgive the unforgiveable, and perhaps most of all, redemption. There is no lack of suspense or surprises in this one, like the other books in the series; in fact it is turned up several notches and the pace of this novel is virtually breathless.

I'll confess to some disappointment in the end, but as I reflect on it, I see it as part of the whole, an echo of themes examined before. Very well written series that I can recommend without hesitation.
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LibraryThing member lawral
Reading this book is like getting punched in the stomach. In a good way. And if I learned anything from Monsters of Men, it is that there is, in fact, a good way. It's basically when you're keeping someone else from getting decked, or when you're getting pummelled to protect the one you
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love.

Monsters of Men was the most satisfying end to a series or trilogy that I've read in a long time. A really long time. Like the previous books, the plot runs at a breakneck pace that left me breathless, and it covers a lot of ground. Coming into the book I couldn't have even imagined things that happened in the middle, let alone how it would end. There are a lot of loose ends that are tied up over the course of the book, but ending is not finite. I don't think Ness will be writing another book in this world or with these characters anytime soon (ever), but the ending is open to possibility and to the imagination of the reader. This book is full of passion, action, and general umph.

I know I'm being really vague, but I think the best way to read these books is to go in blind.

And, word to the wise, it can reduce just about anyone to a sobbing mess. There were a few moments in the beginning that had me looking out the train window and blinking a lot during my commute, but the real stuff is saved for the end. I wouldn't advise that anyone read beyond page 400 or so outside of the comfort of their own home. We're talking hug the book, can't see through the tears crying for the last 100 pages. But oh-so-good!

Book 1: The Knife of Never Letting Go
Book 2: The Ask and the Answer
Book source: Philly Free Library
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LibraryThing member tbert204
This is a difficult review to write.

I'm not a professional reviewer, only giving my personal experience of a story. Sometimes I'm not sure why I like/dislike one. This book falls in that category.

It's well-crafted. The variations in fonts added to the reading experience. And it was well-written.
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The story arc flows nice and smooth. The characters remained true to the first two books. However, with 50 pages left to read in this monster book of 600 pages, I didn't really care all that much how it ended. After plowing through the first two giant books, that's not the experience I expected.

Here's why.

I don't think the characters change all that much in the third book. The Mayor is still a cunning, seductive, unpredictable villain. Viola and Todd still pine for each other. We are introduced to a third character and get wonderful insight into a Spackle mind, and that's what kept me invested in the beginning. The characters do grow and evolve near the end, but in predictable fashion.

However, I think my experience was flat because the pace felt sluggish. He kept me guessing at the end of several sections, but it was like a movie that needed to end an hour earlier. Todd's threats to whip the Mayor fanny get old, as do Viola's promises to protect Todd, and the Mistress's promise to destroy the Mayor. The story arc is interesting and Ness's imagined world where thoughts are exposed is fascinating. It was just too long.

I blazed through the final 50 pages. It wasn't entirely predictable, but my interest had waned. I just wanted to finish. The ending concluded with a fizzle rather than a pop.
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LibraryThing member seekingflight
I seem to be having difficulties with the third books of trilogies lately – I felt in the minority when Mockingjay left me unimpressed, and I was in some ways similarly disappointed with Monsters of Men, the third book in the Chaos Walking trilogy. I think part of my problem was that (trying to
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avoid spoilers here) some of the actions of Todd and the Mayor in this book felt somewhat implausible to me, and I found it hard at times to suspend my disbelief. And then I felt that the book’s ‘message’ was being hammered home at every opportunity – war makes monsters of men, making it personal is dangerous, but not caring enough about people is also dangerous (i.e., terrorism, atrocities). There was still a lot to enjoy in the book – I particularly enjoyed finding out more about the Spackle perspective, and it packed a number of really powerful emotional punches, with a climax that brought out some of the thematic concerns in a poignant, dramatic and powerful way. I’m still glad I read it, and I would still recommend the series, but with these small caveats about the third book.
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LibraryThing member satyridae
Wow. I, um, wow. Words? Yes, words to talk about this book? No. Just wow. Okay, I'll try, but I'm reeling and not entirely in this world yet.

Grim, violent, ugly, gripping, suspenseful- but I expected that. The wild ride with an unexpected twist every time I thought I had the next bit figured out?
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Maybe I expected that too. But the rollercoaster sure was thrilling, and the message in the chain pulling the little cars to the top of the hill was about monsters, about war, about choices and about love.

I really haven't anything coherent to say that wouldn't be a spoiler- especially because things change so fast and so completely that there's nothing to say except wow. Oh, and I love Wilf as much as the oxen do.

Excellent conclusion to the series. Read all three right in a row. Call in sick if you have to. Four and a half stars.
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LibraryThing member samarnold1975
Having read the first two in this series I could not wait to pick up the last in the trilogy. Once again this book starts right as the last finished. The first difference in the book is the chapters are really long in the beginning. The first chapter measures an amazing 71 pages which for me was
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just too long. This book also introduces a third voice from the previous two. The third voice initially is very hard to follow and does not make easy reading at all especially as the author tries to introduce a new language with this voice.

The story comprises of a number of battle scenes and these are long and drawn out. I have to admit in places I found my attention wondering on them. There appeared to be nothing new in this novel, it had all been done in the first two novels. The characters started to grate on me and half way through I was not sure if I cared what happened to them.

Having said all this the ending to the book was magnificent and thoroughly finished the trilogy off. Overall this was my least favourite of the three books but finished very well.
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LibraryThing member TheLostEntwife
This trilogy blew me away. This book in particular left me speechless. I love science fiction and I often wish I could write it - but when I read a book like Monsters of Men, I can't express just how happy it makes me that there are people out there like Patrick Ness writing books like this for the
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genre.

How do I review this book without giving too much away? First of all - Todd and Viola. The relationship between these two is everything a romantic relationship should be. The devotion and the give and take of trust - all without any unnecessary intimate scene's.

This book contains so much heartbreak and triumph - all wrapped up together. The magnitude of the emotional investment needed is huge, however. There were times I couldn't breath because of the emotion rising inside of me and, I confess, to crying my heart out over one specific part.

These books are so. good. I could use adjective after adjective to describe them - but then I would just sound like some inane fan girl jabbering away so I'll not gush too much, also so that I don't reveal too much.

My advice for when you pick up these books (and you should):.

1. Have them all.

2. Set aside a large block of time.

3. Read them as soon as possible.
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LibraryThing member Aerrin99
A solid ending to the Chaos Walking trilogy - definitely one of the better trilogies I've read lately!

I wasn't as thrilled with this volume as I was with the first two - especially the second - but I felt satisfied with the ending and enjoyed the ride quite a bit.

For me, it didn't have quite the
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punch as the first and second, especially when it came to questioning morals and finding shades of grey and deciding how far you will go for love or revenge or freedom. It felt a little bit like it was retreading old ground, and it took an uncomfortable amount of time for relationships - Todd and Viola especially - to progress or change.

That said, the action is quick, I loved the shift to the Spackle PoV and the expanding understanding of their society, and the Mayor is still extremely creepy. Definitely recommended.
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LibraryThing member callmecayce
The third book in Patrick Ness' Chaos Walking series is a harrowing, moving (and at times quite shockingly violent) novel. It some ways, it reminds me of the Hunger Games trilogy, but it's also quite different. In the third book of the series, there are three main characters -- Todd and Viola, but
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the third is a surprise (which I will leave out here). I think this is the best of the three books, if only because Todd and Viola must learn how to grow up and adapt, it is also the hardest of the three to read. While the two previous novels ended on cliffhangers, the events of Monsters of Men truly live up to the title. I have no plans to read this book again, but readers looking for something to fill the void left when Hungers Games finished will find this series quite satisfying.
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LibraryThing member twonickels
Oh man oh man oh man. These books kill me. Todd and Viola have their final showdown with Mayor Prentiss, Mistress Coyle, and the Spackle, and it is a doozy. Patrick Ness knows how to send readers on an emotional rollercoaster, and he has turned the volume up to 11 here. I have rarely felt so
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physically battered by a book. I didn’t quite believe Mayor Prentiss’ plot arc – toward the end it was a little too much for me. But that hardly mars a truly exceptional series. I can’t wait to see what Patrick Ness has in store for us next.
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LibraryThing member ewyatt
This was an amazing conclusion to the series! Todd, Viola, and a voice of the Spackle/the Land narrate their struggles as the world is falling apart around them, and they each must choose their own paths to fight for survival and peace. An intense read, there were times I had to put the book down
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to take a break from the action and many times I found myself gasping at the twists and turns.
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LibraryThing member wiremonkey
Since this review is all about my opinion, it is important to know what I think is a great book. So. In my opinion, a great book has two layers. The first is the story. The story has to be exciting, devastating, funny; it has to be peopled with memorable characters faced with difficult choices,
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with flawed and sympathetic characters. The story has to rivet you, keep you coming back for more even if you know the main protagonist is a train wreck and nothing good could come if it (except the novel, of course.) Above all, it has to give an accurate, brutally honest portrait of the human condition, whether it is a book set in the historical south or a post-apocalyptic world peopled with zombies.
This first layer serves as a portal to the second. For any good story will serve to highlight, to emphasize the world that we live in and its ethical parameters. A writer that has mastered the art of using story as a lightning rod for philosophy is in my books (ha! No pun intended?) “il miglior fabbro”, the master craftsman. I am thinking of Dostoyevsky’s novels, or one could argue Virgina Woolf’s albeit in a very different way.
Now, I probably sound all high-falutin’, name dropping like that. But let me be the first to say that I read and enjoy a whole range of books. Being a Young Adult Librarian gives me an excuse to read whatever I can get my hands on, an excuse that I hardly need. Although most of these novels are not at the caliber I mentioned above (very few adult novels are either, I would quickly like to point out), I still find much to enjoy: namely fast-paced plots, endearing teen characters (hopefully with more than a soupçon of ‘tude) and, if I’m lucky a vision of the world to think about.

Which brings me to the book I want to review today: Monsters of Men by Patrick Ness. The third and final volume in the Chaos Walking Trilogy, Ness’s story isn’t just a rollercoaster ride: it is a rollercoaster ride that has had the middle bombed out of it and the audience (in the cars) find themselves careening through fire and air at a mad, terrifying speed.
And I mean that as a good thing. I think.
Because not only does it have a plot that might give you a heart attack, it is also deeply resonant with our time. I think I read once that Ness was riffing on the issue of privacy in a world where we are bombarded by information and where social media has metamorphised personal barriers that used to be like the Berlin wall into tiny, washed out lines in the sand.
The first two books are about how to cope in a world where your every thought can be heard by those around you. The final volume questions whether this is necessarily a bad thing. Add to this exploration of gender issues, a terrifying portrayal of political power and its terrorist opponents, and you have a story that I think manages to grab you on the two levels I mentioned above.
And yet… there was something about the pace of Monsters of Men that bewilders me. How does a writer keep it up for so long? How do you convey so much in such sparse dialogue? Because Ness uses dialect brilliantly - not only dialect, but the different fonts in the book help to represent each voice.
I guess it is not really a critique but more of an awe-inspired gaze of admiration from a would-be writer to a master of his craft.
Although the “Viola?” “Todd?” dialogue did get a bit cumbersome after a while, Ness manages to convey so much pure emotion, so much meaning into one word, it is breathtaking. His plot is complex, textured and completely authentic, while telling the age old stories of power, love and hope.
Todd and Viola, the main characters, are flawed and make large mistakes, but never ones where the reader feels morally superior, where you can sit back and sneer at the stupidity of the main character. They are always confronted with a difficult choice, one that you would have had a hard time deciding if you were in their shoes.
Chaos Walking is as innovative, resonant of our times, and as philosophically far reaching as Philip Pullman’s Golden Compass series.
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LibraryThing member dbhutch
The conclusion of Patrick Ness's series is even better then its 1st 2 books of the trilogy. Todd and Viola have an impossible task, find peace between the settlers, the Answer, the Mayor, and the Spackle. With underhanded deceit surrounding them everywhere, the two young teens face near impossible
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odds to try and make a world where each other can be safe and have peace. The Spackle that Todd nearly killed but set free, 1017 is revered by the Spackle as a leader, and The Sky helps him find his way with what they call the Clearing - the people of New Prentisstown, Haven, and other towns that the settlers formed many years ago. The new settlers send a scout ship to find Viola and her parents, manned by Viola's old teachers. She has to balance their peace mission, and the Answers retaliation to the Mayor, while Todd keeps the Mayor under control and tries to keep him from taking his war to extreme levels. With so many people with their own agendas, peace seems impossible, but the two manage to not give up, out of their deep feelings for on another.
Truly a masterpiece, and the conclusion to a wonderful tale by Ness.
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LibraryThing member jenniferthomp75
A brilliant end to the "Chaos Walking" trilogy. By far the best sci-fi book I've read in a long time. The entire series is excellent, but this third book's commentary on war, love, loss, rage and revenge should be read by all.

The only reason this book won't be considered for the Printz is because
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it's the third in a trilogy and it's best to have read the two books before it to fully understand it.

Complex characters who grow and change, wonderful dialogue and fas ...more A brilliant end to the "Chaos Walking" trilogy. By far the best sci-fi book I've read in a long time. The entire series is excellent, but this third book's commentary on war, love, loss, rage and revenge should be read by all.

The only reason this book won't be considered for the Printz is because it's the third in a trilogy and it's best to have read the two books before it to fully understand it.

Complex characters who grow and change, wonderful dialogue and fast-paced action are just part of why this book is great.

Highly recommended
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LibraryThing member SuzReads
A great end to the trilogy! In this one, we see many wars and how they make "monsters of men" and women. Great pace and writing. The author did an excellent job of showing the motivations and thought processes of the leaders of each of the warring sides. While I may not have agreed with the choices
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of the leaders, I enjoyed understanding their perspective. I would defnitely recommend this entire trilogy.
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LibraryThing member littleton_pace
A thrilling conclusion to an action-packed series. I had absolutely on idea how it was going to end and I enjoyed that, however I don't think the ending really fit the rest of the story. I was excited to see the convoy arrive since that's what Viola's been waiting for since we met her, but it was
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fantastic nonetheless and I highly recommend the whole series.
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LibraryThing member ilbooklvr
I somewhat enjoyed the first two books in this series, so thought I would try the first one. I got 150 pages into it and simply couldn't read any further. It was just more of the same and far too long at over 500 pages. There are not many books I simply can't stand to finish reading, but
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unfortunately this was one of them.
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ISBN

0763676195 / 9780763676193
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