Patrick Ness (2008)

Synopsis:

Imagine you’re the only boy in a town of men. And you can hear everything they think. And they can hear everything you think. Imagine you don’t fit in with their plans…

Todd Hewitt is just one month away from the birthday that will make him a man. But his town has been keeping secrets from him. Secrets that are going to force him to run…

This unflinching novel about fear, flight and the terrifying path of self-discovery won both the Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize and the Booktrust Teenage Prize.

Summary from the Author's Website

Review: Morally Offensive (O)

Todd Hewitt can hear all the thoughts of the men that he lives with in Prentisstown. When the Noise is suddenly interrupted by silence. His world is turned upside down forever.

I was asked to read this book by someone whose teenage sons were interested in reading it because they had heard a lot about it. Personally, it was a hard read.

The book begins with a potty joke made by the main character's dog Manchee (Not only can you hear other people's thoughts, but the thoughts of animals as well). It really only goes downhill from there.

There is cursing, blasphemy, violence, suicide and promiscuity all in the first 25 pages.

The "preacher" is violent and beats up on Todd, the men in the town have pornographic thoughts which Todd is exposed to, and the author takes the Lord's name in vain multiple times.

I would not recommend this book. While there are some redeeming moments, overall, I think it portrays religion in a very negative manner and uses excessive violence in order to get its point across. Even though it is a story about a boy's path to adulthood, it has definitely not been written for children.

There are two more books in the series, but I will personally not be reading them.

I hope you are having a fruitful Lent!