Review Detail

Reader reviewed by Allison Fraclose

Todd Hewitt lives in a town where no thought is secret, and even animals have the ability to speak. A byproduct of the war with the Spackle, the resident beings of this planet when the colonists touched down years ago, the constant presence of noise has driven most of the men crazy. Other aftereffects of the war, such as the annihilation of every other colony outside of Prentisstown and the death of every woman on the planet, has already put a strain on the minds of these men. Todd eagerly awaits his birthdayonly one month awaywhen he will officially become a man&and something much more important than the last boy in Prentisstown.

While out picking swamp apples for one of his two guardians, Todd and his dog, Manchee, come across a strange, rare thinga spot of silence in the constant noise. When he returns home to tell his caretakers about his discovery, they tell him he must leave town, immediately. Even odder is that they already have a bag packed for him, and will give Todd no explanation while they buy him time to run.

Todd and Manchee suddenly find themselves racing through the countryside with an army in pursuit. Every man in Prentisstown now seems to be after him, and Todd still does not know why. His only clue is a battered book that he cannot read, and the knowledge that everything he has ever known about his life in Prentisstown has been a lie. Finding aid in the most unexpected of places, Todd must now survive the wrath of an unforgiving world in order to find out the truth.

Now, Im not the type to cry as I read the sad parts in books, or watch the sad parts in movies, but I have to admit that I actually shed a few tears over this story, since Id grown so invested in these characters and their trials. With sneakily brilliant writing, this book will be one knife in your chest that will keep you anxious for the sequel.