If you search back through my blogs, you’ll find that I was most enthusiastic about The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness. I liked that book so much, I bought a copy for a friend’s eleven year old son’s birthday. I couldn’t wait for the next part of the trilogy. So when The Ask and the Answer came out, I put it to the bottom of my pile so as to savour the anticipation even more.

So why do I say do not read this book? After all, I was compelled to finish it. Patrick Ness delivers and draws you on and on. It’s the word “Children’s” on the front of the book that worries me. THIS IS NOT A CHILDREN’S BOOK.

The Knife of Never Letting Go deservedly won the Guardian Children’s Fiction Award, telling the sometimes brutal story of a boy learning to grow up fast in exceptional circumstances. The treat of violence was always there, but was mostly “off screen”.

The Ask and the Answer is brutal, with graphic scenes of torture and genocide. Mayor Prentiss provides excellent lessons in mind control and perfidy for anyone wanting to know how to work a successful gang.

Yes, Todd and Viola’s bond shines through and provides the power to fight the evil all around them, but that power is not love. I don’t know what it is, but I sense it could be used for evil at a moments notice. Todd has no positive role models – is he strong enough and clever enough to work things out for himself?

I won’t be getting this for my friend’s son this Christmas, as I’d planned, it would be immoral of me to do so, but I can’t wait for the last book to come out – probably another nine months to go.