Critics' Opinion:
Readers' rating:
Published Sep 2013
480 pages
Genre: Literary Fiction
Publication Information
A boy named Seth drowns, desperate and alone in his final moments, losing his life as the pounding sea claims him. But then he wakes. He is naked, thirsty, starving. But alive. How is that possible? He remembers dying, his bones breaking, his skull dashed upon the rocks.
So how is he here? And where is this place? It looks like the suburban English town where he lived as a child, before an unthinkable tragedy happened and his family moved to America. But the neighborhood around his old house is overgrown, covered in dust, and completely abandoned. What's going on? And why is it that whenever he closes his eyes, he falls prey to vivid, agonizing memories that seem more real than the world around him?
Seth begins a search for answers, hoping that he might not be alone, that this might not be the hell he fears it to be, that there might be more than just this. ...
"Starred Review. In characteristic style, the author of the Chaos Walking trilogy delves into the stuff of nightmares for an existential exploration of the human psyche." - Kirkus
"Ness's exploration of big questions - specifically Seth's yearning to find out if life will ever offer more than the rotten hand he's been dealt - will provide solace for the right readers. Ages 14–up." - Publishers Weekly
"A delicate balance between dystopian survival and philosophical grappling means that many different kinds of readers should appreciate the story." - School Library Journal
"Ness' knack for cliff-hangers...remains strong...Repeated, similar battles with an antagonist feel like a distraction; nevertheless, Ness has crafted something stark and uncompromising." - Booklist
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Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Photo: Patrick Ness
Patrick Ness is the author of ten novels, including his New York Times bestselling The Rest of Us Just Live Here, the Chaos Walking trilogy, More Than This, A Monster Calls, which was made into a major motion picture with a screenplay adaptation by Patrick himself, Release, and And The Ocean Was Our Sky. Born in Virginia, Patrick lives in London.
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