“The first thing you find out when your dog learns to talk is that dogs don’t got nothing much to say.”
The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness is a young adult novel which has crossed over, gaining an adult readership. With a teenage narrator, it explores themes including growing up and how to live in the noisy world of information overload. It’s been called a grim yet brilliant book. Its first sentence (above) has received recognition.
“One of the best first sentences I’ve ever read and a book that lives up to it!” said reviewer Frank Cottrell-Boyce. Also, thanks to my reader who recommended the opening line, “which grabs you, sets the pace, and doesn’t let go until the story closes.”
The Knife of Never Letting Go was published this year and has already been translated into several languages. Ness won the 2008 Guardian children’s fiction prize.
Portfolio