The Knife of Never Letting Go

The thrilling first book in the globally bestselling Chaos Walking trilogy by multi-award-winning author Patrick Ness.

Winner of the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize and the Booktrust Teenage Prize.

Prentisstown isn’t like other towns. Everyone can hear everyone else’s thoughts in a constant, overwhelming Noise. There is no privacy. There are no secrets. Then Todd Hewitt unexpectedly stumbles on a spot of complete silence. Which is impossible. And now he’s going to have to run…


"Ness doesn’t just tell stories – he illuminates the human heart." – Cassandra Clare

"A masterpiece of speculative fiction" – Neal Shusterman

"A touchstone for powerful young adult literature. Inventive, gut-wrenching, and all-consuming, this is an unforgettable coming-of-age reading experience.” – Chloe Gong

“An epic journey through both a science-fiction world of extraordinary imagination and an emotional landscape of gripping intensity.” – Adrian Tchaikovsky

“Intelligent, compelling and utterly devastating, Chaos Walking is one of the seminal YA series of this century.” – Juno Dawson