This month’s FYA Book Club selection is The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness. Check out the discussion questions below! (Slight spoilers ahead.)

P.S. If you’ve already read the book, feel free to add any other discussion questions of your own in the comments!

Icebreaker

If you could hear the thoughts of one of your pets, past or present, which pet would you pick and why?

Questions

1. It can be hard to remember that The Knife of Never Letting Go takes place on a different planet. What parts of the world stood out to you as the most different from ours? (Other than the Noise.) What was your favorite New World-specific thing?

2. How would you react if you were suddenly able to “hear” the thoughts of all of the men in your life?

3. Why do you think only men are affected by the Noise?

4. Did you find the inclusion of the Noise distracting to the story? Or did it make Todd’s experience more vivid to you as a reader?

5. Before we learned of what happened to the boys of Prentisstown when they “became men,” what did you imagine their transition to entail? Did the reality live up to your expectations?

6. Do you feel like Manchee’s death was a necessary one? Did you expect it to happen? Did you keep hoping that he’d come back?

7. Do you think that Ness used The Noise as a commentary on our society? If so, what do you think it symbolizes?

8. Early on, New World is described as being thought of initially as a new Eden. Are Todd and Viola the new Adam and Eve?

9. Did you see the ending coming? Were you prepared?

10. Do you plan on continuing with the trilogy?

Additional Questions

Check out the official discussion guide here.

This post was written by a guest writer or former contributor for Forever Young Adult.