I really struggled between giving this book four or five stars. One one hand, I kind of had to force myself through the first part of the book because it didn't really feel intriguing to me for a while, and I'm not too happy with the way the book ended, but that's because it's the first in a series, so nothing really felt resolved at all. On the other hand, though, it didn't take me too long to get into, and pretty soon I was finding it very difficult to put down. I really loved the writing, especially the way Patrick Ness conveyed Todd's feelings in the prose. And the way he wrote Todd's dog, Manchee. And... well, everything, really. 
 Todd Hewitt is the last boy in Prentisstown - a town where women are extinct and the men can't keep their thoughts inside their heads. On New World, a planet that Todd's people settled twenty years ago, the indigenous population waged war, releasing a germ that killed all of the female settlers, caused the animals to talk, and destroyed mental barriers in the men so that they are constantly projecting their thoughts - a phenomena they call 'Noise'. Now they are dying, with no new babies being born, and a town full of mourning and angry men. 
 The book begins with Todd and his dog, Manchee, as they are heading to the swamp to pick apples. Men aren't allowed in the swamp, but he isn't quite old enough to be a man yet. After an altercation with the town's holy man, Todd makes his way down to the swamp, where he encounters something strange. A hole in the noise of the swamp creatures - an eerie silence hiding in the ruins of the indigenous civilisation, a silence that seems to draw him in, but flees as he comes closer. Disturbed, he leaves the swamp, trying to keep his discovery to himself as he passes through the town on his way home. 
 This book is about confrontation, I think. It's about lies and harsh truths, about perseverance and companionship and war, and gosh darn it, it nearly broke me. I spent a couple of hours reading in a McDonalds while I waited for a bus, and I had to bite back tears multiple times. The prose is powerful, written from the perspective of the main character, giving him a strong voice and reading like a direct stream from his consciousness. Even though Todd made me want to put the book down forever in the first chapter, his growth throughout the story is well-worth reading. In other reviews, I've seen people complain about the profanity, which I think is a little strange. As far as I can remember, there was only one curse word used in the entire book and the rest was suggested ("...you can eff off, too," I say, except I don't say eff, I say what 'eff' stands for.") rather than said outright. I thought it was very effective, and even though I wouldn't have a problem with profanity in the first place, I can't see why anyone would with this particular book. 
 Anyway, I want to gush about a few things, but I don't want to spoil anything, so I'm just going to gush about one, and that is Manchee. I don't know what type of dog he is, but I picture a red-and-white border collie when I think of him. Talking animals is by no means a new idea, but somehow Ness has managed to perfectly portray how a dog would speak, and I love it so much. Every time Manchee came out of the grass saying, "Good poo, Todd!" I was immensely pleased, because that's exactly how a dog would speak. Manchee is such a wonderful character, even if Todd doesn't realise his worth for a long while. He's a dog - a beautifully loyal, daffy dog, and I think he may have been my favourite character in the whole book. 
 So, in the end, I give this book five stars. My heart compels me to do so. I'm so glad that I didn't put it down in the beginning, because I'd have missed out on the emotional and wrenching journey that is The Knife of Never Letting Go, and I can't stand the idea of not feeling what I've felt for these characters.