Stars: 4.5 Stars 
 I am the circle and the circle is me. 
 I first read this book a pretty long time ago - at least 5 or so years and I was in my teens. It was instantly a favorite of mine and something inside of me just knew that this was an important book. Re-reading this book now, in my mid-twenties, only further cemented the book in my favorites and enhanced my understanding of its importance. 
 This book is, at its core, about women (well, I think so anyway). The formal plot is actually about Todd, a boy on the verge of his coming of age (at 13). He lives on New World. An alien planet that humans colonized some one generation previously. Todd lives in a town called Prentisstown, which he believes to be the only town on New World. The human race is dying, with the native alien population having released a virus that killed much of the population and all the women. Todd is the last boy and he is both looking forward to and dreading his thirteenth birthday and his coming of age. 
 Now, there is something else very peculiar about New World. When the native alien population released the virus it also caused the thoughts of every living creature to be broadcast loudly. Which, as you can imagine, has caused issues. 
 So the thing to remember, the thing that's most important of all that I might say in this here telling of things is that Noise ain't truth, Noise is what men want to be true, and there's a difference twixt those two things so big that it could ruddy well kill you if you don't watch out. 
 Very early in the novel Todd learns that everything he has ever known is a lie when - he discovers a girl in the woods. A girl - who he always thought were all dead. This propels Todd in to a classic race against time and a growing army chasing him through a world he never knew existed. 
 The highlight of this book - for me - is Todd. Oh sweet, lovely Todd. As you can probably see from the quote earlier, he has a very distinct voice. Todd doesn't know how to read or write and his english is terrible and the writing of the book - which is told in first person - reflects that perfectly. I have seen comments that people have found it hard to read, disregard them. The writing suits the novel perfectly and really gives Todd such a unique voice. 
 My other favorite thing about this novel is the relationship between Todd and Viola. I know that they are only young (12 or 13) and therefore to keep it age appropriate nothing much would ever happen, but I really think that this is how all relationships should develop after a chance meeting. You really feel their connection and seeing how they react to it, and how they slowly open up to each other is just magic. There is no dreaded insta-love here. It's so wonderfully sweet. 
 Like I said at the beginning this book is an important book about women and the treatment of women at the hands of men. In this book women have no noise - their thoughts are their own. They are unknowable. I like how as Todd and Viola travel through the world you see the different way that men have reacted to that, violence, separation and, sometimes, acceptance. You really see this horror from the eyes of Todd - previously innocent. 
 This book really does hide some big issues under the guise of a children's novel. I actually would not say it's a children's novel at all. Like I said, I didn't even truly understand it when I first read it at 17. 
 "War is a monster," he says, almost to himself. "War is the devil. It starts and it consumes and it grows and grows and grows." He's looking at me now. "And otherwise normal men become monsters, too." 
 Personally, I don't usually like Sci-fi books. Aliens, space, planets... urgh they make me cringe. But there are two sci-fi series that I LOVE and I would recommend to even sci-fi haters like myself. The first is, obviously, this series and the other is the Red Rising series by Pierce Brown (the second book Golden Son, literally blew my mind). The main characters Todd and Darrow are pretty similar, and amazing. DROP EVERYTHING AND READ THIS BOOK NOW! That is an order. 
 "She ain't my girl," I say, low. 
 "What?" Doctor Snow says. 
 "What?" Viola says. 
 "She's her own girl," I say. "She don't belong to anyone."