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    The Ask and the Answer
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    The Ask and the Answer
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    The Ask and the Answer
    Audiobook12 hours

    The Ask and the Answer

    Written by Patrick Ness

    Narrated by Angela Dawe and Nick Podehl

    4/5

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    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    Part two of the literary sci-fi thriller follows a boy and a girl who are caught in a warring town where thoughts can be heard-and secrets are never safe.

    Reaching the end of their flight in The Knife of Never Letting Go, Todd and Viola did not find healing and hope in Haven. They found instead their worst enemy, Mayor Prentiss, waiting to welcome them to New Prentisstown. There they are forced into separate lives: Todd to prison, and Viola to a house of healing where her wounds are treated. Soon Viola is swept into the ruthless activities of the Answer, while Todd faces impossible choices when forced to join the mayor's oppressive new regime. In alternating narratives the two struggle to reconcile their own dubious actions with their deepest beliefs. Torn by confusion and compromise, suspicion and betrayal, can their trust in each other possibly survive?

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherBrilliance Audio
    Release dateSep 28, 2010
    ISBN9781441888983
    Unavailable
    The Ask and the Answer
    Author

    Patrick Ness

    Patrick Ness is the author of seven novels and a short-story collection. His five novels for teenagers have won the Carnegie Medal twice, the Costa Children's Fiction Prize, and has been shortlisted for the LA Times Book Prize and the Arthur C Clarke Award. Patrick's works have been translated into 25 languages and have sold over a million copies worldwide. Born in America, he lives in London.

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    Reviews for The Ask and the Answer

    4/5

    1,039 ratings112 reviews

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    • 4/5
      This has been one interesting and disturbing dystopia story I have read. Unnerving but I'm enjoying it. Interesting read.
    • 4/5
      A wonderful conclusion to a fantastic series
    • 4/5
      Bloody exciting stuff. Way better than The Hunger Games. Everyone betrays everyone but at the heart is this sweet story about two young people who just want to be left out of it.

      The ending sets things up for the final book which I will get to sooner rather than later.
    • 3/5
      The second volume of Ness’ Chaos Walking series is another solid dystopian YA novel—it checks all of the genre’s boxes (adolescent virtue triumphing over adult evil and corruption, romance complicated by politics, supernatural elements that can serve as weapons or obstacles, easily recognizable metaphors and symbols) while incorporating what amounts to a planetary gender war (the men are The Ask, while the women are The Answer), which promises to become complicated by the unexpected uprising of the oppressed indigenous people of the New World (here called the Spackle).Although I am not blown away by Ness’ narrative, I do acknowledge it as an exemplar of the genre, yet I wonder whether this series is one of those phenomena of YA literature that is more popular among adults than it is among adolescents. On to the final book of the trilogy…
    • 3/5
      I'd give this book 3.5 stars, but not quite 4. It's better than the first book. Many of the central characters have been given more depth, which is something that was severely lacking. They are coming off more as real people now rather than just caricatures of good guys and bad guys.

      Side note, I don't know if it's coincidental or if Ness is a friend of Suzanne Collins, but it was very weird reading about the male antagonist leader being defied by a female leader of the resistance who may or may not be just as bad, if not worse, than the male leader.

      This book ends on a huge cliffhanger, and I'm definitely interested to read how it all plays out.
    • 5/5
      Amazing Storyline- Amazing writing. A wonderful book with a "new edge" to SCifi/Dystopian/ New world writing.
    • 4/5
      The only thing that really bothered me about this book is I though the two main characters made some predictably bad decisions just to move the story forward. Still a great book but not quite as captivating as the 1st one.
    • 5/5
      Wow. Just wow. The best of all of the YA dystopias I've read. By a lot. Of course there is the standard YA trope of teenagers being the most important thing in a vast struggle and more capable than teenagers probably are. Teenagers need and deserve to read stories that speak to their discovery of the world's betrayals and their feeling of being immortal but also alone. Ness gives them those things and so much more. He can write. His descriptive sentences and observations about human nature are wonderful to read. His world-building is flawless and never threw me out of the story. The characters are multi-faceted and convincing. Most importantly, the story is emotionally and morally complex. People make bad decisions, people do ugly things they don't want to do, good and bad and right and wrong are murky things, the bad guys do good things, the good guys do bad things. The heroes themselves are deeply flawed. This causes the reader to ask themselves what they might be capable of given circumstances where every choice is an awful one. Finally, there is action. Enough adventure and action happens that boredom never sets in and there are plenty of breathless moments of wondering what happens next.Well done. I'm eager to see what's next.
    • 4/5
      More like 3.75 stars...So this was so much better than The Knife of Never Letting Go (TKNLG). I really enjoyed how much more I got to know Todd and Viola and I am really interested in how much of a role the Spackle are going to play in the story to come... If you enjoyed TKNLG then I think you would in enjoy TAATA.
    • 5/5
      Another fantastic book by Patrick Ness. This may be classed as Young Adult fiction but it might as well be classic science fiction. It picks up where "The Knife of Never Letting Go" leaves off and describes how Todd and Viola cope with being at the mercy of the former mayor and now president (or dictator) of the whole of "New World". In the course of the events we see a succession of moral dilemmas unfold, and as ever with Patrick Ness, there are no easy answers. Instead the protagonists must navigate their way through a quagmire of compromises and difficult decisions to stay alive, and to attempt to save each other.Like all good science fiction, the writer writes of a future but speaks to today. You can see echoes of the whole concept of New World in the history of the European colonisation of the "New World", America, in the past. We can also see attitudes and choices and beliefs that can all be found in the world today.A core point of tension in this book is the existence of "the noise", where men's thoughts are broadcast to others in their vicinity. We see that this is the way the whole planet works: everything on the planet speaks to each other. The sea is full of dangerous fish who tell you they are going to eat you, and then they eat you. The intelligent species of aliens communicate in this way so much that they have almost know spoken language. And yet curiously the women can keep their thoughts private - are unable to share their thoughts with others.From a pedantic point of view, that is one of the less believable aspects of the book. The idea that aliens from another world (us) would be so well adapted that men could share thoughts in this way - and yet something about a lack of a y chromosome ensures women do not - stretches credulity somewhat, but engaging one's willing suspension of disbelief, it makes for some delicious tension and conflict that spills out into an all out war.Additionally in this book there is a cure for the noise in men so that some men too can hide their private thoughts, but control of that cure is used to control the men too.Personally I was particularly struck by some thoughts about the privacy debate when reading this. I am sure there is much else the book talks about, but at a time when the UK conservative government continues to fight to be allowed to access everything anyone says on the Internet, this book can certainly make you think. Because in this book, elites can choose to hide their private thoughts, but insist on being able to hear the thoughts of everyone else, for security reasons. Other analogies to political debates come when all women are expelled, locked up or otherwise kept away from men because some of them may be dangerous, and because they cannot be spied upon. Also there was the part where women are fitted with a kind of branding ring that permanently marks them with a number, and the president/dictator asks: if they have nothing to hide, why wouldn't they allow it?I am sure other people would find other things in this book because it is really very intelligent, very thoughtful, very profound. Definitely recommended.
    • 5/5
      I quickly moved on to the second book which I enjoyed as much as the first. Here things get much darker. Both main characters find themselves separated and trapped and starting to do things that are "evil". Who is right?, who is wrong - is there any morality to be held on to?
    • 5/5
      Loved this! Non stop action and intrigue-so intense-I'll need to wait a day or two to pick up book three in series-don't want it to end...
    • 4/5
      WHAT JUST HAPPENED TO MY FEELINGS
    • 5/5
      "We are the choices we make" and man did I make the right choice by reading this book. Ba-dum-tss. (sorry)

      BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! - JUST AS AMAZING AS THE KNIFE OF NEVER LETTING GO.

      *minor spoilers for people who haven't read the first book*

      The characters immensely stood out for me in this book. The way Patrick Ness develops his characters is so natural and so real - they were definitely no exception to the 'getting attached to fictional characters' condition that we all have. Todd and Viola's relationship was so heart-warming and sincere and it was refreshing to read from both of their perspectives this time. There were so many side characters in this book as well that I felt I really grew attached to. Davy, believe it or not, was one of them. I just loved the underlying complexity to his personality and felt that he was just "a boy that made all the wrong choices".

      Again, the pacing of The Ask and the Answer was perfect , just like The Knife of Never Letting Go . Patrick Ness has a way of escalating the tension and suspense and weaving in so many details in his stories, all while managing to keep his readers gripped and immersed in the story.

      The death count just keeps rising and rising in these books. Monsters of Men is going to be INTENSE . Allons-y I guess.
    • 4/5
      Really enjoying this increasingly dystopian world with actual character development.
    • 4/5
      If you finished this one, please listen to the 3rd! You won’t regret it. The story gets even better.

      Once again, the narrators do a superb job. They make the story for me. I can imagine if I am reading this story on paper, I am going to speed read or skip some paragraphs to find out faster why the hell things are happening.
    • 5/5
      This rocked out loud. I have never felt this much stress in one book in my life. OMG ?
    • 5/5
      I read this series years ago. I'm listening upon reread. OMG, I forgot how great this series is.
    • 4/5
      Absolutely. Wild. To. Every. Last. Chaotic. Detail. I. Am. Excited.
    • 4/5
      “War makes monsters of men”

      This part of the series follows Todd and Viola in their personal narrative. They are separated for the majority of this book, and so you witness a war from two very different perspectives; even though Todd and Viola have similar views they are only getting half a story. They are both dragged into a different side of the war, which is how you are given 4 perspectives: the two leaders perspectives, and Todd and Viola's views of that.

      I like how these books have really brought war, and two sides, into the grey areas. It questions what makes a person 'good' and whether an individual is solely responsible for their actions or if society and social factors can be blamed. Ness openly tackles the possibility of redemption in the most dire cases and he carefully blurs the lines between hero and villain. Most of the characters focused on have done some really awful things, but we are still empathetic towards them. No character is all good or bad. I think that is key in creating the tension in this story.

      I think I enjoyed this book more than the first one. I will say I think the ending of it could have been more impacting if done differently, but then there wouldn't be a third book... I would still recommend this series based on the second book. I'm curios how the third book goes.

      “In this world of numbness and information overload, the ability to feel, my boy, is a rare gift indeed.”
    • 3/5
      Highlight:

      Fairly evenly paced I don't recall a real highlight. If I had to pick I guess the Speck genocide slaughter was pretty hard hitting.


      Things I liked:

      I consistently like the way that Todd doesn't come off as a goody two shoes that always does the right thing and has an unswerving moral compass. He's a winner of a character in that respect if for no other reason than you don't know what's gonna happen.

      I'm not particularly good at spotting plot twists in the making but this book had several that surprised me in a pleasant way so I thought that was done well.

      I liked the development of Davy's character taking a villain and making him a real character with a credible turn around I thought was done well.

      Things that could be improved:

      The Mayor is a bit clichéd both in his miraculous appearances at the worst possible times and in his general, unswerving smugness. I think if that character developed a little bit or changed in response to events it would have been more satisfying. An example of how this could be done would the development that was done with Davy.
    • 4/5
      NOTE: This review applies to the entire Chaos Walking trilogy.A young-adult trilogy set on a planet New World, where settlers from Old World (presumably Earth) headed looking for a new start. The initial landing went badly, resulting in a native species of intelligent beings being subdued as slaves, all the men being infected with a virus that makes every inner thought audible to everyone (known as Noise), and all the women dead in one of the original settlements, Prentisstown.Out of Prentisstown comes Todd, a young teen who is forced to flee when the mayor, who is plotting a war to take over the planet, turns against him. He soon meets up with young Viola, a girl who crash-landed with a scout ship from an incoming group of new settlers. Todd and Viola travel across the planet to try to warn the incoming settlers before Mayor Prentiss can start his war. Along the way, they encounter other settlers from other towns, including a renowned woman healer who sets herself up as the leader of an armed resistance to now-President Prentiss.I thought this trilogy (plus the very slight short story that showcases Viola's life on the scout ship just before it lands) was really well done. The writing is certainly on a young-adult level (sensible since all three novels are narrated in turns by Todd and Viola), but the themes that it tackles are far from simplistic: What is war? Is it ever OK to kill someone? Do the ends ever justify the means? Is it possible to do the wrong thing for the right reasons? Is redemption ever really possible? Time and again I braced myself for a pat answer, and time and again I was pleasantly surprised. Ness takes pains to present the good and bad sides of both heroes and villains, to the point where readers will find themselves questioning which is which.Partway through the series, I expressed the opinion that this is a better YA trilogy than The Hunger Games. After finishing the third book, I stand by that opinion. While I enjoyed both series quite a bit, I think Ness does a better job of presenting and exploring the larger themes that lie behind the narrative.
    • 4/5
      Really enjoying this increasingly dystopian world with actual character development.
    • 4/5
      "We are the choices we make.."

      From the very start of this book it threw you into a gripping storyline, of wondering what will happen next. The same apprehension followed the reader all the way through the book. In stories you most often know who the main villain is, but in this one there were many contenders for that position. Two main sides in this book, however there was a third underlined. Three different worlds making themselves known to one another, and it was clear that they all wanted the same thing, to be in control of the world and make the other sides bow down before them.

      Todd and Viola were thrown in to different sides, where they were spoon fed the other’s wickedness, to be brought up to take down the opposing side. However, their bonds and everything they went through, from the first book didn’t make this a very simple task at all. They wanted to get to the other, and they took every opportunity to try to find the other. In some cases this was a bad thing. That’s because it gave opportunities to apprehend the other, or get valuable information that the other needed.

      This was a book that kept me on the edge of my seat, and in the dark about what was to happen next.. I really like that about a book!! Needless to say I can't wait to get my hands on the third and final part, to see just how everything will conclude!
    • 4/5
      READ IN ENGLISH

      This second part of the Chaos Walking-Trilogy (The Ask and The Answer) is, as we speak (so to say), making it's way through the bookstores for the first time in Dutch translation. (Or, so I'm told. I haven't had the time to go and see for myself). I really hope they haven't ruined the book, for it would be a shame. Still, I have recommended everyone to read it in English. Just to be sure they will enjoyed as much as I did. I already mentioned during discussing the first book (The Knife of Never Letting Go) my frustrashun about the fact it wasn't translated already. It seemed like somehow it was completely overlooked by publishers (although they have published lots of other YA Dystopian Novels).

      But this book isn't your normal YA Dystopian Novel, it is so original, thrilling and I believe I even cried during this book. (Which really isn't something I do a lot whilst reading). Once more, I would recommend this to everyone!
    • 4/5
      Review: The Ask and the Anser I loved everything about this book. Both Todd and Viola have to figure out if they can live with some of the choices they make. They care so much for each other, but other forces are playing with that, and making things not as they seem. Both have to do things they don’t agree with, and deal with those decisions in different ways.
      There is so much conspiracy it is insane, and I absolutely love it You still aren’t sure who to trust. They are stories from the Ask and the Answer but how do you know which one is true. Both leaders lie, and twist the truth, so much that it seems both views are correct.
      I can’t wait to read the next book. I need to know what happens next. Ness definitely leaves you gripping the edge of your seat until the last page, and this is no different.
      Reading this book contributed to these challenges:

      Katrina's 2015 Audio Book Challenge
    • 5/5
      This is the second book in the Chaos Walking trilogy. Todd and Viola are separated in this book as each tries to figure out who are the good guys and who are the bad guys as the structures of New World crumble and are re-built. I really can't say more than that without spoilers, but suffice it to say that this is a strong follow-up to [The Knife of Never Letting Go]. The pace is fast with plenty of twists, and Todd and Viola continue to grow as strong, but flawed main characters.
    • 5/5
      You should read The Knife of Never Letting Go first. This isn't a series of separate parts. It is sequential in the way the Lord of the Rings is sequential; one story in 3 volumes.

      If you ever wondered how good people, kind people, found themselves participating in the evil of bad governments, this will show you the baby-step choices that lead to that hell.
    • 4/5
      In book two of the Chaos Walking trilogy, Todd and Viola arrive in Haven, only to see it overrun by Mayor Prentiss and his lackeys. Todd and Viola are forced apart, Todd being forced to work under Mayor Prentiss and Viola becoming a healer under the supervision of Mistress Coyle, who leads a mostly-female rebel organization. As things become more complicated, loyalties are not so cut and dry, and who really are the good guys? A lot of reviewers seem to like this better than book #1. Not so for me. I liked the way book #1 gradually unfolded re: the plot, told exclusively from Todd's point of view. In this one, chapters alternated point of view between Todd and Viola. It worked because each character had their own role to play, separate from each other, but this book didn't grab me as much as The Knife of Never Letting Go did. I think part of that was because I read the first on audio, and the reader was especially good at portraying Todd's personality and voice. I didn't feel that in The Ask and the Answer. But...it's a trilogy, and I feel obligated to keep going, so Monsters of Men is next on my reading list.
    • 4/5
      Great so far - pretty horrible opening scene showing "President" Prentiss in all his "get under your skin" glory.

      Recently stole this back from my eldest daughter but now she's also returned Mockingjay... nightmare... what to read first in my limited reading time?!?

      Finished now and certainly not disappointed. Excellent twists in plot and, in my opinion, Ness's greatest strength, character development and relationships. Loving the Mayor/President manipulations!

      Roll on Monsters of Men.