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Pros: I liked Ben for his logical, rational mind, trying to see all sides of a situation/Max was genuine and tough though full of doubt and uncertainty/Though things have improved, sadly people are still people and will always have their opinions and prejudices.
Cons: The whole situation with the Land felt repetitive from the first trilogy but it was to be expected. Different generation, same issues/Burly’s monologue in the Marketplace after the violence with the Land was very poorly timed, like there were far more important things to focus on at that moment/The epilogue was ever so cliche.
Full Review:***Discliamer - If you've not read the original Chaos Walking triology (The Knife of Never Letting Go/The Ask and the Answer and Monsters of Men) I suggest you go and do so and then come back and read this at your leisure. That way you'll know what I'm talking about.***
There's a new generation on Old World. After the life atlering events of the original Chaos Walking triology, the settlers have more or less, settled. Most live in town, close to where Haven once was. Todd has decided to live further out into the woods and start his own farm and family. He and Viola are now married and have two children, Ben and their adopted son, Max.
Things were difficult when the settlers first arrived, Noise being the main struggle but they managed to create a cure and they gave it to all the children. For the most part, it worked but for a rare few, like Ben, it caused a neurological issue wherein he is now mute. He cannot speak and so, he uses sign language and his communicator to get his point across but he's constantly frustrated since this paints him as a forever outcast.
He and Max are quickly growing up, rife with the emotional upheavel and uncertainty of being teenagers. A new danger emerges when, a giant, skeletal, flaming creature staggers from the woods, screaming and grabbing for them, until it stumbles into the river and disappears. Also, Viola and the other Scientists have discovered a strange rock that's moving closer and closer to the planet and will arrive in only a matter of weeks.
Is this mysterious rock and the "Gods" connected? That's the real question.
Of course, the mayor, Burly, decides to use those of the Land that live and work amongst them as his scapegoat, much to Todd/Viola/Ben and Max's chagrin. He blames all this strangeness on them, spewing nonsense about them infecting them all with a virus, infecting the children with terrible nightmares about Noise. When the Sky appears and starts working with Todd to try and figure out what these creatures are and what kind of threat they pose, the townsfolk are suspcious and uncertain.
He shows Todd, in the Conversation, events that transpired more than a thousand years ago. It's basically the story of the Pied Piper, who led the children away and kidnapped them when the parents refused to pay what they owed. The events are eerily similar and when more "Gods" start appearing and chaos and mayhem ensue, it's up to Todd, Viola and their children to try and save the world, yet again.
This was a quick, entertaining and thought-provoking read. I liked both Ben and Max for their own personal struggles and Todd's relationship with them was genuine and good. Though there were parts that were a bit repetitive from the first trilogy, that was to be expected and I was able to look past it. The ending was pretty predictable but it left off for a sequel and, we all know I'll be reading it when it's published. All in all, this was an interesting addition to Ness' Chaos Walking world and I'm eager to see how things unfold.
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