Steve Review: Monsters of Men by Patrick Ness

Jun 21, 2011 by shanyn

Title: Monsters of Men
Series: Chaos Walking #3
Hardcover, 603 pages
Author: Patrick Ness
Publisher: Candlewick
Publication Date: September 10, 2010
Source: Purchased
Buy: Amazon

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Book Summary:
“War,” says the Mayor. “At last.” Three armies march on New Prentisstown, each one intent on destroying the others. Todd and Viola are caught in the middle, with no chance of escape. As the battles commence, how can they hope to stop the fighting? How can there ever be peace when they’re so hopelessly outnumbered? And if war makes monsters of men, what terrible choices await? But then a third voice breaks into the battle, one bent on revenge – the electrifying finale to the award-winning “Chaos Walking” trilogy, Monsters of Men is a heart-stopping novel about power, survival, and the devastating realities of war.

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Steve Review:
Finally a conclusion!  The last book in the Chaos Walking Trilogy, Monsters of Men certainly does not disappoint.  In fact, that’s an understatement, it was simply fantastic!

Before we get to the Monsters of Men review, check out Steve’s reviews of the first two books in the trilogy here and here!  This uniquely written trilogy was a joy to read from beginning to end.  I love the way the author switches the fonts as the characters change, as the voices in their heads changes, and as the amount of emotion behind the words change.  I actually read each of these 3 books in different media.  The first chapter was in paperback form, the second was my first audio book experience, and the final book was one of the first books I read on my Nook!  While I definitely enjoyed the audio book, I think this is probably one of the worst books that could be translated into an audio book medium.  You miss out on so much of the changes that are expressed throughout the book in font style and size changes.  As I read the final chapter in this trilogy I realized how much I had missed those in the 2nd book.

The book had suspense, action, and held your attention throughout.  The Land perspective (the native species on the colonial world that humans are settling on) was an interesting one as well and definitely added some spice.  I loved all the characters in this book.  Todd and Viola are a great team, the supporting cast entertaining, and the villains are all properly interesting.  Making a villain, like the Mayor in this book, who you find yourself rooting for to become a better person, and at the same time still being reminded of how despicable he is, makes for a real challenge that Mr. Ness tackles well.  I was never bored and the ending really fit well with the series.  A superb conclusion to this trilogy.

Points Scale:
Cover: 4/5 – Good consistent style with the other books in the series.
Title: 4/5 – Pretty applicable, not super creative.
Plot: 8/10 – Well done.
Characters: 9/10 – Great characters with just a hint of the teenage indecision/angst/drama found in a lot of YA books.
Writing: 10/10 – Unique style was a huge plus for me throughout this trilogy
Ending: 9/10 – Really satisfying ending, a touch predictable the last 10 pages.

Total: 44/50 – In very simple terms, I enjoyed Monsters of Men from the very beginning until the last page.  A good look into human behavior for adults, and an entertaining story with excellent characters for any age.

PS: I downloaded the short story The New World for free on my Nook as well.  A short story quite literally, at 24 pages, it provides a little background for Viola as she travels through space with her parents and friends.  It culminates with their crash landing and is a fun add on for free.  Definitely not a must read but might as well give it a quick skim, IT’S FREE after all, .

Buy: Amazon

Related Posts:

• Steve Review: The Ask and the Answer by Patrick Ness
• Steve Review: A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness
• Steve Review: The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness