I have a problem. I enjoyed reading this book but I’m not sure I liked it very much. And, now I’m going to be reading the next two books. I spoiled the ending for myself early on, so I knew what was going to happen, but DAMN! That ending. Ugh.

Ness’s “Noise” concept is interesting. It feels like a unique take on mind reading. If everyone’s thoughts were always present to the world, eventually it would just be noise in the background, and a few things might stand out. It would be a bit like a long drive: the road is the road is the road, and the driver is basically on autopilot not thinking about the road much until something unusual happens, an unexpected turn, an animal crossing, an approaching destination, and then the driver begins to pay attention. However, the road is always present for additional scrutiny when the driver wants to pay closer attention.

Even in a world with The Noise people are not an open book. They’ve taught themselves to avoid thinking about things that might stand out during the times it would put them at risk, and they use background sound, like a river or music, to cover their own noise as much as they can.

I don’t want to reveal more about the book or the characters, but I’ll say that this is a great story about growth and maturing for Todd and others, and I think I can see a bit of where the story will go over the next two novels.

I found the book easy to read and difficult to put down, so I can definitely recommend it despite disliking most of the characters. New World is not a good place.

Finally, my favorite character is Manchee. I love his spirit.