Review: Monsters of Men by Patrick Ness

Monsters of Men by Patrick Ness
Published: September 28th, 2010 (Candlewick)
Pages: 603
Source: bought
Challenge: none
Series: Chaos Walking, #3
Buy the book: Bookdepository
Rating: ★★★★★

Note: this is not the first book in a series, and can therefore contain (minor) spoilers for the previous book(s) in the series. Reading of this review is at your own risk.

As a world-ending war surges to life around them, Todd and Viola face monstrous decisions. The indigenous Spackle, thinking and acting as one, have mobilized to avenge their murdered people. Ruthless human leaders prepare to defend their factions at all costs, even as a convoy of new settlers approaches. And as the ceaseless Noise lays all thoughts bare, the projected will of the few threatens to overwhelm the desperate desire of the many. The consequences of each action, each word, are unspeakably vast: To follow a tyrant or a terrorist? To save the life of the one you love most or thousands of strangers? To believe in redemption or assume it is lost? Becoming adults amid the turmoil, Todd and Viola question all they have known, racing through horror and outrage toward a shocking finale.

I apologize in advance for this slightly rambly, slightly messy and totally fangirly review. There was no other way I could have written this review - it's been over a week since I read it when I write this and my thoughts are still scattered all over the place.

In this third and final installment, we finally get to the climax of the Chaos Walking trilogy. It's messy, violent, treacherous and emotional, but it felt real and had my feelings completely confused. In addition to the points of view of Todd and Viola, we now get to see the side of the Spackle as they prepare for the ultimate battle. While it was a little long at points (which made me anxious and annoyed because I wanted to get on to more of the good stuff), it gave an extra dimension to the ever expanding war.

Ness' characters and their emotions are raw and real and that's no different in this book. His way with words is phenomenal, dragging the reader into the story while taking them on a rollercoaster ride of feelings that had me a complete mess when I finished it. THE ENDING, PEOPLE. The effing ending (only I don't really say 'effing') had my emoshuns all over the place and I was a mess and feelings and emoshuns were making their way out of my head thru my eyes and people were giving me funny looks and -

That ending-
That effing ending -
It was just perfect and painful and my emoshuns were a mess and that ending was just so perfect and there was no way it could have ended any more perfect than this and I was so happy with the ending but so sad for what happened and it was just such a mess and Todd and Viola were just so strong and I couldn't watch and I couldn't-
And tho I couldn't watch I couldn't stop reading and I cried and my heart ached and it was all just so perfect and then that effing ending-
I can't believe he wrote that and at the same time I do and I can't imagine a better ending for the series and the characters and it was such a good ending even though what happened wasn't good but it was the only right way to end the series and I'm still an emoshunal wreck and I can't believe it's over now and there will be no more Todd and Viola and all the other characters-

And it's over. There's a void in my heart, a blank where I'm supposed to be sucked into new stories, live with them, experience with them. But I can't imagine going through such a rollercoaster ride like this any time soon and I'm so effing happy that this series was recommended to me. I cannot recommend it enough. Ness wrote a masterpiece.

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