The Ask and the Answer

The Ask And The Answer is a young-adult novel by Patrick Ness, published by Walker Books in May 2009 in literature. It is the second book in the seriesChaos Walking and events continue immediately from The Knife of Never Letting Go (2008).

Plot summary

Todd Hewitt, after surrendering to Mayor Prentiss in The Knife of Never Letting Go, is physically hurt by the new heads of Haven, renamed New Prentisstown, but his only concern is for Viola.

Elsewhere, Viola awakes. Likewise her thoughts are for Todd’s welfare. She is in a house of healing, a 'clinic' staffed by female healers, as opposed to male doctors, for her gunshot wound. She meets Mistress Coyle, a renowned healer, who also has previous political and activist ties. Viola also meets the apprentices Madeleine (Maddy) and Corinne (Mistress Wyatt) as she recovers.

Meanwhile President Prentiss psychologically manipulates the people of New Prentisstown into accepting his rule.

Back at the house of healing, Viola has finally recovered enough to help Mistress Coyle and begins an apprenticeship as a healer.

Todd is told that Haven has indeed discovered a cure for Noise, but President Prentiss has confiscated the necessary pills for the sole use by leaders of New Prentisstown. Prentiss also separates the males and females and imprisons all domestic Spackle who live in the town in an old abandoned cathedral. The President is intent on creating a "New" Prentisstown for when the settlers arrive.

Mistress Coyle leads a group of women out of New Prentisstown to form a resistance movement, reconvened from the time of the Spackle War, known as "The Answer" to carry out a series of bombings in the city.

Todd has to work with Spackle alongside President Prentiss’ son, Davy. Todd hopes that by complying he is ensuring Viola’s health and safety, while the President hopes that Davy will become a better person with Todd's influence. However, uncivilised and arrogant, Davy scorns him, forcing Todd to undergo unethical practices such as branding the Spackle with metal bands without anaesthetic. Todd is shocked by the extent of Davy's inability to feel compassion.

One of several large bombings happens. Todd, trying to redeem himself, saves a Spackle banded with the number 1017, who is ungrateful. President Prentiss sets up a counter-intelligence unit called "The Ask". He promotes Todd and Davy into this unit, where New Prentisstown residents are captured and tortured for information on The Answer. Next morning, Viola finds that the House of Healing is almost completely empty. The rest have gone to join the Answer. Mistress Coyle returns to recruit Viola, who feels forced to join, knowing about President Prentiss' tortures.

Todd realizes that he must take sides. At The Answer’s headquarters, Viola learns about bombs and participates in an attack. An older teenager, Lee, befriends her. Lee is intent on avenging his family, who have been taken by The Ask.

Todd is surprised to find that he and Davy now share a kind of friendship. Viola and Lee arrive to rescue Todd, knowing that otherwise Todd will die in an attack on New Prentisstown led by the Answer the next day. Viola notices that there is something darker to his personality, but still urges him to leave with them, warning that the attack will come from the east. Mayor Ledger, former mayor of Haven, and imprisoned alongside Todd, turns up, explaining his loyalty to President Prentiss. While threatening them he finds a self-arming bomb known as a "Thrace bomb" in Viola's bag. Too late, Ledger attempts to throw it away, but it explodes.

President Prentiss captures Viola and Lee. Viola is interrogated and tortured, with Todd watching from a soundproof room. President Prentiss want to know where The Answer will attack from. Unable to watch, Todd screams that the Answer is attacking from the East. Todd realizes where his duty lies, and formulates a plan to stop the President with the help of Ivan and other military personnel.

The guards agree to help Todd rescue Lee and Viola. Lee is smitten by Viola, and she tells Lee that she loves Todd more than anything, and says she sorry. At the cathedral, the President disables the entire procession simply with his Noise and captures Viola. The President still wants Todd to join him despite his betrayal. Davy Prentiss arrives to tell his father that an army is coming, and requires orders. At this point a second scout ship, like the one Viola crashed in, lands. In desperation, Todd holds Davy at gunpoint, threatening to kill him if the President does not release Viola. Shockingly, the President drops Viola and fires his gun, quickly killing his own son.

In anger, and quick to learn, Todd uses his own Noise as a weapon with Viola’s name to overcome the President and ties him up in the cathedral. Viola goes to meet with the scout ship. No sooner than this is done, a horn sounds to warn of an army of Spackle marching towards the city. President Prentiss tells Todd that since he was the one who killed the Spackle, the army wants revenge. With no alternative, Todd releases President Prentiss to enlist help; hoping that he is not making the biggest mistake of his life. The series continues with Monsters of Men.

Reception

The Ask and the Answer received largely positive reviews from critics. Publishers Weekly praised the brilliant cast, and believed it to be "among the best YA science fiction novels of the year", including it in their best books of 2009,^[1] while Anita Barnes Lowen from Children's Literature labelled the book "a stunning not-to-be-missed science fiction adventure."^[2] Independent on Sunday said that "... it is every bit as ambitious as the first book but the ambition is easily matched by the execution, with powerful prose and tight plotting that pull the reader on at a terrifying speed."^[3]

The Sunday Times commented that "Ness is both accessible and sophisticated," and said that he handled extraordinary themes "in prose that is simple and heart-stopping." Daily Mail also praised the themes in The Ask and the Answer, calling the plot "twisting" and "action-packed." A starred review from Booklist did the same, calling it a "relentless flurry of heavy-hitting issues, hinging on appeasement, complicity, and maintaining one’s morality in the face of impossible choices."^[3] Kirkus Reviews noted that the plot was "breathless... with heartbreakingly real characters"^[2] and the Costa Book Awards 2009 judges recognised the novel as "a strikingly original and compelling work."^[4]

Awards

• 2009 Costa Children's Book Award^[5]

Runners up

• 2009 Teenage Book of the Year Award shortlist^[6]
• 2009 Booktrust Teenage Prize longlist^[7]
• UKLA Children's Book Award longlist^[8]

References