I finished reading The Ask And The Answer by Patrick Ness, the sequel to The Knife Of Never Letting Go and it was simply amazing. It seems that I continue to eat my words this year of sequels never being as good as the first seeing as though Stargazer by Claudia Gray was better than the first and now this one. I'm about to start reading the sequel to Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, Catching Fire, and if that is better than the first then I don't think I will know what to do with myself. My whole reading life will change in one year!

Anyway, so The Ask And The Answer was simply brilliant. Once again I won't go into too much as I don't want to spoil things for people who haven't read the first one (you must, you must!), but what I can say is that it's not only capivating, clever and well written, it's sad, at times makes you want to turn away from the terrible acts you're reading and above all makes you think.

Todd and Viola are separated and have no idea if either one is still alive. Todd is trying to contain his thinking, his Noise, the virus which contaminated the men after the spackle war, from the mayor, and Viola is healing from the bullet wound that left us all hanging at the end of the first book. There's a new town name, New Prentisstown, instead of Haven, and a new president (guess who), with new rules and new ideas. Life, once again, is changing. And then the bombs come.

The Ask And The Answer is about war crimes, manipulation, terrorism, love and the need to believe. It's also about two amazingly strong young adults who will do anything to save each other.

For a big book, it took me no time at all as I couldn't put it down. Patrick Ness is a clever writer and the one thing I love about him is that anything goes and things are not dumbed down or softened for the young adult audience. He treats them with respect and believes in their ability to understand situations of war, hardship and violence.

The Ask And The Answer is due for release in July '09.