![]() ![]() No one has actually seen Toby Wick but he is known to be a monster. We follow a pod of whales who hunt humans and, particularly, the infamous "Toby Wick" who allegedly terrorizes the seas. In Ness's accompanying note, he says that the message was not the original intention and, in fact, grew out of a different kind of story- I think this is obvious in the reading. Fascinating concept, but I think this message is only realized in the final few pages of the book. The book is ultimately about the power and danger of rumour how believing in whispered half-truths or lies can create the devils you fear. Here, I appreciated the messages that emerged at the very end, but the story of the whales hunting Toby Wick (yes, it's a retelling of Moby-Dick from the perspective of a whale) almost put me to sleep. In Release, I really enjoyed the emotional chapters about a teenage boy coming to terms with his sexuality in a deeply religious family, but the weird magical realism chapters did nothing for me. That being said, his experimental style doesn't always work for me. And The Knife of Never Letting Go is still one of my all time favourites. That's why I will keep reading his books. He doesn't care for tropes or trends he simply looks to tell an interesting and unique story. ![]() I've definitely said this before but I'd like to stress it again: I love that Patrick Ness gets creative. ![]() An interesting message but, unfortunately, it seems no amount of interesting messages can make a story about a pod of whales not boring. ![]()
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