Monsters of Men by Patrick Ness

Monsters of Men by Patrick Ness
Title: Monsters of Men
Author: Patrick Ness
Series: Chaos Walking, #3
Genres: Adventure, Dystopian, Sci-Fi, Young Adult
Publisher: Candlewick
Date Published: September 28th, 2010
Edition: Hardcover
Rating:

“War,” says the Mayor. “At last.” Three armies march on New Prentisstown, each one intent on destroying the others. Todd and Viola are caught in the middle, with no chance of escape. As the battles commence, how can they hope to stop the fighting? How can there ever be peace when they’re so hopelessly outnumbered? And if war makes monsters of men, what terrible choices await? But then a third voice breaks into the battle, one bent on revenge – the electrifying finale to the award-winning “Chaos Walking” trilogy, Monsters of Men is a heart-stopping novel about power, survival, and the devastating realities of war.

My Review:

As a fan of the first two books, I’m a little baffled why so many people seem to be pretty satisfied with this as the conclusion to the Chaos Walking series. For me, it fell so short compared to the first two books which subtly dealt with the topic of morality and the delicate balance between good and bad wrapped up in solid stories that kept me turning the page.

Monsters of Men, however, failed to portray any kind of message and the story felt all over the place and repetitive.

View Spoiler »

The Mayor/President’s the bad guy, then Mistress Coyle is the bad guy, then the Spackle are. Then there’s peace between some/all of them. Then the cycle begins again at the beginning, over…and over…and over. I’m not even kidding when I say it was 600 pages of back and forth between the same recycled plot over and over again. It was like the story kept taking one step forward and then two steps back.

I was extremely disappointment with pretty much everything. I didn’t like that there was no deeper meaning that I could interpret. I didn’t like the story itself, and I didn’t like how everything turned out in the end.

View Spoiler »

What was the point of semi-killing off Todd at the end only to put him into a coma? I’m all for a dramatic turn of events if the story calls for it. But it didn’t further the plot  in any way whatsoever. It only served to shock and anger the reader when everything was already wrapped up by the time it happened.

So no, I can’t say that I liked really anything about this book. Even Todd and Viola’s characters seemed like watered-down versions of themselves from the previous books. I had pretty high hopes of liking this since I’ve enjoyed the series thus far. But I don’t think it’s a very good ending to the series and that’s sad to say when it’s been a pretty strong series as a whole.

2.5 Hearts Read more reviews & Buy it up! Goodreads LibraryThing Shelfari Amazon Barnes & Noble Book Depository Half.com Abebooks Alibris Better World Books Paperback Swap

  • The Host by Stephenie Meyer

    Melanie Stryder refuses to fade away. Our world has been invaded by an unseen enemy. Humans become hosts for these invaders, their minds taken over while their bodies remain intact and continue their lives apparently unchanged. Most of humanity has succumbed. When Melanie, one of the few remaining "wild" humans, is captured, she is certain it is her end. Wanderer, the invading "soul" who has been given Melanie's body, was warned about the challenges of living inside a human: the overwhelming emotions, the glut of senses, the too-vivid memories. But there was one difficulty Wanderer didn't expect: the former tenant of her body refusing to relinquish possession of her mind. Wanderer probes Melanie's thoughts, hoping to discover the whereabouts of the remaining human resistance. Instead, Melanie fills Wanderer's mind with visions of the man Melanie loves - Jared, a human who still lives in hiding. Unable to separate herself from her body's desires, Wanderer begins to yearn for a man she has been tasked with exposing. When outside forces make Wanderer and Melanie unwilling allies, they set off on a dangerous and uncertain search for the man they both love.
  • The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey

    After the 1st wave, only darkness remains. After the 2nd, only the lucky escape. And after the 3rd, only the unlucky survive. After the 4th wave, only one rule applies: trust no one. Now, it’s the dawn of the 5th wave, and on a lonely stretch of highway, Cassie runs from Them. The beings who only look human, who roam the countryside killing anyone they see. Who have scattered Earth’s last survivors. To stay alone is to stay alive, Cassie believes, until she meets Evan Walker. Beguiling and mysterious, Evan Walker may be Cassie’s only hope for rescuing her brother—or even saving herself. But Cassie must choose: between trust and despair, between defiance and surrender, between life and death. To give up or to get up.
  • The Best YA Alien Romance Books

    Outer space, alien worlds, first contact – there’s something amazing, appealing, and romantic about the idea of the final frontier coming ...
Load More Related Articles
  • You Slay Me by Katie MacAlister

    Aisling Grey is a courier enjoying a free, work-related trip to Paris when she learns she's a Guardian. That's a keeper of the Gates of Hell, for those who don't know. She finds this out from Drake Vireo, who's scrumptiously sexy-at least in his human form. Now Drake has stolen the package Aisling was sent to deliver, and she must track him down, get the package, and try to resist the passion boiling inside her.
  • Written in Red by Anne Bishop

    As a cassandra sangue, or blood prophet, Meg Corbyn can see the future when her skin is cut—a gift that feels more like a curse. Meg’s Controller keeps her enslaved so he can have full access to her visions. But when she escapes, the only safe place Meg can hide is at the Lakeside Courtyard—a business district operated by the Others. Shape-shifter Simon Wolfgard is reluctant to hire the stranger who inquires about the Human Liaison job. First, he senses she’s keeping a secret, and second, she doesn’t smell like human prey. Yet a stronger instinct propels him to give Meg the job. And when he learns the truth about Meg and that she’s wanted by the government, he’ll have to decide if she’s worth the fight between humans and the Others that will surely follow.
  • Wolfsbane by Andrea Cremer

    When Calla Tor wakes up in the lair of the Searchers, her sworn enemies, she’s certain her days are numbered. But then the Searchers make her an offer—one that gives her the chance to destroy her former masters and save the pack—and the man—she left behind. Is Ren worth the price of her freedom? And will Shay stand by her side no matter what? Now in control of her own destiny, Calla must decide which battles are worth fighting and how many trials true love can endure and still survive.
Load More By Sarah
  • Starters by Lissa Price

    Callie lost her parents when the Spore Wars wiped out everyone between the ages of twenty and sixty. She and her little brother, Tyler, go on the run, living as squatters with their friend Michael and fighting off renegades who would kill them for a cookie. Callie's only hope is Prime Destinations, a disturbing place in Beverly Hills run by a mysterious figure known as the Old Man. He hires teens to rent their bodies to Enders—seniors who want to be young again. Callie, desperate for the money that will keep her, Tyler, and Michael alive, agrees to be a donor. But the neurochip they place in Callie's head malfunctions and she wakes up in the life of her renter, living in her mansion, driving her cars, and going out with a senator's grandson. It feels almost like a fairy tale, until Callie discovers that her renter intends to do more than party—and that Prime Destinations' plans are more evil than Callie could ever have imagined. . . .
  • Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini

    How do you defy destiny? Helen Hamilton has spent her entire sixteen years trying to hide how different she is—no easy task on an island as small and sheltered as Nantucket. And it's getting harder. Nightmares of a desperate desert journey have Helen waking parched, only to find her sheets damaged by dirt and dust. At school she's haunted by hallucinations of three women weeping tears of blood . . . and when Helen first crosses paths with Lucas Delos, she has no way of knowing they're destined to play the leading roles in a tragedy the Fates insist on repeating throughout history. As Helen unlocks the secrets of her ancestry, she realizes that some myths are more than just legend. But even demigod powers might not be enough to defy the forces that are both drawing her and Lucas together—and trying to tear them apart.
  • Immortal Rider by Larissa Ione

    Sexy, powerful, and immortal, Limos is on a crash course with destiny. She’s been marked as Satan’s bride and her jealous fiancé wants her all to himself. The only way this Horseman can keep herself—and everyone else—safe is to keep her distance. But not even Limos can save herself from the secrets she’s kept . . . or resist the seductive allure of one very brave human. Arik Wagner knows the saying “love hurts” better than most, yet he never thought stealing a kiss from Limos would land him in Hell. Literally. It takes all his military training to survive the demon torture, but once he’s topside, Arik realizes that the agony has just begun. With the Apocalypse looming and Satan demanding his bride, will Arik and Limos surrender to the desire smoldering between them? Or will giving in to their passion unleash hell on earth?
Load More In 2.5 Hearts

Leave a Reply

Check Also

You Slay Me by Katie MacAlister

Aisling Grey is a courier enjoying a free, work-related trip to Paris when she learns she's a Guardian. That's a keeper of the Gates of Hell, for those who don't know. She finds this out from Drake Vireo, who's scrumptiously sexy-at least in his human form. Now Drake has stolen the package Aisling was sent to deliver, and she must track him down, get the package, and try to resist the passion boiling inside her.

Welcome to The YA Shelf

Helping you find the BEST young adult literature online! We're YA authors, readers and bibliophiles, who read everything and sometimes post book reviews and fandom summaries. Check out our "best books for teens" lists to see our favorites, or browse nearly 300+ book reviews!

Check out today's deals or See what's hot! Today's FREE books
Today's BestSellers


imlovingbooks

Top Posts & Pages

Sarah J Maas and YA cancel culture (what's up?)
50 YA fiction tropes and cliches we can't get enough of!
The Best Angel and Fallen Angel Romances for Teens
The YA shelf (young adult literature reviews)
41+ Dark Academia aesthetic books with a rich boarding school vibe (fantasy magic schools)
The Best YA/Teen Fiction Books With Spooky Ghosts & Haunted Houses
32 thrilling mermaid books for fans of young adult (YA) fantasy novels
The Best YA Magic Academy Books

Search

Category Posts