84 pages 2 hours read

Patrick Ness

The Knife of Never Letting Go

Fiction | Novel | YA | Published in 2008

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Reading Questions & Paired Texts

Reading Check and Short Answer questions on key plot points are designed for guided reading assignments, in-class review, formative assessment, quizzes, and more.

Part 1, Chapters 1-6

Reading Check

1. What caused the Noise?

2. Where does Todd go to escape the Noise of the other men?

3. When are boys considered men in Prentisstown?

4. Who was Todd raised by?

5. What does Ben give to Todd before asking him to leave?

6. How does Todd escape Aaron?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. What are the various attempts made in Prentisstown to control the Noise?

2. Why does Aaron believe the lack of Noise is threatening?

Paired Resource

13 Coming of Age Traditions from Around the World

  • This article describes the various coming-of-age rituals around the world.
  • How do different cultures approach coming-of-age rituals? What do many of the traditions have in common? How can you connect the novel’s themes of Masculinity as a Product of Social Norms and Masculine Vulnerability and the Eradication of the “Other” to the traditions found in this article?

Part 2, Chapters 7-12

Reading Check

1. How does Aaron imagine the girl that he chases?

2. What does Todd notice in the girl’s camp by her wreckage?

3.