how to disappear completely

It's the Chaos Walking series by Patrick Ness, starting with The Knife of Never Letting Go.

It's a YA (but holds up so so so well as an adult) sci fi dystopian western, coming of age type story. It's extremely gripping, emotionally poignant, morally complex and beautifully written. It has a really unique stream of consciousness prose, layered and interesting characters and breakneck pacing that is really hard to put down.

It's best to go in knowing nothing, but here is a very basic pitch: Todd is a young teen living in the last dying town on a planet where all the women died and everyone can hear each other's thoughts. He is waiting for the big birthday that would make him a ✨Man✨ when he finds out something impossible that forces him to go on the run.

I will say that this is quite a sad and grim story, the characters are constantly put through the meat grinder, but hope is a big theme. It grapples with themes of war, gender politics, complicity and redemption.

The original trilogy is finished and a spinoff book was released recently. I hope you like it! If you decide to try it let me know what you think!

hello!!! i think i followed you many many years ago when i too was obsessed with the Chaos Walking series!!