Odin’s Lost Eye

What she means: The Chaos Walking series by Patrick Ness really draws you into a false sense of security with reference to the ages of the characters, particularly Todd, Viola and Davy. In The Knife of Never Letting Go Todd tells us that he is 12, soon to be 13 which shocks the reader until it is relieved that New World has an extra month every year meaning that, as Viola explains, he is actually around 14 by the way we measure age. While this is a significant step up from 12 it is worth noting that 14 is still very much a child and that Todd and Viola are both still children. Even Davy who is around 16 by New World ages and so possibly 17/18 by our standards is still incredibly young. I feel like that's something that's very easy to forget while reading the books due to the acts carried out by all three characters, especially Todd and Viola and for me personally it was not until I finished the series that it hit me that they were still CHILDREN, something that to this day has left a lasting impact on me. I feel like that's one of the most powerful things about the trilogy and if Daisy Ridley is cast as Viola it seems to suggest that they are aging Viola up to be, presumably, around 16-18. This, I think, will remove some of the impact that having 14 year olds being engaged in the themes that Chaos Walking presents to us. Not only this but I would assume aging Todd and Viola up into their late teens may be done as 14 may be seen as too young and not morally acceptable to show on screen. However if we think that 16-18 is an acceptable age rage to fight in a war, be tortured and witness the attempted genocide of an entire species what does that then say about us a society? How are the films going to handle this? I need answers.

#and now, a very thrilled soon-to-be dad.

—Charles Boyle

todd, turning off the lights: do you wanna hear a joke?

davy: or as i like to call it, the anxiety express

the mayor: actually, fiddles are pretty difficult to play, so i played you like the cheap kazoo you are