The Ask and the Answer

The Ask and the Answer is a young-adult science fiction novel from 2009 by Patrick Ness, a British-American author. It is the second installment in the Chaos Walking series, following The Knife of Never Letting Go and preceding Monsters of Men. The story centers on thirteen-year-old Todd Hewitt, who is being held prisoner by the mayor of New Prentisstown.

Plot summary

After being captured by the mayor’s army in Haven—renamed New Prentisstown—Todd is forced to live in the town’s clock tower with the former mayor, Ben Moore. Moore tells Todd that a cure for Noise was discovered in Haven, but President Prentiss has taken it for his own leaders, separated men from women, and imprisoned all domestic Spackle in the town. Meanwhile, Viola wakes up in a clinic run by female healers, recovering from a gunshot wound. She meets Mistress Coyle, the head of the facility, who has a history of political activism.

Todd is made to work alongside the enslaved Spackle with Davy Prentiss, fearing for Viola’s safety if he refuses. Todd is horrified by the Spackle’s treatment, while Davy enjoys his authority. The Spackle communicate through Noise, but the cure has been added to their food to prevent this.

Viola recovers and becomes a healer’s apprentice. One night, Coyle and other healers disappear, leading some women out of the city to form a resistance group called The Answer, which carries out bombings. Davy and Todd are ordered to brand the Spackle with metal bands; during this, Davy strangles one to death, shocking Todd.

During a bombing in the Spackle reserve, Todd saves a Spackle branded 1017, who is ungrateful. Prentiss creates The Ask, a counter-intelligence unit that tortures suspected Answer members for information, and promotes Todd and Davy into it. Coyle recruits Viola into The Answer, and she feels compelled to join, knowing about the torture.

Viola befriends Lee, an older teenager seeking revenge for his family taken by The Ask. After another bombing, Todd discovers all Spackle except 1017 have been killed in a genocide; 1017 attacks Todd and escapes. Believing The Answer responsible, Todd willingly joins Prentiss, who teaches him a chant to calm his Noise.

Todd and Davy form a tentative friendship, and Davy returns Todd’s mother’s stolen diary. Viola learns of a planned bombing that could harm Todd, so she and Lee go to the tower to rescue him.