The book's hero, Todd – accompanied by his chatty dog, Manchee, and new friend, Viola – must flee the town in which he grew up and discover the secrets behind its facade. The previous two books – The Knife of Never Letting Go and The Ask and the Answer – were shortlisted for the Carnegie in 20 – the first time in the prize's history that all the books in a series have been contenders.Ĭhaos Walking burst on to the teen book scene in 2008, with The Knife of Never Letting Go's introduction to a dystopian world in which women are banished and men can hear each other's thoughts (the 'Noise'). Monsters of Men is the third instalment in Ness's Chaos Walking series. How much more can you discover when someone can point you in the right direction, when someone can maybe even give you a treasure map, to places you may not have even thought you were allowed to go? This is what librarians do.'

'Knowledge is useless if you don't even know where to begin to look. Ness, who described himself as a 'child that libraries built', praised the work of librarians. The Carnegie medal, whose past winners include some of the best-loved names in children's literature, from Arthur Ransome, who took the inaugural prize in 1936, to CS Lewis, Philip Pullman, Terry Pratchett and Anne Fine, is awarded by librarians, who nominate titles for the shortlist.

Monsters of men patrick ness