The Knife of Never Letting Go - by Patrick Ness

Ness, P. (2008). The knife of never letting go (p. 479). Cambridge, Mass: Candlewick Press.

Characters: Todd, Ben, Cillian, Aaron, Viola, Dr. Snow, Manchee, Mayor Prentiss

Themes: Communication, Power, Choice, Survival

Summary:

Todd is from the city of Prentisstown, where he is the only boy. Spackled (aliens) wiped out all the women in the city and also killed his father.  The aliens left the germ called the Noise, which amplifies everyone’s thoughts. Todd discovers a place in the swamp that the Noise does not appear. He tells his guardians, Ben and Cillian, and they tell him to leaves with Manchee (his dog).

Todd meets Viola, a girl from the Old World and they find out that everything was a lie. He and Viola go through hell and back on their journey. Aaron was sent by Mayor Prentiss to kill them. At the end, Viola gets shot in the stomach and Todd has to carry her to the Haven. Mayor Prentiss welcomes them to the New World and introduces himself as President.

 I would recommend the Maze Runner by James Dasher.  It has a simple feel of only males in the storyline and then suddenly a female show up. There are also two other books to the trilogy.