Title: A Monster Calls
Author: Patrick Ness
Genre: Fiction, family issues
How I got the book: I bought it
Summary (from Amazon):
At seven minutes past midnight, thirteen-year-old Conor wakes to find a monster outside his bedroom window. But it isn’t the monster Conor’s been expecting– he’s been expecting the one from his nightmare, the nightmare he’s had nearly every night since his mother started her treatments. The monster in his backyard is different. It’s ancient. And wild. And it wants something from Conor. Something terrible and dangerous. It wants the truth. From the final idea of award-winning author Siobhan Dowd– whose premature death from cancer prevented her from writing it herself– Patrick Ness has spun a haunting and darkly funny novel of mischief, loss, and monsters both real and imagined.
My Review (may contain spoilers):
I found out about this book from Jen at Combustible Reviews and it sounded intriguing. When it caught my eye in the bookstore, I forgot what the story was about and even after I read the summary on the back, I still thought the book was about drugs.
You know… “Monster?” Drugs? Maybe it’s just me.
I bought it and put it on my list to be read soon. I read the book in one sitting, in just a little over two hours.
The book is 225 pages, so it’s fairly quick. The story was fast-paced, but I was still able to get just enough information about the characters and the plot itself.
We follow Conor, a 13-year-old boy, as he battles demons at school, at home, and in his mind. They all lead back to the same thing as he tries to overcome his fears–as he tries to admit the truth to himself and to everyone else around him.
The novel itself was heartbreaking. I completely broke down and cried hysterically as I read the last few chapters. The story keeps building and building, getting more and more intense as it goes on. By those last couple of chapters, the intensity is too much and the story just zips right through. I couldn’t not turn to the next page.
I even caught myself trying to skim ahead so I could find out what was going to happen immediately.
The whole story was sad and the ending was bittersweet, though it was a very satisfying read.
A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness gets 5 out of 5 stars.
Favorite Quote:
“Stories are the wildest things of all, the monster rumbled. Stories chase and bite and haunt.” –Patrick Ness, A Monster Calls
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