Tuesday 3 January 2012

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness



From Goodreads:
This is an extraordinarily moving novel about coming to terms with loss. The monster showed up just after midnight. As they do. 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 one with the darkness and the wind and the screaming. . . .
This monster, though, is something different. Something ancient, something wild. And it wants the most dangerous thing of all from Conor.
It wants the truth.
Patrick Ness spins a tale from the final story idea of Siobhan Dowd, whose premature death from cancer prevented her from writing it herself. Darkly mischievous and painfully funny, A Monster Calls is an extraordinarily moving novel about coming to terms with loss from two of our finest writers for young adults.


Hardcover, 215 pages
Published September 27th 2011 by Candlewick Press
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A Monster Calls is a beautifully written, heart wrenching story. It is wonderfully illustrated and put together, a real pleasure to read. I only wish I would of picked it up sooner.

The story follows 13 year old Connor, on his own emotional journey. Connor's mum has got cancer and is dying, Connor won't believe she is going to die and believes the treatments will work.

Connor has a hard time in school, he is bullied by some and completely ignored and pitied by others. He feels invisible to everyone. He even falls out with his long time friend Lily.

Connor has a recurring nightmare, that he hasn't talked about to anybody. One night at 12.07 a monster calls, the monster is in the form of the Yew tree that is in the graveyard at the back of his house.

The monster tells Connor that he will be coming back for him every night until he tells him three stories, After that Connor has to tell him a fourth story. Connor thinks this is a stupid idea, but the monster says he has to do it, or he will eat him.

Connor's grandma comes to stay, he doesn't really get on with her. She says his dad is flying back to visit him. He finds out his mums treatments are not working and she has to go into hospital. She tells him the doctors are going to try one last treatment, the medicine is made up from a part of the Yew trees.

Meanwhile the monster tells Connor the three stories and it is time for Connor to tell his, but he doesn't know what to tell, but the monster knows what he needs to say. Everything falls into place and we find out the reason why those three particular tales were told and what Connor needed to learn to tell his own. He knew his story from the start and needed to tell it to be able to let go.

This whole book was heart wrenching, but especially the last part. This is not a scary story and it is so different than I thought it was going to be. The storyline was just so moving, there were definitely lots of tears from me. I would highly recommend you put this on you Wishlist today.


5 STARS

Carly :)


4 comments:

  1. Oh boy, I have this book in my shopping cart right now!! How fortuitous that this review popped up. I'm so excited to read it, I've heard nothing but good things.

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  2. I've added this to my wishlist. Sounds awesome, great review.

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  3. I loved this book - very powerful - and I can see myself reading it again.

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  4. @Elena Great, I hope you enjoy :)

    @KtTurner, Thank-you :)

    @Melinda, Me too, I will definitely re-read this one. :)

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