Feb 5

Feb 5 A Monster Calls

Author: Patrick Ness
Publisher: Walker Books
Goodreads | The StoryGraph

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Note: Content and trigger warnings are provided for those who need them at the bottom of this page. If you don’t need them and don’t want to risk spoilers, don’t scroll past the full review.

Cover Description

An unflinching, darkly funny, and deeply moving story of a boy, his seriously ill mother, and an unexpected monstrous visitor.

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.

TL;DR Review

A Monster Calls is a magical and deeply moving early-YA novel about grief in the wake of a parent’s death and the range of very human emotions that come with it. I sobbed, dear reader. Sobbed!

For you if: You like beautiful books that make you cry.

Full Review

Well, I am very late to the party on this book. It won the Carnegie Medal (and many other awards!) in 2012, for Pete’s sake. In fact, I hadn’t even heard of it until my sister happened to read it and shove it in my hands. Sisters are so great. Especially mine, because as many of you already know, this book is breathtaking.

The monster showed up just after midnight. As they do.

A Monster Calls is a late middle grade/early YA novel written by Patrick Ness and inspired by an idea from the late Siobhan Dowd, a literary titan who died of cancer in 2007. The illustrations were done by Jim Kay, whose work you may recognize from the watercolor editions of the first five Harry Potter books. And the audiobook is read, phenomenally, by none other than Jason Isaacs. (I mean, what a team!!) The story itself is about a 13-year-old boy named Connor whose mother is terminally ill. One night, at 12:07 AM, he’s visited by a monster, though not the one he expects. And it’s not there to hurt him; it’s there for the truth.

I can’t imagine a more devastatingly beautiful story about grief and love and the range of emotions that accompanies them. When I tell you how hard I sobbed!! These are the kinds of books that heal the soul. (Although I can also imagine this might be quite hard to read if it hits close to your real experiences). Patrick Ness has given us validation of all the feelings we have in grief — even those we’d rather not admit to — and a heartfelt, wise, poignant reflection of what it means to be human and love others.

I had borrowed it from the library, but bought myself a used copy of the original hardcover edition as soon as I finished it. I just knew I needed to own a copy. Trust me — follow my lead!!