A MONSTER CALLS BY PATRICK NESS
Genre: YA, Horror, Fantasy
“The monster showed up just after midnight. As they do.”
– Patrick Ness
Synopsis:
The monster showed up 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 one 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 is something different, though. Something ancient, something wild. And it wants the most dangerous thing of all from Conor.
It wants the truth.[Goodreads]
I do not even know where to start with this review. Patrick Ness literally ripped my heart out of my chest. This story was so moving and brilliantly written. It created so many feelings inside of me and is now one of my new favorites. This gave me the feeling of a modern day fairy tale addressing the issues of grief and understanding (who doesn’t love monsters!) It is a story about a young boy, Conner, dealing with the fact that his mother is very ill . The feeling of isolation and lose of hope drive this story and the nightmares he experiences every night.
Jim Kay’s illustrations were dark and breathtaking and added so much depth to the story. The monster was a wonderful character and him and Conor were both sarcastic and witty. There is nothing else to really say (I feel like I am butchering this review) this story just moved me and had such an impact that I can’t even find the words. I highly recommend this and feel like it is one everyone can enjoy. I added the description of this book from Goodreads in case mine is hard to understand and such.
(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.)
