A Monster Calls

September 28, 2011 Uncategorized 0

A Monster Calls

Author: Patrick Ness
Illustrator: Jim Kay
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Publication Date: Sept. 27, 2011
Pages: 215
Source: Copy received for review/blog tour


About the Book: 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. (goodreads)

My Thoughts: When I think about this book certain words come to mind: poignant, breathtaking, heartbreaking, beautiful, evocative… basically any word you can use to portray intense bittersweet emotion. A Monster Calls is a book that will go straight to your heart. 

The characters we hear the most from are Conor and “The Monster.” Conor is a 13 year old boy dealing with things he is not equipped to handle. He is confused and angry yet trying so hard to do everything that needs to be done. My heart just broke for him. He just wants his life to go back to normal.

The Monster was perfection. I love how organic he is. He is wild, untamed and ancient, coming from the earth.He grows and can spring up from anywhere, just like our fears. He is not always what Conor expects. What monsters are, really? Jim Kay did an amazing job illustrating him. I was blown away. 

The cadence of the story really worked for me. We go from event to event. Every scene is emotionally charged and has a purpose. It makes sense that someone going through what Conor is going through would skim over of the mundane details. 

I adored the storytelling aspect… not only the overall structure of the book but also the monster telling Conor stories. It kind of reminded me of a darker version of “The Princess Bride” (movie.) The boy has the same skepticism (“Is this a kissing book?” vs. “Is it a cheating story?”) but listens regardless. Stories are powerful and we really see that. As the monster says, “Stories are wild creatures, the monster said. When you let them loose who knows what havoc they might wreak? 


A Monster Calls is the kind of book I will look for in every public and school library I enter just to make sure they have a copy. Using Siobhan Dowd’s idea as a starting point, Patrick Ness and Jim Kay have created a hauntingly beautiful work of art that is sure to outlast us all.


I am giving away my ARC of this book. It’s my first time using rafflecopter so let me know what you think!


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