Review: A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness

Conor has the same dream every night, ever since his mother first fell ill, ever since she started the treatments that don't quite seem to be working. But tonight is different. Tongiht, when he wakes, there's a visitor at his window. It's ancient, elemental, a force of nature. And it wants the most dangerous thing of all from Conor.

It wants the truth.

Conor tugs at your heartstrings right from the start. From the very beginning you realize what he is going through, with the inevitable looming over his head. He has other problems too. The bullies at school, an absent father, fear of having to live with his grandmother. These problems eat at him almost all the time.

The monster. I loved how it was pictured. I loved its stories and its wise words.

"There is not always a good guy. Nor is there always a bad one. Most people are somewhere in-between."

"But there are harder things than being invisible."

I wished I could know more about the others too. Like Lily, Conor's father and his grandmother. To me, it feels incomplete if i don't know about the characters in the book.

One simple word to describe the plot is emotional. The story is intense and lets loose your raw emotions as you read it. I was such an emotional wreck after reading the book that I put away writing a review immediately (I never do that!) The story isn't just about Conor. It is about the adults around him too. It is about people who are willing to let go and those who are not. Despite the story being dark and wild, despite it being sad and pulling at your emotions, it is beautiful. It is so beautiful I couldn't stop reading once I started it.

The imagery is powerful and the choice of words beautiful. The writing flows seamlessly throughout the book. Through the words I could not just see Conor but also feel his emotions. It's not everyday you book up a book and have the writing talk to you.

- Just about everything

- Hmm.. I would have liked to know a little more about the other characters.

Read the book. Read the book because it's poignant, touching, dark and yet so beautiful.

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