Review: A Monster Calls

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Conor has been having the same nightmare every night since his mother started her treatments. In this nightmare there is a dark and dangerous monster. When an ancient monster appears after midnight one night, Conor wonders why it is a different monster. This monster tells him that he will tell Conor three stories, and then Conor must tell him one. Each story has a strange truth and Conor is not sure if he wants the monster to return or not. All of this occurs while his mother is in the hospital fighting for her life.

Patrick Ness takes a book idea by Siobhan Dawd and weaves his own story from the leavings. The book that grows from these seeds is a gripping tale with a lot of thought provoking ideas and teen concerns. A Monster Calls is about more than just the monster. It is about coping with a family that is being held together by a thread and friends that are not really friends when the need arises. What will Conor learn from the monster he has called? Will the treatments help his mother? Can he tell himself and the monster THE TRUTH!




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