"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."
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."
"A Monster Calls" by Patrick
Ness is pages upon pages of beautiful art and elegantly written words
that tell an amazing story. Conor's mom is going through cancer
treatments and he is in denial. Ever since his dad moved to America and
started another family, it has always just been Conor and his mom. While
Conor's mom is going through chemo, Conor must step up and take care of
his mom. Since everyone knows Conor's mom is sick everyone at school
treats him differently. The bullies harass him more than anyone else,
the teachers never call on him in class, he doesn't have to turn
assignments in and he doesn't have many friends. Conor is set on the
fact that his mom will get better, but he is afraid to face the truth. A
monster shows up one night and tells Conor stories to help Conor accept
his reality.
Patrick Ness's writing creates a beautiful depiction
of grief and would be the perfect read for any child, teenager or adult
whose life is impacted by cancer or who has lost someone close to them.
While this book is a middle-grade read, it could be life-changing even
for adults. The story grasps your heart and teaches you how to live
again after a bump in the road or the loss of a loved one.
The
beautiful black and white drawings also help pull you into the story and
make you feel like you are in Conor's shoes, experiencing what he is
experiencing. This read was definitely an inspirational one, and was
moving to the point of tears.
I have to admit, at first I was
really having trouble diving into this book. However, I don't know if
this was because my life was just really busy when I started this book
or if the book just dragged at the beginning. Whether it did or not,
this book was amazing and I recommend it to everyone!
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