A Monster Calls

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.

Review:

A Monster Calls was emotional. It brought back some painful memories and anxiety back. It had a huge impact on me and it hit hard and clear. The protagonist Conor is struggling. His mother suffers from cancer, his family is broken, he's bullied at school so you could say he's had the worst. To make things even harder, he has a nightmare every night of a monster calling him (hence the name).

This book was short and punchy. The morals learnt from this were strong and captured everyday life choices in them. Self discovery, truth and bravery are all underlying themes in this book. The plot itself was simple but brilliantly executed. Ness did an excellent job of connecting the reader to the character both emotionally and willingly. 

Conor was an interesting character. He showed determination which is a common but admirable feature in a protagonist. He made mistakes that were ultimately his punishment but he had reason. His built up anger and frustration was with you the entire time. The yew tree was also an interesting character. Filled with age, wisdom and unyielding strength, it was unpredictable at its next move. It was sly but wise and had a good right to get mad at Conor for not respecting his wisdom. Ill tempered, yes, but a genius.

This book was full of emotion. Sometimes I didn't know whether to cry and stop because it was so painful or to cry and keep going and stick with the character. It was certainly a roller coaster and brought me to my knees with its potency.

Overall, A Monster Calls was an amazing novel. Full of plot twists and charm, this book had me wrapped around its finger. It will undoubtedly impact you emotionally as much as it did for me.

4 out of 5 stars