A MONSTER CALLS BY PATRICK NESS
I READ THIS BOOK FOR THE POPSUGAR READING CHALLENGE 2016. THIS IS MY CHOICE FOR THE 'A BOOK THAT'S BECOMING A MOVIE THIS YEAR' CATEGORY. WALKER BOOKS (EBOOK), 2011
224 PAGES
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.
The monster showed up just after midnight. As they do.
I'm a HUGE fan of Patrick Ness. I've read a few of his novels now and they've all been brilliant.
A Monster Calls is one of the saddest and most moving books I've read in ages. I was in tears for the last few chapters. I did the kind of crying you usually only do when you're a kid; loud sobbing noises combined with snot running down my face. This is the kind of book that punches you right in the heart (and you sort of like how much it hurts). Conor is a great character. Ness does a spot on job of bringing his anger, loneliness, isolation, sorrow and guilt to life. I just wanted to give him a big hug and let him cry and scream all his fear and anger out. The monster is also a great character as well. I loved his cryptic answers, his confusing stories and the way he forces Conor to speak the truth. Go monster, go monster, go. I will never look at an ancient Yew Tree in the same way again. This is definitely going to be one of my top reads for 2016. Apparently the paperback contains beautiful llustrations which I missed out on because I read the e-book so may need to buy a copy. At least with a paperback I can hug it when I'm weeping buckets at the end. You don't get the same effect hugging a Kobo.
