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A Monster Calls

by Patrick Ness, Siobhan Dowd, Jim Kay (Illustrator)

4.34 of 5 stars 4.34 · rating details · 16,284 ratings · 3,886 reviews

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...more

Hardcover, 215 pages

Published September 27th 2011 by Walker Books

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Jan 12, 2013 Cait rated it 5 of 5 stars

You can also find this review on my blog, Cait's Corner!

First things first: This almost never happens, but I have to admit that I cried at the end of this book; I clutched my cute little kitty-kat and bawled.

However, I didn't cry because of what the book in general, necessarily, but because of what it did to me. It drags out your saddest memories and pains, kicking and screaming, makes you look them right in the face and watch them all happen all over again, no matter how much you don't want...more

236 likes · like · see review

Jan 09, 2012 Steph Sinclair rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Everyone of all ages

Recommended to Steph by: Many of my GRs friends

Shelves: left-me-in-a-sad-emotional-state, 2011-reads, all-time-favorites, so-glad-i-read-this, mind-blowing-good, pure-win, cried-my-eyes-out, pass-me-my-tissues, deserves-every-one-of-those-stars, i-didn-t-see-that-coming, i-need-it-like-a-fat-kid-needs-cake, i-loved-it, i-need-to-buy-this-book, made-me-think, male-pov, oh-yeah-baby, omg-that-ending, original-and-creative, surprised-me, yeah-baby-5-stars, books-that-changed-me, 2011-favs, in-the-mail, i-own-it

A Monster Calls has to be the most inventive book I've read this year. And I find myself struggling to put in words how much this book has touched me. But it did. If you haven't read A Monster Calls, I suggest you immediately purchase it. Don't read the e-book because you would miss out on the amazing artwork. This book is stunning. Masterfully written and beautifully drawn.

I remember the first time a book made me cry like this. I was in eighth grade in my English class, sitting under my desk i...more
A Monster Calls has to be the most inventive book I've read this year. And I find myself struggling to put in words how much this book has touched me. But it did. If you haven't read A Monster Calls, I suggest you immediately purchase it. Don't read the e-book because you would miss out on the amazing artwork. This book is stunning. Masterfully written and beautifully drawn.

I remember the first time a book made me cry like this. I was in eighth grade in my English class, sitting under my desk in the back of the room reading A Walk to Remember. If you've read that book you will probably understand why I cried. I'm naturally an emotional person, you see. I cry easily if I see another's suffering. At the time I was fortunate enough to not have yet experience the feeling of losing someone close to you. Unfortunately, I know that feeling all too well now and that is the reason I was initially afraid to read A Monster Calls. I saw my GoodReads friends reading and reviewing the book, but I couldn't bring myself to add it to my shelf. I had an idea of where it could take me emotionally, and it's not a place I choose to visit. I keep those memories locked up and tucked away. But this book made me remember. It made me remember the phone call. It made me remember the shock, the pain, the regret, the denial, the limo ride, the funeral, the casket, the anger, the depression, the trials. It made me remember my brother, who on some days I choose to forget because it's easier that way. Maybe that sounds horrible, but it's true. It's an awful truth.

So, how do you write a review for a book that makes you remember? How can I describe in words how unbelievably vulnerable this book can make you feel? How do I explain the beauty of the frailty? I simply can't. My advice would be to go into this book blind. You have to or you risk doing a disservice to yourself, this book and the wonderful story within its pages. I suppose you are just going to have to trust me when I say A Monster Calls is beyond amazing. It's about loss, acceptance, grief, facing your fears, and letting go. This book made me laugh, made me think, tore out my heart, made me cry, and healed me. I hope, no, I know it will do the same for others...

More reviews and more at Cuddlebuggery Book Blog.(less)

68 likes · like · see review

Sep 26, 2011 Wendy Darling rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: male-ya-author, male-pov, 2011-favorites, mythic-and-fairy-tale-ish, read-2011, uk, made-my-heart-hurt, young-adult, gorgeous-prose, middle-grade, favorite-ya, 2011-5-✮-books, 2011-publication

In the dark of night, when the house is still, what fears creep into your heart? For Conor O'Malley, his nightmares take the shape of a very old and very dangerous monster who visits him every night at seven minutes past midnight. He's half-convinced that these must be dreams of his fevered mind. But how can they be, when the visits are so vivid and when he finds physical evidence of the monster's existence the next day?

Conor's nightmares begin shortly after his mother starts her treatments for...more

180 likes · like · see review

May 28, 2012 Ceridwen rated it 5 of 5 stars

Recommended to Ceridwen by: Miriam

Shelves: daddy-drinks-because-you-cry, gothic, omg-were-all-going-to-die, rule-britannia, young-adult

Cross-posted on Readerling

I came late to horror - I think, though I can't be sure, I only started reading horror after I had children. Most of my horror experiences as a young person involve my friend Amy (this is not her real name) who had just an alarming childhood, characterized by abuses no one, no one should have to endure, let alone children. She loved horror, and metal - really anything that screamed. We'd watch Hellraiser, or the Evils Dead, or whatever other pulp gore-fest, and I would...more Cross-posted on Readerling

I came late to horror - I think, though I can't be sure, I only started reading horror after I had children. Most of my horror experiences as a young person involve my friend Amy (this is not her real name) who had just an alarming childhood, characterized by abuses no one, no one should have to endure, let alone children. She loved horror, and metal - really anything that screamed. We'd watch Hellraiser, or the Evils Dead, or whatever other pulp gore-fest, and I would cover my face, go to the bathroom every ten minutes to hide, and then have nightmares like crazy. Amy would howl with laughter. She knew monsters much, much scarier than whatever pin-faced Deadite. Her monsters, I wouldn't ever want to meet them.

Conor is being visited by a monster, the kind he laughs at: a green man in a yew tree who tells three tales, demanding a fourth from Conor at the end of the telling. The art here is perfect, reminding me strongly of Scary Stories to Tell In the Dark - one of my few, memorable forays into kiddie horror as a kid. You can see the other monster stalking his life, the one that makes him immune to your more average monsters like walking trees. But that monster is more a game of hide the birdie; Conor's mother is dying of cancer. I wasn't completely on board with the beginning of this story: the way the cancer was never named, the the way the trajectory of the story seemed overly determined - Scheherazade by way of things that bump in the night.

But, something changes partway through the book, and I think it was intentional, this overly constructed start. I snuggled in to fairy tales - even though they were more Grimm and less Disney - confident that these tellings would impart morals and revelations without the requisite pain of true understanding, of confronting the real monster which is more unnamed than the cancer. There was a moment, after Conor does something so awful, so unforgivable, blaming his monsters and I closed my eyes and wished it undone the way he does. This is just a story. This is just a story. Oh, no, no no it isn't. No no no. The ending is several sharp kicks to the gut, the foot hovering for that last strike of the clock.
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48 likes · like · see review

Mar 30, 2012 Emily May rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya-na, 2011, fave-ya

I got back to my apartment in Bulgaria and thought I'd read a little bit of this novel before I went to bed. 2 hours later I was still sat in my original position but by this time I was sobbing my heart out. Literally sat there crying like a baby to myself. I doubt this book will be everyone's cup of tea but, whatever it has, it really worked it's magic on me.

I thought A Monster Calls was pretty much amazing in every way; from it's darkly beautiful illustrations (worth buying a paper copy for) to the great big touching metaphor that is the backbone of the story.

Didn't like The Knife of Never Letting Go? Not a problem. Forget it's by the same author whether you liked his previous books or not. Pretend you've never heard of Patrick Ness before because this is nothing like anything he has ever written. It's nothing like anything I've ever read. Where the Chaos Walking trilogy was a fast-paced adventure story, this is a very moving, well-written tale of a boy who's mum has cancer. It's about loss, and that doesn't necessarily mean death, and it's also about learning to let go and forgive yourself and others around you.

Think you've got it? Think you've worked out that the 'monster' is going to be cancer itself? Think again.

Like I said, this is a very different sort of idea (credit to the late Siobhan Dowd) and not the kind of book where you can guess where it's going. It's odd and unpredictable and very sad. Conor is one of those tragic but believable characters that you feel for all the way through. He faces constant battles in every aspect of his life. There's the obvious problem of his mother's illness, but also the fact that his dad has moved to America to start a new life with his new wife and baby. School offers no escape from Conor's miserable reality either as he finds himself between bullies who pick on him because they can and teachers who make their pity obvious every time they talk to him.

Then one night a monster visits Conor. A dream? An ancient creature that appears to those in need? Anything is possible, none of which is important. This monster is here for one purpose... to tell Conor three stories in exchange for the truth. Conor begins to learn that things aren't always as they seem and right and wrong are not so easily defined.

I loved it. It was nothing that I expected but I hope Siobhan Dowd's idea will inspire Patrick Ness to write more like this.
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72 likes · like · see review

Sep 27, 2011 Jo rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: hometown-glories-uk, ya, good-grief, gorgeous-prose, creepycreepy, just-been-cutting-onions, my-favourites, of-epic-proportions, oh-how-we-laugh, you-got-a-friend-in-me, hometown-ya

Quick Note: This review is going to be extremely incoherent and incredibly useless. So if you have seen this book anywhere around and been a little bit curious…. I urge you to read it.
It probably won’t surprise you to see that I’ve decided not to write this review in my usual form. This is because the ‘High Points’ would consist of just a picture of the book. The Low Points would be redundant (I can usually find a few low points, even if I adore the book, but this one… I got nothing). I can’t t...more

55 likes · like · see review

Oct 01, 2011 Reynje rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-that-linger, cover-loving, emotional-napalm, favourites, read-2011, heartbreak-warning, books-to-be-hugged, illustrated, mg-lit

I don’t think I can write a review for this book. I feel neither equipped, nor inclined, to make an evaluation of A Monster Calls based strictly on its literary style and merits. (Therefore, if you’re looking for an analysis of the plot, characters etc – you will be better served with another review).

So I’m writing a response instead. Or, I will attempt to.

I have a difficult relationship with books that deal with the subject of death and grief.

Occasionally, I find a book that is moving and re...more

70 likes · like · see review

Nov 18, 2011 Simeon rated it 4 of 5 stars

And now it’s time to hand the baton on to you. Stories don’t end with the writers, however many started the race. So go. Run with it.
Make trouble.

Almost asleep with the illusion of paralysis at the ingress of dreams, when a monster calls. . . the Yew tree outside the window is walking, walking.

Written for very young readers, with ordinary and simple language, the story itself is complex, and transporting, really. Try not to get beyond halfway in one sitting, or you'll be up late into the night....more

29 likes · like · see review

Jan 06, 2012 Lyndsey rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed-2012, reviewed-5-stars, made-me-cry-like-a-baby, about-monsters-beasts-or-creatures, about-dealing-with-grief, about-dreams-or-dreamwalking, about-cancer, favorites-of-2012, books-read-in-2012, rated-5-stars

I don't believe that you can ever learn everything from a single story.

Many tales and many lessons contribute to an individual's personal truth. However, if you're looking for something that comes close to being a one-stop-shop for all your personal emotional needs, this would be it.

A Monster Calls contains breathtaking art by Jim Kay and is paired with a story of heartbreaking artistry from Patrick Ness.

Do I recommend this book? A million times yes and a million times no. How can I recommend so...more

64 likes · like · see review

Nov 16, 2011 karen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: why-yes-i-ya

this book is a perfect modern fairy tale.

not a nice disney one with singing birds where everyone gets to go home with their prince and all of their limbs, but the older, darker kind involving foot-choppery and decimation.

lemme step back a bit. i added this book to my to-read shelf the moment i saw its cover here on goodreads.com. i knew nothing about it except that something in me bellowed "WANT!" i did not win it in the firstreads giveaway (naturally) and as more and more people began writing r...more

85 likes · like · see review

Jan 28, 2013 ★ Jess rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 5-star-excellent, books-i-own, magnificent-writing, read-in-2011, special-top-favorites-♥

Since the The Knife of Never Letting Go and its sequels, Patrick Ness has been a favorite author of mine. With the highest of expectations going into this book, I was still totally unprepared for the wonder I was about to uncover.
Its lyrical. Its powerful. Its moving. To quote Meg Rosoff: "(its) story telling as it should be".
Im not going to go into detail. This is a book best read not knowing what to expect.
So, I can vent for ages about how good the writing is, or how wonderful a message the...more

14 likes · like · see review

Nov 06, 2011 Aly (Fantasy4eva) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: big-fat-tears, fast-paced-and-engrossing, i-ache-for-you, you-inspire-me, uk-bookish-love

After all the wonderful reviews on here, I knew I had to buy this book. So I walked into my local book-store today, determined and with a purpose. Determined that I was going to leave with this book in my hand. I walked in knowing that I had only ever seen one copy of the book in the store. So all I could do was cling on to hope. Thank god. The relief I felt at A MONSTER CALLS sitting there, almost waiting for me, is just indescribable.

I started it two hours ago. I read it in one sitting.

I thin...more

22 likes · like · see review

Oct 31, 2011 Trudi rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantastical-speculative, young-adult, 2011-reads, judge-a-book-by-its-cover, arc, my-desert-island, books-i-want-to-marry, coming-of-age, emotional-landmines, grief-and-loss, prose-that-sings, first-line-fever, mothers

The monster showed up just after midnight. As they do.

If I could get the whole world to read just one book it would be A Monster Calls. I could list here a whole ream of adjectives to try and describe it -- beautiful, haunting, heartbreaking, lyrical -- but none do it justice. I would need to invent adjectives, and even then I would come up short.

I can tell you A Monster Calls is the warmest hug, the hug that makes you feel the most safe, when you are at your most frightened. The world can be a...more

18 likes · like · see review

Oct 10, 2012 Sarah Rosenberger rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: middle-school-fic, teen-fiction, favorites

"Humans are complicated beasts," the monster said.

I think you could boil down most of Patrick Ness's writings to that single statement. Like the Chaos Walking trilogy, A Monster Calls take place in the grey areas of life and focuses on people who are neither good nor evil, but real and human and flawed.

Conor is 13 years old when the monster comes to him, shortly after midnight. As if he didn't have enough to worry about between his mother's cancer treatments, the boys who bully him at school,...more

13 likes · like · see review

Dec 12, 2011 Rachel Hartman rated it 5 of 5 stars

(I look at these five stars and think, no way. This book cannot be measured with stupid little stars.)

(I will just mention, too, that there are spoilers ahead. This is a book worth not being spoiled, so please do read it first before reading my review. You'll need a box of tissues, and your blankie.)

As always, I start from my own eccentricity: I am interested in the Monsters of the Mind. We all have them, the Grendels, the Keepers of the Eternal Shame, the beasts blocking the exits in the dark r...more

25 likes · like · see review

Oct 27, 2011 Lucy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult, gloomy, favorites, coming-of-age, better-than-i-expected, i-cried-damn-it

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

22 likes · like · see review

Dec 14, 2011 The Holy Terror rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: color-grey, horror, young-adult, made-me-cry, borrowed, surprised-i-didn-t-hate-it, favorite-books, 2011, buy-hard-copy

I just read this book from cover to cover.

I have no idea how to rate it.

It is the worst book I've read.

I would never be able to recommend it,

because I hated it.

It's ripped my heart in two.

It'll make you think of losing the one person who means the most to you.

Or it'll make you think of those you've already lost.

It's not a happy book, but it's an important one.

55 likes · like · see review

Sep 15, 2011 Catie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Recommended to Catie by: Crowinator

Shelves: read-in-2011, ya, fantasy, favorite-books, middle-grade, graphic-illustrated-novels

This book is so breathtakingly brilliant and I don’t have anything to say about it. I feel stunned.

My fellow reviewers have done such a wonderful job at keeping mum about the plot of this book, so I will promise to do the same. This review will be very brief.

All I can say is, if you’ve ever experienced grief or loss of any kind, then please, please, for the love of everything, just go and get this book. It’s indescribable, beautiful, and true. The writing is just spectacular. I’d like to gather...more

36 likes · like · see review

Jun 22, 2012 Jessi rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fairy-tales, ireland, its-been-emotional, hey-ya

I have been wanting to read this since it exploded on my Goodreads feed a few months ago, the fantastic reviews from Goodreads friends were endless, the cover was gorgeous and intriguing. But this book made me cry a LOT. I am an emotional person, embarrassingly so, I could feel my control on my shit loosening as the book went on, Conor so strong, the monster scary but wise ... I can't...too soon. For reals I am a mess, I get that some people will read this and think "what a touching book,so well...more

11 likes · like · see review

Jul 05, 2011 Tina rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites, contemporary, 2011, fantasy, best-2011, ya, tfg-100

Original post at One More Page

I wasn't planning to read A Monster Calls soon, because I wanted to save it for my slump days. I heard so many good things about this, but I savored the fact that it was patiently waiting for me on my shelf. But last weekend, after my friend asked if I knew if this book is locally available, I had that urge to pick it up and read it, thinking it shouldn't take me too long. And if my fellow bloggers were right and this would also make me cry, at least I can do it in...more

12 likes · like · see review

Nov 07, 2011 Flannery rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Anyone

Recommended to Flannery by: Goodreaders

Shelves: i-wouldnt-read-on-the-t, kcls, read-in-2011

Last Fourth of July, I played a party game called Time’s Up with some friends. The gist of the game is that everyone has a partner and you start with a certain number of cards as a group—say 40. Each one has a different movie/television show/book title on it and you use the same cards for the entire game so if you have great recall, the game is much easier. In the first round, you try to get your partner to guess the title by describing the movie without using specific words. (like Taboo) The s...more Last Fourth of July, I played a party game called Time’s Up with some friends. The gist of the game is that everyone has a partner and you start with a certain number of cards as a group—say 40. Each one has a different movie/television show/book title on it and you use the same cards for the entire game so if you have great recall, the game is much easier. In the first round, you try to get your partner to guess the title by describing the movie without using specific words. (like Taboo) The second round involves trying to get your partner to guess the movie by saying one word. The third round is charades. This game is hilariously fun because I get to watch people try to act out Bridge on the River Kwai and to see what the one word they’d pick is to sum something up. So many books are utterly forgettable. I read too much to remember all the details of everything over time. I reached 1,000 books read last week and so what if somewhere around 150 of those are children’s books, it is still a milestone. 1,000 books further down the line, I’ll still remember A Monster Calls. While it would be a completely useless one word sum-up for the party board game, the one word for this book is beautiful because it is just that, inside and out.

I think it is lovely that Patrick Ness took a story idea from an author we lost too early, Siobhan Dowd. I’d read reviews of A Monster Calls before going into it so I knew what I was getting into, but in case you don’t, this is about a boy dealing with losing his mother to cancer. I have not experienced the loss of a parent but this book did not feel emotionally manipulative to me, and from what I’ve taken away from other reviews, the feelings reflected by Conor ring true for at least a large portion of people who have gone through that nightmare themselves. No part of the book felt cliché to me either, which I frankly found surprising. There is an absolute skill to taking a heavier theme, writing a book for children or young adults, and making it not only accessible but I daresay appealing to adults. I’ve never read anything Ness has written beyond this but I definitely will be doing so. He isn’t condescending to children. He doesn’t tell saccharine fairy tales, and I loved that. I guessed what the monster was there for all along but that takes nothing away from the book and the way the yew tree was brought into the story, through references and illustrations by Jim Kay was perfect. On Kay’s website, he discusses the cover image and says,

“I have very fond childhood memories of being in the back seat of a car watching fields and farmland rush by. During the hour of twilight, the familiar objects began to lose their definition, became dark, anonymous forms. The countryside at night through the window of a car was both frightening and compelling; the everyday merged with the unknown, and this is how Patrick’s story felt to me.” (1)

You and me, both, Mr. Kay. The eerie artwork paired perfectly with Conor's story. The whole book felt like he was stuck in an in-between place, which I suppose he was. Those aren't places I like to spend a lot of time but every once in a while...

I won a signed copy of this from my friend Jo's blog, Wear the Old Coat. It was definitely a prized treasure of mine from the moment I unwrapped the parcel.
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44 likes · like · see review

Dec 29, 2011 Anzu The Great Destroyer rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: every-f*ckin-one!

Shelves: ya-is-dead, dat-cover-goddammit, i-am-stalking-you, yep-it-was-the-cover, reviewed-2011, absolute-madness, excitement, fantasia-ya, great-concept

** Favourite book of 2011 **

The monster showed up just after midnight. As they do.

I‘ve been ~~stalking~~ looking for A Monster Calls for quite a while. All those great reviews got to my head and I was so damn curious to see what all the fuss was about.

And then I finally got the hardcover.

And then I started reading it.

And then holy f*ck mother that is good and shiny. Wtf is this book??? I’m being mindraped. I have no words to express my feelings. I guess this will do

This book looks amazing. It’s ac...more

15 likes · like · see review

Apr 10, 2012 Lou rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya, horror, fantasy

Conor will have the test of his life to face up to and they will be presented to him in many forms.
This is not a terrifying story.
The shift between dreams, nightmares and reality really make this a interesting read.
This is a wonderful poignant story of melancholy and happiness. Disguised in this story of a monster a force that nightmares are made of is really a bigger message to whoever ponders on its meaning. This story will be remembered alongside many great stories it challenges our worst fea...more

12 likes · like · see review

Nov 30, 2011 Michelle, the Bookshelf Stalker rated it 5 of 5 stars

You want to know what a boohooing baby I am? It took me a month to write this review and it wasn't because I was being my normal lazy self. Everytime I tried to write, my eyes just filled with tears. I'm such a baby!

Ok.. here it is....

When I was a senior in high school, I wanted to go on a big senior trip that was going to occur right after graduation. I had no money. It was just me and my 19 year old sister. The school stated that I could fundraise but that is about all I could do. My sister’s...more You want to know what a boohooing baby I am? It took me a month to write this review and it wasn't because I was being my normal lazy self. Everytime I tried to write, my eyes just filled with tears. I'm such a baby!

Ok.. here it is....

When I was a senior in high school, I wanted to go on a big senior trip that was going to occur right after graduation. I had no money. It was just me and my 19 year old sister. The school stated that I could fundraise but that is about all I could do. My sister’s boyfriend’s father (Don) was always being kind to my sister and me. He bought us dinners, made sure we had clothes, even came to fix our roof in the middle of a storm. So, of course, he offered to sell the boxes of chocolates I had. I gave him two boxes and the very next day, he said he needed more. By the end of the 2nd week, he had sold 8 boxes of chocolate. He was on the school site council (or something like that) and he said that the chocolate went fast. By the end of week 6 (and 15 boxes of chocolate later), I was informed that I received a scholarship (didn’t even know there was one) and I would be able to go on my school trip.

One week before I was set to graduate, Don died. I didn’t even know he was sick. I found out later that he was battling cancer for two years but wanted only his wife and son to know. At the party (yes, he wanted a party) after the funeral, his wife brought me down to the basement. She showed me the 15 boxes of chocolate in the corner. He didn’t have the strength to even go the meetings but he wanted me to go on my trip so he bought all the boxes. I was stunned and felt incredibly guilty. Here was a loving man, dying of cancer and I was so incredibly blinded by my own needs, I didn’t even see his pain. I tried to refuse the money (and yes, he was responsible for the scholarship) but his wife told me simply “you gave him a bit of life, even when his time was near”.

I felt such anger at Don for “tricking” me and for dying. He was the closest thing I had to a dad. He was the first grown man to care for me. I would have loved to spend more time with just him rather than dealing with my stupid trip. But of course, he was gone and I thought my anger was inappropriate.

I wish I had this book back then. Oh how I wish.

Besides being a beautiful, creative story with unbelievable illustrations, it has such a strong lesson to be told about dying, anger, and the people left behind.
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48 likes · like · see review

Nov 03, 2011 KJ Shadows rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Everyone on this planet & the universe

Recommended to KJ Shadows by: SL Chan, Wendy Darling, Cait, Reynje, Heid21, Phoebe North

Shelves: children-juvenile, couldn-t-put-it-down, greatest-endings, most-lovable-characters, most-shocking, unforgettable-storyline, urban-fantasy, favorites-of-all-time

5 Stars

OMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMG!!!jfgkdhfgf992388010101!!!

Yeah. That was pretty much my reaction at the end.

Words can't really even express how greatful I am that I actually went in and picked this up even though it felt awkward asking at the counter for a children's book. Was it just me or did it feel like it was geared towards adults too? Maybe because in the end we could all learn a lesson.

It was cute, creative, inspirational. I'm sure nothing I say is going to top some of the reviews, infact...more

22 likes · like · see review

Aug 01, 2011 Chachic rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: galley, favorites, best-of-2011, with-illustrations, made-me-cry, actual-books-owned, bought-in-2012

Originally posted here.

Even though I didn't fall in love with Patrick Ness' The Knife of Never Letting Go , I enjoyed it enough to read his other books. I've seen rave reviews of A Monster Calls so I decided to request a copy from NetGalley when it became available there. I finished reading this book weeks ago and I've let a draft of my review rest in my dashboard, hoping that I'll be able to write something substantial while the dust settles. I admit defeat, nothing that I can write will do thi...more Originally posted here.

Even though I didn't fall in love with Patrick Ness' The Knife of Never Letting Go , I enjoyed it enough to read his other books. I've seen rave reviews of A Monster Calls so I decided to request a copy from NetGalley when it became available there. I finished reading this book weeks ago and I've let a draft of my review rest in my dashboard, hoping that I'll be able to write something substantial while the dust settles. I admit defeat, nothing that I can write will do this book justice.

This book should come with a warning: "Avoid reading this in public places because it will make you cry." I should have known better than to read A Monster Calls in Starbucks while waiting for friends. I figured I was immune to Patrick Ness' emotional punches since I remained tear-free while reading The Knife of Never Letting Go. I was wrong. I don't think I've ever mentioned it here on the blog but back in January 2007, my dad was diagnosed with stage three lung cancer. Five months later, he passed away. I don't talk about it here on the blog because I used to think it's too personal but I want to share why this particular book resonated with me. To say that I could relate to Connor is an understatement. I wanted to go inside the book and hug him to let him know that he isn't alone in his pain. And I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one who felt that way. In a world where cancer is becoming more common, I feel like it has touched the lives of almost everyone - be it through a family member or a friend. I've lost count of the number of wakes and funerals that I've attended because someone lost his or her battle to cancer. I'm thankful that Patrick Ness decided to write this novel because it articulates what so many of us can never put into words - all the anger, the hopelessness, the fear and yes, the denial because accepting the truth is never an easy thing. And that's what the monster wants from Connor: for him to reveal the truth because he can never move on if he can't even admit it to himself.

This a contemporary middle grade or younger YA novel and only the presence of the monster adds a touch of whimsy to the story. You don't have to be a Patrick Ness fan or a middle grade/young adult reader to appreciate this book. What Connor experiences is something that every human being will understand. You know that feeling when a book does a better job of describing how you feel? A Monster Calls is that kind of book. Just thinking about it while writing my review brings to the surface all the emotions that I felt while reading Connor's story. Ever since I started the blog, I've become drawn to well-written, emotional reads that deal with grief and maybe it's because of my own experience, maybe I'm trying to find the words to illustrate how I felt in the books that I read. I'm fond of quoting C.S. Lewis, "We read to know we're not alone" because it's true. A Monster Calls makes me feel that I'm not alone. So thank you, Patrick Ness, I know you already have numerous fans but I just want to say that you've gained another one and I will read everything that you've written and everything else that you will write. I need to buy an actual copy of this book so I can read it over and over again.(less)

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Mar 15, 2012 Martha added it

Shelves: connects

I do believe Libba Bray said it best:

Haunting, lyrical, powerful, and true.
Patrick Ness has crafted a masterful story
about grief and loss, love and hope that
lingers in the heart like a ghost.

10 likes · like · see review

May 19, 2012 Anna (Bobs Her Hair) rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Everyone

Shelves: young-adult, fiction, fantasy, favorites

Grade: A+ or 5 solid stars

This is a young adult novel with a simple enough beginning and an incredibly powerful ending! I'm almost at a loss for words.

This is a story about a thirteen year old boy named Conor O'Malley. He's experiencing anger, anxiety, hope, and pain as his mother battles cancer. Bullies at school are tormenting him. His friends and teachers act as if he is invisible. Conor's father has moved on to a new family and provides limited support. His grandmother is abrasive and seemi...more

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Nov 18, 2011 Heidi rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A Monster Calls

Five stars: This is a haunting, heartbreaking book that will grab onto your heart strings.

A Monster Calls is one of those books that has the ability to break your heart and touch your soul. On the surface it is supposedly a children's book; one where a monster comes roaring to a window one night. A great, old, wild terrible monster but he is not the horrible nightmare Conor O'Malley has been expecting; for you see he has been haunted repeatedly in his nightmares by something far w...more

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Nov 06, 2011 Nicola rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult, library-books, fantasy, cover-appeal

It almost feels pointless to review this book for any other reason than to urge people to go read it for themselves. I don't think you can put a book like this into words- it's one of those novels that everyone has to read and take from it what they will, based on their own experiences in life.

I think the driving force behind this book is what makes it that little more touching. This is Siobhan Dowd's idea- written by Patrick Ness because Dowd died before she got the chance to get it down on pap...more It almost feels pointless to review this book for any other reason than to urge people to go read it for themselves. I don't think you can put a book like this into words- it's one of those novels that everyone has to read and take from it what they will, based on their own experiences in life.

I think the driving force behind this book is what makes it that little more touching. This is Siobhan Dowd's idea- written by Patrick Ness because Dowd died before she got the chance to get it down on paper. Patrick Ness's introduction to the book is really sweet.

A Monster Calls is like nothing I've ever read before. The only book I see it comparable to is The Book Thief. Not because of plot similiarties or anything, just because of what it does to the reader and how it really sticks to you even after you've closed it. It's one of those books that lifts you up and shakes you around a bit, then drops you back down to rest and then repeats the process all over again. This book made me happy and sad and everything in between. The overall tone of this book is definitely sad but there's hope peeping through it especially at the weirdest and most unexpected times.

I'd say it's best to go into this book as blind as possible. The less you know, the better, I think. In short this book is about grief- a universal feeling that nobody experiences in the same way. Conor is an amazingly well developed character and his story feels so real- probably because it is real for millions of people every year. I don't think this book is just about 13 year old boys who lose their mums to cancer- I think it's about and for anyone anywhere who has ever lost anyone. It may be aimed at younger readers but I think it has something to offer everybody and something to teach everyone.

I loved it, really, I did. It's a special little book. The writing itself is simple yet effective and the illustrations (which are wonderful) fit in just perfectly and really tie the story together. I would recommend it to anyone- books like this don't come around very often!

For more of my reviews and recommendations, visit my blog: here (less)

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About Patrick Ness

Patrick Ness, an award-winning novelist, has written for England’s Radio 4 and Sunday Telegraph and is a literary critic for The Guardian. He has written many books, including the Chaos Walking Trilogy, The Crash of Hennington, Topics About Which I Know Nothing, and A Monster Calls.

He has won numerous awards, including the Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize, the Booktrust Teenage Prize, and the Co...more

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Books by Patrick Ness

The Knife of Never Letting Go (Chaos Walking, #1)

The Ask and the Answer (Chaos Walking, #2)

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“You do not write your life with words...You write it with actions. What you think is not important. It is only important what you do.” — 470 people liked it

“There is not always a good guy. Nor is there always a bad one. Most people are somewhere in between.” — 324 people liked it

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