A Monster Calls in Mock Newbery 2026

Oct 15, 2011 Mark rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult-literature, coming-of-age, fantasy, bullying-peer-pressure, death-and-dying, horror

"'Stories are wild creatures,' the monster said. 'When you let them loose, who knows what havoc they might wreak.'"

Conor O'Malley is 13, and dealing with the most impossible task facing a child; his mother is stricken with cancer, and is getting sicker. Conor's parents divorced years ago, and his father now lives in America with his new wife and baby. Conor's grandmother is around, but they don't get along, even though his grandmother keeps making hints about how they'll soon need to learn how t "'Stories are wild creatures,' the monster said. 'When you let them loose, who knows what havoc they might wreak.'"

Conor O'Malley is 13, and dealing with the most impossible task facing a child; his mother is stricken with cancer, and is getting sicker. Conor's parents divorced years ago, and his father now lives in America with his new wife and baby. Conor's grandmother is around, but they don't get along, even though his grandmother keeps making hints about how they'll soon need to learn how to coexist better. Conor's school life is difficult as well; he's bullied by other boys, and because his best friend told others about his mother's cancer the year before, everyone seems to be treating him differently. All he wants is to be invisible.

Then, at 12:07 one night, he is visited by a monster, a monster formed of the yew tree that stands in a churchyard behind Conor's house. The monster doesn't scare Conor, since his own nightmares have shown him much worse. The monster is persistent, though, and tells Conor that he will continue visiting until he has told Conor three stories, at which point Conor must tell a story of his own. In the meantime, Conor's mother's condition worsens, his relationships with his father and grandmother reveal themselves for what they truly are, and the bullying at school reaches a breaking point. The monster becomes the one thing Conor can truly count on in his life, and as the time for his own story nears, Conor is terrified of what the monster wants him to share. He's not ready to share the truth about his nightmares, and about his hidden feelings about his mother. But he has no choice, because his mother isn't getting any better, and invisibility at school, and in his life, is not at all what he expected it to be.

This is absolutely heart-wrenching book, and I found myself quickly identifying with Conor. Ness creates his story so simply (three stories? come on, Dickens!), that it's easy to look past this initially as a fairy tale/life lesson. But it's so much more. The relationship between Conor and the monster evolves throughout the novel, and the support the monster provides near the novel's end is both surprising and touching. The pain of losing a loved one, and the guilt that can accompany that loss, is explored in touching detail. The illustrations by Jim Kay are powerfully drawn, and serve the book exceptionally well. I had been warned that this one would be powerful before I picked it up, but it still surprised me. Knowing the backstory of the novel (Siobhan Dowd's last novel idea before her own early death from cancer), only makes the novel more poignant. A incredibly beautiful read that will stay with a reader long after the last page. ...more

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May 01, 2011 Beth rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: own, arcs, middle-grade, fantasy, netgalley, in-classroom-library

This was not a book I would have read of my own volition. I would never have picked this up at the book store and said, "Oh, this sounds great, I think I'll read this!"

But I could not ignore a lot of well-respected writers and bloggers who were stuck dumb by the profundity of this book.

And boy is it ever profound. I caution anyone who has ever had a loved-one die of cancer or who is fighting cancer to perhaps steer clear of this book until those feelings aren't so raw. I found myself shedding ...more

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Jul 15, 2011 Barbara rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: ncbla

Conor wakes each night to a monster outside his bedroom window, huge, powerful, and terribly frightening. As he tries to face the monster and the monster's challenges, he also must deal with the other monsters in his life: his complicated feelings about his mother's impending death from cancer and the bullies at school. This beautiful story celebrates the moments of joy we share with others as well as acknowledging the losses that must always come our way. Sometimes it takes more courage to face ...more

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Nov 23, 2011 Christina rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: middle-school, 2011-kids-ya, 2016-caudills

As close to perfection as any book can be. An emotionally powerful story of a boy who receives nightly visits from a yew tree monster while his mom undergoes cancer treatments. The black and white illustrations beautifully express the sorrow, isolation, and anger the boy feels as he becomes invisible to both school mates and his runaway father but fights to stay strong for his mother. Through the telling of parables with a twist, the monster helps the boy confront the inconsistencies in his thou ...more

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Sep 24, 2011 Becca rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, cried-like-a-baby

There has never been something more true than this book centered around a boy and the monsters that haunt both his waking and sleeping worlds. Heartbreaking and freeing, Ness takes his readers through the truly horrifying range of emotions that plague the loved ones of those who are dying of cancer as he tells the story of Conor coping with his mother's illness.

A wonderful, poignant read, sure to leave you in tears, if not sobbing, by the time you finish. ...more

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May 22, 2011 Susie rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I guess this could be a case of the bar being set too high; I heard so many raves for this book that I was a bit disappointed. The style of this book was outstanding, but I expected a payoff with more punch. (I guess there couldn't be a more important climatic plot point than this, but it was somewhat of a letdown.)

I liked the set up, the fact that the book really made me think and try to determine what could be real and what was imagined, some of the ambiguity, and the setting. The "monster" he ...more

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Nov 07, 2011 Gina rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: children-s-books

I was a little hesitant because of the cover but this was a wonderful book about a boy dealing with him mother's cancer. I would recommend for Middle Schoolers. ...more

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May 03, 2011 Alyson (Kid Lit Frenzy) rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: mg, 2011-nerdies, ya, adult

Wow! Wow! What a heart-wrenching/breathtakingly beautiful book. Ness has created a brilliant tribute to Siobhan Dowd.

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Oct 20, 2011 Hannah rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: kids, middle-grade, ya

The writing is good, but the illustrations are incredible.

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Feb 28, 2012 Paige Y. rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012-books-read, 2012-favorites, 2012-ya-fiction

Absolutely incredible book. It took my breath away.

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Oct 12, 2011 Juliette rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Do not be mislead by the title. There is a monster, but this is not a horror story, at least not in the typical sense. It's about truth and the paradoxes of human feelings, human nature learned by a boy whose mother is suffering from cancer.

I recommend reading this in paper form. The illustrations are lovely and add to the depth of the story. My e-reader would have done them no justice.

Truly a beautiful story that hooked me from the beginning and will stay with me long after I've finished it. ...more

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May 19, 2011 Teresa Garrett rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: middle-grade, fantasy, ya, mystery, winter-2011-12

This book should contain a warning to read it with a box of tissues. The monster visits Conor nightly and strangely he is not afraid but participates in conversations with it. Conor is having a hard time with the illness of his mother and the divorce of his parents. The monster tells Conor he is a healer and Conor holds on to this belief even when things seem the bleakest. Through a series of fables/folktales the monster tries to help Conor.

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