A Monster Calls in Mock Printz 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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Jul 13, 2011 Emily Rozmus rated it it was amazing

I finished this last night and then laid in bed thinking about it. I thought about the death of my own father, which sadly mirrored Conor's mother' s death in many ways. As an adult, I was able to deal with it much better than Conor, but that still doesn't mean it was easy. Death is never easy for the ones who are are left behind, but this book is the first time I have felt like someone captured the grieving we feel before death occurs as well as the guilt and the overwhelming sadness it leaves ...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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Dec 24, 2011 Ricki rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

This incredibly powerful story tells of a young boy, Conor, whose mother is dying of cancer. As he struggles with the possibility that she might die, he is visited by a monster each night, who tells him three tales, on the condition that Conor tell the fourth and final tale. Accompanied by gorgeous illustrations, Conor's story will grab readers' hearts. Be sure to have a tissue box by your side when you begin reading. ...more

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Jan 26, 2012 Justin rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, kids

Conor began having the nightmare soon after his mother first began her treatments. It was always the same nightmare, with the same monster waiting inside. So, when the other monster came calling outside his bedroom window, Conor wasn’t surprised or impressed. However, this monster was different. It claimed to be as old as time, and had come to tell Conor three stories. After the third story, Conor will then have to tell his own story: the truth he is hiding, at the expense of everything, in exch Conor began having the nightmare soon after his mother first began her treatments. It was always the same nightmare, with the same monster waiting inside. So, when the other monster came calling outside his bedroom window, Conor wasn’t surprised or impressed. However, this monster was different. It claimed to be as old as time, and had come to tell Conor three stories. After the third story, Conor will then have to tell his own story: the truth he is hiding, at the expense of everything, in exchange for his life.

This is not an easy story to read, for a number of reasons. The grim allegory that forms the core of the story reaches beyond fantasy, and moves well into the realm of magical realism. Readers who are looking for a tidy metaphor or a believable plot will be left wanting. The subject matter itself, as one might expect, is heartbreaking.

There is beauty amidst the rubble, though, and the interesting thing is that it’s a different beauty for each reader. Ness narrates and crafts dialogue with elegant skill, and combined with Jim Kay’s haunting illustrations, the story hums with foreboding. The book is affecting even if you know where everything is heading, as most adult readers will. This is a slim book that seems aimed primarily at younger teens, and anyone with even secondhand experience with illness or grief will see the story for what it is and anticipate the ending well in advance. It’s a testament to Ness’s talent that, despite this, I had butterflies in my stomach while reading it and couldn’t stop thinking about it when I wasn’t.

As such, I confess to being a little taken aback at reviews of this book that stridently claim this ambiguity of intended audience is somehow a bad thing. I guess I understand, since I’m in the business of categorizing books and determining their eligibility for fitting a reader. Still, it’s not as if there is any issue with truth in advertising here. This book is therapy for kids dealing with grief, a possible revelation to kids that aren’t, and a powerful (if familiar) fable for anyone else. I can’t think of any higher praise than to state that a book successfully imparts different messages to different readers.

Oh, and for the record, I didn’t cry at the end, but it was a close thing.
...more

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Jan 20, 2012 Kristin Fletcher-spear rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, teen-young-adult, tween, 2012

While it's published for teens, I thunk this is better suited for the tween aged reader. The simplistic nature of the story allows the artwork and writing to shine. A fast read, I read it while sitting in a waiting room. I got teary eyed at the end, but you knew how it would end. This wasn't a story that was meant to surprise readers, but instead invites the readers on Conor's emotional journey. ...more

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Nov 10, 2011 Ellen rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I'm a big fan of both Ness & Dowd, so expected to love this, and was surprised that I kept putting it down. In the end, upon finishing, I really did like it - the combo of illustration, atmospheric writing and tragic tale worked for me. I'm curious though, about the appeal for teens, or the appropriateness for younger readers. ...more

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Nov 16, 2011 Julia rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: appropriate-for-middle-school, appropriate-for-high-school, appropriate-for-adults, tearjerker, families, death-grief, fantasy-urban-modern

I listened to this book on audio & to my surprise I thoroughly enjoyed the experience (I'm biased to reading a book over listening to it because I often dislike how some narrators interpret some of the characters.) Anyway, this is about as finely crafted a book as you could wish for. The writing is phenomenal. The emotional journey is honest and heartbreaking and redemptive all at once. The book appears to be fantastical in nature, but it has more of a feel of a realistic fiction book in it's su ...more

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Aug 15, 2011 Jennifer rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult-teen

At Reading Rants:

http://www.readingrants.org/2011/08/1... ...more

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Feb 26, 2012 Lorna rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, realistic-fiction, horror

Sometimes we "know" things before we know them.
What a powerful, brilliant, and well-told tale this was.

I could see where this story was going but it still "grabbed" me at the end so I knew I was in the hands of a very skillful writer.

My favorite quote from the book is "Stories are important. They can be more important than anything. If they carry the truth." ...more

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

Shelves: ya, 2011-nerdies, mg, adult

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

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Oct 13, 2011 Diane rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

This book carries an emotional punch that left me sobbing. Everything works...the stories, the illustrations, and Conor's pain. ...more

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

Shelves: ya, england, cancer, audio-book, death-and-dying

Amazing reader! I'm not normally excited by audio books, but, wow, that guy (Lucious Malfoy in the HP movies) did an AMAZING job.

Everyone has been raving about what an amazing book this was, Printz worthy and all. Yes it was good...but the best? Dunno. Well done, by not my cup of tea. Tho it did make me cry. So it had that power. Or I was super sleepy. ...more

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