Title: A Monster Calls
Author: Patrick Ness
Publication Year: 2011
Pages: 216
Publisher: Walker Books
Date Started: February 21, 2017
Date Finished: February 24, 2017
Format: Kindle
Beverage of choice: Hot cocoa
Normally, I cry at the
end of books. I’m a sucker for sad endings. So when I didn’t cry at the end of
the last couple of books I read, I started to get concerned that I was broken.
So I picked up A Monster Calls. I had
just seen the preview for the movie and noticed that Jim Kay illustrated it,
which immediately piqued my interested.
I am happy to report, I am
not broken. Cue tears.
This book was beautiful.
It reminded me of a grown-up Where the
Wild Things Are. The story follows a boy named Conor as he struggles with
his mother’s illness and the way everyone treats him. At night, a Yew tree
outside his house transforms into a monster, which has promised to tell Conor
three stories in exchange for a true story from Conor himself.
This book tugged at the
heart strings, and makes the reader feel and understand grief and fear. By the
end, the characters begin to feel like family. The artworks adds a whole other
level to the story, with the strokes mirroring the emotions and turmoil that
Conor feels. I read this on a Kindle, which still had the images, though I had
read it from the book so that I could fully appreciate the artwork. I may have
to actually buy this one.
Overall, 4/5 moose
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