“Your mind will believe comforting lies while also knowing the painful truths that make those lies necessary. And your mind will punish you for believing both.”
- - Patrick Ness, A Monster Calls
Review by Dylana
Book Synopsis:
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 nightmare 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, though, is something different. Something ancient, something wild. And it wants the most dangerous thing of all from Conor.
It wants the truth.
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 nightmare 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, though, is something different. Something ancient, something wild. And it wants the most dangerous thing of all from Conor.
It wants the truth.
General Review:
I loved this book so much. I was first drawn to it because of how cool the drawing on the cover was. And it was really heavy for its size, which is always a good sign, right? Right. Plus it’s British! I didn’t know when I bought it that the book was illustrated, but the illustrations really made the book. I found some of them online they have been my computer’s wallpaper ever since. I thought the book was going to be scary, something I was looking forward to, but it really wasn't. It was so much better than anything I expected from it.
I loved this book so much. I was first drawn to it because of how cool the drawing on the cover was. And it was really heavy for its size, which is always a good sign, right? Right. Plus it’s British! I didn’t know when I bought it that the book was illustrated, but the illustrations really made the book. I found some of them online they have been my computer’s wallpaper ever since. I thought the book was going to be scary, something I was looking forward to, but it really wasn't. It was so much better than anything I expected from it.
Plot:
At first, the plot is about Conor trying to either convince himself that the monster isn't real or figure out why the monster “come walking.” Towards the end, Conor’s main focus is trying to get the monster to help his mom. Well, the way I explained it sounds kind of lame, but I promise, the book was awesome. Despite the fairy tale elements to the book, the plot was still very believable. Even though the book deals with serious topics, it was still fun.
At first, the plot is about Conor trying to either convince himself that the monster isn't real or figure out why the monster “come walking.” Towards the end, Conor’s main focus is trying to get the monster to help his mom. Well, the way I explained it sounds kind of lame, but I promise, the book was awesome. Despite the fairy tale elements to the book, the plot was still very believable. Even though the book deals with serious topics, it was still fun.
Characters:
I
really liked the way the characters were written in A Monster Calls. When I
read the monster’s stories, it felt like I was reading a storybook. All his
words were more old-fashioned, yet still easy to understand. Conor spoke just
like a normal person and made comments about how weird the monster talked and
questioned his stories’ morals.
I don’t usually get emotional over books or movies or real life situations because I am truly heartless, but I did cry while reading this book. Though I felt bad for Conor’s mom, Conor was so awesomely depressing and wonderful. He felt so horrible for him. His situation was so believable despite the fact he had a giant tree monster hanging around with him. The monster was more mysterious than scary and he had his funny moments along with Conor.
I don’t usually get emotional over books or movies or real life situations because I am truly heartless, but I did cry while reading this book. Though I felt bad for Conor’s mom, Conor was so awesomely depressing and wonderful. He felt so horrible for him. His situation was so believable despite the fact he had a giant tree monster hanging around with him. The monster was more mysterious than scary and he had his funny moments along with Conor.
Final Thoughts:
It’s really difficult to describe how much I liked this
book. I’m not entirely sure why, but this book really meant a lot to me. The
illustrations by Jim Kay are a beautiful enhancement to a beautiful novel. Exceeds Expectations.
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