A Monster Calls

This book did not went the way I thought it would. 

The reason the monster came to Coner, the stories it told, the struggles within Coner... they really opened my eyes to the suffering of those whose left behind, and the strength that the ones that would leave have to muster in front of their loved ones. Heartbreaking.

It took me a bit to get into this one because I thought it was going to be a lot darker and Conor initially got on my nerves as another whiny child protagonist. However, there's a lot of emotion behind his story and the “monster” was a great way to portray that; it's also a very visual book in both the writing and the enclosed illustrations which is always great with this type of story. While I have no personal experience with cancer or another terminal illness, I really started to feel for the characters and got a bit emotional myself when reaching the climax of the story. My favourite part is probably the illustrations, though. The cover art and the style is what made me pick up this book initially.However, I would say that it's not really for readers like myself that are used to a bit more adult level literary horror. Reading this after finishing the likes of [b:Horns 6587879 Horns Joe Hill https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1400731844s/6587879.jpg 6781405] and [b:The Child Thief 6308379 The Child Thief Brom https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1336347513s/6308379.jpg 6493440], [b:A Monster Calls 8621462 A Monster Calls Patrick Ness https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1387584864s/8621462.jpg 13492114] comes off as a bit juvenile and vapid, but that's probably just me being priggish.

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.

This is one of the most beautifully written books I've picked up in a long time. While reading it I could picture everything perfectly, like I was actually there. It was more than just a sad story about illness and death, it was about one of the greatest truths you can learn in your life. Which truth is that? Well, you will have to read the book to find out.

There is not always a good guy. Nor is there always a bad one. Most people are somewhere inbetween.Conor shook his head. ???That???s a terrible story. And a cheat.??? It is a true story, the monster said. Many things that are true feel like a cheat. Kingdoms get the princes they deserve, farmers??? daughters die for no reason, and sometimes witches merit saving. Quite often, actually. You???d be surprised.

One of my greatest challenges in life is to stop being surprised when unfair things happen. I expect for good people to have good things happen to them, and for bad people to fail, but – in the words of John Green – the world is not a wish-granting factory.

This makes me very sympathetic to Conor, who doesn't want to believe there is a chance his very ill mother won't recover. He is a child, and his mother is a good woman, and in a fair world he would have her in his life for many decades to come. He tells the monster early on that he's seen scarier things, worse monsters, and to a little boy facing the loss of a parent, this is undoubtedly true. The monster, however, has lessons to share, and a confession to hear.I can't imagine reading this book, having lost loved ones, and not being moved by this child dealing with gigantic fears and extreme feelings of isolation.

Moving read about fear, loss, and dealing with undeserved pain.

This is one of those books that you'll sit down on the couch at 9 am on Saturday morning and start reading and you'll finish at 11 am with last night's mascara running down your face, your world completely changed and your life seeming suddenly irrelevant. Okay - that might be a bit dramatic, but this a great book. The characters seem so real and the story, even though you might have a feeling about what it is - is such a surprise. I never cry while reading or watching sad movies, but this one broke my heart. It's somehow sad and peaceful at the same time, though.

Read this and then recommend it to all your friends.

This review is also posted on Great Minds Read Alike.

If you've heard of A Monster Calls, then you've most likely heard the story behind it: Siobhann Dowd began the story after she was diagnosed with cancer but died before she was able to finish. Patrick Ness finished it after finally giving in to the request of her publisher. In the introduction, Ness says that he was reluctant until he read her notes and felt her saying “Go. Run with it. Make trouble.”

Stories don't end with the writers, however, many started the race. I usually adamantly stay away from “cancer” books, but the story behind this one was so moving.. I checked it out from the library the day first I heard about the book.

A Monster Calls is truly a heartwrenching story - simply but powerfully told. After Conor's mother begins treatments, a monster in the form of a yew tree visits Conor and tells him three stories, with the deal that at the end Conor has to tell him his story.. his TRUTH. At first, Conor (and the reader) has a hard time figuring out if the monster is real. Then Conor comes to expect the monster and finds comfort in his presence, in his stories, which are leading Conor to actually face his truth. Everything in the story is tied together so perfectly... there is beautiful symbolism with the yew tree, the monster's timing, and Conor's dreams.

The story is about grief and how people handle it so differently - how people make themselves believe something else when the truth is too hard, how they think things they wouldn't normally think. I think the true message of this book is to let yourself feel and then to give yourself a break. It was truly touching - not to mention, tearjerking.

You do not write your life with words, the monster said. You write it with actions. What you think is not important. It is only important what you do.