A Monster Calls: Patrick Ness

Great quick read , touching story.

this book gripped me from the first page and wouldn’t let me go until the final page and I was weeping by the end. For starters, the writing is beautiful. The prose is perfectly judged between lyrically balanced descriptions, pin-sharp characterisation and a very good grasp of just how children behave when confronted with extreme stress over a long period of time. As an ex-primary school teacher, I thought the depiction of both Conor’s reaction and some of his classmates was realistic and apt.The monster’s appearance is marvellous and I loved the interaction between Conor and his monster – and the stories he tells. For starters, Conor wasn’t the only one confounded at the stories the monster tells – and his reactions to the outcome. Having heard one or three folk/fairy tales in my time, I had a sense that I knew where the first story was going – and was completely wrong-footed by the monster’s judgement at the conclusion. Meanwhile, Conor’s mother is still struggling with a latest treatment – and he then has to contend with his grandma. She isn’t the cuddly, white-haired lady so popular in modern imagination – she wears tailored suits, is hopeless at cooking and works full-time. She also is clearly adrift when dealing with Conor as she hasn’t spent much time with him. I enjoyed the fact that as the story is told from Conor’s viewpoint, any adult reading the story will appreciate that she is under enormous stress, but most children – and certainly Conor – will probably miss the signs. Until a disastrous visit by the monster…So do I have any quibbles? Well, given the mention of mobiles and other contemporary details, I don’t think this story is set in the past – and so my problem with this tale is that most schools these days would be far better equipped to deal with Conor’s situation. Nowadays there would be trained help available for teaching staff and all adults dealing with Conor and it’s highly likely the school would have a specific policy to deal with children undergoing a major family trauma – it happens more often than you might think. Conor would have some sort of counselling, probably be put in touch with other children coping with similar situations and have some time out of the classroom. He would also be asked how he would like to be treated. However, that isn’t a dealbreaker – there is so much about this story that blew me away and I very much recommend this one.9/10

I read this book to year 5 and 6 children as their class book so there are various reviews from the children below. The majority of the children gave it 4 stars but I have included reviews with more and less stars than that too so you can get a mixture of opinions.Ava, age 11A Monster Calls is a very gripping and a very sad story. It has good detail all through the book; I wanted to read on to see what was going to happen next. I think this has been a great class book and I definitely recommend it for older children (age 8+)Poppy, age 11I enjoyed this book a lot and I can guarantee anybody age 10+ will enjoy it too. You have different feelings all the way through, although the ending you will definitely need tissues! It's a story about a boy called Connor and a monster which is a tree. At 12:07 every night, Connor has the same nightmare which is revealed at the end. I'm not saying anymore so I recommend that you read it. Every chapter is full of excitement!Charley, age 11This is a lovely book with great description. It's about a boy whose Mum is fighting a disease. I recommend this because it is heartfelt. There were a few tears so you might need a box of tissues! This is a book for older children/adults because of its sensitive chapters. Love A Monster Calls 100%!!Ethan, age 11I enjoyed this book and probably would have liked it more if I hadn't watched the movie first as I new most events that happened in this book unfortunately. I recommend this book to anyone who loves stories about monsters and little boys, however this story can be sad (at times) so be ready. This story can also be shocking so be ready to experience the context of this book.Lilia, age 10A monster calls is for a person that likes a scary book and really getting into a book. It is a book of truth and it is very sad.Harris, age 10I love this book because it's all about monsters, dreams and being bullied at school and fighting the bullies off. Every night at 12:07 the same bad dream repeats.Charlie, age 10This book is really good. I recommend it to people over 8 because of the sensitive and sad side of the story. The reason I gave it 4 stars is because some parts are quite boring. If you read this, always have tissues near you.Phoebe, age 10I thought that this book was great! I recommend it for people 7 and over. It's a very emotional book and you need to be prepared with your tissues. It's about a journey to the truth and the monster comes at 12:07 every night.Arran, age 11I think A Monster Calls is a great book. The fact that Siobhan Dowd died before she could write it all is a real shame but Patrick Ness did a great job anyway. This extraordinary novel of love, loss and hope is a great book to read.Erin, age 10I would recommend this book to everyone. It is about a boy whose Mum is poorly and he has the same nightmare. If you like a book that has excitement and sadness, you will like this.Harry D, age 9This book is amazing if you can get your head around it and imagine the scene. I would recommend this book to anyone over the age of 8 because of the sensitive subject. This book is about a boy who gets picked on by bullies at school because of his Mum.Luca, age 9I would recommend this book to people who like good description. It's about a boy called Connor, his Mum's illness and a monster telling Connor stories. Connor thought the monster only came to heal his Mum but it didn't come for that.Harry H, age 9I recommend the book to people who like a sad book and a sad ending. If you like monsters, I also recommend it to you because it's a fantasy story. I really enjoyed the book but I don't like sad endings.Oliver, age 11I loved this book. Every time we had to stop reading it, me and the rest of my class really wanted to read on. I would really recommend this book for children who are eight or above.5 star reviewsIsla, age 10This book is really good; I love it. Even though it is really sad, I still enjoyed it. The book has lots of description and I can imagine the story really happening. I recommend this book.Grace, age 9This book is amazing but if you read it and get emotional quickly I would have some tissues next to you. I recommend this from age 7 and above. If you don't buy this book you're weird because it's excellent!Doruk, age 10When I heard that we were reading this book, I was excited because normally when I read a book I enjoy it. If you get upset easily, you might need a box of tissues! I really liked the monster because normally you think they are scary, but this one was OK. The monster is that nice that he comes up to Connor's house and tells him stories. I was upset when we finished it because it was great.2 star reviewsOska, age 11I don't really like this book because it's a bit boring at the start. But that's just my opinion, a lot of other children in my class like it. This book is rated 7+ because of how it's worded. It's about a Mum who has cancer and the son Connor meets a monster every night at 12:07. I don't really recommend this book.Finlay, age 10This book is alright. The author could do with making it a bit more exciting. Apart from that, it was quite good. The storyline is that Connor is a boy whose Mum is ill. There is a monster visiting him at 12:07 every night telling him stories but one night Connor has to tell the monster a story about his Mum.

This a beautiful book, wonderfully illustrated by Jim Kay, with a story so simple and yet moving I'm still stunned by it, long after I've turned over the last page. There are very few books that are able to use a fantastical concept to deliver the truth of humanity so strongly and vividly, but this one achieves this feat - and with panache.Thirteen-year-old Conor wakes up to a monster who calls his name - but it is the nightmare that he has woken up from that truly terrifies him, and which he is unable to confront. He tries to reason away the monster as another nightmare, albeit a lesser one, but there is undeniable evidence that the monster is more than his imagination the morning after, and the frightening assurance that it was going to visit him again - soon. It transpires that the monster wants to tell Conor three tales, and in return, he has a strange request, and that is that Conor tells him his story - but it must be the truth.Ness, himself a reputable writer of YA fantasy fiction, has cleverly crafted this novel from YA author Siobhan Dowd's unfinished story idea, before her death, and this finished product has the uncanny feel of a metafictive text, in the way the story behind the writing mirrors the story within these pages with its theme of mortality, and the ways we respond to it.

This book is unique in that I’ve never read a storyline like it, which is great as that means it is not predictable! It’s a quick read and doesn’t take long. The story tackles some heart wrenching topics in a beautifully written way. I’m still thinking about some of the key messages weeks after finishing the book. A must read for those who like to reflect after reading.