A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness | Book Review

A Monster Calls
Patrick Ness 
Genres: Young Adult, Horror, Fantasy
Publication Date: September 27th 2011
Number of Pages: 215
Source: Borrowed from my local library

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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 one 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 is something different, though. Something ancient, something wild. And it wants the most dangerous thing of all from Conor. 

It wants the truth.

A Monster Calls was a fabulous children's book which discusses saddening issues. With Conor's mother suffering from cancer and receiving ongoing treatment, Conor is understandably worried about his mum and the direction of his life. One night as Conor sleeps, he is awoken by a monster at his window, not the one he sees in his regular nightmare but another menacing creature. This monster has come to help Conor but his help isn't quite the help that Conor was hoping for, the monster instead insists on sharing three stories and in return Conor must share one back which is truthful.

This story tugged at my heart strings, and as the story progresses and Conor's mother's illness worsens I really felt for Conor and the turbulence within his life. The monster character is what made this book for me as the story he tells to Conor really makes you think about right and wrong, as well as other moral dilemmas. These stories are obviously aimed at helping Conor to except his mother's illness and relate to events in Conor's life.

Overall this book was a lovely quick read and the artwork within the book was fantastic at illustrating Patrick Ness' words. As I read the book I could easily imagine reading it to a child and although it is a sober tale, the story is as lighthearted as possible and would make an enjoyable afternoon read to a child, especially as the monster isn't really a 'bad' monster.