Publish date: 2011
Source: Library
"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." (Goodreads)
I have previously read The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness (listened to it, actually) and absolutely loved it. I knew A Monster Calls would be different, obviously, but I wasn't prepared for how much it would slay me and how much it was not what I was expecting.
The first couple things I noticed about A Monster Calls is that it's pretty short for a novel, plus there are really great illustrations throughout. The layout is different than any novel I have read and I have to say, I loved it. Sometimes drawings in books can detract from the story, but I thought these were spot on and really added to the mysterious feeling of the book.
The plot of A Monster Calls was not at all what I was expecting, but I loved it. This is not a story about monsters, per se, but about life and love and loss. I felt so sad for Conor the whole time and I just knew what was going to happen at the end, despite not wanting it to happen at all. I am really considering reading this book aloud to my English classes this year, as I think they would all really connect with its themes and enjoy the story. If I don't, I will definitely be recommending it.
No comments:
Post a Comment