Publication Date: September 27th, 2011
Publisher: Walker Books
Source: bought own copy
Overall rating: 5 / 5 stars
'A Monster Calls' follows the story of Conor, a young boy who one day starts being visited by a monster in the middle of the night. This monster wants the truth.
So I had never read a book by Patrick Ness before and this was definitely a great introduction to him. Since the novel follows a young boy, this story probably attracts a middle grade audience, but once you read it the universal themes can stretch throughout all ages. I even think readers that are young adults or older would probably be more impacted by it, I know a middle school me wouldn't have enjoyed this as much.
I don't want to give away much about the storyline and themes of this novel because I didn't know anything going in and I think that is part of why it hit me so hard. Seeing this story through the innocent eyes of a child made it so powerful and real.
The illustrations in this novel were absolutely beautiful, I would definitely recommend getting your hands on a hard copy, rather than an ebook version. Jim Kay does an amazing job of creating illustrations that truly are part of the story, rather than just a visual add on. Especially toward the second half of the book, the illustrations really brought the story to life and added so much emotion.
Overall, I would recommend reading this story, no matter your age. The universal themes and messages will make each of us pull something different from it. I am not sure where the line lies between Siobhan's original idea and Patrick Ness's development of it, but the creativity and uniqueness of this story will stay with me a long time and I believe can captivate audiences of any age.
Overall rating: 5 / 5 stars
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