Reader Review – A monster calls by Patrick Ness

A Monster Calls
Author: Patrick Ness

This story follows a young boy, Conor, as his life spirals out of control – be warned, this book is sad. With his Mum’s cancer, bullies at school, and his hate for his grandmother, he just wants to give up as he punishes himself over and over. The book begins with a nightmare. A nightmare so horrific that Conor cannot even bear to admit it to himself – the same one that he had been having for weeks. When he wakes, a voice calls to him from the garden below him. A monster – who eats him alive after Conor voiced his defiance to fear. He wakes once more, for real. He goes downstairs and does the washing, has breakfast and takes the rubbish out. Far too much responsibility for Conor, but he feels he is not doing enough. He treks to school and is beaten up by the ‘perfect’ student, Harry, teacher’s pet, football team captain and the most popular boy in the school. English was ‘Life Writing’, an assignment to write about your life, set by Conor’s teacher. But Conor has only bad things to write about – his cat dying, his father leaving. And then on the way home, his ex-friend Lily catches up to him and tries to be nice. But Conor will not return the favour. Not since she told everyone. Not since the whole school found out about his Mum’s cancer in one day. And so his suffering continues. His Mum’s condition worsens as the book progresses. The monster, talking to him every night, tells him confusing, rebellious stories. Harry and his followers make every school day hell for Conor. And slowly, you find out more and more of his nightmare. The Nightmare. The terrible vision, every night, slowly driving Conor crazy with guilt. Conor needs to find out what he needs to do, what he needs to accept and what he needs to fight. And how he needs to forgive himself. I rate this book five stars. Do not read if you don’t want to be upset, it is a very sad book, but fulfilling and enjoyable all the same.

Jake, aged 12