A Monster Calls: Inspired by an idea from Siobhan Dowd

Patrick Ness · Siobhan Dowd

Sep 2011 · Candlewick Press

About this ebook

NOW A #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER! An unflinching, darkly funny, and deeply moving story of a boy, his seriously ill mother, and an unexpected monstrous visitor, featuring stunning artwork by Jim Kay.

At seven minutes past midnight, thirteen-year-old Conor wakes to find a monster outside his bedroom window. But it isn’t the monster Conor’s been expecting-- he’s been expecting the one from his nightmare, the nightmare he’s had nearly every night since his mother started her treatments. The monster in his backyard is different. It’s ancient. And wild. And it wants something from Conor. Something terrible and dangerous. It wants the truth. From the final idea of award-winning author Siobhan Dowd-- whose premature death from cancer prevented her from writing it herself-- Patrick Ness has spun a haunting and darkly funny novel of mischief, loss, and monsters both real and imagined.

Ratings and reviews

Thirteen year old Conor O’Malley has been experiencing nightmares – screaming and falling, but hasn’t told anyone even his dying mother. Then one night, just after midnight, a monster showed up. But this tree monster is different from his other nightmare – he doesn’t feel terror, panic, or darkness towards it. This tree monster will tell Conor three stories then Conor will tell the fourth story – the truth. Not just any truth, but Conor’s truth. If he didn’t tell the truth, the tree will eat him alive. However, don’t be fooled by this. This is not a horror story about scary monsters and nightmares. It’s more about the “horror” of losing hope that you hold onto and losing someone you love the most. If you don’t like sad endings, then this book is not for you. Prepare to be emotional. Prepare your heart.

Heart wrenching yet interesting take off a boy's journey as he struggles with his mother's passing from cancer. The author does a wonderful job of making you feel for the characters and wasn't too take another step despite the horrible subject matter. I would recommend this take for mature readers.

This is one amazingly done little novel, I felt emotionally connected with Conor's anger and the way he felt towards his Mom. Because that my own mom is sick as well and I am scared to death to think that she will be gone one day.

About the author

Patrick Ness is the author of the critically acclaimed and best-selling Chaos Walking trilogy. He has won the Booktrust Teenage Prize, the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize, and the Costa Children's Book Award. Born in Virginia, Patrick Ness lives in London.

Siobhan Dowd spent twenty years as a human rights campaigner before her first novel, A Swift Pure Cry, was published in 2006. She won the Carnegie Medal posthumously in 2009 after her death from breast cancer, in 2007.

Jim Kay studied illustration and worked in the archives of the Tate Gallery and the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew, two experiences that have influenced his work. He lives in Edinburgh, Scotland.