A Moster Calls by Patrick Ness

Description: 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. (more info here)


Epic Wins:

• I have to start by thanking a blogger. She mentioned A Monster Calls as being an amazing book, one that I had to get my hands on. So, Ecey (Ece Red) , thanks for the recommend. 
• This book was so very powerful, almost in the way that The Book Thief captivates. A Monster Calls has that same feel to it and I had a very similar reaction to it. Cried through the last 30 pages or so and felt that zing of this-was-better-than-an-average-book. 
• Conor- He is such a brave kid, I have no idea how he kept so hopeful through the story, chin always up. 
• Crazy Talking Yew Trees- Say what? I thought the way Ness weaved such a weird element into a mostly normal story was amazing. The tree itself was a joker and frankly one of my favorite characters. 
• This book has a slight creepy side to it that I just loved. Monsters that visit you at seven past twelve and tell you stories? Yep, creepy.
• The illustrations- The illustrations reflect the tone of the book so well that you can't have the story without the pictures. Dark yet alluring, I couldn't get enough of them!
• Message 1- The truth is not a happy tale. Most of the time it won't be but the truth is the truth.
• Message 2- Sometimes we know the truth but wish so hard that it isn't true that we pretend it isn't. It's a type of coping method.
• Message 3- There are harder things than invisibility. When people can see you but still ignore you, that hurts worse. Conor learns this, with the yew tree's help of course.
• Message 4- 'the wildness of stories'- how they twist and turn, confusing you. It's like in the musical Wicked (based off of The Wizard of Oz) where Elphaba is a girl trying to do the right thing, completely opposite of who she is in the original. Enough rambling, my point is that sometimes stories have secrets that you don't always see.

Overall: This book, condensed to three words, is creepy, heart-breaking, and powerful. I so hope you try this one out, I have a feeling you'll love it as much as I do!

Adieu,
Kare