Conor has the same dream every night, ever since his mother first fell ill, ever since she started the treatments that don't quite seem to be working. But tonight is different. Tonight, when he wakes, there's a visitor at his window. It's ancient, elemental, a force of nature. And it wants the most dangerous thing of all from Conor. It wants the truth.
For our August book club theme (a book with clouds or sunshine on the cover) I chose A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness. It's been on my shelf for a long time now, and I've been meaning to read it for even longer than I've owned it. Now was a perfect time!
I'd heard so many excellent things about this story (which is illustrated by Jim Kay, by the way) so I was really excited to read it. Unfortunately, I didn't love it as much as I hoped I would!
The story is heart-breaking and beautiful, it is, and there is some stunning symbolism, themes and important topics throughout. It almost reads like a fable, with the main storyline interspersed with addition tales told to Conor by the yew tree.
Despite all those brilliant things about the book (and they were brilliantly written, as Ness' stories always are), but it was a struggle to pick it up and read it. I think that's simply because I was in a bit of a reading slump when I read it, so I am definitely willing to give it another go in the future.
Have you read A Monster Calls? What did you think?
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