A Monster Calls
by Patrick Ness
I starting reading this book while I was in bed with the flu, thinking it was a short story from which would be fun to read a few pages before going to bed. A couple of hour later I was still up crying like a baby to myself. Maybe it was the fever or I was particularly emotional that evening, but I still can bring up all the feelings I had while I was reading it, it's been since then one of my favorite books of all time.
Seven minutes after midnights, a Monster appear at Conrad's bedroom window. But it isn't the one that curls up in his nightmare, the one that he has every night since his mum started her treatments. This monster is different, he will tell him three stories and at the end of them will be Conrad's turn, he will have to tell the Truth.
Only the premises of this story should make you read it, but if that's not enough you can add to it the beautiful creepy illustration from Jim Kay -it makes it worth buying the illustrated copy- who if you didn't already know is the same illustrator of the new illustrated edition of Harry Potter.
This is a wonderful, well-written, moving tale of a boy whose mum has cancer. It's about overcoming fears, cus you can't simply push them aside forever, there will come a time to face them; it's about learning to let go and forgive yourself for doing it. Nothing is simply black or white there are so many shades in between.
Conrad is presented not only with the battle against his mum cancer but with his other struggle: from his father who is moving away to America, with his new family, to the pity eye that everyone give him at school. He is a complete character, that feel totally real, with whom you can empatize.
The story is was inspired by Siobhan Dowd idea; Patrick Ness decided to pick her characters, her beginning and bring it to life in this fantastic tale that would have never been, since Siobhan didn't have the time to completed after her too-early death.
This was my first Patrick Ness book and I picked up most of his work from here, eventrought I think this is his best book until now.
I would highly recommend this book to any reader, it's an heartbreaking, unforgettable tale.
5/5 STARS
Did you read it? Which one of the three stories did you like the best?
Here is the movie trailer, coming out in October (21/10/2016 USA):
POST UPDATE!!: the movie is out so here is my BOOK vs MOVIE review.
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