A Monster Calls | A Beautiful story

 

Title: A Monster Calls

Author: Patrick Ness

Publisher: Walker Books

Genres: fantasy, young adult, contemporary, middle-grade, horror

Book purchase links: Bookxcess | Book Depository  

Book Blurb

The bestselling novel about love, loss and hope from the twice Carnegie Medal-winning Patrick Ness.

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.

Patrick Ness takes the final idea of the late, award-winning writer Siobhan Dowd and weaves an extraordinary and heartbreaking tale of mischief, healing and above all, the courage it takes to survive. 

My Review

A Monster Calls has already been adapted into a movie in 2016 ( I have yet to see it but will do). Right after watching the trailer, I straightaway marked this book as in my wishlist and finally got it during Big Bad Wolf Sales. It's intriguing to see a monster coming out from a tree. I never imagined the monster would be a walking tree but it makes sense when the existence itself is actually associated with the reasons behind the story. 

Written from the third person of view with a simple writing style that every English second language users can easily understand, we follow Conor O'Malley, a 13 yrs old boy, who is deeply aghast of his dying mother. He strictly believes that death won't take his mother until he tells so - his anger, his perseverance, his last strike of patience - is getting thinned by how many times his bald mother constantly getting 'cancer' treatments yet the results are still the same - still lain weak in her bed and here Conor hopefully praying that his nightmare won't come true.

Until one day. One night. And it happens continuously. Every time the clock ticks 12:07, the monster emerges. Out alive, from a yew tree across his house. Yes, that monster is the yew tree, you'll find out why is it yew later in the story. 

What's more interesting after that, the monster will tell the boy three tales - legit those tales are freaking genius to be added into this book - I said genius because these tales have their own plot twists that you won't see coming. After telling three tales, in return, the boy must tell the monster one tale only - the truth. His truth. Or else, he will be eaten by the monster and gone forever. One last tale, the truth - sounds easy but who knows later it is the reason that got me bawled. 

Okay about that. I was skeptical about everyone's been saying this book can make you cry because of how beautiful the relationship between a boy and his mother - I didn't cry throughout the story, I just cried at the end of the story. From the beginning to the middle of the story, this book parades the inner life of a lost kid coming from a dysfunctional family, the unwanted sympathy from people around him which in turn makes him feel unseen thus building a budding anger in him. In the long run, the anger that has been pent up inside himself begins to burst all over when the monster whispers in his ears,

"Destruction is very satisfying"

This book doesn't only fixate on the boy trying to accept the fate of losing his beloved one, this book in fact has taught me that accepting the truth is better than dreading it with lies that will suffocate you. 

I felt very grateful to stumble upon this book. It has made me experienced feelings that I haven't gone through. This book doesn't spoonfeed you of what has been faced by the lead character himself - I like it more that way. For the pacing of the story, it's quite a quick read and that's what I'm disappointed with this book - I wish it could be more longer. Honestly, if you guys ask whether this book has a sad or happy ending, I think I shall not say it, because yes, it is what you think. 

Prepare some tissues, peeps.