Well, well, well. Now, what do we have here? A Monster Calls has been all over the media for quite a while now -especially now that the film has come out. I have been wanting to pick it up since before I even knew there was going to be a movie based on it, and around one week after I bought the book, a friend of mine came to me and said "You know what, Cova? I went to the cinema yesterday and watched A Monster Calls, and you want to know something? The monster is ****************". I almost died right there and then... I could kill him!! He'd spoiled a story that I had been wanting to get to for so long!! Luckily, he was just being an asshole and that had absolutely nothing to do with the story :D I did not have a good time, though!
We could say A Monster Calls is a fantasy book about loss, hope and growing up. I honestly did not know what it was about when I read it, and that went extremely well for me, so I'm just going to leave you here the synopsis from Goodreads:
"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." (Goodreads)
I think A Monster Calls is a book that everyone has to read. It is intended for children, but what it teaches is useful for everyone, and it is beautifully written. It is the first novel I read by Patrick Ness, and I have loved it!
There are few characters in this book, just the right amount for the story. I loved how particular ones are developed even though at first glance they might not seem as important. I loved the monster and its central place in the story - I really think Patrick Ness did a terrific job with this character! It's both scary and funny, and I'm sure he'd keep good company if needed! :P
The story is not very complex, and it is built upon a central question that arises at the beginning which is like a hook. I really wanted to know what the truth was all the while I was reading! Moreover, it smoothly touches certain relevant topics such as bullying, morality and fairness, which I think is great -more taking into account that it is supposed to be a kid's book. Additionally, the writing was beautiful, and Patrick Ness did know how to make me feel things with this book -warning: you'll need a big pack of tissues if you ever read this book (which I totally recommend you do). I love when books make me cry -I feel like only really good writers who write very good stories have the power to do that. And this is really a fantastic read.
I really have no negative words for this piece of art, therefore I think A Monster Calls deserves a 5 out of 5 stars. I absolutely adored it, and I really enjoyed reading it. You definitely can't go wrong with this novel. It's for sure one of the best recent additions to my shelves! :D
A Monster Calls is now been made into a film, which I have not watched, but definitely plan to. I have heard it is a very good adaptation :)
Have you read any of the other novels by Patrick Ness? Are they as good as this one? Let me know if you have!
Happy reading!
If you liked this book, you might also like...
No comments:
Post a Comment
I'd love to read your comment!