Around the World in 80 Books discussion

Start discussion here for A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness.

I read this book about a month ago, and wrote this review:

Conor's mother has terminal cancer, his father is overseas with his new family, and he doesn't relate well with his grandmother. Conor is having nightmares, and a monster shows up to tell the thirteen-year-old boy three stories, and then expects Conor to tell him a fourth story....the truth.

Siobhan Dowd, the author of young adult books, had the ideas for this story but died of cancer before she could write the book. Patrick Ness expanded on her ideas, and A Monster Calls is the result. This well-written book has a powerful emotional impact. The wonderful black and white illustrations by Jim Kay perfectly complement the mood of the book. This heartbreaking story deals with love, hope, helplessness, grief, and letting go.

I am looking forward to reading this. Just want to tie up a few other books first.

This is a powerful little book. It is well-written and very hard to put down. I think the story would appeal to people of all ages. I wonder how different the story would have been if it had been written by Dowd instead of Ness.

I read the book in one go. It is powerfull, as Diane said, but I had problems with the stories the monster told. Shame on me. I expected something more along the lines, so I couldn't make much sense of it till the ending.

Diane wrote: "...I wonder how different the story would have been if it had been if it had been written by Dowd instead of Ness."

Has anybody read other books by either Dowd or Ness? I haven't, but had the same question in mind.

Iselin wrote: "I read the book in one go. It is powerfull, as Diane said, but I had problems with the stories the monster told. Shame on me. I expected something more along the lines, so I couldn't make much sens..."

I haven't. I really want to read Bog Child by Dowd. I have The Knife of Never Letting Go by Ness on Kindle, but haven't started reading it yet.

O. K. About to start the book, my brand new hard back. I paid for this book new. I hope I love it. It is the last book on my list for this month

Wow. I am enjoying this book so far. And the illustrations bring me back to childhood like I am reading a story book - which it is I suppose. So a few things. Just finished reading the Yew Tree Monster tell the first story. It seems we can all see what we want to see and hide the truth from ourselves. I don't know yet how this relates to Connor but that is one theme I am picking up on
Furthermore, my mom battled and died of Cancer when I was a teen. I was almost sixteen not thirteen like Connor. One of my brothers was 11 almost twelve. Anyway in the beginning Connor talks about how the news spread through his community of his mom having cancer. I remember when I had to go through that. I was so embarrassed. I remember the local newspaper published an article on my mom and our family. Even though the support was overwhelming from our community, I am sure, at that age I did not understand. It was humiliating. I rally could relate to 13 year old Connor

As Diane said, very hard to put down - I read book this in one sitting - and, I suspect, hard to forget. I found Conor's anger and embarrassment so convincing and moving, and the three tales told by the monster quite complex and intriguing. I appreciated how the stories didn't try to teach a simple lesson for Conor, but instead showed him how messy and complicated feelings and motives are, just like in real life.

I'm trying to talk my teenage kids into reading this book now. They've already read The Fault in Our Stars, which also deals with love, grief and letting go, but in such a different way....

A Fault in Our Stars did not seem authentic to me at all. I was so annoyed by it. This book does as Gilead did as well. I agree with you Annie - what you said about the stories.

There are so many things I can relate to and this book brings me back to the experience I had of being a teenager with a mom dying of cancer.

"Then, somehow, he was back at school again. As incredible as it seemed, time kept moving forward to the rest of the world.
The rest of the world that wasn't waiting "

I remember being in such a state of limbo and I wanted something concrete. She wasn't dead and she wasn't really living. But when she did pass it all seemed to come so soon and my whole foundation was torn apart - talk aboutscaredshitless.