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A review by shanehawk
A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness
5.0
I'm twice as old as the age bracket this is intended for, but it still broke me down. It's a realist fairytale told through short lessons and larger-than-life metaphor. I did not read the synopsis before diving in. Cliche as it may be, I judged the book by the cover and expected a thrilling, creepy story. I was far off.
I'd like to change up my review style a bit here and share one of my favorite quotes in the book. It's rather long, sorry.
Here the monster is trying to clarify his message within the stories he has told the boy. His message being we humans are complicated and at many points in life we have two or more factions of thought fighting for the truth and the middle. We lie to ourselves and others to put a buffer on facts that we don't want to accept but deep down know are true. He's making the boy understand it's okay to feel two ways about something that are antithetical to each other, but in the end we must always both face and share the truth.
This book really hit me personally because I experienced a cancer death twice in my life. Previously in 2012 with an ex-girlfriend and her mother after three agonizing years of hospital visits and depression. More recently with my stepfather in September 2016 who was battling a number of cancers for years due to Agent Orange from the Vietnam War. I saw both wither away over time until their gut-wrenching deaths. Perhaps reading this book earlier in my teens would have softened the blow and helped me deal with loss and forgiveness in my later years. I recommend this book to all. It's a very quick read so it shouldn't be a bother. 5/5 stars.
I'd like to change up my review style a bit here and share one of my favorite quotes in the book. It's rather long, sorry.
Because humans are complicated beasts, the monster said. How can a queen be both a good witch and a bad witch? How can a prince be a murderer and a savior? How can an apothecary be evil-tempered but right-thinking? How can a person be wrong-thinking but good-hearted? How can invisible men make themselves more lonely than being seen?
...
The answer is that it does not matter what you think, the monster said, because your mind will contradict itself a hundred times each day. You wanted her to go at the same time you were desperate for me to save her. Your mind will believe comforting lies while also knowing painful truths that make those lies necessary. And your mind will punish you for believing both.
Here the monster is trying to clarify his message within the stories he has told the boy. His message being we humans are complicated and at many points in life we have two or more factions of thought fighting for the truth and the middle. We lie to ourselves and others to put a buffer on facts that we don't want to accept but deep down know are true. He's making the boy understand it's okay to feel two ways about something that are antithetical to each other, but in the end we must always both face and share the truth.
This book really hit me personally because I experienced a cancer death twice in my life. Previously in 2012 with an ex-girlfriend and her mother after three agonizing years of hospital visits and depression. More recently with my stepfather in September 2016 who was battling a number of cancers for years due to Agent Orange from the Vietnam War. I saw both wither away over time until their gut-wrenching deaths. Perhaps reading this book earlier in my teens would have softened the blow and helped me deal with loss and forgiveness in my later years. I recommend this book to all. It's a very quick read so it shouldn't be a bother. 5/5 stars.