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A review by gabbyreads
A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness
5.0
Just finished my reread of this and it still lives up, this book is so beautiful. I read this as my first book for the Reading Rush and this completed three challenges for me: book to movie adaptation, book with a non-human main character, and reading a book in the same spot the whole time (my bed) lol. But yeah this was great, easy 5 stars. Can't wait to watch the movie adaptation.
ORIGINAL REVIEW:
“But what is a dream, Conor O'Malley? the monster said, bending down so it's face was close to Conor's. Who is to say that it is not everything else that is the dream?”
Oh my god. I am sitting here bawling my eyes out over this book. People weren't kidding when they said this book was sad and depressing. I picked this up today and decided it is finally time to read this book that has been praised non-stop, and rightfully so. This book is so powerful and it was unpredictable and dark. Conor, the main character, is only thirteen years old, but he is mature beyond his years. He is such a good kid, which makes this book that much sadder. In a lot of ways, this book reminded me of the Australian film, The Babadook which is a horror film about a monster, the Babadook, who comes and haunts this depressed and grieving Mother and son after the death of her husband. The writing style gives you that same depressing, dark vibe as the movie does. And both this book and that movie have a lot to say about depression and how it affects you.
“There is not always a good guy. Nor is there always a bad one. Most people are somewhere in between.”
This book also has a lot to say about the way we view villains and the way we see right from wrong, which is very interesting. The three tales that the monster tells Conor are very haunting and dark, but also say a lot about humanity and where exactly do we draw the line between right and wrong? Does one horrible mistake make someone a villain? We are all human and we all make mistakes. This type of philosophy really just opened my eyes and I love books that branch out and dig a little deeper like this one did. The illustrations throughout this book are so hauntingly beautiful and really brings the story together. The drawings are dark and eerie in a way that breaks your heart.
“Stories are wild creatures, the monster said. When you let them loose, who knows what havoc they might wreak?”
It is just sad the way cancer affects an entire family, and how sometimes the people who need to be saved the most aren't even the ones with cancer themselves. This book is just so heart breaking and beautiful and I am so glad i decided to read this one. It's my first Patrick Ness book ever, and I am so glad I picked this one for my first.
ORIGINAL REVIEW:
“But what is a dream, Conor O'Malley? the monster said, bending down so it's face was close to Conor's. Who is to say that it is not everything else that is the dream?”
Oh my god. I am sitting here bawling my eyes out over this book. People weren't kidding when they said this book was sad and depressing. I picked this up today and decided it is finally time to read this book that has been praised non-stop, and rightfully so. This book is so powerful and it was unpredictable and dark. Conor, the main character, is only thirteen years old, but he is mature beyond his years. He is such a good kid, which makes this book that much sadder. In a lot of ways, this book reminded me of the Australian film, The Babadook which is a horror film about a monster, the Babadook, who comes and haunts this depressed and grieving Mother and son after the death of her husband. The writing style gives you that same depressing, dark vibe as the movie does. And both this book and that movie have a lot to say about depression and how it affects you.
“There is not always a good guy. Nor is there always a bad one. Most people are somewhere in between.”
This book also has a lot to say about the way we view villains and the way we see right from wrong, which is very interesting. The three tales that the monster tells Conor are very haunting and dark, but also say a lot about humanity and where exactly do we draw the line between right and wrong? Does one horrible mistake make someone a villain? We are all human and we all make mistakes. This type of philosophy really just opened my eyes and I love books that branch out and dig a little deeper like this one did. The illustrations throughout this book are so hauntingly beautiful and really brings the story together. The drawings are dark and eerie in a way that breaks your heart.
“Stories are wild creatures, the monster said. When you let them loose, who knows what havoc they might wreak?”
It is just sad the way cancer affects an entire family, and how sometimes the people who need to be saved the most aren't even the ones with cancer themselves. This book is just so heart breaking and beautiful and I am so glad i decided to read this one. It's my first Patrick Ness book ever, and I am so glad I picked this one for my first.