Book Review: A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness (spoilers ahead)

 

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness (11/10🌟)

 So, I gave this book an extra star because it's not an ordinary novel that can be measured by my usual standards. For me, there are good books, great reads and then there are the books that remind you why you love reading, books that make you glad you stayed up until your eyelids were heavy but you kept reading anyway even through the parts that make you sob hysterically, books that make you forget to eat or drink, forget the world outside and that you're a human being who's a part of it and A Monster Calls is one of those books. I've had this novel on my TBR for a year (I'm one of those people who always wants to read the book BEFORE ever seeing the movie, and always years AFTER all the literary hype has died down) and yes, it does live up to the accolades it's received.

FULL SPOILER AHEAD: This is a beautiful novel about grief and death. Grief is an emotion, either active or dormant that can erupt suddenly, or simmer quietly, sometimes it's captured in a small moment and sometimes it unleashes a hurricane of anger and destruction that is cataclysmic, either way there never seems to be an easy way to talk about it, but this novel does. Twelve year old Conor is being bullied at school and at the same time he cannot come to terms with his mum's terminal illness and way everyone around him, is treating him. The fear of letting go of his mum paralysis him at times or makes him feel guilty or defensive at others. So the lesson of acceptance is taught to him by an ancient yew tree spirit (which reminds me of the Ents in TLOTR) that visits him for three nights to tell him a story, one for each night. These stories remind me slightly of Oscar Wilde's form of storytelling for children, honest and intelligent, but with Patrick's skill they are more than that, they are clever and slightly melancholy too. But Conor is tasked with telling the Yew tree the fourth story and it has to be honest, therefore it has to come from the heart, despite the fact that his is breaking. One of the most human experiences of death is brought to life by a talking tree. 

 As a side note I'd recommend this book to anyone; but especially to anyone, regardless of their age, who is grieving or suffering from a loss (no matter how recent or distant) because this novel shows you all the emotions you feel, and speaks all of the words the empty silences convey when you don't know what to say to someone who's lost someone or something, so you can quite simply get them this book. It might make them feel better, it might make them feel worst, but it also might make them feel like they're not alone.