Comments (92)

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May 08, 2022SkylarDaBookNerd rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
One of THE most amazing books I’ve ever read. This book was so different than what I was expecting: it was so much better. The story was so beautiful and yet so sad. It was so simple and yet so powerful. It really gave a lot to think…
May 02, 2022
Good story
Nov 13, 2021zimmleanna rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
A story as beautiful as it is terrible. Bitter but sweet. I definitely recommend, but I bawled through the last several chapters—you have been warned.
Apr 17, 2021Bugzysmom rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
This is a great read! As an adult I have to wonder why so many "juvenile" books are so much more satisfying and interesting than most 'adult' books. ie: Hunger Games.. I found this little book an easy and interesting read... I've not yet…
Apr 16, 2021Casiepaws rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
Sad and intimate. Powerful art. Not at all what I was expecting from the cover.
Apr 08, 2021LadyKatka rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
Devasting. If I could only use one word to describe this book it is devasting. I knew it had a sad ending but I had no idea it was going to be like that. I could tell what was coming long before, but then when I got there I had no idea it…
Apr 07, 2021ReadingAdviser_Jessica rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
Books about grief are such a personal thing. In this case, I think Patrick Ness has captured that raw, unutterable pain so perfectly that no matter what a person is grieving, whether a death or a loss of any kind, they will find something…
Mar 11, 2021Douggy30 rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
eBook (seemingly) has illustrations that the physical book completely lacks. eBook 5/5, Book (minus pictures) 4.5/5 (take out the eBook and enjoy the neat pictures!)
Feb 05, 2021FVRL_Maple_Ridge rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
The Maple Ridge Teen Advisory Group (TAG) recommends this book (October/November 2019). Come into the Maple Ridge branch to learn more about joining TAG!
Jan 27, 2021abbiecochran rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
In “A Monster Calls” by Patrick Ness,13-year-old Conor is going through a difficult patch in his life. With his absent father and mother sick with cancer, Conor is plagued with nightmares. But one nightmare seems particularly too real -…
Jul 17, 2020picturingstory rated this title 3 out of 5 stars
A beautiful story. I have never lost someone close to me but this book allowed me a glimpse into what depths grief and guilt take hold on a person when they do lose someone.
Jul 10, 2020Walter724 rated this title 3.5 out of 5 stars
This book is well-written. I think it might scare some kids though. I found it a bit dark and hard to read at times because of that.
May 06, 2020librarianjessica rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
A book hasn’t made me cry like this in YEARS. It took me altogether too many hours of sobbing and hugging my dog before I could sleep after finishing this one. Conor has a relatively happy life with his mum. His dad lives in America, and…
Rena15
Feb 24, 2020Rena15 rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
This took my breath away. It's simply stunning what words on a page can do to you, and what a tunnel of thoughts you'll climb through before you see the light at the end. Ness is a powerful writer with amazing talent, weaving truths about…
Aug 04, 2019Merhan_ rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
A Monster Calls is such a beautiful book and you really feel the pain that Conner is experiencing throughout the story. It is a book that faces reality and what so many people are facing right now. Overall, the book is so well written…
May 27, 2019princessofburundi rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
Suggestion: if you're going to read this book in public, think again and go home. I read this book in the Swiss Chalet at Lynden Park Mall and I wept over it. It wasn't a feminine sprinkling of a couple of tears, it was full-out ugly…
Mar 14, 2019ccielusn rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
Oh my goodness - such a beautiful book. I cried hysterically towards the end. it was so raw, so real, so compassionate. The life lessons and moral of the stories are so simple and true. I highly recommend everyone reads this book. You…
Feb 26, 2019sclibrary_nakaydin rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
You know how it is going to end but still want to read it and maybe you hope the end will be different. Single mom with cancer and her 13-year-old son. He is such a lonely child and hoping to get help from a monster. Quick read. Check it…
Jan 24, 2019goddessbeth rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
This book is contemporary with fantasy elements (you might call it magical realism, but more horror than charming), and centers around 13 year old Conor, but I wouldn't call it Young Adult. It's got a very human theme at the center, and…
Jan 14, 2019vsheckells rated this title 3.5 out of 5 stars
You *knew* how it was going to end. Really. But it still hits you. Pro tip...when you *know* how a book is going to end, don't read the ending in a classroom full of 7th graders. That being said, even though you know the ending, Ness does…
Jan 07, 2019JCLAndrewE rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
A very moving book about a young man dealing with guilt, loss, and confusion with just enough fantasy to make it accessible and compelling to a reader of any age. Strongly suggest the Audio Book, which is read by the very capable, Jason…
Nov 24, 2018IndyPL_SteveB rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
This moving short novel was the winner of many British children’s literature awards. Conor’s mother is dying. Conor knows it but won’t admit it or talk about it. His parents are divorced and his father has moved to America with his new…
Nov 24, 2018IndyPL_SteveB rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
This moving short novel was the winner of many British children’s literature awards. Conor’s mother is dying. Conor knows it but won’t admit it or talk about it. His parents are divorced and his father has moved to America with his new…
Oct 04, 2018SusyHendrix rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
What a beautiful book! I sought it out after seeing the lovely film version and the original book is just as amazing. The prose is lyrical without unnecessary floridness and the characters are multi-facted. Though it is a sad book, one…
Jun 17, 2018GraceWells rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
This book is exceptionally well written and illustrated. It will leave you in tears, perhaps repeatedly.