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iane_reads's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Violence, Death, Bullying, Medical content, Death of parent, Grief, Terminal illness, Cancer, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, and Hate crime
Moderate: Murder, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Blood, Child abuse, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Misogyny, Religious bigotry, Self harm, Sexual content, Animal cruelty, Pandemic/Epidemic, and Child death
ajediprincess's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
“Stories are important,” the monster said. “They can be more important than anything. If they carry the truth.”
This book touched me to my core. I can only agree with so many of the glowing reviews here, because this story was both captivating and deeply moving. It resonated with aspects of my life and feelings in my world that I didn’t even know were there. The book was structured almost like a short story with an engaging fast pace. I read the whole thing in one night because I couldn’t bear to put it down. The mystery intrigued me. The symbolism delighted me. The message transformed me. It felt like something that would have been written by someone from a generation much older than Patrick Ness, like one of the Inklings perhaps, because inside this little book are housed timeless infallible truths that all of us need to read.
Despite the name and the cover, it really isn’t a scary/horror book, but rather the grim reality that the protagonist, Conor O’Malley, must endure daily is one of the most horrifying things a person can experience. This book confronts many different raw and difficult emotions and indeed explores the five stages of grief as we follow Conor through his journey to healing and peace in the face of the unthinkable.
This book was painful, powerful, and deeply profound. It was emotional, surreal, and it struck such a chord with me that I will be recommending it to my friends and family for ages. Also, I have since discovered that there is a film adaption for the book with the screenplay by Ness himself and I am eager to see it. Ness’s writing style is such that the reader really steps inside the mind of a scared and internally conflicted boy going through unimaginable hardship. He writes Conor’s story with graciousness, eliciting a strong sense of empathy and understanding for Conor even in the most infuriating of moments. The reader cannot help but feel for Conor and everything he’s experiencing. Add to this a touch of magical realism and childlike wonder and we are suddenly transported to a world between dreams and reality, delving deeply into the heart of Conor’s suffering and turmoil.
The book’s themes and the internal journey of transformation that Conor goes on are haunting and painful, but unbelievably important. I adored this book and everything about it. It’s a story that I will return to over and over again. I’ve added it to my to-own shelf because it was just that amazing for me. The stories the monster tells are ones that I will contemplate and analyze for years to come because for me, this is what good stories do. They stick with you and they inspire you to consider all aspects of what might be gleaned from them.
Reading this book was also something of a spiritual experience for me. I am a believer and so I tend to look for theological truths in all aspects of my life, including in the magic of storytelling. The monster says something to Conor that really struck me as incredible and inexplicably wonderful on a personal level.
“Who am I?” the monster repeated, still roaring. “I am the spine that the mountains hang upon! I am the tears that the rivers cry! I am the lungs that breathe the wind! I am the wolf that kills the stag, the hawk that kills the mouse, the spider that kills the fly! I am the stag, the mouse, and the fly that are eaten! I am the snake of the world devouring its tail! I am everything untamed and untameable!” It brought Conor up close to its eye. “I am this wild earth, come for you, Conor O'Malley.”
At another point in the story the monster implies that he has had many different names and taken many different forms throughout history and time. From this, I was reminded of two things: Aslan in the Chronicles of Narnia and the book of Job in the Bible. I do not know if this was intentional, or even if Ness is a follower of Christ, but to me, this whole book was a very raw and beautiful Christian allegory for when we experience unthinkably difficult and painful times in life.
In C. S. Lewis’s aforementioned enduring classic children’s series, Aslan appears as the embodiment of the almighty God in the world of Narnia. He tells the children that here they know him by one name, but he exists even in their world and they know him by another name there. (Sidenote: Perhaps then, it is such a beautiful coincidence that in the film adaption of this awesome book, A Monster Calls Liam Neeson voices the monster and in Walden Media’s 2005 film adaptation of The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe Liam Neeson also voices Aslan) Given the monster’s role in the book, I felt the monster could be seen as a representation of the almighty God in Conor’s story as well.
The analogy was further emphasized for me by the similarities of God’s presence in the Biblical book of Job, wherein he appears to Job when Job has just been through unthinkable loss, pain, and suffering. God graciously and powerfully speaks to Job in the midst of his grief as well, establishing his inerrancy and authority, but also affirming his undeniable and unending love. He knew what Job needed then, just as the monster knows what Conor O’Malley needs in his story. And in both cases, redemption, peace, and healing are found.
I could go on and on about how much I was touched by and will forever treasure this book, but I’m sure you understand by now that reading this was much more than I had imagined when I picked up this beautiful book (by the way, the illustrations that accompany the print version only add to the reading experience. I definitely recommend it). It wasn’t just a book, it was an unforgettable experience that left me on my face in tears, humbled and awed.
This book touched me to my core. I can only agree with so many of the glowing reviews here, because this story was both captivating and deeply moving. It resonated with aspects of my life and feelings in my world that I didn’t even know were there. The book was structured almost like a short story with an engaging fast pace. I read the whole thing in one night because I couldn’t bear to put it down. The mystery intrigued me. The symbolism delighted me. The message transformed me. It felt like something that would have been written by someone from a generation much older than Patrick Ness, like one of the Inklings perhaps, because inside this little book are housed timeless infallible truths that all of us need to read.
Despite the name and the cover, it really isn’t a scary/horror book, but rather the grim reality that the protagonist, Conor O’Malley, must endure daily is one of the most horrifying things a person can experience. This book confronts many different raw and difficult emotions and indeed explores the five stages of grief as we follow Conor through his journey to healing and peace in the face of the unthinkable.
This book was painful, powerful, and deeply profound. It was emotional, surreal, and it struck such a chord with me that I will be recommending it to my friends and family for ages. Also, I have since discovered that there is a film adaption for the book with the screenplay by Ness himself and I am eager to see it. Ness’s writing style is such that the reader really steps inside the mind of a scared and internally conflicted boy going through unimaginable hardship. He writes Conor’s story with graciousness, eliciting a strong sense of empathy and understanding for Conor even in the most infuriating of moments. The reader cannot help but feel for Conor and everything he’s experiencing. Add to this a touch of magical realism and childlike wonder and we are suddenly transported to a world between dreams and reality, delving deeply into the heart of Conor’s suffering and turmoil.
The book’s themes and the internal journey of transformation that Conor goes on are haunting and painful, but unbelievably important. I adored this book and everything about it. It’s a story that I will return to over and over again. I’ve added it to my to-own shelf because it was just that amazing for me. The stories the monster tells are ones that I will contemplate and analyze for years to come because for me, this is what good stories do. They stick with you and they inspire you to consider all aspects of what might be gleaned from them.
Reading this book was also something of a spiritual experience for me. I am a believer and so I tend to look for theological truths in all aspects of my life, including in the magic of storytelling. The monster says something to Conor that really struck me as incredible and inexplicably wonderful on a personal level.
“Who am I?” the monster repeated, still roaring. “I am the spine that the mountains hang upon! I am the tears that the rivers cry! I am the lungs that breathe the wind! I am the wolf that kills the stag, the hawk that kills the mouse, the spider that kills the fly! I am the stag, the mouse, and the fly that are eaten! I am the snake of the world devouring its tail! I am everything untamed and untameable!” It brought Conor up close to its eye. “I am this wild earth, come for you, Conor O'Malley.”
At another point in the story the monster implies that he has had many different names and taken many different forms throughout history and time. From this, I was reminded of two things: Aslan in the Chronicles of Narnia and the book of Job in the Bible. I do not know if this was intentional, or even if Ness is a follower of Christ, but to me, this whole book was a very raw and beautiful Christian allegory for when we experience unthinkably difficult and painful times in life.
In C. S. Lewis’s aforementioned enduring classic children’s series, Aslan appears as the embodiment of the almighty God in the world of Narnia. He tells the children that here they know him by one name, but he exists even in their world and they know him by another name there. (Sidenote: Perhaps then, it is such a beautiful coincidence that in the film adaption of this awesome book, A Monster Calls Liam Neeson voices the monster and in Walden Media’s 2005 film adaptation of The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe Liam Neeson also voices Aslan) Given the monster’s role in the book, I felt the monster could be seen as a representation of the almighty God in Conor’s story as well.
The analogy was further emphasized for me by the similarities of God’s presence in the Biblical book of Job, wherein he appears to Job when Job has just been through unthinkable loss, pain, and suffering. God graciously and powerfully speaks to Job in the midst of his grief as well, establishing his inerrancy and authority, but also affirming his undeniable and unending love. He knew what Job needed then, just as the monster knows what Conor O’Malley needs in his story. And in both cases, redemption, peace, and healing are found.
I could go on and on about how much I was touched by and will forever treasure this book, but I’m sure you understand by now that reading this was much more than I had imagined when I picked up this beautiful book (by the way, the illustrations that accompany the print version only add to the reading experience. I definitely recommend it). It wasn’t just a book, it was an unforgettable experience that left me on my face in tears, humbled and awed.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying and Violence
Moderate: Cancer, Toxic friendship, Terminal illness, Grief, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, and Death
alainaev's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer and Bullying
Moderate: Emotional abuse
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