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4.42 AVERAGE
4.42 AVERAGE
I'm sure I could nitpick things but it doesn't matter - this story is perfection. It might be that I read it at the right time with the right alignment of nightmares and monsters of my own, but this book tore me apart and healed me and tore me some more, and left me sobbing through the end and for about two hours after. It's the kind of book that manages to transport you somewhere else while also turning you inward and prying open the pains you thought you'd buried.
I thought it too predictable at first, but it didn't matter. The plot is secondary to the story, if that makes sense.
I thought it too predictable at first, but it didn't matter. The plot is secondary to the story, if that makes sense.
emotional
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
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cancer, Chronic illness, Terminal illness, Grief, Death of parent
A heart wrenching book with a very sad ending. Greatly enjoyable with an almost childlike innocence which is very refreshing in a book. Really well written and I now look forward to watching the film.
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-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
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Oh goodness… I didn’t know what I was getting into when I picked this one up.. I’m thoroughly angry with the bully, thoroughly experiencing second hand guilt, and thoroughly heartbroken. I don’t have much to say about this one. It’s just a giant emotional cannonball to the face.
Books do not normally make me cry, but this one had me ugly crying at the end.
As a storyteller I loved it, the 3 stories that the monster tells were so deep, all the ties to the yew tree, it was just wonderful.
However because of the subject matter of this book I would not recommend it to young teens, and you really should block of some time in your calendar to both read and then process this book before moving on to the next thing. Weeks (and books later) I am still thinking about it and it will remain one of those books I remember, like The Giver.
I am not sure if I will see the movie or not, in some ways I want to see what they have done with it, and in others perhaps it is best left in my head. After all the Monster You Call is not always the one you think you are going to get.....
As a storyteller I loved it, the 3 stories that the monster tells were so deep, all the ties to the yew tree, it was just wonderful.
However because of the subject matter of this book I would not recommend it to young teens, and you really should block of some time in your calendar to both read and then process this book before moving on to the next thing. Weeks (and books later) I am still thinking about it and it will remain one of those books I remember, like The Giver.
I am not sure if I will see the movie or not, in some ways I want to see what they have done with it, and in others perhaps it is best left in my head. After all the Monster You Call is not always the one you think you are going to get.....
A truly moving and one-of-a-kind read. I'm at somewhat of a loss here, trying to come up with the right words to review this book and do it justice. And let me tell you, I am not one to be at a loss for words.
I've been meaning to read this book for some time now, knowing that if Patrick Ness had a hand in it, it was bound to be unique and haunting. And I was almost getting angry with myself for having waited so long, thinking all the positive reviews and awards would have hyped it up so much that it would never live up to the expectations I had placed upon it. I had no reason to worry.
Ness has crafted a seemingly simple tale that everyone, child and adult alike, should read. Conor, the protagonist, is very easy to identify and empathize with, but his journey is a difficult one to both witness and experience. But once both Conor and the reader come to accept that it is a necessary one, Ness, like Conor's story-telling monster, guides the reader through it with emotionally-charged, straightforward prose that makes the reading fly by and the story linger.
I've been meaning to read this book for some time now, knowing that if Patrick Ness had a hand in it, it was bound to be unique and haunting. And I was almost getting angry with myself for having waited so long, thinking all the positive reviews and awards would have hyped it up so much that it would never live up to the expectations I had placed upon it. I had no reason to worry.
Ness has crafted a seemingly simple tale that everyone, child and adult alike, should read. Conor, the protagonist, is very easy to identify and empathize with, but his journey is a difficult one to both witness and experience. But once both Conor and the reader come to accept that it is a necessary one, Ness, like Conor's story-telling monster, guides the reader through it with emotionally-charged, straightforward prose that makes the reading fly by and the story linger.