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4.43 AVERAGE
4.43 AVERAGE
emotional
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: Death of parent
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This book came to me on a whim but when I saw it I knew I had to have it. I didn't even know what it was about, but the illustrations and pages were gorgeous and the reviewer said how impactful it was. I read it in one sitting and I never needed anything so much. I didn't know why I was drawn to it, but it all made sense soon enough. Thank you.
emotional
mysterious
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
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Two-and-a-half stars, but rounded up to a "3" because . . .
A Monster Calls is one of those books that I truly wanted to like better than I actually did. So much so, that I will probably read it again in hopes that I like it better the next time, because there is so much to like about this book. I am still struggling as to why it did not have more of an impact on me.
This is an intense book about a child dealing with the illness and imminent death of a parent. The author gets to the heart of some fundamental struggles beyond that of 13-year-old Conor, his ill mother, absentee father, sharp grandmother, and of course, the yew tree monster. The author uses Conor's conversations with the monster and the telling of three tales to touch on how guilt, loss, hope and the desperate need for others to see us interact with the imminent death of a loved one. Heavy stuff.
Jim Kay's illustrations do a marvelous job of setting the "mood" as they are sharp yet menacingly indistinct in the way nightmares usually are.
Definitely will need to read it again.
A Monster Calls is one of those books that I truly wanted to like better than I actually did. So much so, that I will probably read it again in hopes that I like it better the next time, because there is so much to like about this book. I am still struggling as to why it did not have more of an impact on me.
This is an intense book about a child dealing with the illness and imminent death of a parent. The author gets to the heart of some fundamental struggles beyond that of 13-year-old Conor, his ill mother, absentee father, sharp grandmother, and of course, the yew tree monster. The author uses Conor's conversations with the monster and the telling of three tales to touch on how guilt, loss, hope and the desperate need for others to see us interact with the imminent death of a loved one. Heavy stuff.
Jim Kay's illustrations do a marvelous job of setting the "mood" as they are sharp yet menacingly indistinct in the way nightmares usually are.
Definitely will need to read it again.
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
