*A Monster Calls-- Patrick Ness
Release Date: September 27th, 2011Genre: Um... fiction?
Publisher: Candlewick
Pages: 205
Rating:
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Summary:
The monster showed up just after midnight. As they do. But it isn’t the monster Conor’s been expecting. He’s been expecting the one from his nightmare, the nightmare he’s had nearly every night since his mother started her treatments, the one with the darkness and the wind and the screaming. . . .Blurb: It's like The Giving Tree gone horribly, horribly wrong.
This monster, though, is something different. Something ancient, something wild. And it wants the most dangerous thing of all from Conor.
It wants the truth.
Review: I have an interesting relationship with this book. I'm still not sure if I love it or hate it. I thought this book was SOOOOOOO boring for the first 100+. I thought it was didactic, and I KNEW there was supposed to be some kind of deep message, but the fact that it wasn't affecting me was really bugging me.
But then... something changed. I don't know what it was. All of a sudden... I loved it. And then I thought it was a cheap shot. And then I thought it was beautiful. And then I wanted to throw it against the wall. And then I was sobbing. And then I decided that I would give this book the worst rating ever.
And here we are.
I think what was the hardest part was that by the time I finished the book and was sobbing, I thought "This isn't fair! I don't like this book, so why is it making me cry so much?!" It made me angry. I had been prepared to hate it. There was so much that made me want to hate it. And then for it to suddenly make me want to love it?! Gah! Emotional turmoil!
It boils down to this: A Monster Calls was not my kind of book. It was a little too dependant on its metaphors, etc. However, I really liked it. Hence the conflict.
The bright side is that it's really short. It only took me a couple hours to read, if that. So whether you love it or hate it, it's not going to take a lot out of your day.
All review content © Enna Isilee, Squeaky Books 2007-2012
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This review just made me laugh :) I happened to have loved it. That being said, I think one of my favorite parts was the author's note talking about "making trouble" at the very beginning.
ReplyDeleteYou're right - the reading doesn't take much time. I have to disagree on the 'it won't take much out of your day,' though. I felt wrecked after finishing it. Like all my emotion left me in the form of tears. It took me a good two days to feel normal again. But hey, that's me. Oh, and I loved it. *sigh*
ReplyDeleteI've read a lot of mixed reviews on this one...but it's Patrick Ness so I still want to read it...I think...
ReplyDeleteoh hm, I really liked this book but I can see why you didn't! The metaphors were pretty heavy and I expected to cry a lot but didn't. I heard his Chaos Walking trilogy was better though so I'm excited to read that. It was really interesting reading your review, thank you! x
ReplyDeleteWait! We're getting the wrong idea! I LOVED the book, but it left me really conflicted. So Cecelia I would have to agree with you. I was thinking about it for DAYS afterward.
ReplyDeleteAnd now I have to read it. :o)
ReplyDelete