A Monster Calls- Patrick Ness BOOK TALK

Sidenote: Notice how I posted this at exactly 12.07....... I'm so proud of my ingenuity that it's sad.
***
After much recommendation from Kaitlin @ Liber Amoris, I finally read this book and not long after watched the movie adaptation (stay tuned for that review). It was definitely a short read so, if you're desperate to power through your reading challenge for the year, this is a solid starter.
The one thing I really loved about this book was the unique perspective of a child (though, I completely acknowledge that the protagonist is literally only three years younger than me). It felt like he was younger than thirteen so...
This story hit a bit close to home but I think that, in the long run, it made me appreciate it and relate to it a lot more. So, I don't know if that was a good thing or a bad thing...

GOODREADS

AMAZON

SPOILERS AHEAD- SPOILERS HEAD- SPOILERS AHEAD- SPOILERS AHEAD
The part I loved most about this book were the twisted stories that the monster told- I love tales that alter your whole perception of things and really get you thinking. They reminded me a bit of the ones included in We Were Liars which gave it a nice and eerie feel for me.

I liked the monster. It could be debated whether he was an illusion of Conor's or whether the book just had an element of magical realism but, either way, I loved the monster and it was lovely to watch his interactions with Conor. I would personally go down the route of the monster being a hallucination because that seems more realistic- the only way for Conor to accept what's happening to his mum and because Conor does all the things that the monster supposedly does (trashing his Nan's house for starters...)
Talking of his mum, I loved her., She was sweet and it was devastating to see what was happening to her... like I said, it hit close to home.
I really liked the fact that Conor didn't get along with his grandmother. It was nice how their bond reluctantly grew and that they both realised that they would always have one thing in common- his mum. I like how the book left off with the insinuation that they would one day get along with each other.
Honestly? The whole 'truth' thing was a bit anticlimactic for me. Maybe I'm a heartless person but... I
can completely understand why Conor would feel that way and, in the dream, of course he let go of his mother! Realistically, he never would've been able to hold on forever. This story, if nothing else, is about letting go.
I adored the implication that his mum died at 12.07- it had a beautiful symmetry to the entire book.

Thanks for reading! Feel free to comment your thoughts! Stay amazing!
Chloe