Title: A Monster Calls
Author: Patrick Ness
Publisher: Candlewick
Pages: 224
Format: E-book
Published: May, 2011
Price: $7.79 -> Rp114.790 (Amazon)
Rating: 3½ / 5 stars
Date started: September 29, 2015 - Date finished: October 2, 2015
Synopsis:
At seven minutes past midnight, thirteen-year-old Conor wakes to find a monster outside his bedroom window. 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 monster in his backyard is different. It’s ancient. And wild. And it wants something from Conor. Something terrible and dangerous. It wants the truth.From the final idea of award-winning author Siobhan Dowd — whose premature death from cancer prevented her from writing it herself — Patrick Ness has spun a haunting and darkly funny novel of mischief, loss, and monsters both real and imagined.
Review:
Nightmares come naturally to thirteen-year-old Conor O'Malley ever since his mother started treatment started for her illness. The nightmare was always the same and at exactly 12.07 am he would wake up from that nightmare. One night, when he woke up he heard his name being called. At first, he thought it was his imagination until he discovered that the sound came from a yew tree in his backyard. Suddenly, the yew tree transformed into a monster but Conor wasn't scared at all of the monster. The monster assured that he'll be scared eventually.
The monster's intention was to tell stories to Conor. The monster said that it'll tell three stories to Colin and by the end of the third story the monster wants Conor to tell the truth about what his nightmare is all about. The stories of the monster started out as a typical fairytale stories but they all seem to have a twist, their ending was not as expected because they're not at all happily ever after. By the end it was time for Conor to tell his story, at first he was afraid but in the end after all the events that have happened since the monster's appearance he decided he was finally going to tell it.
Nightmares come naturally to thirteen-year-old Conor O'Malley ever since his mother started treatment started for her illness. The nightmare was always the same and at exactly 12.07 am he would wake up from that nightmare. One night, when he woke up he heard his name being called. At first, he thought it was his imagination until he discovered that the sound came from a yew tree in his backyard. Suddenly, the yew tree transformed into a monster but Conor wasn't scared at all of the monster. The monster assured that he'll be scared eventually.
The monster's intention was to tell stories to Conor. The monster said that it'll tell three stories to Colin and by the end of the third story the monster wants Conor to tell the truth about what his nightmare is all about. The stories of the monster started out as a typical fairytale stories but they all seem to have a twist, their ending was not as expected because they're not at all happily ever after. By the end it was time for Conor to tell his story, at first he was afraid but in the end after all the events that have happened since the monster's appearance he decided he was finally going to tell it.
Stories are important, the monster said. They can be more important than anything. If they carry the truth.
This was the first Patrick Ness book that I've read. I liked it, that's it. Don't get me wrong, his writing is clearly amazing it's just that I don't find myself particularly loving this story. At first, when I started reading this book I was positive I was going to give it 5 stars but then as the story progressed the stars kept going down for me until it finally reached 3.5 stars because I like it but not to the point where I really liked it.
There is not always a good guy. Nor is there always a bad one. Most people are somewhere in between.
My favorite scenes of this book would probably be the stories that the monster told Conor and also the part of Conor and her mother in the end. I enjoyed those scenes so much, especially the scene of Conor and his mother in the end because reading that scene made me miss my parents more. Fyi, I haven't seen my mom and dad in over six months and that's the longest time I've ever been not seeing them. I just miss them and reading that scene made me miss them even more. The stories that the monster told were an enjoyable scene because I've never heard of those stories before. Also, I keep guessing the ending and my guess were always wrong because the stories have a "twist" to them.
You think I tell you stories to teach you lessons? the monster said. You think I have coming walking out of time and earth itself to teach you a lesson in niceness?
I also like that this book at some parts of it actually gave me chills and I was feeling a little scared reading it, which is kind of awesome seeing as this is a children/middle-grade book and I'm a 20 year old guy (awesome for the book cause it can still be accessible outside of its main readers, but not really awesome for me cause I'm a 20 year old guy who got chills from a children/middle-grade book) lol.
Don't think you haven't lived long enough to have a story to tell.
Even though I didn't end up loving this book it was a great way to get to know Patrick Ness's writing style. This story of this book in which was originally thought of by Siobhan Dowd and was continued by Patrick Ness is more than just a scary book about a monster it has a message inside it. The ending kind of ended on a "question mark" kind of note for me but in a way the ending was a realistic ending now that I've had time to contemplate on it.
If any of you guys want to read this book but is kind of hesitant, I positively do encourage you to just try and read it. Because it is meaningful and emotional packed in a not-so-thick book.
© books-over-all ©
No comments
Post a Comment