The Monster Calls For a Book Review

“The Monster Calls” by Patrick Ness is a very unique book and it dives deep into the topics of grief and letting go. This book is about a boy named Connor whose mother is very ill and every night he has the same dream but one night when he wakes up there’s a creature outside of his window who takes Connor on a very impactful journey. There are a bunch of illustrations in black and white that really paint the picture of what Connor feels and what the monster makes him realize. The plot of this story is also very interesting because it has a lot of themes that emerge after and during the climax. There’s also a lot of symbolism in this book, specifically the monster symbolizing multiple important things. What I liked most about this book was how accurately it represented the topics of loss, grief, hope, and letting go which all came together to form a theme at the end. Connor was also a very relatable character because he was experiencing things that multiple people experience and he was having normal responses to things as well. Overall, this book is the perfect read if you’re looking for fantasy mixed with loss and grief. I hope you pick this book up if you get a chance to! 

- Falak A., 10th grade