A Monster Calls
by Patrick Ness
Fantasy, Young-Adult, Fiction, Horror, Middle-Grade, Contemporary, Magical-Realism
The bestselling novel about love, loss and hope from the twice Carnegie Medal-winning Patrick Ness. Conor has the same dream every night, ever since his mother first fell ill, ever since she started the treatments that don’t quite seem to be working. But tonight is different. Tonight, when he wakes, there’s a visitor at his window. It’s ancient, elemental, a force of nature. And it wants the most dangerous thing of all from Conor. It wants the truth. Patrick Ness takes the final idea of the late, award-winning writer Siobhan Dowd and weaves an extraordinary and heartbreaking tale of mischief, healing and above all, the courage it takes to survive.
Recommendations from Common Sense Media
Age Recommendation: 12+
What Parents Need to Know:
Parents need to know that the true monster in this book is not the giant yew tree that comes to life and haunts 13-year-old Conor but is instead the shadow of his mother’s imminent death from cancer. Conor deals with his fear in destructive ways, such as challenging the school bully to hurt him and destroying his grandmother’s property.
Educational Value: 3/5
The monster’s tales will help readers question the surface meaning of stories and look more deeply to the metaphor underneath.
Positive Messages: 4/5
Conor’s journey to accept what’s really happening with his mother isn’t easy, but it’s believable and cathartic, even with a monster at its center. Conor’s experiences will give readers empathy for someone going through a difficult time, even when he is not behaving in a likable manner.
Positive Role Models: 4/5
Basically a good kid, Conor acts out due to his tough situation and gets into trouble that he normally wouldn’t take part in. He is very loving and helpful to his mother (“I wish you didn’t have to be quite so good,” she says), and the pain of his struggle is palpable, making it clear why he acts the way he does. Conor’s mother is loving and forgiving of her son’s misbehavior, and his friend Lily is a staunch and loyal friend.
Violence & Scariness: 2/5
Three school bullies consistently pick on Conor, at various times tripping him and teasing him. Conor loses his temper and seriously hurts one of the boys. Conor also destroys his grandmother’s treasured clock and her entire living room. A monster threatens to “eat him alive.” There’s a murder that’s not described. There’s bullying/fighting resulting in blood, injury.
Sex, Romance & Nudity: 1/5
Mention of having sex but with no detail. Reference to the “coupling.”
Language: 1/5
Two uses of “hell.”
Products & Purchases: n/a
n/a
Drinking, Drugs & Smoking: 1/5
Conor’s father holds wine glass at a restaurant, but there’s no actual drinking.
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