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A Monster Calls
240 pages
A dark, atmospheric fable that reaches into the messy, terrifying heart of grief and pulls out a devastating truth.
What it feels like
Reading this book feels like standing in the path of a slow-moving storm. It is a brisk, urgent read, propelled by a ticking clock of anticipatory grief that makes every page feel heavy with unspoken dread. The prose is spare and unflinching, refusing to sugarcoat the ugly, angry, and isolating realities of impending loss. Instead, it wraps the reader in a dark, atmospheric fable that feels both ancient and deeply personal. The haunting illustrations mirror the emotional texture, feeling shadowy, jagged, and overwhelming. It is an emotionally devastating but ultimately cathartic experience, designed for readers who want a story that honors the messy, contradictory nature of human sorrow. You will cry, but you will feel profoundly understood.
- Mood
- somber
- haunting
- devastating
- cathartic
- Tone
- earnest
- raw
- compassionate
- unflinching
- Pace
- brisk
- Themes
- anticipatory grief · the burden of truth · anger and isolation · messy human emotions
- The writing
- Spare, urgent, and deeply evocative, relying on stark emotional honesty rather than flowery language.
- The arc
- Begins in isolated, suffocating dread and builds to a shattering, tear-soaked release of painful truth and acceptance.
- Who it's for
- Readers who appreciate dark, emotionally resonant fables and aren't afraid to cry over a beautifully illustrated exploration of grief.
Content notes
- terminal illness
- anticipatory grief
- bullying
- nightmares
About the book
A brilliant, graphic novel written by young but promising Patrick Ness. This is the story about 13 year old Conor and his mother who is dying of cancer. Conor has to face the cruelty of real life and learn to let his close and dearest go. When no human can help him Monster appears...
Description from Open Library.
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