Thirteen-year-old Conor O’Malley is managing his household while his mother undergoes failing treatments for terminal cancer. His isolation grows at school due to bullying and his grandmother’s intrusive presence. At exactly 12:07 a.m., an ancient yew tree from a nearby churchyard transforms into a giant, walking monster that visits Conor’s bedroom window. The creature demands to tell Conor three stories in exchange for a fourth tale from the boy. This final story requires Conor to admit the truth regarding a recurring nightmare involving a cliffside, a falling grip, and his own internal guilt.
This book serves young adult readers and adults navigating the reality of grief or terminal illness. It provides a technical look at the psychological complexity of loss, specifically the relief and shame that often accompany a long period of caretaking. Readers gain a framework for understanding that conflicting emotions do not denote a lack of character. The narrative offers a blunt perspective on the end of life, showing how honesty acts as a mechanism for surviving necessary pain rather than avoiding it.
Deep, inward-looking and contemplative; an easy read.
Best for readers like The Mindful Reader. Which reader are you?
Insights from A Monster Calls
“Stories are wild creatures. When you let them loose, who knows what havoc they might wreak?”
Conor waits for the monster at 12:07 but the real horror is already inside his house. Fear usually looks like a clock ticking while everyone else stays silent.
“Your mind will believe comforting lies while also knowing the painful truths that make those lies necessary.”
Living with a sick parent feels like being invisible. People look right through you because they are too afraid of your grief.
“There is not always a good guy. Nor is there always a bad one. Most people are somewhere in between.”
Anger is often just a mask for the guilt we can't carry. Conor breaking his grandmother's things felt like the only way to be seen.
“You were reaching for the hands that would let you go.”
The hardest part of losing someone is the secret wish for it to finally be over. That truth is heavy but it doesn't make you a bad person.
- Published
- 2011
- Publisher
- Walker Books
- ISBN
- 9781406311525
- Language
- EN
