Book Review: A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness

June 23, 2024

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I’m currently in the process of adding my old book reviews to my blog! Keep your eyes open for new book reviews every week. This book review was originally published on Instagram in 2022.

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness

I’m not afraid to admit that I judge a book by its cover. Neat designs? Lots of trees? A dark background with flowers? Sign me the heck up, friend. I’m also the kind of person who picks up a book, reads a couple words in the middle of the book, and then decides based on that whether they want to read it or not–and sometimes I don’t even read any of it before deciding (I know, I’m the worst).

This is all to say it’s incredibly rare that I start a book knowing anything about it. So when I was at my friend’s house one night and saw this book on his shelf, I immediately knew I wanted to read it–yes, because of the cover.

And let me tell you, I was not ready for this book. A Monster Calls slapped me across the face, dumped my tea in my lap, and threw my laptop out the window. Well, not really, but it did make me cry. A lot.

We start off meeting Conor, a boy living in England in a cute old house with his mum, who we quickly find out is undergoing treatment for cancer. Conor and his mum have a view of the churchyard out back and a beautiful old yew tree; beautiful, right? Except when Conor goes to sleep at night, he’s visited by a monster. A monster who comes from the yew tree. A monster who tells stories.

Three stories, to be exact. And when those three stories are told, Conor must then tell his story to the tree–the story of the recurring nightmare he’s been having–something Conor is set against from the beginning.

As his mother’s illness progresses, Conor has increasingly frequent visits from the monster–almost always at 12:07–who shares stories, but also talks with him, reminding him Conor’s story needs to be told. He doesn’t have a choice.

Once the three stories are told–and Conor’s mother has become more ill, and Conor has been getting into increasing amounts of trouble–Conor is forced to tell his own story, the story of the nightmare. In the nightmare, Conor holds onto his mother, dangling over the edge of a cliff. He lets her go. Why? Because he wants her suffering to end.

Outside the nightmare, he knows his mom is going to die. He’s always known. He just didn’t want to admit it. But now he has, and when Conor’s story is over and the monster leaves him, Conor is rushed to the hospital. At nearly 12:07, Conor clings to his mother. It’s time for her to go.

And that, my friends, is how this story made me ugly cry until my cat came and sat on my chest. Conor knows the entire time that his mother is going to die, but he’s too afraid to admit it. So, when he’s finally able to accept the truth, that’s when the monster leaves him. Conor is ready.

Thank you for reading! If you’d like to learn more about witchcraft, herbalism, and living an intentional life—while getting a glimpse into my own witchy, intentional practice—consider signing up for my patreon. I post a lot of behind the scenes content you won’t find anywhere else, as well as handy herb profile printables, spell sheets, book recommendations, and excerpts of my upcoming novel, Bramble Manor.