A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Conor and his mother have lived alone since his father had remarried and moved overseas with his new family. Now Conor’s mother is battling cancer and that has left Conor with trying to deal with his mother illness and feeling alone.

Just after midnight one night Conor has a dream about a monster coming to visit him. Or was it really a dream? The monster wants to tell Conor three stories and then after the third he wants Conor to tell his own story but it must be his truth.

A Monster Calls is one of those books that you really need your tissues handy as soon as you start this book. Conor is only thirteen and dealing with things that someone his age just shouldn’t have to deal with. He’s trying to be the best son he can be and hold out hope for his mother to just get better as he feels he doesn’t fit in with anyone but her.

The monster visiting Conor is teaching so much to Conor in his stories and letting a young boy be what he should be, still a child. Conor slowly learns to deal with everything in his life through the visits of the monster. Just such a touching story all throughout with such heartbreaking subject matter.