A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness and Siobhan Dowd

                                          A Monster Calls

by Patrick Ness, Siobhan Dowd, Jim Kay (Illustrator)

The monster showed up after midnight. As they do.

But it isn't the monster Conor's been expecting. He's been expecting the one from his nightmare, the one he's had nearly every night since his mother started her treatments, the one with the darkness and the wind and the screaming...

This monster is something different, though. Something ancient, something wild. And it wants the most dangerous thing of all from Conor.

It wants the truth.

I read this book about a month ago- I should of typed a book review then but...http://minstrelcrazy.blogspot.ie/2013/02/its-been-while.html

The book begins with a monster trailing towards Conor house to visit him late in the night. The monster happens to be the great willow tree, in the graveyard , near the house, which Conor's mother is quite fond of. The monster wants to tell Conor a few stories from the history of the world and in turn Conor must tell him the truth-all of it.

Conor's mother has cancer and metaphorically the monster could be the grief, dishonesty and the general futile hope which is built up in Conor. Conor has to stay with his grandmother whom he detests as his mother has to stay in the hospital again. The monster follows him to his grandmother's house and Conor believes the monster's objective is to save his mother from cancer.

I devoured this book in a monstrous fashion. It was a truly a unique take on cancer and the implications of the disease not only on the victim but on the relations of the victim. 

The illustrations are fabulous-simple but effective(the best way to do anything)- they were black, grey and white - eery but not to the extent of one experiencing nightmares. 

My Cat Catch Book Rating Scale above- It was absolutely amazing(5/5 cats)

Cat Cat Rating Scale- http://minstrelcrazy.blogspot.ie/p/reviews.html