A Monster Calls
Jim Kay, Siobhan Dowd, Patrick Ness
Readers rate it 4.3 (686 on Hardcover)
214 pages · Released May 1, 2011 · Walker Books Ltd.
Content report card
A Monster Calls parent’s guide: what’s inside
Violence
Sexual content
LGBTQ+ themes
Substance use
What it offers
A note for parents
A Monster Calls is a profound exploration of grief, loss, and acceptance centered on a boy coping with his mother's terminal cancer diagnosis. The story is emotionally mature and deals with heavy themes including death, bullying, and family trauma, making it best suited for older children who can process complex emotions. While the monster is initially frightening, it becomes a compassionate guide; the book ultimately offers powerful lessons about facing pain and cherishing relationships. This is a literary work that rewards thoughtful reading and may spark important conversations about mortality and emotional resilience.
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From the publisher
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... 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...
Shelved under
- Mothers and sons
- Single-parent families
- Fiction
- Loss (Psychology)
- Schools
- Self-actualization (Psychology)
- Breast cancer
- Monsters
- Cancer
- Juvenile fiction
- Breast
- nyt:young-adult-paperback=2016-08-28
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ISBN 9781406311525 · Walker Books Ltd.