about the book
At school, bullies make fun of his mother’s baldness and beat him. The teachers don’t do anything except whisper in pitying tones. The other kids avoid him; after all, having a mother dying of cancer doesn’t give you a lot to chat about. Conor O’Malley, just thirteen, feels like the loneliest person in the world.
Home isn’t much better. Dad is busy with his new family in America, and his grandma cares more about her antique clock than about him. Each night, Conor wakes screaming from the same recurring nightmare…his mother being ripped from his arms by a monster.
And then one night, a very real monster appears at his window! Wild, ancient, it is part human, part twisted tree. This dark mischievous being tells Conor three parables, messy stories filled with impossible decisions where the good guy is continually wronged.
In return, Conor has to tell his own story. If he lies, the monster warns, he’ll be ripped to shreds. Feeling like he is the blame for his mother’s dying, Conor’s tale forces him to face what he dreads the most…the truth.
about the author
Patrick Ness was born on an army base in Virginia. When he was four months old, his family moved to Hawaii and later to Washington State. Growing up, Patrick spent much of his time making up stories, but he was too embarrassed to share them with anyone. And though Patrick was a goth in high school, he faithfully attended church every Sunday!
The only thing Patrick ever wanted to be was a writer. To attain his goals, he studied English Literature at the University of Southern California. After graduating, he wrote for a cable company.
While working on his first novel, Patrick moved to London and has lived there ever since. He writes exactly 1000 words every day, does reviews for various publications, and occasionally teaches creative writing at Oxford University. In his spare time, he enjoys long distance running. He says it gets oxygen to the brain and gives him time to think.
After Siobhan Dowd died of breast cancer at the age of 47 in 2007, her publisher contacted Patrick about writing the book based on her notes. A Monster Calls is the result of both their work. Patrick thinks Siobhan would have been very proud.
Sources:
Author website
Author interview : YA Reads
Author page : Amazon
Also by Patrick Ness:
More Than This. Candlewick Press. 2013.
Monsters of Men (Chaos Walking, Book 3). Candlewick Press. 2010.
The Ask and the Answer (Chaos Walking, Book 2). Candlewick Press. 2009.
The Knife of Never Letting Go (Chaos Walking, Book 1). Candlewick Press. 2008.
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