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

First, I must start off by saying that I don't know that there has ever been a book that I have had such a hard time deciding what my rating would be, on top of what my review would be.

If there is a book for a person to connect with, this is the book. This is the closest to truth that I think I have found in my reading, other than reading a biography. I feel that as children, we all have dreams and possibly even reoccurring nightmares. We all also deal with "monsters" within our lifetime and this book does a wonderful job of depicting how a person may really feel while dealing with the monsters of their lives.

This book wasn't exactly what I thought it was going to be which is what made me give it an initial 3 stars upon completing it, however, upon thinking the premise and the story through, I have to say that I would give it at least a 4 star review. I was so happy to see that Siobhan Dowd had such a wonderful thought, and that Patrick Ness was able to pick it up after her death and finish it as though I feel she would have, could she have been given more time on earth to do so. I think the idea of this book was brilliant and one-of-a-kind.

The story was very emotional which gave you a great insight into the characters. Everyone knows that life is really like a roller coaster and this book allows us to ride the roller coaster of Connor and his mother's life. The only thing that kept me from giving this book 5 stars was that it was more intended for a younger audience.

Overall, it was a very easy (but emotional) read! I enjoyed being able to experience this book. I couldn't wait to get my hands on it from the moment it was recommended to me, and I am certainly glad that I finally got to be a part of it.

View all my reviews