A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
What a beautiful story. I never thought I would say this about a “horror” story, but it truly is a story that reaches into the depths of the reader’s soul and remain there for a very long time.
The characters were all as realistic as they could possibly be; presenting human traits that most people would not want to admit to or write about in such detail. The main character especially was so intricately portrayed it felt like the reader was feeling, living, breathing and hurting with him.
The plot. Well, to be honest I forgot what the synopsis said about this story, but I know I had read it. Regardless of my failing memory, it was not what I expected from a story with the title A Monster Calls. A boy’s experience of a very painful period in his life told with interchanging stories of moral and differing point of view that has even the reader re-evaluate past experiences with a fresh set of eyes.
The writing flowed nicely. I did; however, need a few lines to fully immerse into the story after each break. Nevertheless, it was very good writing, full-bodied and engaging.
There are a handful of graphics/sketches that underline the storyline, which deserves special mentioning. Drawn as it appears to be in pencil without any colour except for black, they are dark and ominous and provide lovely visual cues of the darkness within the story.
Overall, I loved this story. It was dark, engaging, scary at times and showed the author’s understanding of the human psychology. It is not what one expects of a typical horror story, but very much worth anyone’s time. I would definitely recommend this story to everyone.
