A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness

Title:                A Monster Calls
Author:           Patrick Ness, orignal idea from Siobhan Dowd
Illustrator:      Jim Kay
ISBN:              9781406311525
Publisher:       Candlewick Press
Published:      September 2011
    
Synopsis:


The monster showed up just 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 nightmare 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, though, is something different. Something ancient, something wild. And it wants the most dangerous thing of all from Conor.
It wants the truth.
Patrick Ness spins a tale from the final story idea of Siobhan Dowd, whose premature death from cancer prevented her from writing it herself.

My Thoughts:

This book was nothing like I thought it would be. It was better! I recomend everyone read this book at least once.
Intense, bold and strong. Beautiful, honest and unique. This book is both heartwarming and heartwrenching.
Each page is an emotion packed glimpse into the nature of the grieving human soul. Haunting illusrations spread throughout the pages, increase the atmospheric intensity of Ness's profound story telling.
Words cannot describe the impact that this book has had on me. This is a book that devours the reader and leaves a lasting impression and perhaps a better understanding of the emotional processes surrounding grief and loss, hope and unconditional love. This book illustrates a small portion of what it means to be human.
What will you do when a montser calls?

The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness

Title:               The Knife of Never Letting Go
Author:           Patrick Ness
ISBN:             978-1-4063-1025-2
Publisher:       Walker Books
Published:       2008
Age Group:     Young Adult

Synopsis:  

Prentisstown isn't like other towns. Everyone can hear everyone else's thoughts in an overwhelming, never-ending stream of Noise. Just a month away from the birthday that will make him a man, Todd and his dog, Manchee -- whose thoughts Todd can hear too, whether he wants to or not -- stumble upon an area of complete silence. They find that in a town where privacy is impossible, something terrible has been hidden -- a secret so awful that Todd and Manchee must run for their lives.

But how do you escape when your pursuers can hear your every thought?

My Thoughts:

It didn't take long for this suspenseful novel to grab me. I found myself being whisked away and left blind to my surroundings, unable to predict the twists and turns that lay ahead. It was an emotional read and not for the faint of heart. It made me laugh, it made me want to cry, it made me angry and it filled me with hope. It is jam-packed with action, murder, violence, betrayal and mystery.

The spelling errors, despite being justified, make it a bit of frustrating read and it took me a few chapters to get used to it but it eventually drew me deeper into the story. At times I wanted to grab the characters and slap some sense into them but that is just a part of what makes this book such a compelling read.