"A Monster Calls" by Patrick Ness was the first book that I read in 2017, but I wasn`t able to talk properly about it until now. It`s a raw and emotional story about pain and loss and every time I think about it, my heart breaks a little. It`s hard to describe all the emotions you get from reading a book, how it can stay with you long after you finished it. Truth be told, "A Monster Calls" is simplistic and predictable in some ways, but Ness` writing is hauntingly beautiful. Conor O'Malley is a 13-year-old boy whose mother suffers from terminal cancer. His dad is in America, more preoccupied with his second family than with what goes bad in Connor`s life. Connor is a tragic character and you can`t help but feel sorry for him. You feel his anger and resentment at the injustice of his situation.  For the sake of his mum, he`s trying so hard to keep everything together, but you know it`s just an illusion. Then, on one night he`s visited by a monster who promises him three stories. In return, Connor will have to tell the monster the truth.

The stories told by the monster were my favourite part of the book. They are beautifully written and come with a hidden meaning. Their purpose is to make Connor reconsider various aspects of his life. Most of the time, things are not what they seem. Whilst it was the shortest, the story of the Invisible Man had the biggest impact on me. At school, Connor is being bullied by one of his classmates and at first, you`re shocked by the kids` cruelty. But soon afterwards you realise that in a twisted way, it`s the only normal thing in Connor`s life. I was bullied in middle grade, so I know how terrible that is. I`m not defending the kid. But I also acknowledged how sad it must have been for Connor to become invisible. The teachers, his family, everyone stopped paying attention to him.

Like I said earlier, the ending is predictable, but that does not make it any less emotional. Connor`s truth is painful and heartbreaking. It`s something that I have felt as well when my grandma was battling cancer. Clearly, my situation was not as tragic, but the feelings were there. You want people to stay and at the same time, you want people to go, to ease the pain.

I gave this book 5 out of 5 stars. It`s sad and it will break your heart, but that`s OK. Because sometimes we need books like this, to remind us how much emotion words can convey.
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