There's no denying that one of the scariest literature constructs is monsters. There's something about their unknown certainty that has haunted audiences for centuries. Books like "Frankenstein: The Modern Prometheus" or "Dracula" both represent something terrifying in ways that have defined the zeitgeist. But what if the monster isn't literal? What if he's something more symbolic and represents a struggle that is far less common than the boogeyman chasing you down a vacant hallway? What writer Patrick Ness does with "A Monster Calls" is an inventive twist on familiar territory that pits its young adult audience into a world far more traumatic and scary than any vampire or werewolf could ever be. What Ness does is make us understand the monster within everyone, who only comes out in times of grief. With precise language, his story clicks through the stages of grief with some of the most vibrant and exciting imagery that a depressing story can have. It's a terrifying book, just not in the way that you're expecting.
Conor O'Malley is a 13-year-old boy who is first met when the titular monster comes to visit. This "Monster" takes on the shape of a healing tree that his bedroom overlooks. With an anthropomorphize body, there is that sense of dread that something bad will happen to Conor, as it does several times, at 12:08 A.M.. He isn't sure what, but it is a promised nightmare that will shake him to his core. The Monster promises to spare Conor any trouble until he's told three stories. The fourth will be Conor's "truth," which isn't clear at the start, but seems to haunt the poor boy to his core. What could he possibly say that is nightmare inducing?
Things don't become clear until he wakes up and the story begins to make more sense. With a bare bones story, it's a journey of Conor dealing with his mother's cancer: which has only gotten worse over time. He must deal with his absent father and his wicked grandmother, as well as the students who bully him at school. It's a lot to take in for a young child, but Ness' prose manages to mix action with insular speculation in engaging ways. Conor is a character who wants everything to be better. He keeps dreaming of the day his mother gets better. What's his nightmare? The reality that his time with his mother is ending slowly but surely - and there's nothing that he can do about it.
Ness manages to capture the helplessness in great detail, making Conor a vulnerable character with the antagonistic traits of a young boy. He does occasionally scream at hopeless causes. He does let out his physical aggression when things become too much. The reason it works - besides being a more universally experienced trajectory - is because Ness finds a way to make The Monster symbolize a deeper reasoning. Suddenly you understand Conor's struggles a little better, and he becomes a cypher for the audience. Even if the prose is light and quick, it holds a deeper profundity in its aching intent, which is perfectly encapsulated in The Monster's three stories; all of which help to explain an emotionally complex idea.
Speaking as the book is geared towards young adults, it's a novel that almost feels necessary for people to read. It lacks condescension and instead has a sense of reverence and uncertainty for its subject matter. It never gives up hope, even as it approaches bleaker chapters. It helps that Ness manages to take an otherwise mundane and largely dull concept and found a way to apply it to a literary style that hasn't been done ad nauseum. It's a monster story through and through, but it finds a way to elevate it beyond schlock. It finds emotions and themes that will appeal to people who like monster stories, but need to find ways to express their creativity amid hard personal times of losing loved ones.
"A Monster Calls" is an invaluable book, and one that manages to pack an emotional punch without being too manipulative. It may not have convenient answers, but its approach to making complicated emotions palatable is a triumph unto itself. There are many passages scattered throughout this book that may read like self-help therapy, but also hold a deeper emotional resonance. It's poetic and finds ways to contextualize circumstances in powerful, precise prose. It may not be the most uplifting book, but it is one that will help those who need it. Beyond that, it's a tale that perfectly shows the creative process at play, making monsters into something greater than villains while showing that humans are flawed, but not always reprehensible. There's no easy answers, and that's the best part of Ness' novel.
Overall Rating: 4.5 out of 5
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