A Monster Calls (2011) (edit title/settings)

Ridiculously Simplified Synopsis edit

Write a ridiculously simplified synopsis.

Characters/People edit see section history

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• Conor O’Malley: a 13 yr old boy haunted by a monster. Angry over his mom's diagnosis of cancer. Doesn't see his father much after the divorce.
• The Monster: Add a description of this character.
• Connor's Mother
• Lily Andrews: Conor's former best friend. They are not close anymore because Lily told people that Conor's mom was sick.
• Miss Kwan: Conor's Head of Year
• Mrs. Marl: English teacher
• Harry: the school bully
• Sully and Anton: Harry's cronies
• Connor's Father
• Conor's Grandmother: Wealthy; doesn't seem to care about Conor much but loves Conor's mom very much. Conor is expected to go stay with her if his mom dies.

Quotes edit see section history

• “Stories are wild creatures. When you let them loose, who knows what havoc they might wreak?”

  The Monster

• “The justifications of men who kill should always be heard with scepticism.”

  The Monster

• “There is not always a good guy. Nor is there always a bad one. Most people are somewhere inbetween.”

  The Monster

• “Belief is half of all healing. Belief in the cure, belief in the future that awaits.”

  The Monster

• “But there are harder things than being invisible.”

  The Monster

• “Stories don't end with the writers, however many started the race. Here's what Siobhan and I came up with. So go. Run with it. Make trouble.”

  Patrick Ness, Author's Note

• Popular Highlights from Kindle Customers

• You do not write your life with words, the monster said. You write it with actions. What you think is not important. It is only important what you do.

  Highlighted by 23 Kindle customers

• The answer is that it does not matter what you think, the monster said, because your mind will contradict itself a hundred times each day. You wanted her to go at the same time you were desperate for me to save her. Your mind will believe comforting lies while also knowing the painful truths that make those lies necessary. And your mind will punish you for believing both.

  Highlighted by 15 Kindle customers

• “Stories don’t always have happy endings.” This stopped him. Because they didn’t, did they? That’s one thing the monster had definitely taught him. Stories were wild, wild animals and went off in directions you couldn’t expect.

  Highlighted by 12 Kindle customers

• There is not always a good guy. Nor is there always a bad one. Most people are somewhere inbetween.

  Highlighted by 12 Kindle customers

• Stories are the wildest things of all, the monster rumbled. Stories chase and bite and hunt.

  Highlighted by 9 Kindle customers

• Belief is half of all healing. Belief in the cure, belief in the future that awaits.

  Highlighted by 8 Kindle customers

• Stories are important, the monster said. They can be more important than anything. If they carry the truth.

  Highlighted by 8 Kindle customers

• Stories are wild creatures, the monster said. When you let them loose, who knows what havoc they might wreak?

  Highlighted by 7 Kindle customers

• You know that your truth, the one that you hide, Conor O’Malley, is the thing you are most afraid of.

  Highlighted by 5 Kindle customers

• It is a true story, the monster said. Many things that are true feel like a cheat.

  Highlighted by 5 Kindle customers

First Sentence edit see section history

Table of Contents edit see section history

Series & Lists edit see section history

Authors & Contributors edit see section history

1. Patrick Ness (Author)

Other Contributors:

1. Siobhan Dowd (Creator)
2. Jim Kay (Illustrator)

First Edition edit see section history

Awards edit see section history

• The Kitschies (2011: The Red Tentacle for Best Novel, 1st)
• Texas Lone Star Reading List (2012)

Subjects edit see section history

• Books › Children's Books

Books Cited by This Book edit see section history