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

Ridiculously Simplified Synopsis edit see section history

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Summary edit see section history

Characters edit see section history

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• Conor O’Malley: A 13 year old boy who is struggling through life. After learning that his mother's ill, his whole world began to crumble. His friendship became jeopardized, he didn't get along with his grandmother, his relationship with his dad was a wreck, and he was being bullied. The worst of all, he was still having nightmares. He began to push everyone out of his life feeling as if he is alone... no one understood.
• The Monster (aka The Green Man): The Yew tree monster. Visits Conor O'Malley every night at 12:07. Tells his own tales to teach Conor
• Connor's Mother: She is diagnosed with cancer is undergoing treatment
• yew tree: The tree that Conor's mother was always glorifying. Is it truly that special and of so, will it finally help Conor to let go?
• Miss Kwan: Conor's Head of Year who refuses to punish connor, saying that he is going through a tough time
• Mrs. Marl: English teacher
• Harry: The school bully
• yew tree: The tree that Conor's mother was always glorifying. Is it just any ordinary tree or is it something more?
• yew tree: The tree that Conor's mother is always glorifying. Is it truly that special and if so, will it help Conor to finally let go?
• Conor's Grandmother: His mum's mum.
• Conor O'Malley: Conor is a young boy who is struggling through life because of his mom's illness. He tries his best to take care of his mom but it gets hard on him because he's just a teenager. He keeps having these strange nightmares that mess with his mind and cause him to become stressed. Also, at some points he can become very angry and dangerous to be around from all his emotions building up.
• Conor's dad: Conor's dad lives in America with his new family so he's not around very much. Conor and his dad's relationship is hard because of his father hardly ever being around. His dad seems to want to be around more, but is too distracted with his new family.

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

• “Don't think you haven't lived long enough to have a story to tell. (page 23)”

  Mrs. Marl

• “...humans are complicated beasts....How can a queen be both a good witch and a bad witch? How can a prince be a murderer and a saviour? How can an apothecary be evil-tempered but right-thinking? How can a parson be wrong-thinking but good-hearted? How can invisible men make thmselves more lonely by being seen....The answer is that it does not matter what you *think*...because your mind will contradict itself a hundred times each day....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. (page 193)”

  The Monster

• 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.

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• 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.

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• “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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Setting & Locations edit see section history

• England

First Sentence edit see section history

Table of Contents edit see section history

Themes & Symbolism edit see section history

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• Truth: Describe this theme.
• Yew Tree: Symbolizes healing and the monster comes in this form to help heal something of his

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)
• Carnegie Medal (Finalist, 2012)

Classification edit see section history

• Library of Congress: Add the Library of Congress Classification.
• Dewey: 813

Notes for Parents edit see section history

mild language, subject matter - death, dying parents, cancer - might be a bit dark for younger kids

Subjects edit see section history

• Books › Children's Books

Books Cited by This Book edit see section history