(5 / 5)
My first 5 Star book of 2017. This book completely undid me. Although a “monster” plays a major role, this was the most real, raw, and honest book I have read in a long time. Add me to the long list of fans, this book is not over hyped. (That said, it’s best to go in with no expectations, ha!)
I wouldn’t say I’m a avid reader of middle grade, or even that I’m all that drawn to it, but I have a new appreciation for it after this book. How an author can simply tell a good story (with a good moral) without the luxury of hundreds of pages devoted to unexpected twists and backstories is beyond me. Patrick Ness is a master and this book is his masterpiece. It’s about pain, shame, hope, love, need, and truth. It’s so beautiful and if it doesn’t give you all the feels then I’ll be very surprised. I read it all in one night (it’s less than 200 pages) and I’d encourage others to also read it in one or two sittings.
This book is a slow burn (not romantically, there is zero romance) and I didn’t even noticed how much it was growing on me and how much I was liking it until it was over. It’s a simple story about an ordinary boy who gets dealt a hard hand. There is a mysterious element of a monster, but the story is not about the monster or whether the monster is real or not. It’s about the boy-his actions, choices, and beliefs.
A lot of books that deal with cancer feel kind of manipulative to me, like the author chose to write about cancer to get an emotional reaction out of me. I strongly reject all such material in books and movies. This book however was bigger than cancer, it was about life, cancer just played a role in it.
All in all, a wonderful book that I will highly recommend to anyone looking for something powerful
Violence: Low Language: Low Adult Content: Low