A Monster Calls

A Monster Calls follows Conor, a young boy living with his mother’s terminal illness, who is visited by a towering yew tree monster that tells him stories and demands a truth in return. As Conor struggles with fear, anger, and guilt, the monster’s tales challenge simple ideas of right and wrong, pushing him to confront emotions he has tried to suppress while waiting for an inevitable loss.

Blending realism with dark, myth-like storytelling, the novel explores anticipatory grief and the emotional weight of loving someone who is dying. The monster serves as both guide and confrontation, insisting on honesty rather than comfort and acknowledging that grief can include frightening and contradictory feelings.

Written by Patrick Ness and inspired by an original idea from Siobhan Dowd, A Monster Calls is an emotionally intense illustrated novel that invites readers to sit with difficult truths about loss, love, and acceptance rather than offering easy resolution.

The illustrations use stark black-and-white imagery with heavy shadows, rough textures, and scratchy, expressive linework that heightens the emotional intensity of the story. Figures often appear fragmented, looming, or partially obscured, mirroring Conor’s fear, anger, and emotional overwhelm. The monster’s design is imposing and organic, blending tree, shadow, and movement in ways that feel unsettling rather than fantastical. Full-page spreads and sudden shifts in scale create a sense of intrusion and unease, reinforcing the story’s darker moments. The visual style does not soften the narrative; instead, it amplifies the weight of grief and anticipation, making the illustrations an integral part of the emotional experience rather than decorative accompaniment.