Pages: 235
Published: 5th May 2011
Trigger warning: Cancer storyline
At seven minutes past midnight, thirteen-year-old Conor wakes to find a monster outside his bedroom window. But it isn’t the monster Conor’s been expecting– he’s been expecting the one from his nightmare, the nightmare he’s had nearly every night since his mother started her treatments.
The monster in his backyard is different. It’s ancient. And wild. And it wants something from Conor. Something terrible and dangerous. It wants the truth.
This was a fairly quick read, but a very powerful one. It contains a lot of overriding messages which all had an impact upon me as the reader, while the storytelling was unique and engaging, with an excellent and perfectly balanced mix of poignancy and humour.
The writing is fast-paced throughout and the plot moves quickly right from the very first page, where Conor is confronted by the monster. From here, the book is one long journey to revealing Conor’s truth, the thing he is most unwilling to admit to himself, let alone anything else.
Conor’s interactions with the monster play out unexpectedly, and give the book a fable-like quality. In fact I really liked the entire fantasy element of the book, which was full of subtlety and nuance despite the simplicity of its concept. My only criticism is that we didn’t get to learn more about the monster and his very existence.
As a character, Conor often surprised me and did not react the way I expected to some situations. He is bullied at school, but refuses to acknowledge it, thus distancing himself from his friend Lily, who has to be one of the most likeable, kind supporting characters I have ever come across.
However, Conor finds himself in an unimaginable position, feeling helpless and alone and unforgiving. All of this makes it hard not to sympathise with him, and this is what makes the story so profoundly impactful towards the end.
The writing had an excellent flow to it which made this book a page-turner, and there was some great imagination that went into both the plot and the setting. I especially liked how fantasy was used to explore the many real and sensitive themes that are presented in the book. It helped make them very accessible.
Overall, this was a superbly written and considerably emotional book, with a fast pace that made me fly through it in just a couple of sittings. I would have liked there to be a little more depth in some areas, but I loved the ideas, the sensitivity, and the storytelling quality that all combined to make it an engrossing read.
A very well-written and poignant book, fast-paced with an ending that is emotional to say the least.
My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Stephen Reads Books 