Monster Calls Ideas

The 2011 magical realism novel, A Monster Calls written by Patrick Ness and Illustrated by Jim Kay is based off an idea from Siobhan Dowd, who unfortunately passed away from a terminal illness before she could commence writing the book. Kays intricate illustrations and Ness’ powerful writing engage the minds of teenagers, encouraging us to really think about all of the ideas in the book. The main important ideas that we are encouraged to contemplate are the ideas that, people are complicated beasts, how much we need support in difficult times and how unfair life can be.

One of the most important ideas presented in the novel is the idea that people are complicated beasts. It is clearly shown in the novel, through the monster's allegorical stories that it tells Conor. An example of an allegorical story is seen when the monster in one of his stories says “ there is not always a good guy, nor is there a bad one.” Most people are somewhere in between. The important technique used is the

In the novel Conor is going through an incredibly unbearable and hard time as his mother is going to die from terminal illness. He really needs the support to help him get through it, but doesn’t really get much support as he has no friends and his family is all spread apart. He gets the most support from the Yew Tree monster who is helping him get through it, he just doesn’t know it yet. An example showing that Conor is in need of support when he is crying and talking to the monster, he says “It was to save her! It was to heal her!” The repetition used clearly shows the seriousness of the situation and that Conor is in need of support because he finally recognises that his mother will not heal from her illness and is so crushed and heart broken. This engages the minds of teenagers because the reader sympathises with Conor as they realise what Conor is going through and how bad it is for