A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness Summary

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness follows thirteen-year-old Conor O'Malley as he copes with his mother's terminal cancer diagnosis. Every night at 12:07 AM, a monster formed from a yew tree visits Conor and tells him three stories with complex moral lessons. Through these encounters, Conor confronts his deepest fear—not of the monster itself, but of the truth behind his recurring nightmare about letting his mother go.

A Monster Calls is ideal for young adult and middle-grade readers navigating grief, loss, or family illness, as well as adults seeking a profound exploration of complex emotions. The book speaks powerfully to anyone experiencing cognitive dissonance around difficult situations—holding hope while accepting harsh realities. Readers who appreciate emotional depth, magical realism, and stories that tackle uncomfortable truths with honesty will find this deeply moving.

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness is absolutely worth reading for its raw, honest portrayal of grief and the psychological turmoil children face during parental loss. The book masterfully balances fantasy elements with profound emotional truths, teaching that humans can believe contradictory things simultaneously without shame. Its exploration of denial, acceptance, and cognitive dissonance offers valuable insights for readers of all ages dealing with loss or uncertainty.

Patrick Ness is an award-winning novelist who wrote A Monster Calls based on an original idea by author Siobhan Dowd, who was terminally ill with cancer when she conceived the story. Ness took Dowd's concept and crafted it into a complete novel, honoring her vision while exploring the profound complexities of grief and acceptance. His writing depicts mourning not as a linear process but as something people grapple with repeatedly throughout their journey.

The monster in A Monster Calls embodies both terrifying and comforting aspects, reflecting the duality of human emotions associated with grief and truth-telling. Described as a version of the Green Man formed from a yew tree, the monster represents Conor's own psychological need to confront uncomfortable truths he cannot face alone. The monster's presence at 12:07 AM signifies that moment when defenses drop and raw emotions surface, ultimately helping Conor move from isolation to acceptance.

A Monster Calls explores:

• Denial as Conor refuses to use words like "cancer" or "death" despite knowing his mother won't survive.
• Cognitive dissonance—simultaneously hoping for recovery while recognizing inevitable loss—and how this contradiction generates guilt.
• Isolation pervades Conor's experience as classmates treat him differently after learning about his mother's illness.
• Finally, acceptance emerges not as a final stage but as something Conor must grapple with repeatedly before finding relief.

The monster tells three tales demonstrating the moral complexities of human nature. The first story involves a prince who murders his lover and blames a witch-queen, teaching that life doesn't always have clear "good guys" and "bad guys". The second story features a pious parson who abandons his beliefs to save his daughters, ridiculing those who sacrifice principles at the first challenge. Each tale challenges Conor's black-and-white thinking, preparing him to accept the contradictory emotions within himself.

The monster arrives at 12:07 AM—seven minutes past midnight—representing the liminal space between day and night, consciousness and dreams. This specific time symbolizes when defenses weaken and buried truths surface. Significantly, Conor's mother passes away at exactly 12:07 AM, the same time the monster typically appeared. The timing reinforces that the monster exists to help Conor process what he cannot face during waking hours, bridging his conscious denial and unconscious acceptance.

Conor's recurring nightmare features "darkness, wind, and screaming" where he holds his mother's arms as she dangles over a cliff. The terrifying truth within the nightmare is that Conor loosens his grip and lets her fall purposely, though he could hold on longer. This nightmare represents Conor's suppressed wish for his mother's suffering—and his own painful waiting—to end. The monster came specifically so Conor could confess this truth and understand that such contradictory feelings are fundamentally human.

A Monster Calls concludes with Conor finally confronting the truth behind his nightmare and confessing to his mother that he wants her suffering to end, even as he doesn't want her to go. At 12:07 AM, the exact time the monster usually arrived, Conor's mother passes away peacefully. The monster stays with Conor through this final moment, then departs as its purpose is fulfilled—Conor has accepted his loss and learned to tell himself the truth. Conor also begins reconciling with his grandmother, recognizing their shared grief.

The yew tree holds deep symbolic meaning as it historically represents both life and death, making it the perfect form for the monster to take. Yew trees are commonly found in churchyards and graveyards, connecting the monster to themes of mortality and transition. The tree stands outside Conor's window overlooking an old church graveyard, visually representing the boundary between life and death that Conor must navigate. Additionally, Conor's stepmother owns a shop selling healing herbs and crystals, subtly connecting to the tree's traditional medicinal associations.

While widely praised, some readers find A Monster Calls emotionally overwhelming or too dark for younger middle-grade audiences dealing with similar losses firsthand. Critics occasionally note that the metaphorical structure—with three distinct tales before the revelation—can feel formulaic or preachy in its moral lessons. Some readers struggle with Conor's hostile behavior, particularly toward his grandmother and in the school destruction scene, finding it difficult to empathize with his anger. However, most acknowledge these elements authentically portray the messy, uncomfortable reality of childhood grief rather than offering sanitized comfort.