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. From the final idea of award-winning author Siobhan Dowd—whose premature death from cancer prevented her from writing it herself—Patrick Ness has spun a haunting and darkly funny novel of mischief, loss, and monsters both real and imagined.
This is an excellent and moving book, and we highly recommend it—but not for everyone. While the reading level of this book is easy—5th or 6th graders would have no difficulty with it—its themes of pain, loss, anger and fear are mature, so those same kids won't typically enjoy it. Those who have experienced the death of a friend or family member will find much with which to resonate.
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