A Monster Calls - Patrick Ness

"The monster showed up after midnight. As they do." 

This is the story of Connor O'Malley who has a secret. The nightmare comes to him a lot, and at 12:07am he wakes up, and it was after his nightmare that the monster showed up. But it wasn't the monster from his nightmare. This one wanted only the truth from Connor. And while reading this book, I was reminded that sometimes the truth is the biggest monster we'll ever face.

When I was nearing the end, tears started to slip down my cheeks. I read page after page squinting through my tears until I finished it, and then I simply laid there, clutching this book to my chest, crying. It wasn't necessarily the story that caused me to cry, but the emotions to which I was so closely able to relate. Besides the powerful story written in a well flowing narrative, the illustrations perfectly complimented the raw, jagged emotions within. The terror, anger, and sadness of loss, and the realization that nothing we can do can stop the inevitable; all we can do is accept it and grieve. 

It deals with complex issues, that are more suited for high schoolers, but with the right guidance this book could be read by middle schoolers. I highly recommend it for adult readers as well.