The English Book Club: A Monster Calls

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness is a fantasy novel for young adults. It depicts a 13-year-old boy’s dealings with his mother’s terminal illness and its effects on his life. Conor is visited by a monster every night. The monster symbolizes the boy’s fear of losing his mother. By telling him stories and encouraging him to tell the story of his worst fear, the monster helps Conor understand his situation and his complex feelings of sadness, anger, and guilt.

The English Book Club is an open group that meets every month, usually on the last Friday of the month. The discussions are aimed at introducing literary works and active use of language, as they are held exclusively in English.