For a beautifully written novel about grief and learning to let go, one need look no further than Patrick Ness' A Monster Calls. Deliciously creepy, Ness calls to mind every nightmare anyone has ever had. Conor's struggle to accept the inevitable is every bit as poignant as one might imagine. Ness captures perfectly a not-so-little boy's anxiety over his mother's failing health and fervent attempts to avoid the truth. Readers should expect to cross the gamut of emotion, from fear to grief and back again. It truly is as good as everyone has been saying.
