FAMILY: A Monster Calls

At seven past midnight, a monster calls. But this isn't the monster that Conor has been expecting, this monster isn't the one from his nightmares, so what does it want?
A Monster Calls is the heart-wrenching story of a boy who is trying to deal with the reality of his mother's sickness. Every night he wakes up from a nightmare to a monster knocking on his window. The reader follows Conor as he navigates school, where he has become an outcast due to his "special circumstance;" his family, a sick mother and an insufferable grandmother; and his nightmares, which force Conor to confront his deepest fears--the truth.
Told alongside stunning illustrations, the story unfolds before the reader page by page, where the monster outside Conor's window shows him not everything is black and white, and where finally the reader confronts Conor's nightmare alongside him. 
Family: With his mother dying, Conor is (rightfully) resistant to anyone--even family--coming into his life as his new caretaker. It's heartbreaking to see his grandmother and absent father try to explain to him what's happening with his mother and see him shut down. The reader understands, as well as he does, he knows exactly what's going on--he just doesn't want to admit it. Family is at the core of this story, even though truth, love, and grief all play an important part.

Goodreads rating: 4 Stars
Recommendation: Read it! The only reason why I didnt give it 5 Stars because it didn't make me cry nearly as much as other books by Patrick Ness..