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| (I had the left cover, if you're interested in the edition I read) |
I didn't think I would be writing this, because I was very emotional when I finished it and I thought my head would never be cleared up enough to be able to talk about it. It hit me hard, even though what Conor has gone through is something I never have gone through and hope to heavens I never will.
You've probably already read this, but in case you haven't, it's about a young boy called Conor who's mum has cancer. She's dying, it's obvious from the start. Every night, he is visited by a talking yew tree who tells him stories, but he demands to be told one from Conor, he demands to know what the dream is. I've heard about this plenty of times before, but before, I had no want to read this. It was only because I found it in a charity shop that I even picked it up in the first place.
The thought that crossed my mind when I heard about the book was "Oh, the monster is just going to be cancer or depression, something I have heard a million times before". You're dead wrong.
It's extreamly rare I give five stars for a book. I'm a picky reader, that's no secret, but this one deserves 10/5. I seriously can't find very many flaws. Most of the 'flaws' I can find are because of personal preference. For example, *spoiler* how one of the stories was about how a woman managed to trick herself into the throne, but was portrayed as being evil - although I wasn't so much angry about this later when it was revealed that everyone is both evil and good, she wasn't entirely evil same as nobody can be entirely good, one of my favourite messages in that entire book apart from that ending *end spoiler*.
Another thing that really bothered me was how Conor was treated like a child incapable of doing anything for himself, like cooking his own meals and making up his own school bags and going a morning without his mothers' help. But, I also liked this in a way because it made the whole novel have this childlike quality - which is probably what made the ending such a heartcrushing experience.
This is one of those books where you have a little feeling you know where it's going, yet every corner will hit you with surprise. It's a story about the line between what's right and wrong, and how it's blurred. It's also a story about courage and doing what is right, even when that's the last thing you want to do. I can only hope Siobhan (I hope I have spelt her name right...) inspires Patrick Ness to write more things like this, the world needs more books like this. I'll even let you in on a secret, I cried like a baby when it was over. I also read it in one sitting. I sat down and intended to go to bed when I got to halfway but...that never happened.
Amazing, amazing book. Highly recommend.
You've probably already read this, but in case you haven't, it's about a young boy called Conor who's mum has cancer. She's dying, it's obvious from the start. Every night, he is visited by a talking yew tree who tells him stories, but he demands to be told one from Conor, he demands to know what the dream is. I've heard about this plenty of times before, but before, I had no want to read this. It was only because I found it in a charity shop that I even picked it up in the first place.
The thought that crossed my mind when I heard about the book was "Oh, the monster is just going to be cancer or depression, something I have heard a million times before". You're dead wrong.
It's extreamly rare I give five stars for a book. I'm a picky reader, that's no secret, but this one deserves 10/5. I seriously can't find very many flaws. Most of the 'flaws' I can find are because of personal preference. For example, *spoiler* how one of the stories was about how a woman managed to trick herself into the throne, but was portrayed as being evil - although I wasn't so much angry about this later when it was revealed that everyone is both evil and good, she wasn't entirely evil same as nobody can be entirely good, one of my favourite messages in that entire book apart from that ending *end spoiler*.
Another thing that really bothered me was how Conor was treated like a child incapable of doing anything for himself, like cooking his own meals and making up his own school bags and going a morning without his mothers' help. But, I also liked this in a way because it made the whole novel have this childlike quality - which is probably what made the ending such a heartcrushing experience.
This is one of those books where you have a little feeling you know where it's going, yet every corner will hit you with surprise. It's a story about the line between what's right and wrong, and how it's blurred. It's also a story about courage and doing what is right, even when that's the last thing you want to do. I can only hope Siobhan (I hope I have spelt her name right...) inspires Patrick Ness to write more things like this, the world needs more books like this. I'll even let you in on a secret, I cried like a baby when it was over. I also read it in one sitting. I sat down and intended to go to bed when I got to halfway but...that never happened.
Amazing, amazing book. Highly recommend.
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