Around the Year in 52 Books discussion

I just finished this one for the 2016 Popsugar Challenge (A book becoming a movie this year).

At seven minutes past midnight, thirteen-year-old Conor wakes to find a monster outside his bedroom window. But it isn’t the monster Conor’s been expecting — he’s been expecting the one from his nightmare, the nightmare he’s had nearly every night since his mother started her treatments.

The monster in his backyard is different. It’s ancient. And wild. And it wants something from Conor. Something terrible and dangerous. It wants the truth.

From the final idea of award-winning author Siobhan Dowd — whose premature death from cancer prevented her from writing it herself — Patrick Ness has spun a haunting and darkly funny novel of mischief, loss, and monsters both real and imagined.

Despite being on the short side, this was a really extraordinary story. It depicts the (view spoiler)[loss experienced by a child losing his mother and ended up being extremely moving by the end. (hide spoiler)] It had an immense amount of symbolism and I doubt that I really even grasped half of it. The pictures really added something special to the story and the last one was particularly profound given that most of us likely have some tree that has special meaning from our childhood home.

It didn't have the amount of creepiness that I expected but it was really worth the read.

I hope the movie will be good and a little creepy :)

It was my first try with Ness last year and I've totally no regrets as I loved all his books since A Monster Calls! I really liked the art in this one and the tales. The story wasn't especially unusual for me as I tend to pick books about this theme, but I appreciated the depth of the characterization and how the boy's feelings felt true (it's one of Ness' strong point).

This was one of the best books I've read so far this year. I literally could not put it down, and it took me around 3 hours to read the whole thing.

This book was incredible. I loved the use of illustrations, and the writing style was amazing. I loved how it was such an honest and realistic portrayal of the situation, as while at the same time having so many fantasy elements. I was very impressed.

I cannot agree more with the previous comments, this book is absolutely incredible, all of the feels.

I am reading this for the discard challenge, a book with a non human character. I made the mistake of reading it at work. Around page 173 I had to put away, or explain why I was starting to cry. I will have to finish it at home tonight.

Thanks guys, this is the perfect book for next year's rejected category "a book with illustrations"!

The art is gorgeous Sophie and fits perfectly the story :)

And it's cheap on Amazon, maybe I won't be able to wait for next year ;)

Has anyone seen the movie? Do they stay true to the story?

I just read this for the week 6, 2017 slot and it is so emotional! I thought it was wonderful, but I did cry.

I haven't seen the movie yet, but I hope to go this week.

I just finished this book, and I really enjoyed it! It truly is a book that tells a message, but I think it was too over-hyped for me to truly enjoy it as the story it was... Anyone else that felt the same way?

Andrea, I read it last year and did feel similar. There were a few times I asked myself whether or not I was really enjoying it or if I just felt like I should be enjoying it. I honestly wasn't all that absorbed until the end but then the way it came together and overall message made it a 4-star read for me.

Laura wrote: "Andrea, I read it last year and did feel similar. There were a few times I asked myself whether or not I was really enjoying it or if I just felt like I should be enjoying it. I honestly wasn't all..."

I felt the same way! It was a 4-star read for me as well.

Ohh, I'm only at page 26 out of 104 and already I have tears in my eyes. Maybe because it touches upon a difficult topic for me right now, so I'll take a break from the book and get some sleep instead, but I look forward to read the rest tomorrow.

I think I need to add this to my list for this year. If this is a teary book it will probably make my Top 10 for 2017. :)

Hahaha Jody and her weird criteria for Top 10 ;)

I finished it last night. This book deserves 5 stars after the way it affected me. What an impact, I can't think of any other book that's made me cry this much.

I didn't know what to expect from this book and I had no real idea what it was about. Maybe that was an advantage. It certainly hit me hard!

I enjoyed the writing and I felt that Ness really captured the emotions in such few words. Often things weren't being said and he stopped in the middle of a sentence, and that just said it all.

For me, it's a book that "helps you heal", especially as it deals with all the feelings you feel when you can't help a loved one. These kinds of books, when well done, are really soothing for me.

I'm totally mad because the movie isn't scheduled in both of my theaters. I'll have to wait the DVD release, France sucks :(

I agree Zaz. In my review of the book I ended up writing that I felt a kind of relief when I finished the book. It wraps up everthing in such a fine and delicate way.

One of my favorite parts of the book: (view spoiler)[When Conor's mum is telling him that it's okay to be angry and she says to him:
"And if, one day,” she said, really crying now, “you look back and you feel bad for being so angry, if you feel bad for being so angry at me that you couldn’t even speak to me, then you have to know, Conor, you have to know that it was okay. It was okay. That I knew. I know,
okay? I know everything you need to tell me without you having to say it out loud. All right?” (hide spoiler)]

I'm not sure I want to see the movie. I don't think I should watch is just right now right after reading the book. I'm afraid it would disappoint me.

I'm so glad you liked it Marina! :)

Zaz, maybe it's not a bad thing it's not scheduled, to avoid you to have to put up with a horrible french version haha

I can deal with them when it's movies. For TV shows, it's nope nope nope!

For those who want to continue with Patrick Ness, your next stop should be More Than This ;)

Zaz wrote: "I can deal with them when it's movies. For TV shows, it's nope nope nope!

For those who want to continue with Patrick Ness, your next stop should be More Than This ;)"

Ah thank you for the tip, I will definitely check it out! :)

I had to join in on the wave of people reading this (and crying), because I do love a good book-cry!

I'm reading this for 2017, Week 43 (A book with a chilling atmosphere (scary, unsettling, cold)).

Really, really looking forward to this. I loved More Than This, and have been wanting to read something else by Ness ever since.

Wow ... this was beautiful. I thought I'd read a little before bed last night, nope, couldn't put it down. Ness is a master! So many tears. Into the Top 10 it goes! ;)

Jody wrote: "Wow ... this was beautiful. I thought I'd read a little before bed last night, nope, couldn't put it down. Ness is a master! So many tears. Into the Top 10 it goes! ;)"

I knew you would love this book. It's definitely on my top 10 this year also.

Great Jody, I'm happy you also liked this one :)

I'm so happy you loved it! I read it so quickly, that I want to re-read it at some point, I feel I didn't get all I could from it.

This will definitely be one I re-read. I loved the illustrations too - they fit the story perfectly.

It has took me quite awhile to finish reading this around 6 days, observably it wasn't the length. I would pick it up to read and put it down again after just a page or two, it was because I knew where this book was going and I didn't want to follow.

So today I decided to finish it and am glad I did, I still feel a bit raw however I feel better for it.

Great book with so much emotion stuffed into a few pages.

Yes, the subjects are difficult, but luckily handled in a good way.

Jody > I also liked a lot the art, I was so pleased when I received my paper copy.

I changed my planned read for Week #17 to this, based on all the raves I'd been seeing from other challenge readers.

All I can say is it was as advertised, lived up to the hype and then some. What a beautiful, sad read.

Definitely print over e for this, so much better having the book in hand and really looking at the detail and anger and movement in the accompanying illustrations.,

I'm reading this as part of week 6 "A book being released as a movie in 2017 "; i've only heard amazing things about the book and movie so i'm hoping to love it! I'm only on page 74 and so far it's good

I read this for week 30: A book from Goodreads Top 100 YA Books. I rated it 4 stars

I read this at the end of last year and absolutely fell in love with it. It became an instant favourite.

I saw the movie the day after it came out and, to those worrying about the film, it was honestly one of the best book to movie adaptations I have ever seen. It was exactly how I pictured everything, the story is the same, the characters are the same. There were a couple of very minor changes/additions but they didn't change or affect the rest of the story at all. Visually, the movie was stunning and the stories are told through animation which looks like watercolours and it's just breathtakingly beautiful. I sobbed at the end of the book and sobbed just as hard at the end of the movie. Seriously, even if you're hesitant I would highly recommend watching the movie.

It's good to know that the movie is good, I really enjoyed the book and was a little afraid to be disappointed by the movie. :)

Thanks for the info Francesca. I adored the book but I'll be needing to watch the movie in the privacy of my own home so others won't get soggy from my tears!

That's a good idea! I was at the back of the cinema and waited for others to leave at the end before getting up and going myself because I knew my face was going to be a mess. I got my Mum to go and see it with me and it took her down, too.

I finally watched the movie. It is so well done. I was very glad that everyone else was asleep when that tear jerk of ending came.
I noticed that the screen play was also written by the author.

Used this for week #13- a New York Times Best Seller.
As stated above, it is a tear jerker and keeps you turning pages.

Wow this was a good book. I want to see the movie also. I didn't know there was one. The feelings in the book were amazing. I couldn't put it down. If I didn't have to work and wasn't so tired this would have been a read in one sitting.

This was another book find that wouldn't have happened had I not joined this group. I added in my plan after seeing it in others for an illustrated novel. I don't know why it took me so long to pick up though!

I definitely feel like I need a happy book now.

I read this for my Quatre Challenge, a male author. I wasn't really impressed with this, and found myself zoning out at times. I loved the cover art; it was a my favorite thing about the book.

2/5

WOW! AMAZING! This book is for anyone!!! I read it for the ATW 2018 "a book one of your friends rated 5 stars."

I read this in 2019 for 42. A book with a monster or "monstrous" character, I wish I had read this when my grandmother died as there are so many emotions in this book which I had then and was so ashamed and felt so horrible I felt them. To know others were there would have helped so much.

Although like a reader above, I'm sure I missed big messages in this book