A Monster Calls

Thirteen-year-old Conor awakens at seven minutes past midnight to find an ancient monster outside his bedroom window, but it is not the monster from his recurring nightmare about his mother's illness. The monster, an ancient yew tree creature, visits Conor over seven nights, demanding he face the truth about his mother's terminal illness while telling him three stories. Set in contemporary England, the book follows Conor as he copes with his mother's cancer diagnosis, his estranged grandmother, and his struggle with the truth he has been refusing to acknowledge.