based on an idea by Siobhan Dowd

{stand alone; fantasy, magical realism, young adult, grief, dealing with illness, family}

Siobhan Dowd was an award winning children's author who died from breast cancer in 2007. She had the idea for this book, of a young boy with a mother very ill with cancer but did not get to write it before she died. Ness was asked to write the book, based on her idea. Reading it felt especially poignant knowing this background.

This book was heart-wrenching and so well written, but I don't know if I could read it again. It is told (in the third person) from the point of view of thirteen year old Connor O'Malley - an ordinary, decent boy, easy to identify with - whose mother is very sick. She has been through a few rounds of treatment, obviously for cancer, but the current round doesn't seem to be helping as well as it should. Connor's dad is out of the picture, having remarried and moved to America and his mum's mum is a no-nonsense sort of person whom Connor doesn't get on with at all (though we can see she does care about him). Meanwhile, Connor feels ostracised at school because everyone found out that his mum is sick and they walk on eggshells around him - except for Harry and his followers who constantly bully Connor.

But that's not the worst of it. Connor has a recurring nightmare, of darkness and hands slipping from his grasp which has him waking screaming in terror. So when the yew tree at the top of the hill that his mother always gazes at turns into a monster and breaks into his room, Connor isn't scared (which bewilders the monster a bit).

The monster's eyes widened. Who am I? it said, its voice getting louder. Who am I?
The monster seemed to grow before Conor's eyes, getting taller and broader. A sudden, hard wind swirled up around them, and the monster spread its arms out wide, so wide they seemed to reach to opposite horizons, so wide they seemed big enough to encompass the world.
I have had as many names as there are years to time itself! roared the monster. I am Herne the Hunter! I am Cernunnos! I am the eternal Green Man!
A great arm swung down and snatched Conor up in it, lifting him high in the air, the wind whirling around them, making the monster's leafy skin wave angrily.
Who am I? the monster repeated, still roaring. I am the spine that the mountains hang upon! I am the tears that the rivers cry! I am the lungs that breathe the wind! I am the wolf that kills the stag, the hawk that kills the mouse, the spider that kills the fly! I am the stag, the mouse and the fly that are eaten! I am the snake of the world devouring its tail! I am everything untamed and untameable! It brought Conor up close to its eye. I am this wild earth, come for you, Conor O'Malley.
"You look like a tree," Conor said.
The monster squeezed him until he cried out.
I do not often come walking, boy, the monster said, only for matters of life and death. I expect to be listened to.
The monster loosened its grip and Conor could breathe again. "So what do you want with me?" Conor asked.
The monster gave an evil grin. The wind died down and a quiet fell. At last , said the monster. To the matter at hand. The reason I have come walking.

When is a monster not a monster?

The monster will tell Connor three stories and the fourth, well the fourth one will have to come from Connor and will be the story of his nightmare. And so we live Connor's life with him, at home, with his mum, at school, at night with the yew tree monster and even at the hospital.

Short and bitter-sweet. Beautifully written. I'm still dabbing at tears as I write this (and I never cry, I'll have you know).

Wikipedia tells me this was turned into a film in 2016 and later adapted into an award winning play. I see from other reviewers here that their versions had illustrations but, sadly, my e-book did not.

Recommended. When you're ready.

(May 2024)
5 stars ( )

Ouch, that hurt. This title is so incredibly well written with powerful imagery. I was so wrapped up in this world during the last 1/3 of the book. Tragic, emotional, and yet so beautiful! ( )

DNF
Couldn't get into it.

This is a beautiful melancholic young adult novel that deals with tragedy, hope, helplessness, and trauma through the eyes of a 13-year-old boy named Connor. The author portrays the isolation and the internal suffering that comes along with personal tragedy, which is never blatantly spelled out but is shown through the interactions that Connor has with other characters.

At its heart, what this book tries to convey is honesty, and coming to terms with the truth that lies deep within the sadness. And the truth can sting harsher than the sadness which encloses it. Only by accepting this painful fact, can one truly let go of the source of the suffering and move on. Hiding from, or evading the cruel reality will only worsen what is already damaged. The author manages to capture all these profound insights in a very simple and straightforward manner.

The only reason I did not rate this novel higher is due to the style of writing which I did not enjoy as much as the deeper meaning seeded within the plot. This is in no way a matter of objectivity and entirely a matter of preference. With that being said, it is a really good read which I would highly recommend to anyone who's looking for a light yet impactful read with a memorable narrative. ( )

So beautiful. Wonderfully imaginative, funny, scary, lovely book. ( )