A Monster Calls

Conor is amazed that the yew tree might be the very thing needed to heal his mother and wonders if the monster has come to heal her. He hears his dad and his grandmother fighting, and when Conor asks why, his father explains that he “[has] to fly back home tonight” (132), because his new wife and baby need him there. His father promises to be back soon, and he and Conor go for a walk. His father tells Conor that this new medicine probably won’t help his mother. He explains that Grandma is upset because “she doesn’t think [his father] or [his mother] have been honest enough with [Conor]. About what’s really happening” (134). Conor is angry and tells his father to just go back to America, and he will continue to believe that his mother is going to get better. His father warns him that “Stories don’t always have happy endings,” and recognizes that “It’s unfair and cruel and not how things should be” (134). He promises to return in two weeks, and Conor eagerly awaits the arrival of the monster at 12:07am.

That night, Conor meets with the monster and asks if it can heal his mother. The monster agrees that yew trees are healing trees, and says that “If [Conor’s] mother can be healed [...] then the yew tree will do it” (137). Conor is frustrated that the monster won’t give him a straight answer, and he pushes the monster to confirm that it will, in fact, heal his mother. The monster says that “[Conor] still [does] not know why [the monster has] come walking” (140). Conor insists that he did not call the monster at all, and that if he did, “it was obviously for [his] mum” (140). The monster says that Conor is not ready for the third tale, but the time for it is coming soon. Then, it reminds Conor that after the third tale, Conor must tell the fourth tale: the truth about what happens in Conor’s nightmare. Conor refuses, saying that what happens in the nightmare is not his truth. The monster promises to return soon and disappears.

The next morning, Grandma drives Conor to school and gives him minimal answers, still clearly upset by what happened in the sitting room. Conor asks if the new treatment is helping his mom, but Grandma only says, “It’s too soon to tell” (142). At school, teachers and other students continue to behave as if Conor is invisible, and he continues to withdraw from everyone around him. Harry, Anton, and Sully find Conor in the cafeteria and start to harass Conor. However, Harry decides that “the hardest hit of all” that he can give Conor is to stop bullying him altogether (144). Harry has figured out that Conor feels seen when Harry hits him, and Harry will now withhold even his acknowledgement as a new form of bullying. Conor watches as Harry, Anton, and Sully walk away from him and pretend that they can’t see him anymore. The digital clock in the school cafeteria ticks over to 12:07pm, and from behind him, Conor hears the monster telling him that “It is time for the third tale” (145).

The monster speaks in Conor’s ear and tells him the story of an invisible man “who had grown tired of being unseen” (146). Conor follows Harry across the cafeteria as the monster continues to speak, telling Conor about how the invisible man decided to make people see him. At first, Harry pretends to not notice Conor, but when Conor attacks him with the help of the monster, Harry is forced to pay attention. Conor’s behavior sends “trays clatter[ing] and people scream[ing]” (150). Conor confronts Harry, who tells him that no one at school sees him. Conor notices that when he looks around the room, the other students “looked away, like it was too embarrassing or painful to actually look at him directly” (151). Harry continues to goad Conor, talking about how everyone feels sorry for Conor because of his mother, and asks Conor “What secrets do you hide that are so terrible?” that Conor seeks punishment (152). Conor advances on Harry and feels the monster’s voice, “like it [is] in his head” (152), telling him to make Harry see him.

In the headmistress’s office, Conor is questioned about what happened in the cafeteria. It is revealed that Conor “put [Harry] in the hospital,” and “[Harry’s] parents are threatening to sue the school and file charges against [Conor]” (153). Miss Kwan comes to Conor’s defense, explaining that Harry was bullying Conor. The headmistress is amazed that Conor could have caused so much damage on his own. Conor thinks back to the fight and is convinced that the monster was the one who attacked Harry, but “it vanished, leaving Conor standing alone over the shivering, bleeding Harry” (155). In the moments after, Conor saw yew tree leaves blowing in through the window of the cafeteria. The headmistress and Miss Kwan confirm that “An entire dining hall saw [Conor] hitting Harry [...] They heard [Conor] yelling about being seen. About not being invisible anymore” (156). The headmistress says that Conor should be expelled, and he feels immediate relief at the thought of being punished, but she changes her mind and says that it would be wrong to expel Conor, given his circumstances. Conor returns to class, and when he feels the stares of his classmates, he knows that he’s not invisible anymore, “But he was further away than ever” (158).

Days pass after the incident with Harry, and neither Conor’s father nor grandmother mention what happened. The nightmare starts to come more frequently, “and worse than before, if that was possible” (160). Conor’s mother spends most of her time on painkillers or asleep, and Conor feels lonelier than ever. One day in English class, Lily passes Conor a note that simply reads “I’m sorry for telling everyone about your mum [...] I miss being your friend [...] Are you okay? [...] I see you” (162). Conor reads the note again and again, but before he has a chance to respond, the school secretary enters and asks for Conor.

Conor is taken from school and brought to the hospital to see his mother. When he steps into her hospital room, he sees that his mother is smiling, but looks worse than ever. Conor feels himself “slowly starting to get very, very angry” (164) and he asks his mother why he was taken out of school. His mother admits through teary eyes that “The new treatment isn’t working,” and that “Things have moved just too fast” (165). Conor is full of disbelief, and his mother apologizes for not being more honest with him about the reality of this disease. She says that it’s okay if Conor is angry, because she’s angry as well. She tells him to be as angry as he needs to be, “And if [he] need[s] to break things, then by God, you break them good and hard” (167). She also tells him that he doesn’t need to worry about saying all the right things, because she loves him and she knows what’s in his heart. She falls asleep, and Conor asks his grandmother to take him back to his old house, “The one with the yew tree” (168).