Monster Calls
Patrick Ness
Monster Calls
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
Inspired by an Idea from Siobhan Dowd
by Patrick Ness
The text is written at a 6th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for middle graders (ages 9–12), and the content is intense and may include graphic or distressing scenes.
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About This Book
What would you do if a monster showed up at your window in the middle of the night, but it wasn’t the scary dream you had? Conor, just thirteen, faces something ancient and wild that challenges him to confront his deepest fears and the hard truths about his mom’s illness. Can he find the courage to face what’s coming?
Themes
Quick Assessment
Monster Calls is a poignant middle-grade novel about a thirteen-year-old boy, Conor, who copes with his mother’s serious illness through encounters with a mysterious monster. The story sensitively explores themes of grief, loss, and emotional resilience, including difficult topics such as cancer and death. Suitable for ages 9-12, parents should be aware of the mature emotional content, hospital scenes, and a bittersweet ending.
Why we rated Monster Calls 11VE
Monster Calls is written at a Level 6 reading level across 242 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 7.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Monster Calls works for readers up to grade 8.0.
We rate Monster Calls as 11VE ("Vivid — Emotional") because the content sits in the "Intense" range — intense conflict including peril, frightening scenes, or emotionally heavy themes. The strongest signals come from emotional weight, physical peril, thematic difficulty — these are the dimensions parents should evaluate against their reader's tolerance.
Specific content flags noted by reviewers: Parent Dies, Cancer, Hospital Scene, Sad Ending, Fall to Death, Needles/Syringes, Vomiting, Spitting.
Thematically, Monster Calls explores coming of age, family, grief & loss, monsters, and school — these threads give the book room to mean different things to different readers.
Good fit for
- ✓ Children in the Ages 9-12 range — the maturity and attention span match the story's pacing.
- ✓ Patient readers who enjoy slower, character-driven stories.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about coming of age, family, grief & loss.
Maybe not for
- ! Sensitive readers who get overwhelmed by intense conflict or scary scenes.
- ! Children younger than 9-12 — the content intensity is above what most younger kids can process comfortably.
- ! Children currently coping with grief — the themes may hit close to home.
- ! Reluctant readers who need a fast hook — the pacing here rewards patience.
For Parents
Content Intensity
11VE — Vivid — EmotionalHeavy themes explored in depth. War, death, abuse addressed directly.
Content Flags
Was our "Intense" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Hook Factor
1/10A steady, thoughtful read that rewards patient readers.
Discussion Potential
3/10A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9780763669089
- Pages
- 242
- Publisher
- Candlewick Press (MA)
- Published
- 2013
- Type
- Fiction