3 1/2 stars 
 For a younger reader this isn't bad. As an adult I struggled a bit to get into this. The characters just didn't come to life for me. I wanted to feel for Conner and what he was going through but I felt detached. It took awhile to get into the story. I felt parts were left out of something. I found it interesting the purpose of the monster. A different role than one might normally expect.