It might have been the way it was formatted, or that there were unneeded illustrations by Jim Kay on some pages, or that it seemed to be almost too preachy with its parables which took away the true meaning of why this book was written, but I didn't feel all that praiseful and charmed by this book by Patrick Ness as I had hoped I'd be like so many other people. By the end I did however understand why the parables and stories told by the monster were used and how they related to the story so I guess it was just a 'read-it-and-finish-it-and-then-you'll-know-why' type of book. It is middle-grade so that might've been an influence of how I viewed this book before and after I read it. It was a predictable story but it is one where you want to read and see where it takes you. Connor is a character that young male (or female) kids should look up to for bravery and strength in tough times. He is conflicted young boy who doesn't know how to express himself properly and that is true to the young male psyche. No matter how tough and strong you think you are, when the impact hits you'll find out you really aren't.