Conor’s struggles with his mother’s illness, his dislike of his grandmother, troubles at school and a brief visit from his absent father all make the situation very real and difficult. I hate it with the burning passion of someone who's lived through something similar and felt the same kind of pain deep within their bones. Beautiful visual imagery, viscerally brutal action and desperate passions make this retelling feel fresh. After Conor refuses to tell the truth about being tripped by Harry, Lily is punished by their teacher, Miss Kwan, for pushing one of the bullies into a shrubbery.

The monster appears and tells Conor the story of a man who felt invisible and so lashed out in violence to get people's attention.Permission to accept that the thoughts I had pushed down as shameful and selfish, were just that: thoughts. The double win alone is unprecedented in more than fifty years since the illustration award was established. In the morning Conor believes the monster's visit was another dream, but his bedroom floor is covered in yew leaves. This extraordinary book was the first ever to win both the CILIP Carnegie and the CILIP Kate Greenaway Medals. And yes, this one has one of the most unlikeable father characters I have across but again, reality check: I really cannot hate this character too.

I read most of it with anxiety in my heart and as the story intensified, the ache in my throat got worse and worse. On 9 April 2014, it was announced that a film based on the book would be released by Focus Features on 14 October 2016. Conor has a hostile relationship to his grandmother and denies that they need any extra help at the house. I got back to my apartment in Bulgaria and thought I'd read a little bit of this novel before I went to bed. It bravely spoke of things that are often harboured in our deepest, darkest centres – far under the surface of our outward manifestations of pain.At other times, it is a thick, solid wave, filling up my body so that I’m afraid to speak, terrified that I might unleash a torrent I can’t stop. Conor has just woken from a recurring nightmare in which his terminally ill mother's hands slip from his grasp. The feelings that went through me at this point are really hard to describe, but it really goes to show that you never know when it's going to happen, and you need to be able to start the process of letting go at any time, because you never really know when yours and anyone you love's time is going to be up.