This book is a novel by Patrick Ness (although based on an idea by Siobhan Dowd, who came up with the basic story but died of cancer before she could write it - which makes the book all the more poignant in my opinion) & illustrated beautifully by Jim Kay.* In it, Conor O'Malley has been having a recurring nightmare in which his mother - who is being treated for cancer** - is taken by a monster and there's nothing he can do to save her. Then one night, he is visited by a new monster, something ancient & wild - the yew tree from the churchyard his house's rear windows look out upon - who tells him three stories, and then demands in return that Conor tell a fourth: specifically, the truth. I won't spoil the plot but that's the broad outline. I really enjoyed this book - it's a kid-friendly (well, probably between ages eight to thirteen, maybe) exploration of grief & fear told in powerful prose.
* The illustrations are marvellous; scratchy & shadowy, eerie & suggestive, full of interesting textures. They really add a great deal to the atmosphere of the story.
** "The C word" isn't mentioned anywhere in the book, but it's obvious.
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