Parents' Guide to

Last Night I Sang to the Monster

By Kate Pavao, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 16+

Teen faces addiction and abuse in powerful, poetic novel.

Book Benjamin Alire Sáenz Coming of Age 2009
Last Night I Sang to the Monster Poster Image

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What you will—and won't—find in this book.

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age 14+

Based on 1 parent review

tobier
tobier Adult
July 21, 2016
age 14+
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What's the Story?

LAST NIGHT I SANG TO THE MONSTER begins with Zach in a recovery facility, refusing to remember what brought him there -- \"I don't like remembering. Remembering makes me feel things. I don't like feeling things.\" With the help of his kind therapist and a much older roommate who becomes a father figure to the young alcoholic, Zach begins to unpack his past, which includes a depressed mother, an alcoholic father, and an angry, abusive older brother. It's a painful journey, though -- \"How could I have so many tears living there, in my body? How could they fit? when was it going to stop? When?\" Zach knows he will have to be brave to be able to remember, and admit, the terrible incident that brought him to Cabin 9.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (1 ):
Kids say (1 ):

Readers will be quickly swept up in the poetic language of this novel. It convincingly captures the young alcoholic's feeling, including his belief that he is doomed ("I have it in my head that when we're born, God writes things down on our hearts. ... When it came to my turn, he wrote sad"). Zach's honest narration makes it is easy to empathize with the troubled teen and root for him as he struggles between wanting to remember and wanting to forget his horrible past. Though the book is easy to read, it is full of metaphors and mature material that makes it best suited for older teens. Adults will be equally captivated and moved by Zach's story and should consider reading it along with their kids.

Last Night I Sang to the Monster made 2011 Top Ten Best Fiction for Young Adults list, compiled by the Young Adult Library Services, a division of teh American Library Association.

American Library Association.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about books with gritty material, such as addiction and abuse. Are there topics that are off limits to teen readers? Do books like this one scare readers -- or glamorize bad behaviors -- or do they help teach teens about the world and promote empathy?

  • Also, families can talk about the book's title. Zach spends most of the book terrified of the Monsters that haunt his nightmares. So, is singing to the Monster a good thing? Why do you think the author decided to use this as the title?

Book Details

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