Monster

Myers, known for the inner-city classic Motown and Didi (first published in 1984), proves with Monster that he has kept up with both the struggles and the lingo of today's teens. Steve is an adolescent caught up in the violent circumstances of an adult world--a situation most teens can relate to on some level. Readers will no doubt be attracted to the novel's handwriting-style typeface, emphasis on dialogue, and fast-paced courtroom action. By weaving together Steve's journal entries and his script, Myers has given the first-person voice a new twist and added yet another worthy volume to his already admirable body of work. (Ages 12 and older) --Jennifer Hubert

Monster

I ordered this book for a young man going into middle school. It was required summer reading and he could not afford it. I know Walter Dean Myers always has wonderful books.

Ruth A. Warren - Fla.

Monster by: Walter Dean Myers

I read this book for a school assignment and I thought it was really good. The book was told from the point of view of the main character, Steve Harmon, who is in jail because he was accused of taking part in a robbery where a man was shot and killed. Steve Harmon enjoys making movies, and he takes notes of his trial everyday and plans on making a movie out of his expirience in the trial. The way Walter Dean Myers wrote this book was in the format of a movie script so it made story really easy to follow, and i was also able to get a clear picture of each scene in my head. Although the writing was very good, the ending was kind of predictable. Other than that I would definetly recommend reading this book.

S. St George -

Thought-provoking

Monster is an interesting book in several ways.

First, it is written in the format of a movie screenplay interjected with the main character's - a 16-year old African-American boy Steve Harmon's - diary-like entries. I thought I would not like this format, I do not read many plays, but it turned out to be quite the opposite - the format made the story much more dynamic. Steve is on trial for murder (he is accused of being a lookout during a robbery resulting in the death of the store owner), therefore the screenplay unfolds as an intense courtroom drama, where majority of the witnesses are criminals who were at some point cut a deal to testify against Steve and Steve's alleged partner and killer - James King.

Second, the story raises a multitude of questions about guilt, peer pressure, racial stereotyping, and flaws of court system. How can you possibly trust the testimonies of criminals, who do so only to reduce their sentences? Is Steve guilty or he just happened to be in a wrong place at a wrong time? If he is innocent, how can a Harlem black boy possibly distance himself from criminals (who he is only acquainted with) in the eyes of the jury? If he is guilty, is his screenplay a way for him to convince himself of his innocence? If he was in a fact a lookout, does it make him a murderer? And does it even matter if he is guilty or innocent if in the eyes of people around him he is a MONSTER regardless of the outcome of the trial?

The ending of the book is vague, we all have to decide if Steven is a victim or a criminal. I love that after reading some reviews, I see people have come to conclusions completely opposite to mine. A great story to ponder on and discuss.

T - NC

You should read this book

I thought that Monster was an awesome book. It was written in a screen play of a movie which made it a lot of fun to read. The book is based on 16 year old Steve Harmon, and his trial. Steve is on trial for robbery of a corner store, and the murder of the store owner. Steve says that he was only the look out for the robbery, and that he never even entered the store during any time of the robbery.
In the book the author describes Steve's feeling guilty in the courtroom, and in jail. Cathy O Brian, Steve's lawyer gives him useful advice throughout the entire book that keeps him going and makes him never give up on his trial. Through the story he writes in a book that is like a movie that he was filming it in real life. The movie is about what he is going through and how you live in jail.
You got to read this book to get it. Especially at the end it gets exciting. I thought that this book was one of the best books I ever read. I recommend this book to anyone that likes drama, suspense, etc. I hope all of you read it because it's one of the best books I ever read.

Imer Ortiz - Boston MA

VHS- Krista

This book was fairly easy to read had an interesting plot. I liked the mystery aspect of being given the same infomation as the jury, almost like I was part of the book. The first person journal entries were also a nice touch. They made it so the reader sees Chris as a person, not just someone on trial for murder. It really made me think about how we think about people and what they're really like. Some pointds in the story got a little slow, but it picked up again quickly enough that I read it through easily. I feel like this would be a great book for high-school aged kids since it really made me think about what's important, something many people that age should do.

Krista -