Module 5: Monster

Book cover image:

Book Summary: Since Steve Harmon has been charged with murder, his life has been a nightmare. Life in prison is scary, but he cannot show his fear to the other prisoners. As his trial begins, he decides to write it out as a screenplay to give himself something to work on. Throughout the book, Steve tells the story from his point of view, interspersing the screenplay with the occasional journal entry. The suspense and drama builds as it all leads up to the jury's verdict. Will he be found guilty or not guilty?

APA Reference of the book: Myers, W. D. (1999). Monster. New York: Scholastic.

Impressions: When I was reading this book, I finished it almost in one sitting. I was drawn in by Steve's description of life in prison and could almost feel his fear of the other inmates and of possibly having to spend many years there. When the text began being shown as a screenplay, it helped to make the story move along and to keep all the various characters in the courtroom straight. I think it also helped Steve himself wrap his mind around what exactly was going on, putting a very complicated matter into a relatively easy to understand format, and making it less overwhelming that it would have been otherwise. The journal entries in between the days of court provided Steve with a direct voice and gave the reader insight into his thoughts, which I thought made the book more engaging. Throughout the text, I was convinced of Steve's innocence and was hoping almost as much as he was that he wouldn't be found guilty.

Professional Review: "Arrested and charged with murder, sixteen-year-old Steve Harmon is writing a screenplay of his ordeal. Interspersed with his handwritten journal entries, Steve's script makes up a novel that in both form and subject guarantees a wide teen audience. Balancing courtroom drama and a sordid jailhouse setting with flashbacks to the robbery that resulted in a shopkeeper's murder, Myers adeptly allows each character to speak for him or herself, leaving readers to judge for themselves the truthfulness of the defendants, witnesses, lawyers, and, most compellingly, Steve himself. Did Steve serve as a lookout for the robbery? Was he in the store at all? Through all the finessing and obfuscation of the trial process, readers will find plenty of evidence for a variety of conflicting opinions. Even the cri de coeur in Steve's journal leaves plenty of room for interpretation: "I didn't do nothing! I didn't do nothing!" Tailor-made for readers' theater, this book is a natural to get teens reading — and talking."

Sutton, R. (1999). [Review of Monster by Walter Dean Myers]. Horn Book Magazine, 75(3), p. 337 Retrieved from: http://www.hbook.com/horn-book-magazine-2/

Library Use: This book could be used to read in a group setting, as well as to spark discussion on a variety of topics, including violence, the justice system, and the idea of being innocent until proven guilty. It would be great to discuss in a setting such as a book club.