Module 7: Monster by Walter Dean Myers

Bibliographic Citation: Myers, Walter D. Monster. New York: HarperCollins Publishers Inc., 1999.

Plot Summary:

Steve Harmon is a 16 year old who is in jail, on trial for being an accomplice to a murder.  Steve spends his time in jail, writing in his journal and creating a movie script of his life.  O'Brien is Steve's attorney and whether or not she believes in Steve's innocence is unknown.  She advises him though that he needs to prove to the jury that he is innocent if he doesn't want to spend time in jail.  Steve's friends decided to rob the neighborhood liquor store and the robbery went wrong, and the owner, Mr. Nesbitt was killed.  Now James King and Steve Harmon are on trial for the murder.  According to James King, Steve was supposed to be a lookout, make sure that no one went into the store.  Steve claims that he just happened to go to the store and was walking out when it happened, that he wasn't part of the robbery.   After a long trial, Steve's case is dismissed and he is set free.  However, whether Steve is innocent or not is not stated in the novel.      

My Impressions of the Book:

This book is written in the form of a journal and a movie script, and the movie script sections were tough to get used to.  I didn't quite enjoy the book as much because at first I was trying to capture what the camera angles meant, the cut to, etc.  Once I got used to the writing style, I finally began to enjoy the novel.  I found myself wanting Steve to be innocent but from time to time, I couldn't help but doubt him.  This is another novel in which I truly did not like the ending.  The reader never finds out if Steve is guilty or not, and I must admit, that fact was a bit upsetting.  The reader is left to make their own decision as to whether is Steve is guilty or not.   

Review(s) About the Book:

Amazon.com

From School Library Journal

Grade 7 Up-Steve Harmon, 16, is accused of serving as a lookout for a robbery of a Harlem drugstore. The owner was shot and killed, and now Steve is in prison awaiting trial for murder. From there, he tells about his case and his incarceration. Many elements of this story are familiar, but Myers keeps it fresh and alive by telling it from an unusual perspective. Steve, an amateur filmmaker, recounts his experiences in the form of a movie screenplay. His striking scene-by-scene narrative of how his life has dramatically changed is riveting. Interspersed within the script are diary entries in which the teen vividly describes the nightmarish conditions of his confinement. Myers expertly presents the many facets of his protagonist's character and readers will find themselves feeling both sympathy and repugnance for him. Steve searches deep within his soul to prove to himself that he is not the "monster" the prosecutor presented him as to the jury. Ultimately, he reconnects with his humanity and regains a moral awareness that he had lost. Christopher Myers's superfluous black-and-white drawings are less successful. Their grainy, unfocused look complements the cinematic quality of the text, but they do little to enhance the story. Monster will challenge readers with difficult questions, to which there are no definitive answers. In some respects, the novel is reminiscent of Virginia Walter's Making Up Megaboy (DK Ink, 1998), another book enriched by its ambiguity. Like it, Monster lends itself well to classroom or group discussion. It's an emotionally charged story that readers will find compelling and disturbing.
Edward Sullivan, New York Public Library
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

http://www.amazon.com/Monster-Walter-Dean-Myers/dp/0064407314/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1292187663&sr=1-1

TeenReads.com

Harpercollins Juvenile Books
Young Adult
ISBN: 0060280778

FADE IN: Welcome to the world of Steve Harmon. He's sixteen years old and on trial for murder. Did he serve as a lookout in a drugstore robbery in which the owner was killed? Or was he just in the wrong place at the wrong time?

To distance himself from the seriousness of his situation, Steve, a budding filmmaker, turns his story into a film --- starring, produced and directed by Steve himself. Interspersing day-to-day courtroom drama with entries from his journals, he effectively relates and explores the tension of the courtroom, the gut-wrenching terror of prison, the very real threat of being beaten and sexually assaulted, and the events that lead to his current predicament. Will Steve be acquitted? Is he the "monster" the prosecutor has portrayed him as? You be the judge.

Filled with ambiguity, this fast-paced nail-biter will have you at the edge of your seat unable to put it down. Perfect for teens and adults alike, MONSTER raises interesting questions about the path to crime and our judicial and prison systems.
   --- Reviewed by Tammy L. Currier
http://www.teenreads.com/reviews/0060280778.asp

Use in Library Setting:

During Black history month I would put this book on a display, along with other books written by various African American writers.  I would also use this book during a movie script teen workshop, so teens can see how a movie script is developed through the novel.