Monster

1. Bibliography
Myers, W. D. 1999. Monster. Ill. by Christopher Myers. New York, NY: HarperCollins Publishers. ISBN 9780064407311

2. Summary
Steve Harmon is an African American teenager facing charges for a homicide he did not commit. While he undergoes his trials at court, Steve faces personal issues with identity and trust, not knowing whether his lawyer, Kathy O’Brien, his father, and even himself can trust him. Steve, a fim-making student, narrates his time in custody like a movie to cope with the horrific things he experiences daily. However, after going through these experiences while on trial, Steve is proven innocent and is finally allowed to walk away without any doubt that he is not the monster people think he is.

3. Discussion
The story is told through a very personal narrative from Steve; however, it is sometimes difficult to understand his narration since the point of view and font continually changes depending on where he is (e.g. the courthouse or jail). The story also introduces multiple characters into the story that it almost makes the story convoluted and hard to follow. I found myself having to backtrack many times to figure out which character was speaking and whether they were on Steve’s side in the court trials or not. However, these aspects of the book enhanced the plot and kept me invested in the story.

While these aspects made the story a little difficult to follow, these were also the book’s strengths. Steve’s style of narration is told like a movie script, switching from first-person and third-person with actual filmatography terms to describe the setting, for example on page 13, the author writes “Cut to: Interior: Holding room. We see Steve sitting at one end of the bench”. The way Steve narrates the events was hard to follow at first, but it was nonetheless unique and had me engaged throughout the story.

4. Connections
The novel would be a great read for any student in middle and high school. I do see some older elementary students reading the book, but the changing fonts and film-producing terminology may confuse them in following the story. The book is a short read, and the language isn’t hard to follow, so this book would be ideal for students who have trouble reading or who don’t want to read. Along with this, the book has a graphic novel adaptation, so this can entertain and introduce more readers who have or have not read the original book.