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Monster #1
Monster
Sometimes I feel like I have walked into the middle of a movie. Maybe I can make my own movie. The film will be the story of my life. No, not my life, but of this experience. I'll call it what the lady who is the prosecutor called me. Monster.
Fade In: Interior Court. A guard sits at a desk behind Steve. Kathy O'Brien, Steve's lawyer, is all business as she talks to Steve.
O'Brien
Let me make sure you understand what's going on. Both you and this king character are on trial for felony murder. Felony Murder is as serious as it gets. . . . When you're in court, you sit there and pay attetion. You let the jury know that you think the case is a serious as they do. . . .
Steve
You think we're going to win ?
O'Brien (seriously)
It probably depends on what you mean by "win."
Sixteen-year-old Steve Harmon is on trial for murder. A Harlem drugstore owner was shot and killed in his store, and the word is that Steve served as the lookout.
Guilty or innocent, Steve becomes a pawn in the hands of "the system," cluttered with cynical authority figures and unscrupulous inmates, who will turn in anyone to shorten their own sentences. For the first time, Steve is forced to think about who he is as he faces prison, where he may spend all the tomorrows of his life.
As a way of coping with the horrific events that entangle him, Steve, an amateur filmmaker, decides to transcribe his trial into a script, just like in the movies. He writes it all down, scene by scene, the story of how his whole life was turned around in an instant. But despite his efforts, reality is blurred and his vision obscured until he can no longer tell who he is or what is the truth. This compelling novel is Walter Dean Myers's writing at its best.
Fade In: Interior Court. A guard sits at a desk behind Steve. Kathy O'Brien, Steve's lawyer, is all business as she talks to Steve.
O'Brien
Let me make sure you understand what's going on. Both you and this king character are on trial for felony murder. Felony Murder is as serious as it gets. . . . When you're in court, you sit there and pay attetion. You let the jury know that you think the case is a serious as they do. . . .
Steve
You think we're going to win ?
O'Brien (seriously)
It probably depends on what you mean by "win."
Sixteen-year-old Steve Harmon is on trial for murder. A Harlem drugstore owner was shot and killed in his store, and the word is that Steve served as the lookout.
Guilty or innocent, Steve becomes a pawn in the hands of "the system," cluttered with cynical authority figures and unscrupulous inmates, who will turn in anyone to shorten their own sentences. For the first time, Steve is forced to think about who he is as he faces prison, where he may spend all the tomorrows of his life.
As a way of coping with the horrific events that entangle him, Steve, an amateur filmmaker, decides to transcribe his trial into a script, just like in the movies. He writes it all down, scene by scene, the story of how his whole life was turned around in an instant. But despite his efforts, reality is blurred and his vision obscured until he can no longer tell who he is or what is the truth. This compelling novel is Walter Dean Myers's writing at its best.
281 pages, Paperback
First published April 21, 1999
3099 people are currently reading
34523 people want to read
About the author
Walter Dean Myers
232 books1,183 followerspseudonyms:
Stacie Williams
Stacie Johnson
Walter Dean Myers was born on August 12, 1937 in Martinsburg, West Virginia but moved to Harlem with his foster parents at age three. He was brought up and went to public school there. He attended Stuyvesant High School until the age of seventeen when he joined the army.
After serving four years in the army, he worked at various jobs and earned a BA from Empire State College. He wrote full time after 1977.
Walter wrote from childhood, first finding success in 1969 when he won the Council on Interracial Books for Children contest, which resulted in the publication of his first book for children, Where Does the Day Go?, by Parent's Magazine Press. He published over seventy books for children and young adults. He received many awards for his work in this field including the Coretta Scott King Award, five times. Two of his books were awarded Newbery Honors. He was awarded the Margaret A. Edwards Award and the Virginia Hamilton Award. For one of his books, Monster, he received the first Michael Printz Award for Young Adult literature awarded by the American Library Association. Monster and Autobiography of My Dead Brother were selected as National Book Award Finalists.
In addition to the publication of his books, Walter contributed to educational and literary publications. He visited schools to speak to children, teachers, librarians, and parents. For three years he led a writing workshop for children in a school in Jersey City, New Jersey.
Walter Dean Myers was married, had three grown children and lived in Jersey City, New Jersey. He died on July 1, 2014, following a brief illness. He was 76 years old.
Stacie Williams
Stacie Johnson
Walter Dean Myers was born on August 12, 1937 in Martinsburg, West Virginia but moved to Harlem with his foster parents at age three. He was brought up and went to public school there. He attended Stuyvesant High School until the age of seventeen when he joined the army.
After serving four years in the army, he worked at various jobs and earned a BA from Empire State College. He wrote full time after 1977.
Walter wrote from childhood, first finding success in 1969 when he won the Council on Interracial Books for Children contest, which resulted in the publication of his first book for children, Where Does the Day Go?, by Parent's Magazine Press. He published over seventy books for children and young adults. He received many awards for his work in this field including the Coretta Scott King Award, five times. Two of his books were awarded Newbery Honors. He was awarded the Margaret A. Edwards Award and the Virginia Hamilton Award. For one of his books, Monster, he received the first Michael Printz Award for Young Adult literature awarded by the American Library Association. Monster and Autobiography of My Dead Brother were selected as National Book Award Finalists.
In addition to the publication of his books, Walter contributed to educational and literary publications. He visited schools to speak to children, teachers, librarians, and parents. For three years he led a writing workshop for children in a school in Jersey City, New Jersey.
Walter Dean Myers was married, had three grown children and lived in Jersey City, New Jersey. He died on July 1, 2014, following a brief illness. He was 76 years old.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 7,233 reviews
June 3, 2021
mimo bardzo dobrego tłumaczenia nie da się w polskim języku tej niezwyklej różnicy, która zachodzi pomiędzy "innocent" a "not guilty"
September 22, 2010
amended review, with spoilers:
are all teen books written in eye-catching, typographically unconventional ways?? or is it just this one reading list?? i have nothing really to say about this book, except that for a sixteen-year-old boy in jail, it might benefit him to adopt less girly handwriting. kids, stay out of jail. don't associate with criminals. don't lie about your involvement because any close reader will notice, and you will be screwed. and, really, less girly...
i have just returned from my teen lit readers' advisory class and everyone just ooohed and ahhhed over this book and even though i read it last summer, the gushing reaction of everyone else made me drop a star from my previous rating. no. no. no. it is not "gritty and edgy", this is absurd. and a close reading of this book reveals several inaccuracies that pretty much solidify the fact that despite the narrator's repeated claims that he is innocent, well, he's not. at all. and so basically, this book becomes one long lie about a character avoiding responsibility for a shitty thing he did, and couldn't even lie well enough to effectively get out of. and greg's review points out what a shitty low--reward crime it was. i am sick of people who are not prepared to accept that their actions have consequences, in fiction or otherwise. be a man. although, with that handwriting, you are probably more likely about to learn what it is like to be a woman.
are all teen books written in eye-catching, typographically unconventional ways?? or is it just this one reading list?? i have nothing really to say about this book, except that for a sixteen-year-old boy in jail, it might benefit him to adopt less girly handwriting. kids, stay out of jail. don't associate with criminals. don't lie about your involvement because any close reader will notice, and you will be screwed. and, really, less girly...
i have just returned from my teen lit readers' advisory class and everyone just ooohed and ahhhed over this book and even though i read it last summer, the gushing reaction of everyone else made me drop a star from my previous rating. no. no. no. it is not "gritty and edgy", this is absurd. and a close reading of this book reveals several inaccuracies that pretty much solidify the fact that despite the narrator's repeated claims that he is innocent, well, he's not. at all. and so basically, this book becomes one long lie about a character avoiding responsibility for a shitty thing he did, and couldn't even lie well enough to effectively get out of. and greg's review points out what a shitty low--reward crime it was. i am sick of people who are not prepared to accept that their actions have consequences, in fiction or otherwise. be a man. although, with that handwriting, you are probably more likely about to learn what it is like to be a woman.
March 10, 2020
Walter Dean Myers (RIP!) was one of the most prolific and successful children's and YA authors ever, but this book, that I have taught many times and is a staple especially in urban schools, may be his best known, in print since it came out in 1999. I read it again in a Growing Up course recently, and some students also read Bad Boy, his memoir, but some students instead/also read the graphic adaptation of the book, which I will review in a minute. The story involves a (black) teenager who is indicted for being an accessory to a robbery and murder. He's a very good student, attending one of Manhattan's premier high schools, interested in film.
A prosecutor lumps them all together: Monsters. Issues of race and representation and moral responsibility abound. Just as in 12 Angry Men, this is a story young people like to debate. And write from: Largely told in screenplay fashion, from the boy's point of view, and through journal excerpts, it provides a model for multi-genre presentation of reality. And a nudge for students to investigate the juvenile justice system.
A prosecutor lumps them all together: Monsters. Issues of race and representation and moral responsibility abound. Just as in 12 Angry Men, this is a story young people like to debate. And write from: Largely told in screenplay fashion, from the boy's point of view, and through journal excerpts, it provides a model for multi-genre presentation of reality. And a nudge for students to investigate the juvenile justice system.
July 8, 2010
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.
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.
April 5, 2017
Find all of my reviews at: http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/
“My job is to make sure the law works for you as well as against you, and to make you a human being in the eyes of the jury. Your job is to help me.”
You may recall several months ago a horrific tragedy befell my family – I LOST MY KINDLE IN MY OWN HOUSE!!!! I did what any sane reader would do and immediately went into meltdown mode and demanded the okay to order a new one (which was promptly given to me because I = psychopath and even the hubs don’t want to mess with me when I’m having a B.F.). After an hour or so I came to my senses (well, as much as is possible) and realized I should be placing the emphasis of the Kindle being lost IN MY OWN HOUSE. I figured as soon as the new one arrived I’d find the old and have to eat serious amounts of crow for eternity. So I did another thing that’s sure to win me my Mother Of The Year Award once again and purloined the youngest’s reader instead (since he pretty much only used it for Minecraft and that is whack). Months went by and then like magic my Kindle fell out from between the slats in the dining room chair where it had managed to wedge itself and remain incognito so long ago and I realized that if both Kindles were attached to my account I couldforce suggest a buddy read . . . .
You see, the young one is not necessarily a fan of reading, but it does count for a pretty whopping portion of his ELA grade so he is obligated. Last year he proved he was definitely not adopted when he hid in the john for 20 minutes every night like a shady little son-of-a-gun and wasn’t really reading at all. This year I learned from my mistake and had him read a book I had already read (The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian if you’re curious.) And guess what happened?????
He still doesn’t loooooooove to read (and most assuredly stops when his 20 page requirement is over no matter how interesting he finds what’s going on), but he doesn’t moan and groan if presented contemporary realistic fiction. He also likes a low page count and he prefers an unconventional style if we can find it. And allllllllllllllllllllllllll of that ramble is what led us to Monster.
Monster is . . . .
“The incredible story of how one guy’s life was turned around by a few events and how he might spend the rest of his life behind bars. Told as it actually happened!”
The main character is Steve Harmon, a 16 year old boy who is on trial for murder of a corner store owner in Harlem. While only being accused of playing “lookout” for the men who actually committed the robbery/ended up shooting the victim, a zero tolerance policy for violent crimes has Steve facing 25 to life just as if he were the one who pulled the trigger.
Before getting sent to jail to wait out his trial date, Steve’s favorite hobby was making movies. Therefore, Monster reads like a screenplay and the reader discovers that . . . .
“Most people in our community are decent, hardworking citizens who pursue their own interests legally and without infringing on the rights of others. But there are also monsters in our communities – people who are willing to steal and to kill, people who disregard the rights of others.”
Over the course of 281 pages, you get to decide which category you think Steve belongs in.
This was a winner for both the kidlet and myself. A super fast read that easily held the interest of even the not-so-dedicated reader. It also presented quite the resume for itself: Michael L. Printz Award (2000), Coretta Scott King Award for Author Honor (2000), Lincoln Award Nominee (2005), National Book Award Finalist for Young People's Literature (1999), Boston Globe-Horn Book Award Honor for Fiction (1999) which leads me to my one gripe –NOT about the book, but about middle-school teaching/philosophies/beliefs/whatever in general . . . .
This book was ON A GIANT BULLETIN BOARD OF “RECOMMENDED READS” in the teacher’s classroom when we went in for Spring Parent/Teacher Conferences. Like Ralphie’s father in A Christmas Story, it won alllll the major awards. My kid read it BASED ON THE TEACHER’S SUGGESTION. And yet it’s not a story that is allowed to be discussed in class. Why the eff not????? Seriously parents, these kids are 12 and 13 years old. Steve Harmon was only 16 in this book when his entire life was potentially going to be snatched away from him. Books like this show the privileged suburbanite a taste of what really goes on in the world. Stop hiding them from your children and stop bitching at teachers that your special snowflake is too precious and delicate to know about the atrocities of modern day American and READ THEM WITH YOUR KID. Then talk about it. Then tell them about real life situations when you hear them on the news. Make sure they know the consequences in order to see that they (hopefully) won’t put themselves at the wrong place at the wrong time. Don’t stick your head in the sand for cripes sake!
If you have any other suggestions that fit the bill of realistic middle-grade fiction, please share below. My kid might not be super thankful, but I will be ; )
“My job is to make sure the law works for you as well as against you, and to make you a human being in the eyes of the jury. Your job is to help me.”
You may recall several months ago a horrific tragedy befell my family – I LOST MY KINDLE IN MY OWN HOUSE!!!! I did what any sane reader would do and immediately went into meltdown mode and demanded the okay to order a new one (which was promptly given to me because I = psychopath and even the hubs don’t want to mess with me when I’m having a B.F.). After an hour or so I came to my senses (well, as much as is possible) and realized I should be placing the emphasis of the Kindle being lost IN MY OWN HOUSE. I figured as soon as the new one arrived I’d find the old and have to eat serious amounts of crow for eternity. So I did another thing that’s sure to win me my Mother Of The Year Award once again and purloined the youngest’s reader instead (since he pretty much only used it for Minecraft and that is whack). Months went by and then like magic my Kindle fell out from between the slats in the dining room chair where it had managed to wedge itself and remain incognito so long ago and I realized that if both Kindles were attached to my account I could
You see, the young one is not necessarily a fan of reading, but it does count for a pretty whopping portion of his ELA grade so he is obligated. Last year he proved he was definitely not adopted when he hid in the john for 20 minutes every night like a shady little son-of-a-gun and wasn’t really reading at all. This year I learned from my mistake and had him read a book I had already read (The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian if you’re curious.) And guess what happened?????
He still doesn’t loooooooove to read (and most assuredly stops when his 20 page requirement is over no matter how interesting he finds what’s going on), but he doesn’t moan and groan if presented contemporary realistic fiction. He also likes a low page count and he prefers an unconventional style if we can find it. And allllllllllllllllllllllllll of that ramble is what led us to Monster.
Monster is . . . .
“The incredible story of how one guy’s life was turned around by a few events and how he might spend the rest of his life behind bars. Told as it actually happened!”
The main character is Steve Harmon, a 16 year old boy who is on trial for murder of a corner store owner in Harlem. While only being accused of playing “lookout” for the men who actually committed the robbery/ended up shooting the victim, a zero tolerance policy for violent crimes has Steve facing 25 to life just as if he were the one who pulled the trigger.
Before getting sent to jail to wait out his trial date, Steve’s favorite hobby was making movies. Therefore, Monster reads like a screenplay and the reader discovers that . . . .
“Most people in our community are decent, hardworking citizens who pursue their own interests legally and without infringing on the rights of others. But there are also monsters in our communities – people who are willing to steal and to kill, people who disregard the rights of others.”
Over the course of 281 pages, you get to decide which category you think Steve belongs in.
This was a winner for both the kidlet and myself. A super fast read that easily held the interest of even the not-so-dedicated reader. It also presented quite the resume for itself: Michael L. Printz Award (2000), Coretta Scott King Award for Author Honor (2000), Lincoln Award Nominee (2005), National Book Award Finalist for Young People's Literature (1999), Boston Globe-Horn Book Award Honor for Fiction (1999) which leads me to my one gripe –NOT about the book, but about middle-school teaching/philosophies/beliefs/whatever in general . . . .
This book was ON A GIANT BULLETIN BOARD OF “RECOMMENDED READS” in the teacher’s classroom when we went in for Spring Parent/Teacher Conferences. Like Ralphie’s father in A Christmas Story, it won alllll the major awards. My kid read it BASED ON THE TEACHER’S SUGGESTION. And yet it’s not a story that is allowed to be discussed in class. Why the eff not????? Seriously parents, these kids are 12 and 13 years old. Steve Harmon was only 16 in this book when his entire life was potentially going to be snatched away from him. Books like this show the privileged suburbanite a taste of what really goes on in the world. Stop hiding them from your children and stop bitching at teachers that your special snowflake is too precious and delicate to know about the atrocities of modern day American and READ THEM WITH YOUR KID. Then talk about it. Then tell them about real life situations when you hear them on the news. Make sure they know the consequences in order to see that they (hopefully) won’t put themselves at the wrong place at the wrong time. Don’t stick your head in the sand for cripes sake!
If you have any other suggestions that fit the bill of realistic middle-grade fiction, please share below. My kid might not be super thankful, but I will be ; )
June 14, 2009
Nowhere in the book does the pointlessness of what has happened get mentioned. The basic plot is that right before Christmas a drugstore on Malcolm X Boulevard gets robbed. The owner pulls a gun, the gun gets turned on him and he dies. The thieves steal the money in the register and a few cartons of cigarettes, that one of the robbers then sells on the street for five bucks a carton. There are supposedly four people involved in this mastermind heist that I'm guessing nets about $230 (six cartons of smokes at 5 bucks a pop, and a register till usually only has about 200 bucks in it, I can't imagine that drugstore in pre-gentrified 1990's Harlem would have kept more in it at anytime). Split four ways this is about 57 dollars a person and change. This is never mentioned in the book. It's this pointlessness of the whole scheme that struck me as most poignant, that for this pocket change an 'elaborate' conspiracy was created and carried out.
Maybe after watching The Wire and reading Clockers the Game being played here seems absurd, like small reward for high risks, that give a stupidity or sheer desperation to the people involved. Maybe it's the ease that the 5-0 make their case based on hearsay, without any kind of physical evidence that makes me feel a little too removed from the story, like this is something that wouldn't happen, but maybe that is just me having my only experiences with criminal trials come from TV Crime Procedurals. Maybe it's the ease that everyone is rolling on everyone else, begging to rat out anyone that they can to get off on some crime that they committed that feels a little strange, like there would be no repercussions in this world for being an open snitch. Again maybe Richard Price is distorting my view of what the world is really like out there.
Besides the absurdity of the crime, the other fascinating thing in this book is the unreliability of the story. In at least three spots the truthfulness of what the main character is writing into his movie create tensions that could undermine the whole basis of his story. They are just small things said or done in the story, but they bring into question if anything that happened according to the main character can be trusted at all.
Maybe after watching The Wire and reading Clockers the Game being played here seems absurd, like small reward for high risks, that give a stupidity or sheer desperation to the people involved. Maybe it's the ease that the 5-0 make their case based on hearsay, without any kind of physical evidence that makes me feel a little too removed from the story, like this is something that wouldn't happen, but maybe that is just me having my only experiences with criminal trials come from TV Crime Procedurals. Maybe it's the ease that everyone is rolling on everyone else, begging to rat out anyone that they can to get off on some crime that they committed that feels a little strange, like there would be no repercussions in this world for being an open snitch. Again maybe Richard Price is distorting my view of what the world is really like out there.
Besides the absurdity of the crime, the other fascinating thing in this book is the unreliability of the story. In at least three spots the truthfulness of what the main character is writing into his movie create tensions that could undermine the whole basis of his story. They are just small things said or done in the story, but they bring into question if anything that happened according to the main character can be trusted at all.
August 28, 2023
Steve Harmon is on trial for his alleged participation in a robbery that lead to a murder. Steve is a sixteen years old African American interested in film making. The story unfold as a 'script' with Steve as the main character. The narrative is a deeply moving look into how young men are often caught up in a justice system that 'monsterizes' them in a way that is detrimental to their ability to receive a fair trial. A well written story that is sadly relevant now more than ever.
November 12, 2024
"Maybe we are here because we lie to ourselves."- (from "Monster").
A deeply felt, grim YA novel about a young black man, teenager Steve Harmon who is accused of being an accessory to murder. It's also about a justice system that unfairly treat young black men and see them as immediately guilty, and often dismissing their character.
Written in 1999, it's still a timely novel that connects with the United States of Anxiety's feelings towards the #blacklivesmatter movement, and a blistering critique of racial injustice and systemic racism.
Before Steve was arrested he was encouraged by his teacher, Mr. Sawicki to pursue his love of film. Steve narrates his story through the structure of a screenplay, which flashbacks are used to establish his story, before the arrest, his life as a promising student, and the present time in which is imprisoned.
Since two of the four accused young men entered plea bargains (Bobo and Osvaldo), Steve and James have to stand trial. Steve does have a support system: his father, who he looks up to, and has attended Morehouse College; his mother, and Mr. Sawicki.
As the novel reaches its end, Steve's interaction with his lawyer, Ms. O'Brien is one of the most chilling interactions, ending in doubt and heartbreak. He will probably through the eyes of white society, seen as a Monster, "several times she patted me on the hand. I asked her if that meant that she thought we were going to lose the case. She said no, but I don’t believe her. I am so scared. My heart is beating" (190).
I loved the structure of the book as a screenplay- with stage directions, cues, dialogue, and characterization that fleshes out Steve's harrowing experience as a nightmarish movie. I certainly see why this book is both taught with immediacy, as an antiracist piece of literature- and a book that gets banned, because those who banned this book just simply think of the book itself as a monster.
I think this is one of the best YA books ever written, and parents should be told by fellow teachers about this text's intense language and trigger warnings.
A deeply felt, grim YA novel about a young black man, teenager Steve Harmon who is accused of being an accessory to murder. It's also about a justice system that unfairly treat young black men and see them as immediately guilty, and often dismissing their character.
Written in 1999, it's still a timely novel that connects with the United States of Anxiety's feelings towards the #blacklivesmatter movement, and a blistering critique of racial injustice and systemic racism.
Before Steve was arrested he was encouraged by his teacher, Mr. Sawicki to pursue his love of film. Steve narrates his story through the structure of a screenplay, which flashbacks are used to establish his story, before the arrest, his life as a promising student, and the present time in which is imprisoned.
Since two of the four accused young men entered plea bargains (Bobo and Osvaldo), Steve and James have to stand trial. Steve does have a support system: his father, who he looks up to, and has attended Morehouse College; his mother, and Mr. Sawicki.
As the novel reaches its end, Steve's interaction with his lawyer, Ms. O'Brien is one of the most chilling interactions, ending in doubt and heartbreak. He will probably through the eyes of white society, seen as a Monster, "several times she patted me on the hand. I asked her if that meant that she thought we were going to lose the case. She said no, but I don’t believe her. I am so scared. My heart is beating" (190).
I loved the structure of the book as a screenplay- with stage directions, cues, dialogue, and characterization that fleshes out Steve's harrowing experience as a nightmarish movie. I certainly see why this book is both taught with immediacy, as an antiracist piece of literature- and a book that gets banned, because those who banned this book just simply think of the book itself as a monster.
I think this is one of the best YA books ever written, and parents should be told by fellow teachers about this text's intense language and trigger warnings.
August 3, 2007
This is my most recent reading of a book I've already taught two or three times in ninth grade English classes. This is a great book for people who don't necessarily enjoy reading. The movie script format means the action moves quickly and may make it more appealing to people who enjoy movies a lot. Myers doesn't give too much away about the story either, which both builds suspense and leaves the reader with something to think about and to talk about. The 16 year old protagonist who is on trial for allegedly participating in a robbery that ended in murder is realistic, sympathetic, and interesting.
November 2, 2017
Okay so I have a lot to say about this one. I didn't really enjoy it as much as I thought I would. The format was really hard to get into and then on top of that I truly believe that the narrator was unreliable. There were things that he stated in his personal journal that didn't line up with his testimony which almost made me feel like something about the situation wasn't completely right. I just wanted more from the novel and I'm not sure if it was the authors intention to keep everything so vague, but I literally finished this book in one sitting and didn't understand why I started it to begin with. I didn't really understand the whole premise of the case, it felt as though pieces were missing and it seemed as though everything was based on hearsay. To be quite honest, I really didn't enjoy it. If anyone has a better perspective of the novel please let me know.
January 5, 2012
here there be spoilers. just sayin'.
So, i lobbied to add this book to my curriculum for 10th grade low levels next year. it's a quick read (although i suspect much less so for them) but it actually presents some very interesting ideas about identity, racism, guilt/innocence, and justice. the kids will all fixate on whether or not they think steve is guilty, which is sort of the crux of the action (he's on trial, suspected of being a "lookout" for a botcohed robbery of a convenience store where one man was murdered). because it's not made expressly clear, the reader essentially has to choose for themselves what they believe and it brings up the question of legal vs. moral innocence (i'm thinking casey anthony would also work as a nice tie in here - can you be found not guilty but still be, in a sense, condemned for what you've done).
personally, i think steve is guilty. i think his screenplay attempts to distance himself from not only prison but from the crime itself - he is on the outside looking in on himself and who he was/is. i don't think he ever intended anyone to get hurt, and that's why he desperately looks for some semblance of humanity in himself.i don't think there was any way, however, for walter dean myers to actually find him guilty in a court of law and still have the message work effectively. it would have made the book about the crime, not the person, if that makes ANY sense at all.
of course, i should have probably considered the deeper implications of that artistic decision. if steve can't even take responsibility for his decisions in his screenplay, and then gets away with murder, well, what the hell sort of message is that?
So, i lobbied to add this book to my curriculum for 10th grade low levels next year. it's a quick read (although i suspect much less so for them) but it actually presents some very interesting ideas about identity, racism, guilt/innocence, and justice. the kids will all fixate on whether or not they think steve is guilty, which is sort of the crux of the action (he's on trial, suspected of being a "lookout" for a botcohed robbery of a convenience store where one man was murdered). because it's not made expressly clear, the reader essentially has to choose for themselves what they believe and it brings up the question of legal vs. moral innocence (i'm thinking casey anthony would also work as a nice tie in here - can you be found not guilty but still be, in a sense, condemned for what you've done).
personally, i think steve is guilty. i think his screenplay attempts to distance himself from not only prison but from the crime itself - he is on the outside looking in on himself and who he was/is. i don't think he ever intended anyone to get hurt, and that's why he desperately looks for some semblance of humanity in himself.i don't think there was any way, however, for walter dean myers to actually find him guilty in a court of law and still have the message work effectively. it would have made the book about the crime, not the person, if that makes ANY sense at all.
of course, i should have probably considered the deeper implications of that artistic decision. if steve can't even take responsibility for his decisions in his screenplay, and then gets away with murder, well, what the hell sort of message is that?
February 8, 2022
7 out of 10
This book is about a sixteen-year-old named Steven who is being involved in a burglary/manslaughter case. The two criminals who broke into the store claim that Steven agreed to go into the store and give them a signal if there were any police in there. Steven gave them no signal, so they broke into the store and it led to an altercation that ended with the store owner dying. The court is now charging Steven with responsibility for this crime even though he didn’t steal anything, or inherently caused the man-slaughter. Steven likes to make films, so he likes to think of the court processing like a movie, and he makes his own movie script of the events that are happening to him right now.
This book is very short but despite the length, it provides a lot of social commentaries, and it presents you with a lot of the flaws of the legal system. This book is told through the eyes of Steven. He is being held in jail until his trial is over. He is facing the possibility of over twenty years in prison. Throughout the book, you are not told whether he was involved in this crime. Steven says he just went in the store to get mints, but everyone around him seems unsure of his potential involvement in this crime.
This book shows a lot of the prejudice against black people in the legal system. Even Steven’s lawyer doesn’t seem to entirely believe that Steven wasn’t involved in the crime. When Steven sees his parents, they are unsure of what to think about him. I liked how this book was often described as movie scenes. It worked very well with the plot, and it showed that Steven had a filmmaker’s mindset. It was a unique way to tell the story.
I’m glad the book ended the way it did.
*SPOILERS AHEAD.*
Overall this was a decent experience. I learned a lot about what trials are like. Throughout the entire book, you constantly question the different characters’ motives and try to piece together the crime to try and see if Steven is innocent. This book was a quick read, but it really makes you ponder afterward.
This book is about a sixteen-year-old named Steven who is being involved in a burglary/manslaughter case. The two criminals who broke into the store claim that Steven agreed to go into the store and give them a signal if there were any police in there. Steven gave them no signal, so they broke into the store and it led to an altercation that ended with the store owner dying. The court is now charging Steven with responsibility for this crime even though he didn’t steal anything, or inherently caused the man-slaughter. Steven likes to make films, so he likes to think of the court processing like a movie, and he makes his own movie script of the events that are happening to him right now.
This book is very short but despite the length, it provides a lot of social commentaries, and it presents you with a lot of the flaws of the legal system. This book is told through the eyes of Steven. He is being held in jail until his trial is over. He is facing the possibility of over twenty years in prison. Throughout the book, you are not told whether he was involved in this crime. Steven says he just went in the store to get mints, but everyone around him seems unsure of his potential involvement in this crime.
This book shows a lot of the prejudice against black people in the legal system. Even Steven’s lawyer doesn’t seem to entirely believe that Steven wasn’t involved in the crime. When Steven sees his parents, they are unsure of what to think about him. I liked how this book was often described as movie scenes. It worked very well with the plot, and it showed that Steven had a filmmaker’s mindset. It was a unique way to tell the story.
I’m glad the book ended the way it did.
*SPOILERS AHEAD.*
Overall this was a decent experience. I learned a lot about what trials are like. Throughout the entire book, you constantly question the different characters’ motives and try to piece together the crime to try and see if Steven is innocent. This book was a quick read, but it really makes you ponder afterward.
October 27, 2019
I don't know what to believe about this story, I don't. I am still trying to figure out if it is a good or bad thing.
This book is told through diary entries and as a screenplay by the main character. Yes, it is not the conventional way of doing things, but I thought it a beautiful way to tell the story, even though everything this man writes is gold. This helped, as questions relating to race, dehumanization, relative or subjective nature of the truth and identity began to rise within me (also, if you are a person interested in law, or know the flaws within the court system, this will be a cake walk, one will be able to analyze it with no problem). I don't want to talk about the characters, that is a decision that every one must make individually, if you believe what is told, or if you make your own assumptions. However this is a powerful book, and with the current situation in the United States pertaining to incarceration, race, and police brutality, it is one that should be carefully studied by all young people, so as to gather perspective of the ills of the world.
This book is told through diary entries and as a screenplay by the main character. Yes, it is not the conventional way of doing things, but I thought it a beautiful way to tell the story, even though everything this man writes is gold. This helped, as questions relating to race, dehumanization, relative or subjective nature of the truth and identity began to rise within me (also, if you are a person interested in law, or know the flaws within the court system, this will be a cake walk, one will be able to analyze it with no problem). I don't want to talk about the characters, that is a decision that every one must make individually, if you believe what is told, or if you make your own assumptions. However this is a powerful book, and with the current situation in the United States pertaining to incarceration, race, and police brutality, it is one that should be carefully studied by all young people, so as to gather perspective of the ills of the world.
June 5, 2021
Videorecensione:
https://youtu.be/wUYNbM0JKs8
https://youtu.be/wUYNbM0JKs8
October 19, 2025
‘Monster’ by Walter Dean Myers is a great choice for some book clubs! It would also be good for middle-school teachers to put on their required reading list for their kids. Of course, in 2025 any teacher who tries to introduce this book to kids, or any librarian caught recommending it, will be prosecuted and put in prison in at least two states. In most other Midwest and Southern United States states teachers and librarians would certainly lose their jobs and whatever certifications they have after being fired. It is a banned book in those places where MAGA politicians have taken over the school board or state congress and governor’s office.
For me, putting book censorship and the going to prison imposed by Republicans on people for reading or recommending a book aside, it is an interesting book, but I did not like reading the presentation style of the story being a screenplay. I found it interrupting, like static on a screen when I am trying to lose myself into the world of the show. I have always found books written as screenplays a little difficult to get into, though, including Shakespeare, so not really a big deal. I get over it.
I think I get the message in this choice of writing style for the YA novel, and I believe it is a literary message. Myers created a protagonist who is creating a mental screenplay about his life while he is experiencing it in real time. Steven Harmon, sixteen years old, is attempting to make space between the horrific reality he has found himself in and his mental self. The distancing of reality by pretending he is in a movie is also, I think, an authorial literary commentary about the hall of mirrors which movies and tv shows, and neighbors, and generally people tell you who you are through their eyes. When you are a young teen, you are being watched and judged by a lot of people: parents, teachers, friends, frenemies, peers. For young teens it is more like ‘running the gauntlet’ about who you are, especially for teens of color.
Many of us laugh about the horror movie trope of how it is the Black guy in horror movies who always gets killed first. Then, of course, all of us consume the millions of murderous and threatening images and scenes and plots from movies and tv shows about life in the Black ghetto that is seemingly always going on in urban areas. Black men in ghettos always seem to be drug dealers, or to be carrying guns robbing stores, or are killing each other in movies and TV shows. Whether this imagery is true or not, the fact is all of the video we watch about it affects what we think we know about Black men. It is the media being the message which is the primary message of this novel. I think. But it isn’t the only message since ‘Monster’ is a multi-dimensional literary novel. There ARE places that are ghettos in urban cities, and because of segregation and prejudice, ghettos often have mostly one race of people living in that area. Some of them are criminals, whether they be of any race living in an area. But in the case I think Myers is presenting in this book, what is first, the chicken or the egg? Does watching TV and movies which almost never show Black men as middle-class, but mostly instead as criminals and ne’er-do-wells influence how young Black men make choices of whether to participate in criminal acts?
Moving on….
On the other hand, by making the horror of being in a jail cell with three grown male criminals into material for a screenplay, will it help Steven survive his ordeal psychologically? The book is a reality show of what happens when people get arrested. For real. It is not ok to put a kid in with adult criminals, but this happens all of the time. Steven has legitimate fears, imho.
But the author takes it a step further into Steve’s processing of what he hears people say about him. There is a jury of adults looking at him with obvious expressions of disapproval or wonder. There is his own lawyer who won’t look at him or allow him to hug her - she clearly thinks he is guilty of the crime. Then there are the horrible things the prosecutor says, and the witnesses’ testimony, some of them people he has known his whole life and others he knew only from seeing them around the neighborhood. He is getting an earful of judgement about himself from many sources!
I have copied the book blurb:
””Sometimes I feel like I have walked into the middle of a movie. Maybe I can make my own movie. The film will be the story of my life. No, not my life, but of this experience. I'll call it what the lady who is the prosecutor called me. Monster.
Fade In: Interior Court. A guard sits at a desk behind Steve. Kathy O'Brien, Steve's lawyer, is all business as she talks to Steve.
O'Brien
Let me make sure you understand what's going on. Both you and this king character are on trial for felony murder. Felony Murder is as serious as it gets. . . . When you're in court, you sit there and pay attention. You let the jury know that you think the case is a serious as they do. . . .
Steve
You think we're going to win ?
O'Brien (seriously)
It probably depends on what you mean by “"win."”
Sixteen-year-old Steve Harmon is on trial for murder. A Harlem drugstore owner was shot and killed in his store, and the word is that Steve served as the lookout.
Guilty or innocent, Steve becomes a pawn in the hands of "the system," cluttered with cynical authority figures and unscrupulous inmates, who will turn in anyone to shorten their own sentences. For the first time, Steve is forced to think about who he is as he faces prison, where he may spend all the tomorrows of his life.
As a way of coping with the horrific events that entangle him, Steve, an amateur filmmaker, decides to transcribe his trial into a script, just like in the movies. He writes it all down, scene by scene, the story of how his whole life was turned around in an instant. But despite his efforts, reality is blurred and his vision obscured until he can no longer tell who he is or what is the truth. This compelling novel is Walter Dean Myers's writing at its best.”
Was he guilty?
The author leaves the question of Steven’s guilt ambiguous, so it is up to the reader to come to their own conclusion - which, depending on what you decide, I guess will say something about you, gentler reader.
For me, putting book censorship and the going to prison imposed by Republicans on people for reading or recommending a book aside, it is an interesting book, but I did not like reading the presentation style of the story being a screenplay. I found it interrupting, like static on a screen when I am trying to lose myself into the world of the show. I have always found books written as screenplays a little difficult to get into, though, including Shakespeare, so not really a big deal. I get over it.
I think I get the message in this choice of writing style for the YA novel, and I believe it is a literary message. Myers created a protagonist who is creating a mental screenplay about his life while he is experiencing it in real time. Steven Harmon, sixteen years old, is attempting to make space between the horrific reality he has found himself in and his mental self. The distancing of reality by pretending he is in a movie is also, I think, an authorial literary commentary about the hall of mirrors which movies and tv shows, and neighbors, and generally people tell you who you are through their eyes. When you are a young teen, you are being watched and judged by a lot of people: parents, teachers, friends, frenemies, peers. For young teens it is more like ‘running the gauntlet’ about who you are, especially for teens of color.
Many of us laugh about the horror movie trope of how it is the Black guy in horror movies who always gets killed first. Then, of course, all of us consume the millions of murderous and threatening images and scenes and plots from movies and tv shows about life in the Black ghetto that is seemingly always going on in urban areas. Black men in ghettos always seem to be drug dealers, or to be carrying guns robbing stores, or are killing each other in movies and TV shows. Whether this imagery is true or not, the fact is all of the video we watch about it affects what we think we know about Black men. It is the media being the message which is the primary message of this novel. I think. But it isn’t the only message since ‘Monster’ is a multi-dimensional literary novel. There ARE places that are ghettos in urban cities, and because of segregation and prejudice, ghettos often have mostly one race of people living in that area. Some of them are criminals, whether they be of any race living in an area. But in the case I think Myers is presenting in this book, what is first, the chicken or the egg? Does watching TV and movies which almost never show Black men as middle-class, but mostly instead as criminals and ne’er-do-wells influence how young Black men make choices of whether to participate in criminal acts?
Moving on….
On the other hand, by making the horror of being in a jail cell with three grown male criminals into material for a screenplay, will it help Steven survive his ordeal psychologically? The book is a reality show of what happens when people get arrested. For real. It is not ok to put a kid in with adult criminals, but this happens all of the time. Steven has legitimate fears, imho.
But the author takes it a step further into Steve’s processing of what he hears people say about him. There is a jury of adults looking at him with obvious expressions of disapproval or wonder. There is his own lawyer who won’t look at him or allow him to hug her - she clearly thinks he is guilty of the crime. Then there are the horrible things the prosecutor says, and the witnesses’ testimony, some of them people he has known his whole life and others he knew only from seeing them around the neighborhood. He is getting an earful of judgement about himself from many sources!
I have copied the book blurb:
””Sometimes I feel like I have walked into the middle of a movie. Maybe I can make my own movie. The film will be the story of my life. No, not my life, but of this experience. I'll call it what the lady who is the prosecutor called me. Monster.
Fade In: Interior Court. A guard sits at a desk behind Steve. Kathy O'Brien, Steve's lawyer, is all business as she talks to Steve.
O'Brien
Let me make sure you understand what's going on. Both you and this king character are on trial for felony murder. Felony Murder is as serious as it gets. . . . When you're in court, you sit there and pay attention. You let the jury know that you think the case is a serious as they do. . . .
Steve
You think we're going to win ?
O'Brien (seriously)
It probably depends on what you mean by “"win."”
Sixteen-year-old Steve Harmon is on trial for murder. A Harlem drugstore owner was shot and killed in his store, and the word is that Steve served as the lookout.
Guilty or innocent, Steve becomes a pawn in the hands of "the system," cluttered with cynical authority figures and unscrupulous inmates, who will turn in anyone to shorten their own sentences. For the first time, Steve is forced to think about who he is as he faces prison, where he may spend all the tomorrows of his life.
As a way of coping with the horrific events that entangle him, Steve, an amateur filmmaker, decides to transcribe his trial into a script, just like in the movies. He writes it all down, scene by scene, the story of how his whole life was turned around in an instant. But despite his efforts, reality is blurred and his vision obscured until he can no longer tell who he is or what is the truth. This compelling novel is Walter Dean Myers's writing at its best.”
Was he guilty?
The author leaves the question of Steven’s guilt ambiguous, so it is up to the reader to come to their own conclusion - which, depending on what you decide, I guess will say something about you, gentler reader.
February 17, 2019
3.5 Stars
“Sometimes I feel like I have walked into the middle of a movie. Maybe I can make my own movie. The film will be the story of my life. No, not my life, but of this experience. I'll call it what the lady who is the prosecutor called me. MONSTER.”Monster is a powerful story about perception and expectations. And the audiobook is definitely the way to go with reading this book. There’s a full cast of narrators which really adds to the screenplay format of the story. It’s so easy to follow the story and we get a clear picture of the court setting and the uneasiness that Steve feels being there. And the most wonderful part of the story is that we get to see the “facts” and evidence unfold along side the jury, so we become part of the story with them. We take these character’s fate into our hands and cast judgements. I think it was fitting that everything wasn’t wrapped up neatly, there are still some unanswered questions and even Steve isn’t sure how he’s supposed to view himself. Monster is a thought provoking and powerful story that really looks at how the justice system is influenced by perceptions in a very accessible way that any reader can grasp.
May 15, 2021
Filme na Netflix
"Boy, man, human... monster. That feels great.
What do you see when you look at me?"
"Boy, man, human... monster. That feels great.
What do you see when you look at me?"
May 28, 2022
عجب چیزی بود! صدبار جلد این کتاب تو آدیوبوکایی که داشتم به چشمم خورده بود ولی هیچوقت به گوش دادنش تحریک نشده بودم تا امروز... و واقعا داستان و آدیوی معرکهای داشت.
داستان درمورد یه پروندهی قتله، سبک داستان مثل یه فیلمنامست. شخصیت مورد بررسی ما استیو هارمون عه که یه پسر نوجوون ۱۶سالست.
پرونده اینه:
روز ۲۲ دسامبر سال گذشته توی یه محلهی سیاهنشین آمریکا، ادعا میشه که "بوبو" و جیمز کینگ برای دزدی به یه داروخونه میرن، ادعا میشه که از استیو هارمون خواسته بودن که قبل از ورود بهشون علامت بده که داروخانه خالیه، و یه نفرم برای این گذاشتن که جلوی ورود آدمارو بگیره. اما چقدر از این داستان حقیقت داره؟ ما نمیدونیم.
حالا ما داریم روند دادگاه رو میبینیم. شواهد دونه دونه میان و حرفهاشونرو اعلام میکنن و وکلا سوالا و صحبتهاشون رو ارائه میدن.
استیو عاشق فیلمسازیه و سبک روایت داستان، صحنههای فیلمه که استیو داره مینویسه. تو این بین بین صحنه های دادگاه و زندانی که استیو توش قرار داره دائم شیفت پیدا میکنیم....
خلال این داستان فکر میکنیم:
*. آیا *بیگناه* و *نات گیلتی* باهم یکین؟
*. آیا ما تحت تاثیر رفتاری که باهامون صورت میگیره، ممکنه تبدیل به یه هیولا بشیم؟ حقیقت چیه؟ آیا واقعا طرفدار راستی هستیم، یا بیاین رو راست بشیم اگه پاش بیفته و بقای خودمون درمیون باشه صداقت رو با خاک یکسان میکنیم؟
*. اگه ما یه تصمیم خیلی ساده بگیریم، و اون تصمیم خیلی سادهمون باعث یه فاجعه بشه چی؟ ما چقدر تو اون فاجعه مقصریم؟
*. و ...
پینوشت: این کتابا چرا از دید پنهان موندن آخه-.- جدی کاش یه ترند *بوکتاک*ام واسه کتابای این تیپی راه بیفته.
پینوشت۲: گویا سال ۲۰۲۱ نتفلیکس یه فیلمم از این کتاب درست کرده
پینوشت۳: نمیدونم استرینجر آلبرکامو رو خوندین یا نه، ولی به شدددت منو یاد اون کتاب مینداخت.
پینوشت۴(ببخشید واسه اینهمه پینوشت ولی واقعا خیلی تو فکر فرو برد منو این کتاب): واقعا وکالت همونقدر که میتونه مثبت و نجاتبخش باشه همونقدرم میتونه کثیف باشه. خیلی وحشتناکه اینکه مدلی که یه حرف رو بپیچونی بتونه باعث و مرگ و زندگی یه آدم بشه.
Audiobook: 5/5
Story: 4/5
Overall: 4.5
From the book:
"I wish Jerry were here.
Not in jail, but somehow with me.
What would I say to him?
**Think about all the tomorrows of your life.**
Yes, that's what I would say.
**Think about all the tomorrows of your life.**"
داستان درمورد یه پروندهی قتله، سبک داستان مثل یه فیلمنامست. شخصیت مورد بررسی ما استیو هارمون عه که یه پسر نوجوون ۱۶سالست.
پرونده اینه:
روز ۲۲ دسامبر سال گذشته توی یه محلهی سیاهنشین آمریکا، ادعا میشه که "بوبو" و جیمز کینگ برای دزدی به یه داروخونه میرن، ادعا میشه که از استیو هارمون خواسته بودن که قبل از ورود بهشون علامت بده که داروخانه خالیه، و یه نفرم برای این گذاشتن که جلوی ورود آدمارو بگیره. اما چقدر از این داستان حقیقت داره؟ ما نمیدونیم.
حالا ما داریم روند دادگاه رو میبینیم. شواهد دونه دونه میان و حرفهاشونرو اعلام میکنن و وکلا سوالا و صحبتهاشون رو ارائه میدن.
استیو عاشق فیلمسازیه و سبک روایت داستان، صحنههای فیلمه که استیو داره مینویسه. تو این بین بین صحنه های دادگاه و زندانی که استیو توش قرار داره دائم شیفت پیدا میکنیم....
خلال این داستان فکر میکنیم:
*. آیا *بیگناه* و *نات گیلتی* باهم یکین؟
*. آیا ما تحت تاثیر رفتاری که باهامون صورت میگیره، ممکنه تبدیل به یه هیولا بشیم؟ حقیقت چیه؟ آیا واقعا طرفدار راستی هستیم، یا بیاین رو راست بشیم اگه پاش بیفته و بقای خودمون درمیون باشه صداقت رو با خاک یکسان میکنیم؟
*. اگه ما یه تصمیم خیلی ساده بگیریم، و اون تصمیم خیلی سادهمون باعث یه فاجعه بشه چی؟ ما چقدر تو اون فاجعه مقصریم؟
*. و ...
پینوشت: این کتابا چرا از دید پنهان موندن آخه-.- جدی کاش یه ترند *بوکتاک*ام واسه کتابای این تیپی راه بیفته.
پینوشت۲: گویا سال ۲۰۲۱ نتفلیکس یه فیلمم از این کتاب درست کرده
پینوشت۳: نمیدونم استرینجر آلبرکامو رو خوندین یا نه، ولی به شدددت منو یاد اون کتاب مینداخت.
پینوشت۴(ببخشید واسه اینهمه پینوشت ولی واقعا خیلی تو فکر فرو برد منو این کتاب): واقعا وکالت همونقدر که میتونه مثبت و نجاتبخش باشه همونقدرم میتونه کثیف باشه. خیلی وحشتناکه اینکه مدلی که یه حرف رو بپیچونی بتونه باعث و مرگ و زندگی یه آدم بشه.
Audiobook: 5/5
Story: 4/5
Overall: 4.5
From the book:
"I wish Jerry were here.
Not in jail, but somehow with me.
What would I say to him?
**Think about all the tomorrows of your life.**
Yes, that's what I would say.
**Think about all the tomorrows of your life.**"
February 5, 2017
3.5 stars
I chose this book for my Children's Book Challenge- I have never heard of it before, but it has won several awards, including one of the Best Books of the Year in 1999 and was a NYTimes bestseller.
This is the story of Steve Harmon, a 16 year old black male who is on trial for a botched robbery/murder. I listened to the audiobook in one sitting; I was so riveted. The flow of the novel was so different, bc Steve is telling the story himself as a movie, and it would appear the text is presented to the reader as a screenplay.
It's a short one- 281 pages- but it packs a lot of punch.
The best time to cry is at night, when the lights are out and someone is being beaten up and screaming for help.
That is the very first line of the book, and it definitely sets the tone.
I chose this book for my Children's Book Challenge- I have never heard of it before, but it has won several awards, including one of the Best Books of the Year in 1999 and was a NYTimes bestseller.
This is the story of Steve Harmon, a 16 year old black male who is on trial for a botched robbery/murder. I listened to the audiobook in one sitting; I was so riveted. The flow of the novel was so different, bc Steve is telling the story himself as a movie, and it would appear the text is presented to the reader as a screenplay.
It's a short one- 281 pages- but it packs a lot of punch.
The best time to cry is at night, when the lights are out and someone is being beaten up and screaming for help.
That is the very first line of the book, and it definitely sets the tone.
January 10, 2018
This book is AWESOME! I highly recommend this book to people who struggle getting through books. It is a quick read, but a necessary one!
December 25, 2015
“They take away your shoelaces and your belt so you can’t kill yourself no matter how bad it is. I guess making you live is part of the punishment.”
Monster is a few different things. Most noticeably, it's a page-turner written in the unique form of a movie script. But it also analyzes the main character and his choices of morality.
Sixteen-year-old Steve Harmon was convicted of being an accomplice in a murder and robbery. Terrified he's going to end up in prison for life or get sentenced to death row, Steve tries to distract himself by keeping track of the events in jail as the case plays out.
This was a short, thought-provoking read. It was a powerful punch highlighting an African-American boy's hard life, what it's like to experience prison, and what it means to be guilty or innocent.
The ending didn't wrap everything up, which I think is the reason this book didn't get very good ratings. When I first finished it, I too was frustrated with the ambiguous ending that left things a little too open.
But the more I thought about it, the more I appreciated the ending. Myers purposely left it open so the reader could decide what had happened on their own. In a way, the reader is supposed to give Steve the verdict: Guilty or not guilty?
This was a look at a boy's character who may have got caught up in a terrible crime. I thought it was a great reflection on different kinds of people—the criminals, lawyers, judges, and witnesses were all distinctly developed.
I found it very interesting and a complex look at human beings' actions.
August 24, 2016
"Sometimes I feel like I have walked into the middle of a movie. Maybe I can make my own movie. The film will be the story of my life. No, not my life, but of this experience. I'll call it what the lady who is the prosecutor called me. MONSTER."
Actual rating 2.5
Monster is a hard book to review. While reading it, I could definitely see the appeal and why so many people loved it as much as they did. It's well written, the format is fascinating, and the storyline is the opposite of dull.
I can practically hear you asking why I didn't give it at least four stars. How does a book with these qualities not receive a glowing review as radiant as it's abundance of stars? Well, the beginning half of the book this was at least a four. But then I finished it and had a startling realization: I did not truly care for anyone in the book. Did I feel horrible for Steve and hope that he didn't have to go to prison? Absolutely. But I didn't care for Steve particularly. I cared for an innocent sixteen year old going to prison for a crime he didn't commit.
All this said, I would still recommend this novel, especially for people who want to rethink the way they look at stereotypes and the plight of innocent people who happen to be the victims of these stereotypes. Despite the low review, I'm glad I read this and knowing what I would think of it, I still would have read it.
Actual rating 2.5
Monster is a hard book to review. While reading it, I could definitely see the appeal and why so many people loved it as much as they did. It's well written, the format is fascinating, and the storyline is the opposite of dull.
I can practically hear you asking why I didn't give it at least four stars. How does a book with these qualities not receive a glowing review as radiant as it's abundance of stars? Well, the beginning half of the book this was at least a four. But then I finished it and had a startling realization: I did not truly care for anyone in the book. Did I feel horrible for Steve and hope that he didn't have to go to prison? Absolutely. But I didn't care for Steve particularly. I cared for an innocent sixteen year old going to prison for a crime he didn't commit.
All this said, I would still recommend this novel, especially for people who want to rethink the way they look at stereotypes and the plight of innocent people who happen to be the victims of these stereotypes. Despite the low review, I'm glad I read this and knowing what I would think of it, I still would have read it.
February 25, 2021
The novel begins with a teenager who wishes to be a filmmaker writing the story of his trial for felony murder in the form of a movie script. He has journal entries after each day's action. The young filmmaker is accused of being an accomplice in the murder of a drug store owner. As he goes through his trial, he returns each night to a prison where he hears other inmates being beaten and raped. He reviews all these events leading up to his life right now. Though Steve is eventually acquitted, Walter Dean Myers lets the readers decide on Steve's guilt or innocence. Myers isn't making Steve out to be a good person, he's making Steve out to be a real person. Someone with flaws, issues, and troubles. The format in which this book is written in is a movie script that mimics courtroom scenes written entirely in dialogue and action. You're able to sense Steve's confusion and terror whenever another person speaks. The point Myers was trying to make was that the road to innocence and freedom is a road compromised of small, almost invisible steps. Each of those steps involves an experience in which a positive decision was not made. The book demonstrates how each person is living their own life, that we will never know of. Everyone has different thoughts and everyone has seen different things that you'll never see. If they experience something, you might not be able to understand it. Each person walking on the street has had a different experience with the same thing. Each person would have their troubles and issues. In the end of the day, those people are living a life as vivid as your own. Each story is like an invisible string that wraps around the world, each holding a different opinion and a different thought.
April 1, 2023
موضوع همیشگی که در اکثر فیلم های آمریکایی دیده می شه، نادیده گرفتن حقوق سیاهپوستان در آمریکا هست. این کتاب یه اشاره ی کوچک به این موضوع داره.
نحوه ی نگارش کتاب به صورت فیلمنامه هست چون شخصیت اول کتاب یعنی استیو هارمون یک نوجوان فیلم ساز هست.
علت اینکه به کتاب نمره ی سه دادم: دوست داشتم بیشتر در مورد فضای زندان و روابط استیو هارمون و هم سلولی هاش بخونم، اما تمام کتاب داستان کشمکش وکیل مدافع و دادستان و شاهدان بود 😶که این مقدار برای من خسته کننده بود.
لینک کتاب در طاقچه: https://taaghche.com/book/96116
نحوه ی نگارش کتاب به صورت فیلمنامه هست چون شخصیت اول کتاب یعنی استیو هارمون یک نوجوان فیلم ساز هست.
علت اینکه به کتاب نمره ی سه دادم: دوست داشتم بیشتر در مورد فضای زندان و روابط استیو هارمون و هم سلولی هاش بخونم، اما تمام کتاب داستان کشمکش وکیل مدافع و دادستان و شاهدان بود 😶که این مقدار برای من خسته کننده بود.
لینک کتاب در طاقچه: https://taaghche.com/book/96116
March 14, 2017
16-year old Steve Harmon is on trial as the lookout man in a Harlem convenience store robbery gone wrong, and the manager is killed with his own gun. The story is told in a unorthodox manner, switching between entries in Steve's diary and an imagined screenplay. Portrayed as a monster, the reader is left to determine his guilt or innocence as a number of troubled youth/criminals testify against Steve. His own worries and thoughts are intertwined as the court case comes to its conclusion.
June 1, 2021
OCENA: 3,5 ⭐️
Want to read
January 23, 2018Learned about it from this article about a book club for black boys.
November 18, 2012
Reviewed by Mechele R. Dillard for TeensReadToo.com
Sixteen-year-old Steve is on trial for murder. But he's having trouble understanding why. "What did I do? I walked into a drugstore to look for some mints, and then I walked out. What was wrong with that? I didn't kill Mr. Nesbitt"(p. 140). Nothing is wrong with that, of course--unless the purpose of that casual trip was to give the "all clear" for a robbery that ended in the murder of the store's owner. Then, something is very wrong.
By structuring the book as a movie script being written by the character as he spends his days in prison, faces his jury, prepares with his lawyer, confronts his mother and father, and, most importantly, examines his own life, Myers presents Steve as a talented young man who may have made a single poor choice. However, Myers retains conflict necessary for building a compelling storyline by having Steve refuse to acknowledge his part in Mr. Nesbitt's death. The result is that the reader wants to sympathize with the teen, but cannot help but wonder, if Steve truly does not understand why what he did was wrong, what is going to keep him from going astray in the future? Maybe, as the prosecutor stated, Steve really is a monster.
Overall, MONSTER sends an excellent message to young adults: You, and only you, are responsible for the choices you make, and the consequences for those choices may ultimately affect not only the rest of your life, but the lives of the people around you--and maybe those you do not even know. Therefore, think about what you are doing, consider the consequences of your actions, and choose wisely.
Boston Globe--Horn Book Awards, Honor Book,1999
Los Angeles Times Book Prize, Young Adult Fiction, Finalist 1999
Coretta Scott King Awards, Honor Book, 2000
Edgar Allan Poe Awards, Nominee, Best Young Adult Novel, 2000
Michael L. Printz Award, Winner, 2000
Kentucky Bluegrass Award, Grades 9-12, Winner, 2002
Sixteen-year-old Steve is on trial for murder. But he's having trouble understanding why. "What did I do? I walked into a drugstore to look for some mints, and then I walked out. What was wrong with that? I didn't kill Mr. Nesbitt"(p. 140). Nothing is wrong with that, of course--unless the purpose of that casual trip was to give the "all clear" for a robbery that ended in the murder of the store's owner. Then, something is very wrong.
By structuring the book as a movie script being written by the character as he spends his days in prison, faces his jury, prepares with his lawyer, confronts his mother and father, and, most importantly, examines his own life, Myers presents Steve as a talented young man who may have made a single poor choice. However, Myers retains conflict necessary for building a compelling storyline by having Steve refuse to acknowledge his part in Mr. Nesbitt's death. The result is that the reader wants to sympathize with the teen, but cannot help but wonder, if Steve truly does not understand why what he did was wrong, what is going to keep him from going astray in the future? Maybe, as the prosecutor stated, Steve really is a monster.
Overall, MONSTER sends an excellent message to young adults: You, and only you, are responsible for the choices you make, and the consequences for those choices may ultimately affect not only the rest of your life, but the lives of the people around you--and maybe those you do not even know. Therefore, think about what you are doing, consider the consequences of your actions, and choose wisely.
Boston Globe--Horn Book Awards, Honor Book,1999
Los Angeles Times Book Prize, Young Adult Fiction, Finalist 1999
Coretta Scott King Awards, Honor Book, 2000
Edgar Allan Poe Awards, Nominee, Best Young Adult Novel, 2000
Michael L. Printz Award, Winner, 2000
Kentucky Bluegrass Award, Grades 9-12, Winner, 2002
June 9, 2021
Mówiąc szczerze, oczekiwałam od tej książki, że będzie czymś, co mnie zaskoczy. Czy tak było? I tak i nie.
Czytając to, coraz bardziej rozumiałam, jak ważna jest ta pozycja i dlaczego jest ona lekturą szkolną. W bardzo prosty i przystępny sposób porusza sprawy ważne dla ludzkiej egzystencji, takie jak kolor skóry (a co za tym idzie - rasizm), sprawiedliwość, życie młodego wiszące na włosku. Forma przede wszystkim sprawia, że czyta się to szybko i przyjemnie - jakkolwiek to nie brzmi. Nie pozwala nam to na zobaczenie dogłębnych uczuć bohaterów, co niektórzy tej książce zarzucają, ale według nauk wyniesionych z języka polskiego, "bohaterowie dramatu charakteryzują się poprzez działania", więc nie znajdziemy tutaj przemyśleń, analiz psychologicznych, monologów wewnętrznych, które - moim zdaniem - nawet nie są tutaj potrzebne.
Jednak uważam, że jest ona troszeczkę za krótka, bo można było bardziej rozwinąć tą historię, choć z drugiej strony straciłaby wtedy na wartości.
Czytając to, coraz bardziej rozumiałam, jak ważna jest ta pozycja i dlaczego jest ona lekturą szkolną. W bardzo prosty i przystępny sposób porusza sprawy ważne dla ludzkiej egzystencji, takie jak kolor skóry (a co za tym idzie - rasizm), sprawiedliwość, życie młodego wiszące na włosku. Forma przede wszystkim sprawia, że czyta się to szybko i przyjemnie - jakkolwiek to nie brzmi. Nie pozwala nam to na zobaczenie dogłębnych uczuć bohaterów, co niektórzy tej książce zarzucają, ale według nauk wyniesionych z języka polskiego, "bohaterowie dramatu charakteryzują się poprzez działania", więc nie znajdziemy tutaj przemyśleń, analiz psychologicznych, monologów wewnętrznych, które - moim zdaniem - nawet nie są tutaj potrzebne.
Jednak uważam, że jest ona troszeczkę za krótka, bo można było bardziej rozwinąć tą historię, choć z drugiej strony straciłaby wtedy na wartości.
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