Monster | 
 enlarge | Author: Walter Dean Myers
Publisher: Amistad
Category: Book
List Price: $8.99
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Avg. Customer Rating:  682 reviews
Sales Rank: 4996
Media: Paperback
Reading Level: Young Adult
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 281
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.7
Dimensions (in): 7 x 4.9 x 0.9
ISBN: 0064407314
EAN: 9780064407311
ASIN: 0064407314
Publication Date: May 1, 2001
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Condition: Visible shelf wear -- may have some notes/markings on pages
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Amazon.com Review
"Monster" is what the prosecutor called 16-year-old Steve Harmon for his supposed role in the fatal shooting of a convenience-store owner. But was Steve really the lookout who gave the "all clear" to the murderer, or was he just in the wrong place at the wrong time? In this innovative novel by Walter Dean Myers, the reader becomes both juror and witness during the trial of Steve's life. To calm his nerves as he sits in the courtroom, aspiring filmmaker Steve chronicles the proceedings in movie script format. Interspersed throughout his screenplay are journal writings that provide insight into Steve's life before the murder and his feelings about being held in prison during the trial. "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." 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
Product Description
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. 2000 Coretta Scott King Honor Book, 2000 Michael L. Printz Award, 1999 National Book Award Finalist, 01 Heartland Award for Excellence in YA Lit Finalist, 00-01 Tayshas High School Reading List, and 00-01 Black-Eyed Susan Award Masterlist 2000 Best Books for Young Adults (ALA), Hornbook Fanfare 2000, Michael L. Printz Award 2000, 2000 Coretta Scott King Award Author Honor Book, 2000 Quick Picks for Young Adults (Recomm. Books for Reluctant Young Readers), and 2000 Best Books for Young Adults (ALA)
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| Customer Reviews: Read 677 more reviews...
 All around, good attempt November 16, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Monster, by Walter Dean Myers, is to say the least an interesting book. The stories protagonist, Steve, is put on trial for murder because he "aided in a robbery that led to the murder". The book is written mostly in a format for a movie, for Steve writes the movie script to help him cope with the trial and the trauma that is occurring inside of him. In the end, Steve is found innocent and released, but Myers is never clear if Steve really did assist in the robbery, leaving the reader to have to choose for themselves if Steve is truly guilty or innocent.
I thought this book was overall a good read. The drama of the storyline mixed with the mystery of Steve's actions certainly kept me fascinated from cover to cover. The idea to write in a movie script was a very creative idea on Myer's part, and he should at least deserve credit for originality. My only quarrel with the book was the characters. It was not that I had any problems with the character's personalities, rather their lack of personality. As I started reading, I wanted to like Steve, or hate him, or have some definite opinion on how I should feel about him. But as the book went on, I found myself having to reach harder and harder to grasp Steve's character, until I realized that it was not me who had the problem. It was Steve, whose defining characteristics were as flat as the pages that they were written on. When the court's decision finally came, I wanted to know very badly what the verdict was, but I later found that I would not have been to upset if the verdict went either way. I did not care how the book ended, or how it affected Steve, I just wanted to know what the ending was.
If Mr. Myers reads this, I would like to tell him that he is a great writer and a very creative thinker. Just next time, remember to make the protagonist more human, so that readers will be able to "feel what he is feeling" easier. If you master that, your books will truly be great.
 A book students like to read October 17, 2008
I am a high school English teacher and I have struggled with finding books students would read. I found just such a book with Monster. I had several who took the book home the first night and finished it. My students begged for more reading time in class because they didn't get to read as much as they wanted to the night before.
Quick read, excellent story October 14, 2008
Quick read, excellent story. Steve Harmon is a 16-year-old on trial for the murder of a drug store owner during a robbery attempt. He is accused of being a look-out for the robbery. The reader knows essentially what the jurors know - except for brief, descriptive scenes of Steve's incarceration. Steve comes from a loving stable home. He's an aspiring film student and a loving older brother. The impact of how quickly and how terribly things can go wrong is very strong. An excellent story for teens - neither condescending or boring - but one adults can appreciate as well.
Monster review October 9, 2008
Monster is an amazing book, because, at least for me, it transports you to a world you don't see every day. One in the courtroom, one in jail, on on the streets. The unique way it was written kept my interest, and made it feel like you were sitting right there. The dialogue was awesome, and it was all written in dialect that seemed realistic. Read this book...you will love it! Or if you don't love, you will at least be fascinated by how the main character's fear is so real, you can feel it.
Monster: Intresting and thought provoking September 20, 2008
Monster is the riveting tale of a young man on trial for murder. His attorney stresses that he needs to stand out from the other thugs on trial, as he struggles with his own sense of self. Steve narrates in a unique way, a collection of train-of-though style journal writing and screen plays of the events. He builds it all into a movie in his head, and on paper to help him sort out what's going on around him.
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