Monster
by Walter Dean Myers
Myers, W. D. (1999). Monster. NY: Harper.
He was supposed to be the lookout. He was only supposed to make sure the store
was clear and give the signal, but now the store clerk is dead and 16-year-old
Steve Harmon has found himself arrested and charged with murder. When the prosecutor refers to him as a “monster”
in her opening statement, Steve begins to question himself and the person he
really is. Told as though a script for a
movie, including stage directions, camera angles and such, readers will feel as
though they are watching the most tumultuous part of Steve’s life play out
before their eyes. From flashbacks
showing how Steve was bullied by neighborhood gangsters into participating in
the convenience store robbery, to Steve’s frightening days and nights spent in
jail, to the courtroom trial, Steve keeps careful notes of it all, documenting his
experience and the emotional roller coaster he’s on. By then end of trial, Steve is found
innocent, due to his lack of direct involvement in the murder. Yet when he goes to hug his attorney in
celebration, she quickly turns away avoiding him, making him wonder what she
sees in him and question if there really is a monster inside him. The writing style used by Mr. Myers in this
book makes it a great suggestion for reluctant teen readers.
Walter Dean Myers Discusses Monster
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