Monster- Warning: May Cause Papercuts from Vigorous Page-Turning!

Monster by Walter Dean Myers; Amistad Publishing, (C) 2001

Monster, by Walter Dean Myers, is a screenplay that tells the story of Steve Harmon, a 16-year-old boy from Harlem who is on trial for felony murder. The screenplay is written from Steve’s point of view; the storytelling method alternates between a screenplay (dialogue and camera directions as recorded by Steve) and freelance notes written by Steve that he includes to reveal his emotions during the trial process. Steve explains early in the story that he is a member of his high school’s filmmaking club and that he wants to chronicle the events of his trial in the form of a screenplay so that he can make a movie about his time spent in jail and in court. In the beginning of the screenplay, the reader knows very little about Steve’s involvement in the crime in question; as it progresses, the events of that fateful day unfold, and the reader learns more and more about Steve’s role in the murder as well as the physical and emotional trauma of being a high school student facing life in prison. Mixed in with the legal proceedings are details and flashbacks that paint a picture of Steve’s neighborhood and the hardships that he and his peers face growing up in Harlem- hardships that motivated the crime for which Steve is being held responsible.

The story contains an excellent dichotomy of objective courtroom dialogue and passionate, chilling emotional insight into Steve’s experience; Myers’ choice to tell these story through these opposing methods works nicely to engross the reader in the story. Although it is a long book (at 280 pages), it is a quick read- the screenplay style makes for very few lines per page, and the tense nature of the courtroom proceedings makes the reader want to keep turning the pages. This book would work well as an individual read or a classroom-wide read, although it would not have the same effect if it were simply read aloud to a class by the teacher because the reader must be able to see the characters’ names in the screenplay to understand the dialogue. There is some mature thematic material in this book. It is listed as being appropriate for ages 12 and older, but there are scenes discussing murder, sexual assault, and drug use that may not be appropriate for some younger students. Additionally, some of the courtroom jargon may be difficult for certain readers.

The bottom line: this is a great read for the right student. If you see a student reading it individually, ask them about it. They may be disturbed by some of the thematic material, or they may be confused by some of the technical language. But if they are mature enough to overcome these two obstacles, this book will be well revered by many students. It is truly a page-turner.