Monster

Book
Myers, Walter Dean. 1999. MONSTER. New York, New York: Scholastic Inc.
ISBN 0439202175

Audiobook
Myers, Walter Dean. 2000. MONSTER. New York, New York: Recorded Books, LLC.
ISBN 0788752197

*Plot Summary

Teenager Steve Harmon is on trial for murder in Walter Dean Myers's multiple award-winning young adult book, MONSTER. As a way of coping with his experiences in jail and throughout the trial, aspiring film maker Steve writes about his experiences in the form of a screenplay. This screenplay along with flashbacks and journal entries form the novel and give readers insight into how Steve handles his harsh new world and his views of himself as a monster.

*Critical Analysis

The believability and emotions of this excellent story are revealed through the protagonist Steve Harmon. In Steve, Walter Dean Myers has created a character that is both vulnerable and knowledgeable about his current situation of being on trial for murder. Steve’s journal entries and “courtroom movie” are an effective means for letting readers experience the events of the novel and understand Steve’s feelings about his situation. From the opening of the novel in the form of a journal entry, readers become aware of the cruel world in which Steve exists. From his jail cell he writes, “The best time to cry is at night, when the lights are out and someone is being beaten up and screaming for help.”

Adding to the readers’ understanding of the characters involved in the book is the complex yet realistic relationships Steve maintains with broken-hearted parents. After a visit with his mother, Steve writes in his journal, “I could still feel Mama’s pain. And I knew she felt that I didn’t do anything wrong. It was me who wasn’t sure.” Steve’s close relationship with his mother and his own fears are both revealed through the text. Another particularly poignant journal entry regards Steve’s visit with his dad. “What was going on between us, me being his son and him being my dad, is pushed down and something else is moving up in its place. It’s like a man looking down to see his son and seeing a monster instead.”

Myers also effectively portrays the changes Steve is experiencing as he goes from a normal high school student to an incarcerated accused murderer. After a junior high class comes to visit the courtroom during the trial, Steve believes it “was easy to imagine myself sitting where they were sitting, looking at the back of the prisoner.” Details such as these humanize Steve’s character and add to the novel’s effectiveness.

In this book, the plot and setting work together to tell an exciting and touching story. Three major settings are developed throughout the novel, and these three settings play an important role in the movement of the plot. Readers learn of the action in the courtroom explained in screenplay format, the outside world conveyed in flashbacks during the screenplay, and inside Steve’s jail cell and the visitor’s room discussed in Steve’s journal. Using three different settings and styles to tell events of the plot keeps the book interesting and moves the plot along.

The setting affects the characters and the action. For example, characters that are carefree and free in flashbacks are serious and burdened during courtroom scenes from the trial. Likewise, the courtroom drama in screenplay form is much more serious and formal; however, Steve’s journal entries are informal and conversational. Despite the differences, all work well in the novel, and the variety adds interest to the plot. Details of the plot, utilizing the three major settings, are not revealed chronologically; so as details unfold, readers slowly gain more understanding of Steve’s life before jail and the murder. This, along with an exciting climax, makes for an interesting plot and effective settings.

The style Myers uses in the novel varies along with the changes in setting. For example, Steve’s voice is well-defined through the journal entries. On the other hand, the courtroom scenes are presented in a straightforward, formal style. In fact, the courtroom scenes are so precise that readers get a real sense of the workings of the trial, the role of the prosecutor and defense attorneys, and the careful consideration taken regarding evidence and witnesses. Although the style varies, the overall mood of the book is serious and sad. Much of the book is written in dialogue, so Steve’s journal entries are a nice break from the screenplay format. Themes such as family, justice, and truth are understated thanks in part to the “factual” feel of the courtroom scenes. Although these themes are understated, Myers conveys them effectively through the well-developed characters, setting, and plot.

In CD format the four disc collection presents the novel in unabridged form. The reader, Peter Francis James, does all the voices in the book. James has done many narrating and voice-over jobs. The quality of the recording was good with a clear voice and pronunciation. No background noise or music is included on the CDs; similarly, no information is given before or after the reading. The CDs are formatted for convenience as a new track begins every three minutes so stopping and starting is no problem. James used different styles of speech for different characters. Yet the differences are subtle and add to the novel’s subdued mood. James does a fine job of conveying the interesting story and engages listeners with his distinctive voices. Because most of the text is in screenplay format, at times naming each speaker, pausing, then beginning their lines can be a bit slow. However, overall the audiobook provides an enjoyable listening experience and is true to the mood of the novel.

*Personal Response

I found this book to be extremely interesting and extremely sad. As I began listening to the audiobook, I was instantly enthralled. Although I enjoyed listening to the audiobook, because I was so interested in the plot, I sometimes felt impatient with somewhat long pauses between speakers during the courtroom scenes. I am an elementary librarian, but I predict that secondary students would find this book irresistible. It is not only entertaining, it’s also touching and provides great discussion opportunities in a classroom setting. I highly recommend MONSTER.

*Review Excerpts

“Tailor-made for readers' theater, this book is a natural to get teens reading-and talking.”
Horn Book

“The format of this taut and moving drama forcefully regulates the pacing; breathless, edge-of-the-seat courtroom scenes written entirely in dialogue alternate with thoughtful, introspective journal entries that offer a sense of Steve's terror and confusion, and that deftly demonstrate Myers's point: the road from innocence to trouble is comprised of small, almost invisible steps, each involving an experience in which a ‘positive moral decision’ was not made.”
Kirkus Review

“The tense drama of the courtroom scenes will enthrall readers, but it is the thorny moral questions raised in Steve's journal that will endure in readers' memories. Although descriptions of the robbery and prison life are realistic and not overly graphic, the subject matter is more appropriate for high-school-age than younger readers.”
BookList

*Connections

-Discuss the various formats used to tell the story. How would the novel be different if it would were told with traditional narration? What would be the advantages and disadvantages to a more traditional format?
-Evaluate the resolution of the novel. (Do you think it is realistic? Is this how you would end the book? Why or why not?)
-Research the criminal justice system or a similar real life trial. How accurately did the author portray the courtroom scenes in the novel?
-Discuss the idea of race and its impact on the story. Does the race of the main characters play a role in the story?
-How would the book differ if it were told from the perspective of a different character (Kathy O’Brien, James King, or Steve’s mother or father)?