Book Summary:
Steve Harmon is caught in the wrong place at the wrong time. He is accused of being the lookout in the grocery where others enter later and shoot a man. He is accused of felony murder, is arrested and put on trial as an accomplice and goes through the whole trial process.
APA Reference:
Myers, W. D. (1999). Monster. New York : Harper Collins Publishers.
My Impressions:
I was engrossed in the book and thought it was quite realistic. The only issue that concerned me was that the character himself seemed to be lying about his involvement on that day. The way the book was written, it seemed to point in that direction. While Steve is a film club member and good student, he could still make a mistake. The laws are unfair towards juveniles in many cases, the punishments for felony murder is too stringent, and juries tend to be biased against black young men, in my view, but the book's portrayal of a fuzzy sort of situation as to what really happened (the defendant's view and what was said in trial) and how this differed from the testimony of the defendant and his attorney's perceived perception of him after his acquittal, all gave me a bad feeling. I guess I cannot recommend this book, except as a deterrent to criminal activity and as a way for a person who has never experienced being on trial to get that same stomach ache. However, Steve's character was at issue here and that was a problem for me.
Professional Review:
"Sixteen-year-old Steve Harmon is one of four accused accomplices in the murder of a Harlem drugstore owner. Steve is the good guy of the four--no criminal record, a promising member of the school film club, a loving son and brother. Yet the state has enough evidence to tie Steve to the crime and to the ne'er-do-wells also accused. The eleven-day trial sets the stage for the story. Steve narrates the events from his jail cell and the courtroom, using two devices: his journal and the screenplay he is writing about the ordeal. The journal provides character insight and emotional detail, while the screenplay, complete with camera directions and photos, presents a more objective, TV-drama style record of the trial. Steve's youthful, vulnerable voice will draw in YA readers, boys and girls. The journal and script techniques, distinguished by two reader-friendly typefaces, move the story along quickly. This pace, along with the casual type, courtroom drama, gritty jail descriptions, and the fate of the protagonist will make teen readers whiz through the book. Myers says a lot about circumstances, prejudices, justice, and the thin line many young men walk. The author wants young readers to serve as jurors and simultaneously to put themselves in Steve's place--which most are likely to do, since Steve is portrayed sympathetically. Is Steve the monster the prosecutor portrays, lying about his innocence, or is he the "talented, bright, and compassionate" young man his film coach knows? Is he both? Experiences, relationships, and prejudices also will determine the side readers take. Adult readers might feel compelled--as I did--to rush this book into the hands of their teenage sons, nephews, or students as a blunt reminder to choose their friends carefully. PLB VOYA CODES: 5Q 4P J S (Hard to imagine it being any better written; Broad general YA appeal; Junior High, defined as grades 7 to 9; Senior High, defined as grades 10 to 12). 1999, HarperCollins, 281p, $15.95. PLB, $15.89. Ages 12 to 18."
Matthews, A. (1999). VOYA, 22(3). [Book review of the book Monster by Walter Dean Myers]. Retrieved from Children's Literature Database via Ebscohost: http://libproxy.library.unt.edu:2378/cgi-bin/member/search/f?./temp/~Ugs9Le:2
Library Uses:
I think it would be interesting to recreate the trial scene and pretend to be the jury. To the students: How would you behave? Would you be an impartial jury member? Each student would share their experience, after the fact. The defendant would share his or her feelings, as well, along with the other characters.
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