Monster (Coretta Scott King Author Honor Books)

by Walter Dean Myers

Book Overview

This New York Times bestselling novel from acclaimed author Walter Dean Myers tells the story of Steve Harmon, a teenage boy in juvenile detention and on trial. Presented as a screenplay of Steve's... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0439202183
• ISBN13: 9780439202183
• Release Date: May 1999
• Publisher: Amistad
• Length: 288 Pages
• Weight: 0.95 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Don't read if younger

I wouldn't recommend the book MONSTER to anyone who is younger. One of the characters Steve Harmon was in the drug store when Mr. Nezbit was the one who was killed. So you can tell by this scene, it has intense scenes in the book for younger children. Even though some may say the book is too intense, it's has a lot of passion an explanation.

**MUST READ** this book its so interesting, and addicting

I would totally recommend this book, Monster because Walter Dean Myers, the author, includes real life situations and how jail works. You should be over 13 years old if you read this because it contains inappropriate things and drug use. The text states "Its probably those crack people. They say they'll do anything for that stuff." which shows the reader real life situations. My reasoning about the book Monster is that people have real life struggles and situations anyone can be in. Although people might no recommend the book Monster, but I do because people should know about other struggles, or what would happen if this situation happened to you.

Monster Review

I thought the book was really well written. The screenplay format made it very unique. I also enjoyed how the author finished the book, but he didn't answer all your questions. The book keeps you quessing and thinking about it long after the last page. I also thought that it showed you how the friends and decisions you make can affect you in a positive way or negative way. I would recommend this book to middle school and high school students.

monsterous of a book

Good book.I liked how the author drew me into the character's mind. I loved the book's style. Many students can use this for class performances. I would like to see this book made into a movie. The author makes you feel the character's pain and suffering. I would recommend this book to anyone. The description used makes you feel that you are a part of the action. You must understand what the abbreviations are too follow the story. The book was very suspenseful. I could not put it down. I read the book in two days. The bond between the characters was very strong. In the ending, and throughout the whole story, you could put yourself in the place of the jury. If you did not like the decision of the jury maybe you could write to the author and tell him what you thought. When reading the book I felt very scared. This is one of the reasons kids of any age shouldn't go to jail. When done I thought that it would be nice to be a lawyer and to try to save an innocent person's life from prison. The title was kind of misleading in the beginning, but near the end I understood what it meant. The weird thing about the story was that there were three lawyers instead of two. The main character was very scared and helped me realize that family is the best thing in the world. What happens in the story reminds me of bad streets in towns and that you should avoid bad places and situations. You never know if a person is a bad person just by their looks.Don't take small things in this world for granted because while in jail Sam realized that they mean alot. In closing, I definetely would read another book by this author. Travis Breese

"Monster"

This is a very depressing book. It is a page turner and at some points it is a tounge twister. It was a good book and I reccomend it to young adults and higher.

Scary, realistic, and compelling

This novel really makes one think about society's view of young black men, and about young black male's preception of themselves. Why do good kids get into trouble? And why did Steve Harmon? What happens to good kids when they do get put into jail and they have to be with harden criminals-who do they become? MONSTER, brings these questions to light and there are no answers. But as a young hispanic female, recommending this book to a young african-american male is hard. One teen looked at me and looked at the cover and asked me if i thought he was a monster. Of course I do not. But I wish more than anything this young man would have picked up this book because I think that it would have helped him at looking at himself with the question Steve Harmon asks himself WHO AM I?.I truly believe anyone who picks up this book will also ask themselves the same question WHO AM I? I know I did.

A thoughtful, emotional novel about a Black teen on trial

Steven Harmon was only a lookout in the four-person holdup of a drugstore, but during the robbery attempt the store owner was killed. Steven wasn't even IN the store at the time of the murder. How guilty does that make Steven? Does his participation make him a MONSTER? That is the question left up to the jury in this courtroom trial. While the book in made up entirely of the trial, Myers uses mixed modes to depict the case. Steven, an aspiring filmmaker, records the trial's events as a screenplay, complete with close ups, reaction shots, and voice overs. Between scenes, we read Steven's handwritten journal about the case and see his fears of prison life and apprehensions about the proceedings in court. Mixed in are photographs of "Steven" in anguish. I found the telling of the story to be riveting and I feel it would provide terrific discussion in a classroom, perhaps 9th grade. Not only must we judge Steven's guilt, we also judge others involved and learn about the justice system in all its glory. By the time the novel ends, we feel as if we've been with Steven the whole time, and know we would never want to experience these events. It makes us consider peer pressure, the choices we make, the integrity of people, and different degrees of guilt. I enjoyed MONSTER very much and highly recommend it for personal use or with a class.