Monster

Bibliographic Information: Myers, W.D. (1999). Monster. New York: Harper Collins. ISBN: 0-06-440731-4

Plot Summary: Steve Harmon loves film, so it comes as no surprise that he writes his diary in a screenplay format as he awaits his trial for murder. From his cell in the Manhattan Detention Center, he writes down the introduction for the film about his life, told as it happens. He gives us the setting, cast of characters, and story as it plays out in the courtroom. Interspersed between his movie scenes, he writes in a diary format that gives more insight into his family life, background, and involvement with the crime, though nothing is ever explicitly revealed.

            Instead, we hear the witness accounts, from which we learn that Steve was questionably given the role as look out. He was supposed to check if any police or citizens were in the store, then give a signal to James King (responsible for the death of store owner, Mr. Nesbitt) and Richard “Bobo” Evans (he planned the robbery). We never know whether this is true, or if Steve was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. But when the prosecutor calls him a “monster,” he is unsure if this is an accurate name for him or not, which suggests that he was part of the robbery in some way. After a few other key witnesses come to the stand, the jury confirms that James King is guilty and Steve is not guilty.

Critical Evaluation: Steve writes his movie scenes in a very objective and detached voice, giving directorial cues such as “fade in” and “cut to” in order to tell his story from different angles, settings, and intensities. Some of the scenes include: a sun setting over the detention facility with a cut to Steve covering his head with blankets in his cell, to wide angle shots of the court room, and close-up shots of witness and jury. This format of writing helps readers see beyond the crime, and see deep into the personality of Steve: he is artistic, smart, and at the same time, just a teenage boy struggling to identify with the label of “monster.” By keeping the tone very objective throughout, the author is placing judgment in the reader’s hands, making them part of the jury. But what readers get to see that everyone else doesn’t, is Steve’s journal entries, which reveal that he gave into peer pressure without thinking of consequences—something a lot of adolescents mistakenly do.

The prosecutor says Steve made a “moral decision”—but he wonders exactly what decisions he made: to wake up, walk down that street and run into King? Then he wonders about the decisions he didn’t make, and starts editing his movie scenes, as if to avoid this question.

When his verdict is made, and he turns to hug his defense attorney, she turns away and looks very tense. This reaction makes Steve question his identity even more, and he goes on to film himself a dozen different ways, looking for his true identity. By ending on the question, “What did she see?” we understand that identity is directly related to how other people perceive us, and any scratch you make on that image, will haunt you forever.

Reader’s Annotation: This book is a movie about Steve Harmon’s life…and trial for murder. But at what point did he become a “monster,” if he didn’t kill anyone?

Author Information: Gale’s Contemporary Authors Online states, “Walter Dean Myers is considered among the premier authors of fiction for young adults, and his books have won dozens of awards, including the prestigious Coretta Scott King Award for multiple books. ‘Whether he is writing about the ghettos of New York, the remote countries of Africa, or social institutions,’ noted Carmen Subryan in the Dictionary of Literary Biography, ‘Myers captures the essence of the developing experiences of youth.’

While Myers is perhaps best known for his novels that explore the lives of young Harlem African Americans, he is equally adept at producing modern fairy tales, ghost stories, and adventure sagas. Subryan found a common theme throughout Myers's far-ranging works. ‘He is concerned with the development of youths,’  she wrote, ‘and his message is always the same: young people must face the reality of growing up and must persevere, knowing that they can succeed despite any odds they face. ... This positive message enables youths to discover what is important in life and to reject influences which could destroy them.’”

Genre: Realistic Fiction, Crime, Murder Mystery

Subjects: crime, jail, murder, screenplays, film,

Curriculum Ties: Race, Culture

Booktalking Ideas: How does the screenplay and diary formats affect our perception of Steve Harmon?

Can a person create their own identity, or is their identity a product of other’s perceptions?

Reading Level/Interest Age: 13+

Challenge Issues/Defense: Due to depictions of violent crime and prison life, this book may be challenged. If so, refer to:

1.     The San Francisco Public Library Collection Development Policy, Selection Criteria, and Teen Collection documents.

2.     The California Department of Education District Selection Policies, Reading Lists, and Resources for Recommended Literature: Pre-K-12.

3.     A hard copy of the ALA’s Library Bill of Rights.

4.     Mixed book reviews from School Library Journal, Kirkus, and Publisher’s Weekly.

5.     Book selection rationale.

6.     If necessary, The San Francisco Public Library’s Request for Reconsideration of Library Materials Form.

Reason for Selection: I chose this book because it is a multiple award winner, uses a creative format that will draw in reluctant readers, and tackles issues of peer pressure.