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Monster

3.64 of 5 stars 3.64 · rating details · 22,788 ratings · 2,384 reviews

BONUS FEATURE: Afterword read by the author

A Harlem drugstore owner was shot and killed in his store, and the word is that 16-year-old Steve Harmon served as the lookout. Was he involved or was he simply in the wrong place at the wrong time? An amateur filmmaker, Steve transcribes his trial into a movie script, showing scene by scene how his life was turned around in an in...more

Audio CD, 2 pages

Published February 13th 2007 by Listening Library (Audio) (first published 1999)

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Sep 21, 2010 karen rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mark-harmon, and-so-this-is-grad-school

amended review, with spoilers:

are all teen books written in eye-catching, typographically unconventional ways?? or is it just this one reading list?? i have nothing really to say about this book, except that for a sixteen-year-old boy in jail, it might benefit him to adopt less girly handwriting. kids, stay out of jail. don't associate with criminals. don't lie about your involvement because any close reader will notice, and you will be screwed. and, really, less girly...

i have just returned fro...more

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Jun 14, 2009 Greg rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, books-for-kids, school

Nowhere in the book does the pointlessness of what has happened get mentioned. The basic plot is that right before Christmas a drugstore on Malcolm X Boulevard gets robbed. The owner pulls a gun, the gun gets turned on him and he dies. The thieves steal the money in the register and a few cartons of cigarettes, that one of the robbers then sells on the street for five bucks a carton. There are supposedly four people involved in this mastermind heist that I'm guessing nets about $230 (six cartons...more Nowhere in the book does the pointlessness of what has happened get mentioned. The basic plot is that right before Christmas a drugstore on Malcolm X Boulevard gets robbed. The owner pulls a gun, the gun gets turned on him and he dies. The thieves steal the money in the register and a few cartons of cigarettes, that one of the robbers then sells on the street for five bucks a carton. There are supposedly four people involved in this mastermind heist that I'm guessing nets about $230 (six cartons of smokes at 5 bucks a pop, and a register till usually only has about 200 bucks in it, I can't imagine that drugstore in pre-gentrified 1990's Harlem would have kept more in it at anytime). Split four ways this is about 57 dollars a person and change. This is never mentioned in the book. It's this pointlessness of the whole scheme that struck me as most poignant, that for this pocket change an 'elaborate' conspiracy was created and carried out.

Maybe after watching The Wire and reading Clockers the Game being played here seems absurd, like small reward for high risks, that give a stupidity or sheer desperation to the people involved. Maybe it's the ease that the 5-0 make their case based on hearsay, without any kind of physical evidence that makes me feel a little too removed from the story, like this is something that wouldn't happen, but maybe that is just me having my only experiences with criminal trials come from TV Crime Procedurals. Maybe it's the ease that everyone is rolling on everyone else, begging to rat out anyone that they can to get off on some crime that they committed that feels a little strange, like there would be no repercussions in this world for being an open snitch. Again maybe Richard Price is distorting my view of what the world is really like out there.

Besides the absurdity of the crime, the other fascinating thing in this book is the unreliability of the story. In at least three spots the truthfulness of what the main character is writing into his movie create tensions that could undermine the whole basis of his story. They are just small things said or done in the story, but they bring into question if anything that happened according to the main character can be trusted at all.

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Jul 08, 2010 Tatiana rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Tatiana by: ala

Shelves: printz, ala-ya-2000, national-book-award, 2010, ya

Monster is an interesting book in several ways.

First, it is written in the format of a movie screenplay interjected with the main character's - a 16-year old African-American boy Steve Harmon's - diary-like entries. I thought I would not like this format, I do not read many plays, but it turned out to be quite the opposite - the format made the story much more dynamic. Steve is on trial for murder (he is accused of being a lookout during a robbery resulting in the death of the store owner), ther...more

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Mar 21, 2008 Calvin rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Monster HarperCollins Publishers, 2001, 281 pp., $8.99
Walter Dean Myers ISBN-13: 9780064407311

Did you ever wonder what happens after a person gets arrested? Well, I have always wondered what happen to the people that walk to a police precinct with handcuffs. What happen to the people that get sentenced to jail for life. Can a person come out and restore their lives again? How can people get back on their feet? Well, Steve Harmon did. Steve Harmon is a 16 year old African American boy, which is...more

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Jan 05, 2012 Lauren Fidler rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: re-read, screenplay-esque, crime-drama, young-adult-fiction-secret-shame, bought-for-teaching, authority-problems, prison, racism

here there be spoilers. just sayin'.

So, i lobbied to add this book to my curriculum for 10th grade low levels next year. it's a quick read (although i suspect much less so for them) but it actually presents some very interesting ideas about identity, racism, guilt/innocence, and justice. the kids will all fixate on whether or not they think steve is guilty, which is sort of the crux of the action (he's on trial, suspected of being a "lookout" for a botcohed robbery of a convenience store where o...more

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Nov 18, 2012 Jennifer Wardrip rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: trt-posted-reviews

Reviewed by Mechele R. Dillard for TeensReadToo.com

Sixteen-year-old Steve is on trial for murder. But he's having trouble understanding why. "What did I do? I walked into a drugstore to look for some mints, and then I walked out. What was wrong with that? I didn't kill Mr. Nesbitt"(p. 140). Nothing is wrong with that, of course--unless the purpose of that casual trip was to give the "all clear" for a robbery that ended in the murder of the store's owner. Then, something is very wrong.

By structu...more

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Feb 19, 2008 Christine rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. General response/reaction: A great book. I love the way it was written in play form with side notes from Steve. It made the read easier and the dialog kept it interesting. The story line was great as well. I was nervous for Steve during the whole book.

Subjects, Themes, and Big Ideas: Figuring yourself out, peer pressure, race

Characters: Steve Harmon, Kathy O’brien, Sandra Petrocelli, James King, Bobo Evans, Osvaldo Cruz, Lorelle Henry, Mr. and Mrs. Harmon, Jerry, Jose Delgado, George Nipping, Mr...more

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Jan 07, 2008 Melissa rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult

The book has a unique format; it is written as a movie script. This format gives the reader more blatant clues about setting, and vocal cues (such as subdued, whispering, and showing anger) than would a traditionally formatted novel. There are also variations made in typeface and font that give other cues to the reader. I’m not entirely positive this was all necessary though. The plot is incredibly intense, and a first person narration might have been just as sufficient in telling this story. Ho...more

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Dec 10, 2008 Ashley rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Monster by Walter Dean Myers is a criminal book. I know many people have read this book. for those who haven't read it, it is about a young African American teenager who gets blamed for a crime. A lesson i learned from this book is "Never believe in anyone who seems to be loyal." this leeson means that in any case you really think a person is loyal and is a good friend to you, and who u trust, don't happen to have much trust in them because u know know what they're like until the end.

read:2008

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Apr 15, 2009 Andres rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book was very well writen and i liked reading it. It was about a sixteen year old teen that was sent to jail for commiting a crime he didn't do. He was involved in a fatal shoting in a robbery of a drug store. He was sent to jail for being a lookout for the robbery. In jail he was always lonely and sad. He had to have many trails in court with one of the robbers. DID HE DO IT! or did he not.

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Aug 03, 2007 Brenda Morris rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: anyone

Shelves: booksiteach

This is my most recent reading of a book I've already taught two or three times in ninth grade English classes. This is a great book for people who don't necessarily enjoy reading. The movie script format means the action moves quickly and may make it more appealing to people who enjoy movies a lot. Myers doesn't give too much away about the story either, which both builds suspense and leaves the reader with something to think about and to talk about. The 16 year old protagonist who is on trial...more

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Jan 19, 2009 Katie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: african-american-literature

I loved this book. The cover grabbed me right away. I love the way the book was written. I think it is perfect for struggling readers. The text is larger than most young adult novels with larger spacing between the texts. It is written like a movie script which is less intimidating than heavy, descriptive text. I know several of my students from last year (6th graders) would respond to this book. This book made me self-reflect on how I viewed these students in my class. The end of the book was e...more

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Feb 27, 2013 Ash rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I read this book for school and was sure that I was going to hate it. It actually surprised me that I was interested in what would happen. The reason why it's 2 stars is because I was confused through most of the book and the format it was written in was somtimes weird. The book was just a little too gritty for me at times, but if you like that kind of stuff this book gives a good perspective on the thoughts of someone being accused of a very serious crime. You really feel for the main character...more

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Jun 17, 2009 Lindsay rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This guy should not write the book in movie script format. It is WAYYYYY too complicated. He should also not write it in green font (good thing he didn't).

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Mar 06, 2009 Dalton rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I would rank this book MONSTER by Walter Dean Myers, very highly. I would rank it high because, it keeps you on the edge of your seat through the whole book. Also because it went in depth on how his trial went on, and what happens in a trial. Another reason is because I thought it was a nonfiction book when really it was fiction.

The best part of the book is when he is on trial and he got call a “MONSTER” and he writes it on a piece of paper over and over again. Then Miss O’Brien crossed out all...more

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Feb 22, 2009 Sarah rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult

Sixteen-year-old Steve Harmon is on trial for murder. Most of the action has taken place in the past, and centers on Steve's questionable involvement as a lookout in a drugstore robbery that ended in the shooting death of its owner. The present day story features Steve's trial, his disturbing experience in a Manhattan detention center, and his inner struggle to believe in himself.

The book's unique format flips back and forth between the confused and desperate journal Steve keeps in the detention...more

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Feb 16, 2009 Ty rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: education

So since I teach high school I figured I should read the books I have my students look at for independent reading. 'Monster' won all sorts of young adult awards, including the Coretta Scott King, and Myers has written some other impressive youth literature. I was surprised to find that the book is written as a screenplay, a format I'd never read before, and employs some truly creative uses of fonts and graphic design (watermarks, interspliced images). The story, about a young man roped into a ro...more

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Feb 05, 2009 Matthew Hall rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The book that im reading is called monster and the author is Walter dean Myers it's a realistic fiction. The book includes real events that happen in everyday life or in the ghetto. It has a lesson that its goes like you get in trouble cause your in a wrong place at wrong time or you hang with the bad people and there at the somewhere at the wrong time.

The book monster has a three main chacters and they play a big part. Those chacter in there is Steve who is the victim but also imamate he stands...more The book that im reading is called monster and the author is Walter dean Myers it's a realistic fiction. The book includes real events that happen in everyday life or in the ghetto. It has a lesson that its goes like you get in trouble cause your in a wrong place at wrong time or you hang with the bad people and there at the somewhere at the wrong time.

The book monster has a three main chacters and they play a big part. Those chacter in there is Steve who is the victim but also imamate he stands as an almost criminal in prison until his court day is over. He was at wrong place at the wrong time he made his self value for getting arrested cause he help some one, Him doing that mad his life turn around to make itself in the stage of putting his life in jail. The other two are can a friends king and bo bo there the ones that got Steve in trouble its almost like they knew he was going to be there at that pacific time and that when they made a move but both men landing in jail because they got arrested a doing something else. So all three men are in a predicament where they are all fighting for there freedom.

This book is very interesting it keeps me guessing and making me wonder what's going on next? Or what's going to happen? They have away before every scene is over or after his case is over to make him do a journal entry. It explain what going on or how he felt I liked it cause it made me want to read it faster so I could get back to the case. I was visualizing that I could be in the courtroom with them. To see how the judge was banging the paddle while the jury got sicken with the description of the case how it made me feel like I was in there with most words he use. One question that I had for the book was could a convict accuse another convict cause Bo Bo was. When they had accuse that Steve was there. One opinion that the author had was why would the author name it monster its because I think what had happen in the book was like a monster type. it kind of remind me of oj Simpson case it was like he had not a lot of evince that could make him guilty or not guilty its like what happen with Steve and his case that don't have vivid evince to make him guilty or not. One way is when I knew the book was going to change is when king had sad to Steve "how you doing? Are you scared? And Steve said yeah you. Then king had said naw, aint nothing you can do about it if the man wants you, he got you aint nothing to it man" {pg265} it mad me think wow he doesn't really care.

I would recommend this book to all teens that goes some where or hangs with someone that's have a bad vibe don't hang with them cause you might be in the wrong place at the wrong time. This book reminds me of Dutch just of the case part but ever thing else different. If you ever read Dutch you should read monster.
The book monster is really good I like it a lot its very interestin(less)

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Jan 19, 2009 Sarah rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I bought this book a few years ago to keep in my classroom and encourage my students to read. Myers is a good author for you ng people becuase his subjects are edgy enough for modern teenagers to be interested in his stories but he has a positive message. Also, he writes at about a 4th-5th grade level which is perfect for readers who aren't children but have low reading levels. But I never got around to reading this book myself until now.

Last week I assigned it as homework and then realized that...more

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Jan 18, 2009 Kandace rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: african-american

Students have been requesting this book as long as I've been in education (just a few years). I was glad to finally read it and see what all the interest is about.

Written in a film script format, 16 year old Steve Harmon tells the story of the trial that may change his life forever. Accused of abetting a murder in Harlem, Steve relays the fears of prison life and the affects that his lifestyle and relationships have on his new found reality.

The writing style and format of reknowned author Walte...more

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Jan 11, 2009 Cristian Cnca added it · review of another edition Recommends it for: Humberto Cnca

Book report

Monster is about a teen named steve who is on trial for murder. He starts to write his experience during his trial and while he is in jail. He makes it in a movie script format and the only reason hes on trial is because he was in on a plan that they were going to steal money from a drug store. But the plan went wrong when his friend king and another person named bobo killed the man. Steve was supposed to go in the store and check if there was any cops in the store, and king and bobo...more

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Dec 22, 2008 Charles rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: q1

Monster Book Review

This excellent book Monster, written by Walter Dean Myers is about a 16 yeard old boy from Harlem, Steve Harmon. Steve was hanging out with his bad news friends and they decided to rob a nearby drugstore. During the robbery the store owner was shot and killed. Steve was arrested at the crime scene for being the one who killed the store owner.
"Are we going to win?" This is what Steve was asking his lawyer after being arrested at the crime scene. Was it really Steve Harmon who...more Monster Book Review

This excellent book Monster, written by Walter Dean Myers is about a 16 yeard old boy from Harlem, Steve Harmon. Steve was hanging out with his bad news friends and they decided to rob a nearby drugstore. During the robbery the store owner was shot and killed. Steve was arrested at the crime scene for being the one who killed the store owner.
"Are we going to win?" This is what Steve was asking his lawyer after being arrested at the crime scene. Was it really Steve Harmon who murdered the store owner? Read this 3 award winning, best seller book to find out about this crime. This book will give you much more thrill because it is written like dialogue from a movie, it has many characters talking and it's like a skit.
There are many characters in this book. Of course the main character is Steve, the one who is on trial for murder. Kathy O'Brian, Steve's defense attorney. James King, the thug that Steve was with. Bobo was the one who snitched about the crime. Jose Delgado found the dead body. Lorelle Henry is a wittness. Of course, the one going against Steve is the prosecutor, Sandra Petrocelli. These characters are like the actors in a movie because it has all their dialogue.
This book not only has dialogue, it also has street slang which makes you believe act is happenibg right in front of you. The way this book is writtten gives more excitement to the book. As I stated before, it is written like a movie. But it is also like the movie is being directed because it has "cut to", "interior", and "exterior" shots. It also shows different camera shots like the "meduim shot". This is Steve Harmon's notebook and he is writing it like a movie because that is what he thinks it's like. He named his notebook what his prosecutor called him, "Monster".

There are many characters in this book. Of course the main character Steve, the one who is on trial for murder. Kathy O'Brian the defendant of Steve or the defense attorney. James King the thug that Steve was with. Bobo was the one who snictched about the crime. Jose Delgado found the dead body. Lorelle Henry is a witness. Of course, the one going against Steve as the prosecutor is Sandra Petrocelli.

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Dec 07, 2008 Ismael Hernandez added it · review of another edition

12/7/08

The book that I read was Monster by Walter Dean Myers. The book is fiction. It is a play about a boy that’s on trial for murder.
It’s about a 16 year old black teenager whose on trial for murder. His name is Steven Harmon. The only way he can cope with his emotions is to write a story or a “movie” ( which is what he calls it). The other men that are on trial with him is Richard “Bobo” Evans and James King. It was a drugstore robbery gone wrong.
This book was very entertaining. Some of my...more

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May 13, 2013 Amy rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book is about a 16 year old boy, Steve Harmon, who is on trial with another young man for murder. It focuses on how Steve is treated as a “Monster” without ever really seeing him as a person. The novel follows Steve’s innermost thoughts from the beginning of his time in jail all the way through the trial in the form of a film adaptation. Steve is incredibly talented in the art of film, and he is able to analyze his situation by writing a screen play while everything is happening to him. Thi...more This book is about a 16 year old boy, Steve Harmon, who is on trial with another young man for murder. It focuses on how Steve is treated as a “Monster” without ever really seeing him as a person. The novel follows Steve’s innermost thoughts from the beginning of his time in jail all the way through the trial in the form of a film adaptation. Steve is incredibly talented in the art of film, and he is able to analyze his situation by writing a screen play while everything is happening to him. This story depicts how scary life is while awaiting a prison sentence and how easy it would be to lose ones sense of self in the mix of it all.
I initially was intrigued with the book due to its title and plotline. My passion is working with students that typically get left behind and shoved off to the side for numerous reasons. Steve struck me as one of those students, and I just had to hear his story. The book is written in the format of a screenplay with short diary-like snippets thrown in here and there. This made it difficult to process at first, but once I picked up on the language, I was able to delve right into the story. It was a very quick read for me, and I believe a strong part of that was due to the strong interest I have in students like Steve. I am hoping to work with students in urban areas in helping them meet their own potential, just like Steve was attempting to do in his film class. I liked the flow of the book and how it constantly made me question whether I believed him to be guilty or not. It was also very interesting to me to read about stigma’s attached with living in urban areas. Many of the characters brought into the book are being questioned about the murder, while simultaneously being discredited due to where they come from, or their particular past (record). I also found it interesting to hear a realistic and gruesome tale of life in jail; too often scenes in jail are glossed over and never depicted in a realistic way. The diction in this book brings the all-to-real fear of being in jail at 16 to life, and makes the horrors easy to imagine. I really enjoyed reading this book and would recommend it to anyone looking to broaden their views on diversity and students in urban settings.
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May 02, 2013 Shelby Olszewski rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book is a set up as a movie script and diary entries. Steve Harmon the main character is scriptwriter. He is on trial for the murder of Mr. Nesbitt. Mr. Nesbitt was the owner of a convenience store. Steve was accused of being the lookout man during the robber and murder. If Steve is found guilty he could serve twenty-five years to life in prison. Sandra Petrocelli represents the state and wants to see both Steve and James King sent to jail. James King is the other man on trial for the murde...more

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Apr 22, 2013 Bayla rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: non-white-characters, realistic-fiction

Written as a screenplay, Monster tells a story of one boy's living nightmare. Steve Harmon agreed to serve as lookout for a robbery, and a man died. Now he's on trial as an accessory for murder, and the prosecutor has termed him and the other defendants "monsters," a term that eats at Steve.
Steve is not a monster, but he did make a mistake. A mistake that turned out much worse than he expected, that ended a man’s life rather than ending as a robbery. Steve not being a monster has nothing to do...more Written as a screenplay, Monster tells a story of one boy's living nightmare. Steve Harmon agreed to serve as lookout for a robbery, and a man died. Now he's on trial as an accessory for murder, and the prosecutor has termed him and the other defendants "monsters," a term that eats at Steve.
Steve is not a monster, but he did make a mistake. A mistake that turned out much worse than he expected, that ended a man’s life rather than ending as a robbery. Steve not being a monster has nothing to do with the fact that he thinks he is not guilty of a crime – in fact, I would not necessarily agree that he thinks he’s not guilty, since the word “Monster” affects him so strongly. He is terrified of prison, struggling with the idea that just a few words of agreement have made him accessory to murder, trying to distance himself from the gruesomeness of the crime, trying to see himself as anything but the monster he heard the prosecutor calls him and he fears he is. He doesn’t want to be guilty, doesn’t think he is as guilty as others, needs not to be the same as King and Bobo. But no one, no matter how criminal, thinks they are guilty with no excuse – as Steve tells and shows us in the book. He is a normal teenager, struggling to try to fit in, wanting to be tough like his friends because he really isn’t, and it’s really peer pressure that leads him to agree to being the lookout, but Nesbitt’s death, and his time in prison, seeing the way others see him as a monster changes him, makes him think more about guilt,(view spoiler)

A line that stood out: "Half of those jurors...believed you were guilty the moment they laid eyes on you. You're young, you're Black, and you're on trial, What else do they need to know?" (p. 78-79).
So much for innocent until proven guilty and the dream of justice...(less)

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Apr 08, 2013 Loo rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: eng-356-books-13-25

This is a book about a sixteen-year-old boy, Steve Harmon, who ends up on trial for felony homicide. He is terrified, and we hear his thoughts through his journal, which holds both his thoughts and a screenplay depicting his experiences. Steve is suspected of being a lookout for the criminals. The tension of the novel comes in Steve’s fight to know whether or not he is a monster. His lawyer believes he is guilty, and it appears that his father thinks the same. Steve is trapped in a degrading wor...more

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Apr 05, 2013 Khaleelcarrington rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Khaleel Carrington
Block: 3
Date: 4/4/2013
Book: Monster by Walter Dean Myers
Monster
Myers purpose of writing this book is to show how being at the wrong place at the wrong time could possibly affect your life forever. His purpose is to also show how cruel some people can be. The story shows you what take place in a city were a gruesome crime happened. I also think he wrote the story to give teens a heads up on who they are hanging with. How 5 minutes can change your whole life. The plot was tryin...more Khaleel Carrington
Block: 3
Date: 4/4/2013
Book: Monster by Walter Dean Myers
Monster
Myers purpose of writing this book is to show how being at the wrong place at the wrong time could possibly affect your life forever. His purpose is to also show how cruel some people can be. The story shows you what take place in a city were a gruesome crime happened. I also think he wrote the story to give teens a heads up on who they are hanging with. How 5 minutes can change your whole life. The plot was trying to prove you innocent “My job is to make sure the law works for you as well as against you, and to make you a human being in the eyes of the jury.” Meanwhile Steve has convinced himself that he’s guilt now “he was trying to convince himself that he wasn't guilty.” Because he said all he did is “What did I do? I walked into a drugstore to look for some mints, and then I walked out. What was wrong with that? I didn't kill Mr. Nesbitt.”
This book has a positive impact on its audience. It gives a positive message out of a bad situation. It makes you want to find another book written by Walter Dean Myer. The book should have a lasting value because unfortunately there are people being falsely accused of murders every day. The book is read by many teens across the DMV. It gives you an experience how you can feel alone because he said “It is about being alone when you are not really alone and about being scared all the time.” was surprised to see people who I never thought would read a book finish the book and have something to take from it and which we sometimes discuss about what happened in the book. The jail influenced Steve to call himself a monster “Monster, Monster, Monster”.
This book is well written it’s easy to understand and it gets to the point the climax is not prolonged. The book was very modern and did not use any slang. The book was written so that someone from California to New York could understand it. "I can hardly think about the movie, I hate this place so much. But if I didn't think of the movie I would go crazy. All they talk about in here is hurting people." HE explains very clearly how jail is dangerous and all they do is try to hurt one another. It has a well formulated ideas and details that make the story great interesting. The main characters along with the people who are important characters are interesting and keep you questing. "Ain't no use putting the blanket over your head, man. You can't cut this out; this is reality. This is the real deal." It shows the real deal and how it would be if you break the law.
The book was captivating and I could relate to his position but not situation. The main character Steve kept me interested and I finished the book in two days. The pot was very good and it had a serious tone to it and along the way it was sad. I could relate because one time I was playing football in the snow and a friend of mine threw a stick and I burst a woman’s window and we all ran. But the lady was good friend with my grandma and asked if we threw it and at first I was on punishment until the boy who threw it went and said sorry. The book has captivating real life things like “They take away your shoelaces and your belt so you can’t kill yourself no matter how bad it is. I guess making you live is part of the punishment.”
The greatest strengths of this book are the way the story keeps you interested. The book has ups and no downs the story keeps you guessing on what is going to happen next and keeps you intrigued. But the weaknesses is the picture selection maybe they could of took a picture of him inside his cell or courtroom so you can better visualize what’s going on. The only thing you can visualize is “The best time to cry is at night, when the lights are out and someone is being beaten up and screaming for help.”
I would recommend this book to a friend especially, if my friend is hanging out with the wrong crowd. I would tell my friend to read this book to show him a perspective of someone who is innocent being falsely accused. Steve handled the situation very well being that he’s a young black male and he could have done what society expected of him and behaved in a bad manor in the court and in his cell block. But instead Steve kept his thoughts to himself and sometimes wrote them on paper. Steve said “Sometimes I feel like I have walked into the middle of a movie. Maybe I can make my own movie. The film will be the story of my life. No, not my life, but of this experience. I'll call it what the lady who is the prosecutor called me. MONSTER.”. Steve thought everything that was happening felt like a bad movie and when you are reading the book you feel as though it is a movie and you are the main character.
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Mar 31, 2013 Julie Tang rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Julie Tang Mar. 20. 2013
Advisory Book Reviews Mrs. Byrne
Monster Harpercollins Publishers, 2001, 281 pp, $9.99 US/ $10.99 CAN
Walter Dean Myers ISBN: 0-06-440731-4
Steve Harmon from Monster by Walter Dean Myers is a teenager accused of being part of a crime along with James King, Richard ‘Bobo’ Evans, and Osvaldo Cruz. James, the head of the team, decided to rob a drug store. The attorney believes that Steve was supposedly the look out of this robbery. Kathy O’Brien, his lawyer, was very clever, sh...more Julie Tang Mar. 20. 2013
Advisory Book Reviews Mrs. Byrne
Monster Harpercollins Publishers, 2001, 281 pp, $9.99 US/ $10.99 CAN
Walter Dean Myers ISBN: 0-06-440731-4
Steve Harmon from Monster by Walter Dean Myers is a teenager accused of being part of a crime along with James King, Richard ‘Bobo’ Evans, and Osvaldo Cruz. James, the head of the team, decided to rob a drug store. The attorney believes that Steve was supposedly the look out of this robbery. Kathy O’Brien, his lawyer, was very clever, she questions, defends and most of all, she has Steve’s back. She even taught Steve the proper way to answer back as he was being testified.Is Steve guilty until proven innocent or innocent until proven guilty?
This book would be perfect if you were an imaginative reader. The writing style is very unique because this book was written in a movie script. This book contains all dialogues and action but doesn’t state the feelings of the characters. There was trouble for each testimony. This is an ideal book for ones who enjoy mysteries and suspense. In the end, you still won’t know if Steve was actually guilty or innocent. The author, Walter Dean Myers, leaves you with a cliff hanger, wanting more.
This book won a Newberry Medal! I recommend this book for realistic fiction readers. It may relate to any reader, in future, past, or present, if one has been guilty or called to court, you can always base off your scenarios with Steve and Kathy. Not only can Kathy O’Brien navigate Steve into getting out of trouble, it may also do the same for you.
When I first started reading this book, I didn’t want to stop reading. The author, Walter Dean Myers, placed me in Steve’s shoes. As I continued reading, she guided me through his feelings and actions and that sensation when you read such a great book would never allow you to stop. Monster really demonstrates and tells a story of an accused teenager that is different from others and emphasizes that becoming a thug isn’t the way to live. This book’s life lessons may change your life. If you enjoy reading these types of novels, go to your community bookstore and purchase this book quickly!
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Mar 13, 2013 Andrew Foley rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This award winning novel written by Walter Dean Myers provides the reader with a unique look into a young man's experience with the judicial system of his hometown, Harlem, New York. The main character, Steve Harmon, is on trial for felony murder along with three other acquaintances from his neighborhood. Steve is struggling with life in the system as he goes through the trial, spending most of his time either in his cell or the courtroom. What is unique about this story is the way it is writte...more

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About Walter Dean Myers

pseudonyms:
Stacie Williams
Stacie Johnson

Walter Dean Myers was born on August 12, 1937 in Martinsburg, West Virginia but moved to Harlem with his foster parents at age three. He was brought up and went to public school there. He attended Stuyvesant High School until the age of seventeen when he joined the army.

After serving four years in the army, he worked at various jobs and earned a BA from Empi...more

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Quotes from Monster

“Sometimes I feel like I have walked into the middle of a movie. Maybe I can make my own movie. The film will be the story of my life. No, not my life, but of this experience. I'll call it what the lady who is the prosecutor called me. MONSTER.” — 10 people liked it

“The best time to cry is at night, when the lights are out and someone is being beaten up and screaming for help.” — 7 people liked it

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