Book Reviews by Carol Neeland for LS 5603: Literature for Children and Young Adults

Summary:

The main character, Steve Harmon, is 16 years old when he is arrested and accused of murder. Even though Steve was not in the store when the robbery and killing of the drugstore’s owner took place, the prosecution alleges that Steve was being the “lookout”. Steve is in a filmmaking club, and he writes the unfolding story of his trial and his life in prison as if it were a screenplay.

Critical Analysis: 

This book is unique in many ways. On the copy I checked out from the library, the book jacket does not cover the entire cover of the book. The jacket and the cover compliment each other. The cover shows fingerprints, the title, and the author. The jacket shows a mug shot of Steve and the back jacket show a side view mug shot. In addition to the way the book looks, the style of writing is unusual. Steve decides to write about his life in jail and in court as if it were a movie. He is in Mr. Sawicki’s film club at school and has made several movies. Interspersed with scenes from the film we read notes from Steve’s diary. The difference between the writing styles Myers uses is striking. Steve’s journal is deeply personal, raw and painful. In it we learn about how frightened he is, about the horrible things that happen to prisoners in the jail, and about how he misses the life he used to have. The screenplay he writes is more objective. It tells what people say and do around him and how their actions in large measure decide his fate. 

From the very first sentence Monster is gripping, “The best time to cry is at night, when the lights are out and someone is being beaten up and screaming for help.” Unless, young people find that too scary, who wouldn’t want to read on? 

The short simple sentences, only a few of which appear on each page, entice the reader to jump right into the book. Because of this simple style, the book reads so quickly that the reader is involved with the characters and plot within minutes. One of the positives of such a simple, straightforward style is that young people who have difficulty reading can still access this book. For inner city kids who live in an environment similar to the one Steve comes from, books like this have the capacity to touch them where they are. 

Some might consider parts of the book edgy or controversial. For example, on page 37 Zinzi testifies that he came forward with the information he discovered in prison to cut a deal for himself and save himself from getting gang raped in prison. Similarly, in his screenplay Steve describes this attack: 

“We hear the sounds of fists methodically punching someone as the camera goes slowly down the corridor, almost seeming to look for the source of the hitting. We see two inmates silhouetted, beating a third. Another inmate is on lookout…the sounds of the beating stop and the sounds become those of a sexual attack against the inmate who was beaten.” (p. 57) 

Such explicit descriptions might even make a young reader think twice about getting drawn in to activities that could land them in prison. Unfortunately, most of the kids who get involved in crimes are probably not reading in their spare time. Still, the realistic details add to the believability of the book. On page 64 we read, “I feel terrible. My stomach is gassy and bloated. I still can’t go to the bathroom in front of everyone.” Although I can imagine that some reviewers would be disgusted by such raw details, they give a personal sense of the effects of the lack of privacy in prison. 

The review below mentions that the pictures are superfluous and do little to enhance the text. However, it is clear from Steve’s journal and his screenplay that he thinks in pictures. The number of photos increases toward the end of the book. Perhaps this is meant to be an indicator that Steve is seeing his life flash before his eyes as the verdict nears.  

On page 276 the verdict of “not guilty” is handed down to Steve. He spreads his arms to hug his lawyer, Ms. O’Brien, but she stiffens and turns away. He is left wondering why. Did she think he was actually guilty? Did she care about him, or was she just doing her job? Five months later in the last line of the book, he is still wondering “What did she see?” 

I wasn’t completely satisfied with the book’s ending. I wanted Steve to have come to some conclusions about himself and resolve to become a better person. The last chapter was a bit of a letdown. I wanted him to make the movie he had written, show it to other kids, talk about his experience, save others from having to go through the same thing. 

The rest of the book was outstanding but the ending was just okay. It could have ended on page 277 and the last chapter could have been the first chapter in a sequel to Monster. 

Review Excerpt: 

“Myers expertly presents the many facets of his protagonist’s character and readers will find themselves feeling both sympathy and repugnance for him. Steve searches deep within his soul to prove to himself that he is not the “monster” the prosecutor presented him as to the jury. Ultimately, he reconnects with his humanity and regains a moral awareness that he had lost. Christopher Myers’s superfluous black-and-white drawings are less successful. Their grainy, unfocused look complements the cinematic quality of the text, but they do little to enhance the story. Monster will challenge readers with difficult questions, to which there are no definitive answers. In some respects, the novel is reminiscent of Virginia Walter’s Making Up Megaboy (DK Ink, 1998), another book enriched by its ambiguity. Like it, Monster lends itself well to classroom or group discussion. It’s an emotionally charged story that readers will find compelling and disturbing.–
Edward Sullivan, New York Public Library 

Connections: 

The following website was created by educators and includes extension activities and extended reading for Monster: 

http://english.byu.edu/novelinks/reading%20strategies/Monster/Monster.htm  

Prior to reading Monster, students might find it interesting to fill out this Anticipation Guide. After reading the book, they might think differently and should be given an opportunity to fill out the guide again. Each statement on its own would also be interesting for reflection and discussion. 

http://www.mrjeffrey.com/English%20I/Monster/Anticipation%20Guide,%20Monster.doc  

To give students a taste of what the book is like, they could listen to this excerpt: 

http://library.booksontape.com/bookdetail.cfm/YA188ACD  

Here is Walter Dean Myers’ website: 

http://www.walterdeanmyers.net/  

Bibliographic Data:

Myers, Walter Dean. Monster. New York: Harper Collins, 1999. ISBN Number: 0-06-028077-8

Sullivan, Edward. “Monster” School Library Journal (1999), http://reviews.schoollibraryjournal.com/bd.aspx?isbn=0060280778&pub=sl  (accessed April 19, 2008).

Tunnell, Michael, and James S. Jacobs. Children’s Literature, Briefly. 3 ed. Columbus: Pearson Education, 2004.

Comments RSS