Genre 6

1.BIBLIOGRAPHY
Myers, Walter Dean.1999. MONSTER. Ill. By Christopher Myers. New York: Harper Collins Publishers.
ISBN 0060280778

2.PLOT SUMMARY
Sixteen-year-old Steve Harmon is on trial for felony murder for his accused role in a robbery of a drug store. Steve, a budding and talented filmmaker, recounts his experiences of prison and his trial through a movie screenplay. Myers alternates the telling of the story through Steve’s daily journal entries, and the happenings in the courtroom. Steve contemplates how his actions have led him to this pint in his life, he fears greatly for his future, and he matures as he grows to understand how his actions have lasting consequences. Steve’s relationship with his mother, father, and younger brother, Jerry, are also explored. Though Steve is acquitted for the murder, Myers leaves it up to the reader to decide Steve’s actual role in the crime.

3.CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Myers includes all of the elements necessary to contemporary realistic fiction in MONSTER. The characterization of Steve, his family members, the others in prison, and those in the judicial system are all believable and realistic. Steve’s fear and confusion are evidenced through his handwritten journaling in which key descriptive words are in bold and larger writing. The social and emotional aspects of the younger characters ring true as street-wise, harsh boys whose lives are difficult. Myers’ plot unfolds through Steve’s trial. We, as the reader, gradually learn more about Steve’s background, including his friends, his family, and how he got into trouble. The ending of the book is not predictable, as Steve easily could have been convicted, and Steve’s future does look to be more hopeful. The setting is both believable and contemporary, as both the horrors and the drudgery of prison life are fully explored. It is easy to imagine the cold, dreary bars and floors due to Myers’ descriptive narrative. The theme emerges naturally and is an important one, especially to at risk adolescent readers. Readers who might be in similar social situations will hopefully see how one wrong decision can dramatically change one’s life forever.

4.REVIEW EXCERPTS
* WINNER OF THE MICHAEL L. PRINTZ AWARD
* CORETTA SCOTT KING HONOR AWARD
* SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: “Myers expertly presents the many facets of his protagonist’s character and readers will find themselves feeling both sympathy and repugnance for him.”
* BOOKLIST: “Myers combines an innovative format, complex moral issues, and in intriguingly sympathetic but flawed protagonist in this cautionary tale of a 16-year-old on trial for felony murder.”
* KIRKUS REVIEWS: “The format of this taut and moving drama forcefully regulates the pacing; breathless, edge-of-the-seat courtroom scenes written entirely in dialogue alternate with thoughtful, introspective journal entries.”

5.CONNECTIONS
* Read Myers other books to see what other young adult issues he has tackled including:
STREET LOVE
ISBN 0060280794
SHOOTER
ISBN 0064472906
AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF MY DEAD BROTHER
006058291X
* Share Myers' biography with students. Look at how Myers has incoporated his history into his books, and the fact that his son ofte illustrates his books.
* Read other books about teens facing obstacles such as gangs and prison, including:
MARTYN PIG by Kevin Brooks
ISBN 0439507529
HOLE IN MY LIFE by Jack Gantos
ISBN 0374430896
HOLES by Louis Sachar
ISBN 0440419468