"Monster" by Walter Dean Myers

Annotation:

Steve Harmon, 16 year old, black, male. On trial for his alleged role in a robbery which resulted in the murder of the store owner. Did Steve do it, and is he a man, or a monster?

Justification for Nomination:

Scared for his life, teenage Steve Harmon is on trial for a murder he may or may not have helped perpetrate. Once behind bars and in the courtroom he is struck by how unreal everything seems. To cope, he documents the trial as a movie script. Although the experience is new and shocking for him, he records that it is not so for others. His life is on the line, but notes that the stenographer hopes for a long case because he/she needs the money.

The trial begins, and witnesses come forth and give testimony about him and King, the other on trial. Some of these witnesses are suspect because they are seeking a deal to lessen their own sentences by turning in someone else. One of the least convincing testimonies is one from a man trying to avoid being raped in prison, so he rats out either King, or Steve. Although some witnesses imply that Steve was the lookout man for their “getover,” no one can say with any certainty what his actual role, if any, was.

As more witnesses testify, Steve records the drama. In between trial scenes while in jail, Steve reflects upon his feelings, and his fears about his life. The brutality and stupidity of prison life get to him, and the fear is quite evident in his reflections. Eventually defense witnesses come forth, most cannot even confirm he was at the crime scene. Those that can, cannot say for certain that he actually was a look out for their getover. The drama builds, and the verdict is reached. Guilty or innocent, the verdict that is reached forever impacts Steve’s life and choices. Whether or not he is truly guilty or not is never revealed, regardless his life choices will forever be affected by this trial.

“Monster” takes a teenager, someone too young to even be in the visiting are, and thrusts him into jail, and the criminal justice system. So, this book has earned my nomination because Steve is in a completely adult situation, far beyond anything anyone his age should have to face. At this point, he is completely free from any adult influence, save for the agents of the law, which we are all subject to.

This story also should let teens know that no matter how hard their life is because they had a zit on prom night, or their dad won’t let them borrow the car, they are at least living a normal teen life. Steve at this point cannot even remember what normal is. The story also captures uncertainty in Steve’s life. All of the witnesses give testimony that either damns or saves him. The damning evidence is unfortunately very compelling in Steve’s mind, and causes him a great deal of uncertainty to his fate.

Steve also can serve as a good role model for teens because we get such a great look at the fear in Steve’s mind, and the cruelty in the prison system. Any teen reading this book will see how uncool it is to be on trial for a crime, and may think twice before committing a crime. Even should they by some miracle escape jail, the road to find that answer is gut wrenching, and wildly uncertain. Steve in this respect is a good rolemodel.

>SPOILER ALERT<

Other developmental markers Steve reaches are that he deals with his situation using creative energy to write a script. Steve also reaches some great points of introspection regarding his situation. Whether or not he actually did the crime is never overtly stated, but if he did, he was found not guilty. I sincerely believe, that if he did it, he will think twice about doing it again. In this way, this trial serves as a great learning experience for him.

One last note, since by reading this book, I am unwittingly a jury member, I find Steve Harmon not guilty. Based on the right we all have to be innocent until proven guilty (except Louisiana where it’s opposite). Due to this, I feel that the prosecution did not provide evidence beyond a reasonable doubt that Steve Harmon did anything to aid the robbers. Although the exchange on page 50, which was not presented as evidence seems pretty questionable regarding Steve. Based on what we hear, this is nothing more than some folks sitting around talking trash. It could be that later on King decided to actually hookup with a crew and do something about it.

Suggestions for Improvement:

Really none, except did Steve really do it or not?

Genre: Thriller, Edgy, Mystery