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Monster

by Walter Dean Myers

Monster Cover

ISBN13: 9780064407311
ISBN10: 0064407314
Condition: Standard
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Synopses & Reviews

Publisher Comments:

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.

FADE IN: INTERIOR COURT. A guard sits at a desk behind Steve. Kathy O'Brien, Steve's lawyer, is all business as she talks to Steve.

O'BRIEN

Let me make sure you understand what's going on. Both you and this king character are on trial for felony murder. Felony Murder is as serious as it gets. . . . When you're in court, you sit there and pay attetion. You let the jury know that you think the case is a serious as they do. . . .

STEVE

You think we're going to win ?

O'BRIEN (seriously)

It probably depends on what you mean by "win."

Sixteen-year-old Steve Harmon is on trial for murder. A Harlem drugstore owner was shot and killed in his store, and the word is that Steve served as the lookout.

Guilty or innocent, Steve becomes a pawn in the hands of "the system," cluttered with cynical authority figures and unscrupulous inmates, who will turn in anyone to shorten their own sentences. For the first time, Steve is forced to think about who he is as he faces prison, where he may spend all the tomorrows of his life.

As a way of coping with the horrific events that entangle him, Steve, an amateur filmmaker, decides to transcribe his trial into a script, just like in the movies. He writes it all down, scene by scene, the story of how his whole life was turned around in an instant. But despite his efforts, reality is blurred and his vision obscured until he can no longer tell who he is or what is the truth. This compelling novel is Walter Dean Myers's writing at its best.

2000 Coretta Scott King Honor Book, 2000 Michael L. Printz Award, 1999 National Book Award Finalist, 01 Heartland Award for Excellence in YA Lit Finalist, 00-01 Tayshas High School Reading List, and 00-01 Black-Eyed Susan Award Masterlist

2000 Best Books for Young Adults (ALA), Hornbook Fanfare 2000, Michael L. Printz Award 2000, 2000 Coretta Scott King Award Author Honor Book, 2000 Quick Picks for Young Adults (Recomm. Books for Reluctant Young Readers), and 2000 Best Books for Young Adults (ALA)

Synopsis:

FADE IN: INTERIOR: Early morning in CELL BLOCK D, MANHATTAN DETENTION CENTER.

Steve (Voice-Over)
Sometimes I feel like I have walked into the middle of a movie. Maybe I can makemy 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 prosecutor called me ... Monster.

Synopsis:

Young, black, 16-year-old Steve Harmon, an amateur filmmaker, is on trial for the murder of a Harlem drugstore owner. Steve copes by writing a movie script based on his trial. But despite his efforts, reality is blurred until he can no longer tell who he is or what the truth is. Illustrations.

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About the Author

Walter Dean Myers is a New York Times bestselling author and a five-time winner of the Coretta Scott King Award, and he has received the Margaret A. Edwards Award for his contribution to young adult literature. His picture books include patrol: An American Soldier in Vietnam, I've Seen the Promised Land: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr, and Malcolm X: A Fire Burning Brightly. Mr. Myers lives with his family in Jersey City, New Jersey.
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What Our Readers Are Saying

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Average customer rating based on 14 comments:
BellaEzrebetFang, June 18, 2008 (view all comments by BellaEzrebetFang)
This book was very good. The way they portrayed the character as well as the hardships he had to face in a place where so many people had fallen into his position is amazing!
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poohtigger72, February 19, 2008 (view all comments by poohtigger72)
Monster is an unforgettable, creatively written novel about a young man's struggle with his innocence. As you continue reading, you can almost picture yourself there between the pages of this book. You will also find yourself wondering, are we truly 'innocent until proven guilty?' Do our minds choose to block out acts of unbelievable fate? If you love mystery and have struggled with your own conscience, I truly recommend this book.
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jovanthejoyous, November 14, 2007 (view all comments by jovanthejoyous)

Steve Harmon is a young black teen in jail waiting to see if he is found guilty for murder. Though he is on trial for murder he wasn’t always a criminal he used to be a good kid who found refuge from the deadly streets of Harlem, New York through the films he made for the film club at school. While in jail Steve tries to pretend that he is in a movie and writes it all down in his journal in the form of script. In the mean time he has to put up with a lawyer who he thinks believes him guilty and a very devoted prosecutor. I liked this book because throughout the entire story it kept me guessing what would happen next. For instance every time someone would go up to testify I kept wondering what they would say. I believe the author’s purpose for writing this story is to tell people that you don’t have to be a bad person to get caught in a bad situation. I would recommend this book for teenagers because they could relate to Steve than better than an adult could. I would also recommend this book for any kids that have had problems with the law already so that they can see where they can end up if they keep going on the wrong track.
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Product Details

ISBN:
9780064407311
Subtitle:
Author:
Myers, Christopher A.
Author:
by Walter Dean Myers
Author:
Myers, Christopher A.
Publisher:
Amistad
Location:
New York
Subject:
General
Subject:
Fiction
Subject:
Children's 12-Up - Fiction - General
Subject:
Ethnic - African American
Subject:
Social Situations - General
Subject:
Social Situations - Violence
Subject:
Social Situations - Prejudice & Racism
Subject:
Trials (Murder)
Subject:
Prisons
Subject:
Trials
Subject:
Children's stories, American
Subject:
Self-perception
Subject:
African Americans
Subject:
People & Places - United States - African-American
Subject:
Social Issues - Prejudice & Racism
Subject:
Social Issues - Violence
Subject:
Situations / Prejudice & Racism
Edition Description:
1st HarperTempest ed.
Series:
Amistad
Series Volume:
006-01
Publication Date:
May 2001
Binding:
Paperback
Grade Level:
Children/juvenile
Language:
English
Illustrations:
Yes
Pages:
304
Dimensions:
7.15x5.02x.92 in. .65 lbs.
Age Level:
12-17
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