Lul's literature reviews
May 30, 2012
Myers, Walter Dean. Monster. New York: Amistad Harper Teen, 1999. Print.
Annotation:
A teenager on trial, but did he really do it? Steve Harmon lives his life behind bars as a trial wages on to determine his guilt or innocence. Will he get out or will he spend the rest of his youth and most of his adulthood locked away?
Justification for nomination:
Stylistically, this book was great for me to read. It went beyond the actual telling of a story and created a screenplay for the plot. At times, as the reader, I could visualize every aspect of the scenes being depicted in the book. I could readily see this on a television or movie screen in front of me. Besides the screenplay details, Myers also incorporates journal style narration that allows you to get closer to the main character.
The piece itself is very relevant in YA literature in that the main character Steve Harmon has questioned the role he has played in his own life. Outsiders label him a monster for a crime he may not have committed, leaving him questioning who he really is and what he really stands for.
Though the piece was a fluid and fast read, I found the lawyer commentary in the screenplay to be mundane and cliché at times. On the other hand, I really enjoyed the journal narration that gave you an inside look into the character of Steve Harmon. Though the quest for identity is relevant to YA literature, I didn't think it encompassed much more than that in relation to hallmarks leading me to my decision of non-nomination.
Genre Catalog: Coming of Age, Realistic Novel/Edgy Fiction, Printz Award Winner, Multicultural. It is a great book to recommend to those who haven't had a chance to read it.
Cheers
Lul
