Monster

Monster by Walter Dean Myers
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Steve writes about his experience on trial for robbery and murder both in his notebook (as a journal), and as a film script. Through flashbacks, we see that Steve was involved in the film club at his school, which both humanizes him and strengthens his authority as “screenwriter” of his own life. This narrative style also helps to separate Steve from his own story. He can simply tell/show the story, without comment, and “watch” what is happening to him without having to process it directly.

Clearly Myers knew what he was doing, but I appreciated this format - both as a reader and a writer. I could see plenty of teens getting into this style. It’s a quick read that doesn’t get bogged down with too much description, focusing instead on the characters’ actions and what they see when they look at Steve.


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