In this read, "MONSTER". There is an unfair event. A 16 year old boy gets accused of doing something he did not do, possibly because of his race. Why should a good kid get in trouble for doing absolutly nothing wrong? Well thats what happened in this book. So he wrote things in a journal every night as if he were writing a movie.
Steven was called a Monster but his lawyer was 100% on his side the whole time. It was interesting to see how you can get in trouble for something that you did not do and the other person get away with it. I wonder how many others are suffering in jail right now for something they did not do. Will he be able to prove to the judge that it was not him and will he be free to go home. I personally think this was a interesting read. I also think that this is a good read for eveybody. You will feel like you are right there in the scene. Well..good luck and enjoy this book.

Rare is the book these days that can do something entirely new. If I were to address a group of teenagers (or readers of young adult novels) and say the word "screenplay," there is no doubt in my mind that everyone could easily respond with "MONSTER."

Distinct as a "different" type of YA book, MONSTER accomplishes many wonderful, wonderful things for the middle school teacher. Here is a book that offers up a chance to discuss: Form and why an author would make such a choice is his storytelling; Perspective and how that frames our emotional consideration of the protagonist's plight; Tense (not Tension, but that, too) in the decision by Myers to have Steve tell his story always in the present tense and why that was an important choice; Character and how the events start to shape our feelings about all the characters involved; Resolution and whether we really believe if Steve is innocent or not; Theme and what the story says to us about honesty, truth, justice, procedure, and our society in general; Writing and Walter Dean Myers's skill in getting us to understand the story as he wants us to.

My only problem with this book is the delicate wording of the screenplay in tough, seemingly accurate legalese. Steve, as screenplay writer, wouldn't have the skill or know-how to use such legal phrasing and inclusiveness to write so adeptly. But the story would suffer if told any other way, and justifications could be made that the screenplay portion was reworked after the fact, while the journal entries were pure and untouched.

I also hope this book provides opportunity for kids who live a completely different life from Steve's to be able to grasp the concept of how circumstances can be alien to us, but the human connection is absolutely ours.

It is an interesting book, a little bit confusing, but at the end it is fine.