Monster

Rating:
Summary: A LIFE IN THE BALANCE
Review: Walter Dean Myers story of a young man who's freedom and reputation hangs in the balance over the word of criminals. The story MONSTER, starts out with an excerpt from the main characters journal. The main character is a very talented 16 year old African-American boy from the streets of Harlem, New York. His name is Steve Harmon. Steve was put on trial for being part of a crime that got a man killed. He says he didn't have anything to do with it but does anyone believe him. Explore the U.S. justice system through the eyes of one of its subjects. The reviewer suggests that everyone read a gripping tale of one youth's troubles of trying to prove his innocence, because even in this great country of ours, there are those that get tossed aside and we don't even pay attention to their pain and suffering.
Steve is a 16 year old African-American that was arrested for a crime that he claims that he had no part in or any knowledge of happening. All of Steve's hopes and dreams came to an abrupt halt that fateful December day the cops took him down to the police precinct and accused him of aiding in the murder of a man that was innocent, just for some money. The people that committed the actual crime said that he was the one that helped them so they told the cops it was he. Steve's few journal entries throughout the story portray the normal life style that a federal prisoner go through each and every day. Steve still clings to the hope that he will get out of this okay with the aide of his parents and his very culpable defense attorney, Ms. O'Brien. Even she has her doubts about Steve's innocence. Steve is also up against a very determined prosecutor, Ms. Petrocelli.
All people that read this novel will agree with this reviewer that this is a very exciting story that plunges into the depths of the United States justice system. The reader must come to their own conclusions if the end justifies the means. Read this novel, and find out the answer to that question.

Rating:
Summary: A monster Review
Review: A readers first thought of the book "Monster," would be that the book might be a bit boring and slow. They will soon come to realize that there is actually a lot more to it. It is a story of trust, suspense, and friendship.

Steve Harmon, a young teenager, is on trial for murder, and looking at 25 years to life in prison. Steve swears to everyone that he did nothing wrong and has been set up, but he is having some trouble convincing the jury it wasn't him. Back in the cell, some inmates are telling Steve that most trials like his are never won. This worries Steve, and he is afraid of what is going to happen.

Before the murder took place Steve had been hanging around some pretty bad guys. Two men were James King and Bobo Evans, who were much older than Steve, being in their low twenties. The two young men had been planning a robbery. Osvaldo Cruz, a young boy of 14 or 15 years old, who was also an active member of a gang who called themselves the "Diablos," was also going to take part in the robbery. Steve had no part in any of this, but sure enough, he was accused of being involved.

Evans and King casually walked into the store they were going to rob. They claim they knew that it was all clear after getting a sign from Steve. There was a struggle with the store owner, a gun was pulled and the owner was shot. Evans and King took what they wanted and left as if killing just came as natural to them as tying their shoes.

This murder triggers a long, long complicated trial. Steve was in jail for being accused of helping with the robbery, and being involved with the murder. He doesn't know if or when he is getting out. Throughout the story, Steve learns things, he learns to be persistent, and he learns to be honest. In the end, Steve came out a much better person.

An opinion on this novel would be that it is a fairly good book if you are looking for a fast read. It had a certain style in the writing that made you feel like you knew the characters, or could at least relate to them in some way.

Rating:
Summary: Is He Really a Monster?
Review: Many readers think that Monster is a non-fiction book because of its real life interpretation of the trails and tribulations which many young men, such as Steve Harmon go through. Monster is a great read for the simple reason of that it captures the reader's attention from the very beginning.
The author keeps the reader busy with many different and diverse characters to keep track of. Monster is written in script form which makes it a fast pace, easy to read book. The author also made the book seem real by using an overwhelming about of emotion and drama.
Steve Harmon is a 16 year old black male who lives in a bad area in New York City. He was accused of playing a role in a felony murder, and is facing -life if he is convicted. In the court room, one of the prosecutors called Steve a "monster". This crushed Steve and after a while of being in jail he begins to wonder if the prosecutor was right. Steve wants to believe that he is a decent person but being in jail and being around all of the other inmates makes him wonder if he is any different than them. Steve's lawyer Ms. O'Brien becomes not only his only hope in getting his life back, but a friend as well. O'Brien spends quality time with Steve and tries to understand him on a personal level.
The setting in the book for the most part is in the court room and Steve's cell. There are several flash backs of events in Steve's past which help the reader understand further of what has happened. The author guides the reader through graphic events that Steve goes through while in jail.
As Steve's case proceeds, he and Ms. O'Brien realize that they may be on the way to losing the case. Steve's hopes are practically dwindled down to nothing when many of the other witness's testify. King is the person that is being tried for the actual murder. He is Steve's biggest worry because he and Steve know each other and King tells this to the jury. Steve must put all of his trust and faith in his lawyer, but will it pay off?
One drawback of Monster is that there are many characters to keep track of and it becomes easy to lose track. A reader does not want to be distracted by all of the characters to remember. However this is a minimal drawback because in almost every other aspect of the book, the author did an excellent job.
Through Steve's struggle throughout the book, he realizes how much things meant to him. For example he realizes how important his brother is to him. He says that all he wanted is to tell his brother he loves him. He also learns how to trust and have faith. Not only did he learn all of these things, but he learned more about himself.

Rating:
Summary: Innocent or Guilty You Will Never Know
Review: After anyone starts reading the book Monster they will never want to put the book down. It is a fiction story and will keep everyone on the edge of your seat. Steve Harmon is a boy who is 16 years old. One day Steve and his friends were talking about robbing a story but Steve didn't say or do anything about it. While in the process if robbing the store they accidentally killed somebody. Steve and his friends got put into jail and were charged for robbery felony murder. Even thought Steve didn't actually commit the crime.
The story takes place in New York in a jail house. Ms. O'Brien, Steve's lawyer, at fist didn't even believe that Steve was innocent but after talking to him she found out what a nice and loving man he was. But she was the only one who saw that. She is a middle age women. She has to stay strong because her case is so important to her. If she looses it could ruin a totally innocent man. The title of the book Monster relates to what Steve looks like. He is a very dirty and messy man. The only reason that he looks like this is because he lives in a poor community and can't do anything about it. But the jury and judge can't see past that.
Everyday while Steve is in jail he writes in a journal and makes a play about his life while in jail and serving time. But according to the officers they have to read whatever he writes to make sure he isn't planning anything stupid and trying to get away. He doesn't get any privacy when he is in jail and that really bugs him.
To give away the ending would ruin it for everyone. There would be no point in reading the book. It is important to be able to read a book with an open mind and never except what might happen next.
There are a few main characters in Monster. One of them is Steve. He is the most important character because the book is based upon him. Without him there wouldn't be any challenges and all the other characters would be in the book for no reason. There is Ms. O'Brien, and she is the strongest person in the whole book because of the way she has to protect Steve for everything going on in court. There's, Steve's mom and dad, who support him through everything and will never stop loving him. One of the last two characters is the judge and jury. They are not any of the main characters but without them it would hard to have the story take place in a court house.
Every character in this book demonstrates motivation. For example, Steve has to keep trying and stay strong. He has to try not to get weak because the judges and jury will see past that and not believe anything that Ms. O'Brien says. Ms. O'Brien has a lot of demonstration qualities of motivation because she has to believe that Steve is innocent and try to convince that her statement is true.
The two bad things that happened about this book are it is so short. Once anyone starts reading the Monster the pages go by very quickly then finally the book is over. It goes by so fast that the time will fly by quickly. The other bad thing that happened is it was confusing to read because of the way that parts of the story was when he was writing in his journals and the other half is when he is writing about the play. Other then those two things there was nothing else wrong with reading the book Monster.
The end of this book is just as interesting as the beginning if not more. Monster never gets boring for one second. But then again it all depends on what the reader enjoys. To most people this book was exciting and a very fun book to read. If I could recommend any book it would defiantly be this one.

Rating:
Summary: Truth Or Dare
Review: The beginning of Monster will leave the impression on you that you're reading a script for a play. However you'll come to realize that the book just becomes more descriptive, which only makes the book more interesting.

Steve is a sixteen year old African American teenage boy, who is living in the back streets ghettos of New York City. Steve is on trial for a felony murder he says and believes he didn't commit. There are two teenage boys on trail, Steve is one of them. The other is also an African American teenage boy nicknamed king. Steve is described in the story by his teacher as lonely, someone who never fights, or bully's with people, and who is very interested with his film productions. He is pushed around a lot by other kids at school and never stands up for himself. His lawyer, Miss O'Brien a very serous, kind hearted women, believes that Steve is being accused of the felony because he never stands up for himself. King, who is also being accused of the felony, is the complete opposite, he is someone who hardly ever shows up for his classes, bully's kids around, and is believed to be in a gang in the local neighborhood. Miss O'Brien says that he is more likely to be capable of doing this crime.

Steve was sitting on his old tattered mattress in his room watching his black and white TV when the doorbell rang, a minute later his kind and loving mother was calling for him to come to the front room. As he walked out into the tiny front room he saw two men standing there in down coats looking serous and untrustworthy, they introduced themselves as detectives. Steve didn't understand why they were at his house. As they pulled out a pair of handcuffs and told him his rights, all Steve could do was asking why? They said that he was under arrest for a felony murder that had occurred two weeks before. As he was put into the tiny cop car he felt like a prisoner like his world was coming to an end. Then he looked up to his apartment window and saw his little brother Jerry staring at him in disbelief Steve then thought of the times when Jerry thought he was his hero, he could fix anything.

The Monster was written well; however there is something's what I would change about it. The one thing I didn't like about the book was how it was so short. The author had everything leading up to then end then just let it drop. He built up all these great details and made the book amazingly good, but only left about twenty pages to finish up the end of the book. The ending was great but the author could have made it longer and with more details about how the characters were reacting to the jury's final decision. Instead it said how it ended then that was it. Also, the book was very hard to follow because it would flash to Steve's journal then to the court room scenes, which make it hard to remember where you were at, or if it was Steve's opinion or the jury talking in the court room.

Though at some times the book can be confusing it is a great read and a very interesting book, filled with details, emotions, and suspense. Monster is truly a great read and is recommended for all teens.

Rating:
Summary: Monstrosities
Review: When reading Monster, a novel written by Walter Dean Meyers the reviewer often found herself imagining a most painful and horrific life. This particular story is all about feelings of pain and determination. Sadly, it makes the reader feel sympathy for the people who have to live in a cold, dark, four-by-four cell made of cement, even if they have done something horribly wrong. Steve Harmon, a teenager, can't even sleep at night knowing that he is on trial for Mr. Zinzi's tragic murder and could spend over 25 years in jail. Some anonymous person recalls seeing him at the scene of the brutal murder. Steve constantly frets that he is going to be the guilty party. On top of all this, he feels homesick and misses his beloved family.

The novel, Monster, is well written, because the author creates excitement and suspense. The prison won't even allow his younger brother to visit him. Every single day he goes to the court room and listens to person after person telling stories that are incorrect and often over-exaggerated. His whole life depends on a jury of strangers who are watching his every move. There are three other men that were involved with the crime in some way or form, all of which have very dark and mysterious characters unlike Steve. The evidence against them is much more concrete and factual. The odds are luckily in his favor. Steve didn't receive any of the stolen money from the three men who robbed the store, but if the jury believes the stories they heard he could still be charged guilty. Nobody can prove whether Steve was innocently shopping for groceries at the drugstore, or whether he was assisting with the stick-up. These events in the last part of the book are very often intense and extremely suspenseful. It turns out that there are some un-expected surprises hidden amongst the last few pages of the book, which reveal some of the character's fates. The point is that someone obviously killed Mr. Zinzi the night of the robbery. Whether it was Steve Harmon, James King, Richard Evans, or Osvaldo Cruz, one doesn't know. Due to the suspense, this was an excellent book.

The reviewer recommends this book to anyone, because it is a very intense read. One becomes curious after reading about the dark characters. The ending is great, because the author does a great job making it suspenseful. It doesn't compare to other books in this matter. If this subject catches your interest then head to your local library or bookstore and find Monster. Read it now!

Rating:
Summary: Monster
Review: Sixteen year old Steve Harmon is on trial for murder for a crime he says he didn't commit. Spending his time in jail, lying on his bed, writing in a notebook he discovers who he really is and that he must win the case. He must go home, escape the pain and suffering, and become the person he really is. The murder case will decide whether he will go back to his normal life or spend it in darkness.
Steve is always wondering who he is: is he the "Monster" the prosecutor says, and do his parents still see him as their son? This book is full of self conflict; Steve struggles with what really happened that day.
The text transfers between Steve's thoughts and the movie script he is writing which lets you see what's happening and what he is feeling.
This is a book of sorrow, fear, and gaining a greater appreciation for life. I would recomend this book to any middele schooler and highscooler because it is full of lessons of choice and the reality and truth of life in prison.

Rating:
Summary: An exciting book
Review: This is a perfect thriller for kids. This book is about a kid named Steve who goes on trial for murder. I liked the part when Steve made a movie about the court trial. I think that it would make a good movie. This book is so exciting that you won't want to put it down.

Rating:
Summary: good...bad...good
Review: The book was okay. It was very light reading. What I did not like about the book is how it was written. Like I was a director or actor reading a script. It did not appeal to me. The interesting part of the book was the journal entries...i think this is the only part (except the ending) that kept the book alive. As you are reading through it, you may get a little discouraged because it doesn't seem like the author is going anywhere with it...but in the end he ties it all together which makes the book a little better.

Rating:
Summary: Family matters when it comes to monsters
Review: I used this book as an assigned class novel for my 8th graders. They were glued to the book from begining to end. The focal point that I had my class focussed on was relationships with people. This book does a wonderful job depicting different types of relationships that people have with each other and how the cliche, "run with dogs you will get fleas" can be so true. My male students really got into it. It's better when used in conjunction with the audio, because of the way the text is formatted.