Monster

Rating:
Summary: GREATEST BOOK EVER
Review: Don't be a fool, if you want to read a good book, this is it. I've read this book like 20 times and i dont specifically plan to stop. Walter Dean Myers is a brilliant author who knows how to keep someone interested. If you don't read this book i would highly suggest reading another book by Walter Dean Myers.

Monster is a courtroom drama that i promise you will love.

Rating:
Summary: Tim's Review
Review: "Monster" is a book about a teenager that lives in Harlem and is on trial for murder. Steve Harmon was acused of taking place in a robbery that resulted in a murder. Steve could be sentenced for 25 years to live if he is found guilty. This book mostly takes place in a court room or jail. Much of the book is written out as a movie script. This book will keep you guessing until the end. I would recommned this book to everyone that is interested in murder mysteries. This is a must read book.

Rating:
Summary: MoNsTeR
Review: I thought the book "Monster" by Walter Dean Myers was good. It's a book because it's got a good story line that keeps the reader intrested, and keeps the reader wondering whatis going to happen next in the book. I also like how the whole book is tolled like a movie because it makes it easier for the reader to follow what is going on and gives the reader a good image on what is happening. Thats what i think about the book. If your into stories about crimes i recommend that your should read this book.

Rating:
Summary: Monster
Review: A sixteen-year-old boy, Steve Harmon, is on trial as an accomplice in the murder of a storeowner. The reader, through Steve's narration, follows the complete trial, including the times he spends in his cell. Readers will be anxious to find out what happens to Steve. Is he found guilty or innocent?
What makes this book unique is that Steve is actually telling his story in the form of a screenplay. He has all the basic parts of a screenplay, including the places of action, what the characters look like, what they are wearing, and what is happening. Readers will find this type of format very interesting. It is also a useful format for potential writers to try writing. This book is just wonderful, one I think all readers will enjoy. The reader will have a lot of sympathy for Steve. The fast paced story makes it a real "page turner."

Rating:
Summary: Confusing
Review: I thought that the book Monster by Walter Dean Myers was easy to read but confusing in the way that you didn't know what was going for a while when you started reading. The book about a court drama that involved a robbery and murder was told from a on looking point of view. It was whether or not a 16 year old boy named Steve was actually involved in the robbery and whether or not he would be charged with felany murder. I liked the way it showed Steve's journal entries while he was in prison. Although the book wasn't all about Steve and there were others going up against the court the entries he wrote allowed everyone to learn more about him and see what it was like for him to go through what he was dealing with. Overall I thought the book kept the reader interested and involved and allowed them to see the whole picture instead of one person's point of view. Good book.

Rating:
Summary: Monster - Good book
Review: I think that in general, Monster is an effective literary work because it matches most of the elements listed in the critique. The novel doesn't move too fast or too slow, it doesn't start too soon or give away too much of the story too soon. I think that it moves at a good pace and that it is a quick read, but requires enough attention to keep you interested. People may be able to relate to this story because it's true to life. People go to jail all the time and either get out for being innocent or just get out because of luck. Either way you look at it this novel has a lot of interesting aspects and is an effective literary work.

Rating:
Summary: YAL: Monster
Review: I would recommend Monster to an audience of teens. This book is very emotional and tells the complete raw truth. Monster deals with a teen named Steve who is put on trial for taking part in a robbery/murder. Steve claims he is innocent. This book travels through Steve's trial and his experience in jail. Monster moves slowly at first but towards the middle and end of the book it gets very intense and exciting. What also makes this book unique is that it's written like a movie script by Steve. Throughout the book Steve writes journal entries about how he is feeling and dealing with the trial. Emotions fly in this book and make all of the characters seem very real despite the little descriptions of them. Monster sucks you into the trial and starts to make you root for Steve. Overall Monster is a very good read and has a very interactive plot.

Rating:
Summary: Monster Critique
Review: The plot of Monster is clear and believable. Steve is just a typical young male from an impoverished neighborhood. The story seems to have too little background information, at least in the beginning of the novel. Through a series of flashbacks and testimonies, the readers finally piece the past events together and understand how the crime happened. The main character Steve's conflict is resolved when he is acquitted. The subplots, such as the story of the cigarette selling, contribute to the main story. They are not stall tactics because they help advance the story. The story demands attention because the drama of the trial builds and the readers become very curious about the outcome. The story moves a little fast at first while the reader is adjusting to the style of writing and point of view. As it progresses, however, is gets slower and somewhat annoying because the witness scenes seem to drag on. The pacing matches the genre. The slow to moderate pace is typical of a dramatic novel. The story makes the reader feel like they are watching a movie. Rather than transporting them to a courtroom, they feel as though they're in a movie theater watching it take place. The setting descriptions unfold over time. As the trial progresses, the reader gets more detail about the trial. As Steve writes his diary entries, the readers get a better sense of the jail. The characters, actions, and time frame all agree. The story is believable because today this situation happens often. The story is told in flashback at some points, so the order of events is not consistent. The only "real" character in this novel seems to be Steve. The main character is developed throughout the novel, while characters like the prosecutor seem to be just a stereotype. Their actions are consistent throughout the story. The protagonist, Steve, seems to mature in the novel. Steve's background is given to the reader in manageable pieces, but not much information is given about the other characters. The author does not tell his complete story all at once, which helps the reader. The language does match the time frame. I would expect to hear the same sort of language used on the streets of Harlem, and the same language in a courtroom. There are no real dialogue issues in this book. The characters don't really have distinct speech patterns. All of the people involved in the trial speak the same pretty much and the neighborhood kids sound alike. The dialogue matches the conflicts in the novel. It is appropriate throughout. The novel changes from a third person point of view in the trial to a first person diary account quite often. However, this is not confusing and is an advantage to the reader because it gives more insight than they would get with just one point of view. Overall, Monster is written effectively.

Rating:
Summary: Monster Critique
Review: The book Monster is about a 16 year old man names Steve Harmon. Steve is on trial for being involved in a local New York small store hold up that ended in a death. He is writing his experiences in a journal that he will later turn into a movie. The whole book is written as if there were several different scenes. The story is a fast reader but still keeps you interested though all of it. The characters are well thought out by the author and you can really tell who is educated and what part of the city they are from. The book also starts out a bit fast but as you read you become fascinated in the plot line. You don't start out knowing everything that you want to but that is what makes the book suspenseful.

Rating:
Summary: Monster Review
Review: I think that the book Monster had a very interestng point of view. It told the story of a trial in court through a movie script. THis point of view made the book many sided. I think that without this point of view, the book would have only shown the narrators point of view (main character) and therefore would not make a good story. Monster, used a lot of interesting detail to give clues about what was happening in the story! I think that Monster, by Walter Dean Myers, is a very well written book, with an interesting plot and storyline!