Steven Harmon what only a lookout in the four-person holdup of a drugstore, but during the robbery attempt the store owner was killed. Steven Was not even IN the store at the time of the murder. How guilty does that make Steven? Does his participation make him a monster? That is the question left up to the jury in this courtroom trial. While the book in made up of the trial Entirely, Myers uses mixed modes to depict the case. Steven, to aspiring filmmaker, records the trial's events as a screenplay, complete with close ups, reaction shots, and voiceovers. Between scenes, we read Steven's handwritten journal about the case and see his fears of prison life and apprehensions about the proceedings in court. Mixed in are photographs of "Steven" in anguish. I found the telling of the story to be riveting and I feel it would Provide terrific discussion in a classroom, Perhaps 9th grade. Not only must we judge Steven's guilt, so we judge others involved and learn about the justice system in all its glory. By the time the novel ends, we feel as if we've been with Steven the whole time, and know we would never want to experience thesis events. It makes us consider peer pressure, the choices we make, the integrity of people, and different degrees of guilt. I enjoyed very much MONSTER and highly recommend it for personal use or with a class.
