Monsters

Absolute justice, some will say, is virtually impossible to accomplish in the world we live in. The book Monster focuses on the issue of justice and the constant struggle human beings have finding it. Since Monster is not on everyone’s reading list this week, I will offer a brief overview of the book and discuss some of the difficult issues it raises. The story is about a boy, Steve Harmon, who is accused of murder. It is written through his point of view using the outline of a movie script as its format. At first, this type of writing confused and distracted me. However, the longer I read, the more the format added to the character of the book. The entire story takes place during Steve’s trial; during which, we are thrust into the flurry of emotions he undergoes.

In certain parts of the book, I found myself getting so nervous my stomach hurt. Facing a life sentence in prison would be horrifying! It made me think about the overflowing prison system in our country. How could there be so many people that chose the wrong path in life? Yet again, how is it possible that so much evil exists? Granted, there are various degrees of criminal severity, but all crimes cause harm to someone. If we loosely define “evil” as any crime done against another to do harm, then how can there be so much evil in the heart of mankind? Furthermore, by incarcerating people for their crimes, are we truly rehabilitating them or fostering an environment of increased violence and hostility? Is this system really proving to be effective? These are all questions I found myself asking throughout this book. The brutality and finality of prison is a disheartening reality; a place where evil seems to flourish in the hearts of men as a means of survival.

These thoughts also broach another question: What about innocent people wrongly accused and living in such close quarters with these monsters? Would a good person, sentenced alongside hardened criminals, be transformed into a monster to survive the horror of prison life? If so, what really separates you and I from the serial killer whose childhood was the result of physical and emotional abuse at the hands of alcoholic parents?

Monster is a book that provokes all these thoughts and questions. It is a book that leaves you questioning what you thought you already knew; then it forces you to evaluate whether your knowledge was a distortion of the true forces manipulating your life every day. The book forces you to re-think your approach at evaluating a person’s true character; did you really know the person at all? Emotions of fear, anger, sympathy, regret, and sadness will overcome you as you plunge into the journey of this dark, yet realistic, book. 

-Catherine 

Monster of a Unique Book

This week I read Monster by Walter Dean Meyers. If anything, it was really unique. The format of the book is that of a screen play. However the book also contains diary entries in order to reveal what the main character is thinking.

The book is about the trial of a 16 year old African American who is put on trial for helping with a murder that resulted from an armed robbery. However it is not explain whether or not the main character was actually involved. The book explains what happens in the courtroom as well as the jail. There are also flashbacks; however the only point of view that is seen is that of the main character.

I liked the main character of the book and I really like how the book portrays relationships with other characters. I was actually very shocked because I thought that the author portrayed the main character, a young black teen, very well. I was shocked because I thought the author was of Caucasian origin but once I looked up the author I realized he was African American and because of his childhood he could probably relate to the main character in an effective way, in order to get his message across.

I was actually looking up the author to find his background. The book takes place around a trial and Meyers was able to make it feel very real. I looked into Meyers’ bio to see if he had any background in law but I did not find anything about it so I’m assuming he had to do extensive research about the justice system in order to write this book. The assumption signifies that the author is very dedicated to his work because of the detail found in his writing.

The strongest part of the book is how relationships and views are portrayed. I especially like how the author portrays the main character’s relationship with his family and the main character’s views on living in a jail. The emotions portrayed were very strong and real.

The main problem I saw was that because the book was written as a screen play, the main character seemed distant. The diary entries seemed to make the main character more relatable but I do not think there were enough entries to make the audience feel fully connected to the character.

Monster is a strong YA book because the author fully immerses himself into the teen persona. The character handles the situations without the slightest hint of an adult’s perspective. This writing style will make the character a lot more relatable to teens.

Overall I liked Monster and I think that a young adult could take a lot from the book. It teaches about the importance of self discovery amidst other peoples’ strong predispositions. It slightly battles racism with respect to people prejudging, however it does not tackle the subject fully. I think that the ending was also unique and it leaves a lot of room for discussion.

--Amer Rasheed