Have you feel that you know that you did not do anything bad and you are in jail? Steven Harmon was only a lookout in the four-person holdup of a drugstore, but during the robbery attempt the store owner was killed. Steven wasn't 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. Steven, an aspiring filmmaker records the trial's events as a screenplay complete with close ups, reaction shots, and voice over’s. 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. The author Walter Dean Myers is an interesting author because it is like is he story, the title of the book I think that is like the author feel like he is a monster.

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. Not only must we judge Steven's guilt, we also judge others involved and learn about the justice system in all its glory. By the time the novel ends, I feel as if I been with Steven the whole time, and know I would never want to experience these events. It makes me consider peer pressure, the choices we make the integrity of people, and different degrees of guilt. I enjoyed monster very much and highly recommend it for personal use or with a class, because this book is very interesting and is good for the students to learn new things that’s why I really recommend.