Monster

Steve Harmon is 16 years old and he is on trial for a murder that happened in his Harlem neighborhood. He is being accused of being the lookout for a robbery which ended in with the death of the store owner. Steve writes in his journal everything that is happening in and out the court room. He writes about how life is in the jail cell and how his parents must feel. The majority of the witnesses in his case are criminals who were cut a deal to go against Steve and his alleged partner James King. This story includes guilt, peer pressure, racial stereotyping and the flaws within the court system. This book depicts what the judicial court system looks like through the eyes of an African-American teenager. 

This book is written in a diary and screen play format which was interesting but can be confusing if you are not into the story. In the beginning I didn’t enjoy reading it because I was getting confused with format but I did get used to it and in the end it is a good read.

Myers, W.D. (1999). Monster. NY: Harper