Monster

‘Monster’ is a crime drama that tells the story of Steve Harmon, a fourteen-year-old boy on trial for felony murder, alongside James King, a guy from his neighborhood.

Illustrated by Christopher Myers and dedicated to John Brendel “for his long friendship”, ‘Monster’ is fictitious but focuses on very real themes, so much so that one is almost convinced that the story is a true-life story. But, it is not.

‘Monster‘ is as real as fiction is allowed to get. It tells the story of a fourteen-year-old boy who finds himself roped into a crime. With many accusing fingers pointing at him and his co-defendant, his life comes crashing down. The case has him reflecting, contemplating, and trying to remember, to know just where and when he went off track, when exactly he took that step in the wrong direction.

Steve Harmon is on trial with James King and has so many testimonies indicting the latter, including ones from self-admitted criminals like Osvaldo, Bobo, Cruz, and so on. He thinks he is nothing like these people and is determined to prove that. Is he, though? Is he not like them? Well, I guess ‘yes’ and ‘no’ are both equally correct answers to give in this instance. This experience redirects Steve’s life and makes him question himself to know or get to know who he truly is because even he at some point stopped being able to tell.

Key Facts about Monster

  • Title: Monster
  • Author’s Name: Walter Dean Myers
  • Date of Publication: April 21st, 1999
  • Literary Period: Contemporary Times
  • Genre: Crime Drama
  • Climax: The day of the verdict.
  • Protagonist: Steve Harmon
  • Antagonist: Procelli, the prosecutor representing the state.
  • Point of View: First-person
  • Style of Writing/Diction/Structure: For ‘Monster‘, each date is like a chapter. In total, 11 dates are mentioned. Each date is kicked off with a narration and/or note from the protagonist. Apart from parts like this, the rest are dialogues. The vocabulary and the sentence structure are simple.
  • Setting: Manhattan and Harlem, New York.

Walter Dean Myers and Monster

Walter Dean Myers was an American writer. He was born in Martinsburg, West Virginia, however, he was raised in Harlem, New York City. His unpleasant experiences as a child made him pick up writing, a talent of his. Encouraged by his teachers, he stood firm and continued to write. He went on to write great books that won him various awards. He won the Coretta Scott King Award five times. That is a record. In 1969, he also won the Council on Interracial Books for Children. That resulted in the publication of his first book, ‘Where Does the Day Go?’, that same year.

Myers was born on August 12, 1937, and passed on July 1, 2014. He lived for 76 years. He had a career in writing spanning 45 years. This renowned author like many other renowned authors crafted his experiences and put them in book form. Harlem in ‘Monster’, for instance. He got married two times. First to Joyce Elen Myers (1960-1970) and then to Constance Brendel (1973-2014). ‘Monster’ is mostly set in Harlem, New York City, the same place Walter Dean Myers grew up alongside his brother Mickey.

Myers dropped out of high school and joined the Army on his 17th birthday. After the Army, things stopped looking up for him, somewhat. He became depressed. Again, he ran back to writing. That was his solace. Discovering James Baldwin’s book ‘Sonny Blues’- a story about the black urban experience, turned things around for him, for he then started writing about his own experiences.

Walter Dean Myers’ Other Books

Walter Dean Myers has over a hundred books to his name, ‘Monster‘ is just one of them. Let’s take a look at some of his books.

‘Fallen Angels’ (1988) is a young-adult book about the Vietnam War; ‘Bad Boy’ (2001) is a funny and memorable memoir; ‘The Glory Field’ (1994) tells the story of an African-American family transitioning from slavery to equality; ‘Street Love‘ (2006) focuses on two African-American star-crossed lovers in Harlem City, ‘Dope Sick’ (2009) is a novel about drugs, violence, and another shot to do what is right; ‘Shooter’ (2004) focuses on a school shooting; ‘The Greatest Muhammad Ali’ (2001) is a biography of Muhammad Ali; ‘We Were Heroes: The Journal of Scott Pendleton Collins, a World War II Soldier, Normandy, France’ (1994) tells the story of one of the most popular invasions in history; ‘Muhammed Ali: The People’s Champion‘ (2009) is a picture book biography of Muhammad Ali; ‘We are America: A Tribute from the Heart‘ (2011) focuses on how diverse America is, and ‘What They Found’ (2007) is a collection of short stories about how love can be found in the strangest of places and times.

To have written two books about Muhammad Ali, he must have held the man in high esteem.

Books Related to Monster

There is only one ‘Monster’, but in terms of themes, genre, structure, and so on, there are so many other books related to ‘Monster’. Let’s have a look at a few of them.

‘The Death of Sweet Mister’ (2001) by Daniel Woodrel- a strong, terrifying, and funny about people at different points in their lives; ‘This Boy’s Life’ (1989) written by Tobias Wolff about himself, a memoir; ‘The Devil in a Blue Dress’ (1990), a detective novel written by Walter Mosley; ‘Stone City’ (1990) by Mitchell Smith which mirrors contemporary America; Orange is the New Black (2010) a memoir written by Piper Kerman, ‘Fallen Angels’ (1988) written by Walter Myers Dean a young-adult novel about the Vietnam War and ‘Mars Room’ (2018) by Rachel Kushner a dark realistic novel about women’s maximum security prisons.

then started writing about his own experiences.

The Lasting Impact of Monster

Walter Dean Myers’ ‘Monster’ will always be a fertile topic. The story is timeless. And the themes explored will always remain relevant. It is a story about humanity, crime, and consequence; about the relentless pursuit of justice. It is that sort of book that leaves one deep in his or her own thoughts after reading it. Bringing forth a myriad of never-ending questions, some whose answers are staring right back at us, some whose answers we will find eventually, and some whose answers we’ll likely never find, but we ask anyway. It is a story about humanity, a story without a shelf life because, to begin with, it is not even on the shelf. It is somewhere better, a story engraved in our hearts, unforgettable, unmovable, and in a class of its own.

Monster Review ⭐

‘Monster’ is one book that will always be relevant- the characters, setting, themes, style of writing, diction, everything.

Monster Historical Context 📖

Published in 1999, ‘Monster’ is a crime story which focuses on race, the justice system in America, and how one affects the other. The drama won the Michael L. Printz Award in 2000.

Monster Quotes 💬

Some words are just so remarkable, they leave you in thoughts long after you are done reading them. Myers’ ‘Monster’ has so many of such words.

Monster Characters 📖

Characterization in ‘Monster’ is so well-thought-out, everyone plays a vital role, from the protagonist, down to the guy that was featured in just one paragraph.

Monster Summary 📖

‘Monster’ tells the story of a fourteen-year-old boy who gets implicated in a felony murder, and has to fight to prove his innocence.