Monster

Reader Response: From the perspective of someone who simply enjoys compelling literature, Monster was hard for me to put down. The author pulls you fully into Steve Harmon's point of view, putting you into the shoes of a terrified sixteen-year-old who is facing the very sobering and horrifying reality of spending life in prison for murder. In addition, the novel is written in a unique style- the story is told as a screenplay that Steve is writing. This effect truly shows how his reality is so incomprehensible to him that it seems more fitting that it would be a Hollywood film, not the true reality of a high schooler. You are forced to grapple with different perspectives as you read the novel: what would you do if you were facing the gruesome realities of life in prison? What would you do as a parent if your teenage son, who you had hopes would be a football star, ended up in an orange jumpsuit? What would you do as a juror who has been given the task of deciding who is responsible for the death of a responsible and generous member of the community? And when someone has committed a terrible crime...do they lose their humanity? Does that make them a monster, beyond redemption? As a reader, you will ask each of these questions throughout this novel, causing you to both turn pages quickly and ask deep questions about the way our society functions. 

Evaluator Response: The novel Monster does an excellent job of using unique and compelling literary effects to draw young readers in. As far as recommending using this novel in the classroom, this novel is an excellent choice for teachers looking for culturally relevant text to appeal to reluctant readers. The novel's main character, Steve Harmon, wrestles with the label given to him by the prosecutor, "Monster." However, by allowing readers into his inner monologue and peeking into his conscience, the novel pries into issues of institutional racism and the stark realities of our judicial system. While the novel should be read by mature audiences, as a YA editor, I would recommend this novel for its potential to prompt discussions on how racism has not disappeared in America, but simply evolved. However, this should be handled with teacher discretion and within an environment of both honesty and safety. 

Teacher Response: As a teacher, this novel is an exciting one for me to recommend to students. I see many of my students, both boys and girls, of all races, eager to engage in its content, which is always a good day for a Literacy teacher! For those students who have truly enjoyed this text, I would recommend Shooter, also by Walter Dean Myers. The fictional novel tells the story of a school shooting, so it is not written on exactly the same themes, yet it is told in Myers' unique and compelling style and similarly engages students into the process of getting to the bottom of what truly conspired. Students who enjoyed Monster will enjoy delving into the process of sifting through evidence and narratives to determine who was involved in the school shootings, and perhaps more importantly, they will be forced to analyze what would cause a student to take such drastic actions. 

Literacy Coach Response: The novel Monster has an incredible amount of potential for students to practice reading like investigators. Students will be forced to not just investigate Steve Harmon as potentially guilty of an accomplice of murder, but they will also have to investigate the American judicial system and the existence of institutional racism in American society. However, this potential will only be effective if stewarded well by teachers. As a literacy coach, I would steer teachers to scaffold students' abilities to draw inferences about the different effects shaping Steve Harmon's experiences. In addition, directly tied to Common Core State Standards, students will have ample opportunity to analyze text structure. With such a unique writing style, students must ask why the author has chosen to write via a screenplay and how that reveals Steve's feelings about his trial that he cannot fully articulate. Lastly, I would prompt teachers to use this novel in a unit discussing social justice, tying the highly engaging and compelling story to informational text about real current events. For example, students could engage in research about the school to prison pipeline and the evidence of institutionalized racism in America. Many students have followed and are eager to discuss current issues such as "Black Lives Matter" and the sadly frequent cases that have prompted the movement. This novel presents an opportunity to analyze the justice system from a different, yet connected perspective. Therefore, teachers have an opportunity to weave in standards-based instruction in addition to teaching literary analysis as they read.