Monster

I enjoyed Walter Dean Myers' Monster. That being said, I wish I'd had a strong reaction to the novel as a whole. The book certainly caused me to reflect on the treatment of young, African American men in this country, which then lead me to think about the recent execution of Troy Davis. He was thrown in jail, just like Steve Harmon, as a young man. Although there was no real evidence to link him to the murders he was accused of, he was found guilty and sentenced to death. This lead me to ask the same question I'd been asking myself during Monster: Did he really do it?

Then I started thinking about the Amanda Knox case. She, too, was accused of brutally murdering someone. She was found not guilty, and has recently returned home. If Troy Davis had been a young, white female would his fate have been different?

In Monster, Steve narrowly escapes the fate met by Troy Davis. If he had been a young, white female would he have been implicated in the robbery-gone-wrong at all? Why is it that so many young, African American men end up in prison? This book left me with more questions than answers.

That being said, I really enjoyed the portrayal of Steve's character. So many times we are exposed to young black characters like Bobo: thugs, gang bangers, hoodlums from broken homes. Steve is different. He has two parents who love him and each other. He is a smart kid who tries hard in school. He wants to be a good role model for his little brother. He doesn't want to be like Bobo. What frustrated me most was that, even though he had all these great attributes, people were afraid to give him the benefit of the doubt. You see it when O'brien refuses to hug him. You see it in the minor collapse in the relationship between him and his father. You see it in his mother's face. Why do so many people have such little faith in Steve? I will admit that I did a small "fist pump" when James King was found guilty. I was so happy that Steve was separated from the image of wrong doing!

I also enjoyed that the book was written as a screen play. The changes between font (switching from hand writing to typing) was slightly distracting, but I realize there was a purpose for that. I also enjoyed that Steve's film had a relatively happy ending. Reading Monster was kind of like watching an episode of Law & Order, only with an ending that does justice to the character on trial.

I feel like this would be a good book for adolescents to read. It helps to break the stigma that all young, African American men are criminals. It shows a much more raw, emotional side of what goes on in these types of scenarios and helps to remind you that there is more to someone than the color of their skin or the neighborhood they live in, and that these things don't define a person.