Reviews with content warning for Confinement - Monster

This was quick, but it was quite good. The dramatized reading especially highlights how unequal and theatrical our justice system is and that justice itself usually isn't even one of the top five goals during these proceedings. It's all so broken.

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sup3r_xn0va_maya's review against another edition

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emotional sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

"Monster" is about 16 year old Steve Harmon who is on trial for murder. This story is told through a first person perspective via Steve Harmon's diary and through a third person screen play format. "Monster" was an interesting read, all the court room scenes (which is about 65% of this book) made me feel like I was watching an episode of Law & Order (I listened to the dramatized audio book.)

I see why this book won the awards that it did when it came out in the year 1999 and then in 2000, some of the imagery was really powerful and the book format was unique, especially for the times.

I wish the reader actually got to find out if the main character was really involved in the robbery or not. Either way, I don't think he should be on trial for murder if he were the "look out", he didn't pull the trigger and he wasn't in the store when the store owner died (according to his and everyone else's testimony.)

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robinsong's review

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challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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anniefwrites's review

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dark emotional tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

I can see why this was the first winner of the Printz Award. Walter Dean Myers captured Steve's voice so well that it really felt like reading the character's own notebook and screenplay. The unique structure really helped to propel the plot at a quick pace. I know that often trials drag on instead of breeze past (see Know My Name by Chanel Miller), but I think for the audience and the reading experience, a fast pace was a great choice.

I especially loved how, despite having an objectively "happy" ending, it shows the nuance in Steve's situation--just being accused of this crime has changed his life for the worse, in his family, his psyche. I love how he turns to an art form to process his complex emotions about the trial and his time in jail; it's a real testament to the impact that creating can have on us, even in our darkest moments. You don't have to know if Steve was guilty or not; this book was ahead of it's time in the way it shows how inhumane prison is, regardless of crimes committed.

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piperlee's review

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emotional reflective tense fast-paced

Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Steve is a young Black budding movie-maker who desires to show the true stories behind his community. He is also implicated in a robbery gone wrong, which could lead to the rest of his childhood spent behind bars. This book follows the trial that will decide where Steve will spend the next 25 years - either in prison or at home with his parents and little brother. I loved the unique formatting of the book - the majority written as a screenplay that Steve is creating to tell the story of his trial, mixed with a handful of first-person journal accounts that allow the reader to get a better glimpse into what Steve is thinking while awaiting his verdict. Throughout the book, the author allows the reader to choose who and what to believe, creating a commentary on truth and life circumstances rather than steering the reader to believe something specific. I was expecting more substantial commentary on racism and systemic injustice, and while these themes are definitely part of the story, the focus was placed more on the individuals and the circumstances they found themselves in. By the end, there are still questions left unanswered and the reader can wrestle with how to approach these questions, but this only creates a stronger case for the broader questions and ideas it seems the author wants us to think about.

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