342:. This idea comes up multiple times throughout the novel. There is the truth in relation to the law, but also the truth of a person's character. Steve, during the trial, writes about experiences he has had that directly contradict the thug persona he has been labeled with. The book reads like a formal screenplay, written by Steve Harmon, interspersed with seemingly handwritten fragments from his diary. The screenplay's verisimilitude is enhanced by such cues as "fade in," "voice over," and “fade out." As one critic wrote, the novel is "Presented alternately as the first‑person, handwritten memoir... a neatly typed screenplay." Critics have commented on how the novel offers "surface
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310:. After recounting various news reports covering the robbery and murder, Steve documents his arrest and his mother's panicked reaction. Before returning to the trial, Steve writes in his notes that he cannot psychologically handle writing down the tragic details of the robbery itself. The coroner, the city clerk, and a detective are questioned in a four-way split screen montage. Miss O'Brien warns Steve not to write down in his notebook anything that he does not want the prosecutor to see.
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appears to know King and Cruz only as remote acquaintances, and Bobo hardly at all. Steve testifies that he does not particularly remember where he was on the day of the robbery, but that he certainly was not a participant. The defense systematically casts the honesty of
Petrocelli's witnesses in doubt. Although many of the testimonies contradict, even the most incriminating toward Steve claims only that he acted as a lookout in the first stage of the robbery.
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moves to hug O'Brien, she chills up and turns away, leaving Steve to question why. The end of the novel takes place five months after Steve has been cleared of all charges and released from prison. Steve has continued his film-making, but his father has moved away, creating a noticeable distance between the two. He is still confused as to Miss O'Brien's demeanor at the end of the trial, wondering what she saw in him that made her turn away.
299:, including ones showing that King is only acquainted with Steve, and that King had accused Steve of pulling the trigger during the robbery. Petrocelli calls as a witness Osvaldo Cruz, who is affiliated with the Diablos, a violent street gang. Cruz admits to participating in the crime only due to coercion by "Bobo."
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The novel is interspersed with various photos depicting Steve. Many appear to be placed around the prison, possibly taken after he has been released as he is dressed in plain clothes. However, his oversized T-shirt is striped, possibly indicating that he will never be free from this experience. Myers
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Briggs argues that neither King nor Steve was ever involved in the crime since the only eyewitness to the robbery saw only two men involved, which can be accounted for by Bobo and Cruz alone. Though Miss O'Brien seems doubtful of Steve's innocence, she wisely has him distance himself from King. Steve
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George
Sawicki, Steve's film club mentor, serves as a character witness, proudly defending Steve's moral character. Briggs, Miss O'Brien, and Petrocelli finally make their closing statements, before the jury decides on a verdict. James King is found guilty, while Steve is found not guilty. As Steve
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According to Cruz, the original plan was that Steve would go into the drugstore and signal if the coast was clear. After King and Bobo robbed the store owner, Mr. Nesbitt, Cruz would slow down any potential pursuers. Bobo takes the witness stand to say that James King pulled the trigger and vaguely
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As a young man, Myers struggled with a speech impairment that caused many of his classmates and teachers to ridicule him and think him unintelligent. He often got into trouble at school for selling drugs in school and on the streets. When trying to defend himself against the ridicule, many labeled
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him a “Monster" much like how Steve Harmon was labeled a "Monster." Later, while working as a construction worker, Myers decided to follow advice given to him by his high school writing teacher and began writing at night after work, just as the character Steve Harmon writes throughout the novel.
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to offer an analysis of the complex identities that emerge in the context of such surfaces." Generally, the novel has been praised for remarkably sophisticated levels of thematic and formal complexity, considering its ostensible status as a young adult novel. As another critic wrote,
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The trial begins with the opening statements of the prosecutor Sandra
Petrocelli, Miss O'Brien, and King's lawyer, Asa Briggs. Petrocelli labels the four accused men, including Steve, as "monsters." The lawyers call on several witnesses, including Salvatore Zinzi and Wendell Bolden,
235:. Musing on his short time in prison so far, he decides to record this upcoming experience in the form of a movie screenplay. Kathy O'Brien, Steve's lawyer, informs him on what will happen during the trial. At this stage, only two of the four
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had an affinity for addressing issues of race in many of his other novels as well as in several articles he penned.
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is an experiment in form and structure," demonstrating Steve's "vent his passionate perplexity."
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format to tell the story, through the perspective of Steve Harmon, an
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806:"Sundance Film Festival Unveils Full 2018 Features Lineup"
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Staunton, John A; Gubuan, Francine (May 1997). "Monster".
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has been adapted into a film of the same name directed by
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to a movie he saw in his school's film of predictability.
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marginalia, drawing, photographs, mugshots, and video
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406:National Book Award for Young People's Literature
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736:Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA)
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385:The cover artist for the novel is Myers' son,
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441:2001, ALA Amazing Audiobooks for Young Adults
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730:American Library Association (2006-09-29).
601:"Children's Book Envoy Defines His Mission"
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842:Children and Young Adult Literature portal
651:New York, N.Y.: HarperCollins, 2001. Print
577:Carte Blanche: The Dream Becomes a Reality
548:Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy
444:2001, Rhode Island Teen Book Award Nominee
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732:"2000 Top 10 Best Books for Young Adults"
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197:for Young People's Literature, won the
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400:received the following accolades:
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668:Myers, Walter Dean (2001-05-08).
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268:Richard "Bobo" Evans and Osvaldo
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451:Edgar Award for Best Young Adult
193:. It was nominated for the 1999
907:Fast Sam, Cool Clyde, and Stuff
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781:"Monster | Awards & Grants"
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756:"Monster | Awards & Grants"
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625:Italie, Hillel (4 March 2011).
16:1999 novel by Walter Dean Myers
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340:subjective nature of the truth
203:Coretta Scott King Award Honor
175:, published April 21, 1999 by
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208:The book uses a mixture of a
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785:American Library Association
760:American Library Association
420:American Library Association
413:Boston Globe-Horn Book Award
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477:2018 Sundance Film Festival
447:2005, Lincoln Award nominee
424:Best Books for Young Adults
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1413:Everything Sad Is Untrue
1077:Michael L. Printz Award
1035:Walter Dean Myers Award
1001:Legend of the Lost Tomb
430:Michael L. Printz Award
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199:Michael L. Printz Award
1277:Where Things Come Back
850:"Monster" Google Books
599:Bosman, Julie (2012).
574:Cart, Michael (2000).
475:. It premiered at the
1465:American crime novels
1427:Firekeeper's Daughter
1314:I'll Give You the Sun
1197:American Born Chinese
503:. It was released by
1450:1999 American novels
1225:On the Jellicoe Road
647:Myers, Walter Dean.
279:have entered into a
1485:HarperCollins books
1155:The First Part Last
525:"2000 Printz Award"
485:Kelvin Harrison Jr.
464:Monster (2018 film)
415:nominee for Fiction
215:and a first-person
195:National Book Award
189:by American author
60:Spanish and English
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1211:The White Darkness
1183:Looking for Alaska
1127:A Step From Heaven
649:Bad Boy: a Memoir.
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1455:Epistolary novels
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1348:March: Book Three
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892:Walter Dean Myers
681:978-0-06-440731-1
674:. HarperCollins.
387:Christopher Myers
330:Themes and format
308:Morehouse College
191:Walter Dean Myers
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164:PZ7.M992 Mon 2004
103:Publication place
51:Christopher Myers
47:Cover artist
41:Walter Dean Myers
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762:. 2009-09-09
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1362:We Are Okay
1289:In Darkness
1206:McCaughrean
501:A$ AP Rocky
181:young adult
73:Crime novel
1444:Categories
1376:The Poet X
1259:Bacigalupi
815:January 1,
790:2021-03-08
766:2021-03-08
741:2021-03-08
716:2021-03-08
580:. Booklist
511:References
304:Alma Mater
297:flashbacks
223:teenager.
213:screenplay
1220:Marchetta
931:Scorpions
890:Works by
711:Goodreads
707:"Monster"
393:Reception
316:all-clear
116:paperback
83:Publisher
1327:Bone Gap
1297:Sedgwick
1136:Chambers
1009:Case 219
610:28 April
584:14 March
561:40012833
530:14 April
408:finalist
336:relative
318:signal.
151:40043530
57:Language
20:Monster
1422:Boulley
1371:Acevedo
1150:Johnson
1099:Monster
1079:winners
1028:Related
1017:Monster
955:Monster
923:Crystal
810:Variety
671:Monster
633:7 March
505:Netflix
469:Monster
453:nominee
438:nominee
422:(ALA),
398:Monster
367:Monster
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179:, is a
172:Monster
114:Print (
77:Mystery
1420:2022:
1408:Nayeri
1406:2021:
1394:2020:
1369:2019:
1357:LaCour
1355:2018:
1343:Powell
1341:, and
1333:2017:
1321:2016:
1309:Nelson
1307:2015:
1295:2014:
1283:2013:
1273:Whaley
1271:2012:
1257:2011:
1243:2010:
1218:2009:
1204:2008:
1190:2007:
1176:2006:
1164:Rosoff
1162:2005:
1148:2004:
1134:2003:
1120:2002:
1108:Almond
1106:2001:
1092:2000:
1020:(2018)
1012:(2010)
1004:(1997)
985:(2017)
977:(2006)
958:(1999)
950:(1992)
942:(1988)
934:(1988)
926:(1987)
918:(1984)
910:(1975)
899:Novels
678:
559:
551:. 45.
434:2000,
428:2000,
418:2000,
411:1999,
404:1999,
355:stills
233:murder
126:281 pp
37:Author
1387:2020s
1339:Aydin
1335:Lewis
1236:2010s
1178:Green
1094:Myers
1085:2000s
557:JSTOR
248:Steve
217:diary
187:novel
184:drama
123:Pages
69:Drama
65:Genre
1396:King
1323:Ruby
1285:Lake
1245:Bray
1192:Yang
974:Jazz
817:2018
676:ISBN
635:2011
612:2015
586:2013
532:2013
499:and
270:Cruz
227:Plot
145:OCLC
132:ISBN
98:1999
1400:Dig
497:Nas
338:or
1446::
1424:–
1410:–
1398:–
1373:–
1359:–
1345:–
1337:,
1325:–
1311:–
1299:–
1287:–
1275:–
1261:–
1247:–
1222:–
1208:–
1194:–
1180:–
1166:–
1152:–
1138:–
1124:–
1122:Na
1110:–
1096:–
808:.
783:.
758:.
734:.
709:.
690:^
656:^
603:.
553:45
495:,
491:,
487:,
389:.
306:,
75:,
71:,
1069:e
1062:t
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883:e
876:t
869:v
819:.
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744:.
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684:.
637:.
614:.
588:.
563:.
534:.
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359:—
348:—
274:—
263:—
252:—
241:—
118:)
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