“The best time to cry is at night, when the lights are out and someone is screaming for help.” 16 year-old Steve had a very
good reason to cry. He was locked up in a Manhattan detention center, accused of felony murder. Walter Dean Myers’ gritty, compelling story about an African-American boy in jail for a crime he claims he didn’t commit is as powerful as a punch in the gut. Young Steve was accused of aiding and abetting a robbery during which a Harlem convenience store owner was fatally shot. Steve maintains his innocence, claiming he was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Steve’s dad is disappointed him. The defense attorney, Steve’s own lawyer, doesn’t believe in him. In the
courtroom the prosecutor calls Steve a name so horrible he began to lose all hope...“
He's a MONSTER”.
“All they can do is put me in jail. They can’t touch my soul.” – Acie, an inmate in Cell Block D
Was Steve innocent…or guilty? Bestselling author Walter Dean Myers intentionally doesn’t answer that question, leaving the readers to evaluate the evidence for themselves. The story of Steve’s dramatic courtroom appearances and his terrifying experience behind bars unfolds like an actual movie; Myers writes in a screenplay format mixed with heart-wrenching entries from Steve’s own journal. This YA novel contains violence, mild language, and some references to sexual assault. To research this subject, Myers interviewed criminal defense lawyers, judges, prosecutors, and inmates whose situations were similar to the characters in this book. The result is a fast-paced, disturbing portrayal of an aspiring young filmmaker who suddenly finds himself on trial for his life. Some convicted criminals who read Myers' novel have commented that they wished they had read
Monster prior to their arrests. If they had, maybe they never would’ve landed behind bars in the first place.
About the Author Walter Dean Myers is an award-winning author of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry for young adults. His many titles include
Fallen Angels,
Shooter, and
Bad Boy; A Memoir. Myers grew up in Harlem, New York and now resides in New Jersey. Read more about him on his website at
http://www.walterdeanmyers.net/