Tag Archives: award-winning

Review: Monster by Walter Dean Myers

Book Review and Content, Contemporary, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , ,
Monster by Walter Dean Myers

Monster
Walter Dean Myers
HarperCollins
Published May 1, 2001 (Orig. 1999)

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Monster

This New York Times bestselling novel and National Book Award nominee from acclaimed author Walter Dean Myers tells the story of Steve Harmon, a teenage boy in juvenile detention and on trial. Presented as a screenplay of Steve’s own imagination, and peppered with journal entries, the book shows how one single decision can change our whole lives.

Fade In: Interior: Early Morning In Cell Block D, Manhattan Detention Center.

Steve (Voice-Over)
Sometimes I feel like I have walked into the middle of a movie. Maybe I can make my own movie. The film will be the story of my life. No, not my life, but of this experience. I’ll call it what the lady prosecutor called me … Monster.

My Review

I’ve had this book on my reading list for probably ten years, which feels surreal. I read On a Clear Day by Walter Dean Myers back in 2015, and after that, I looked up more of his books for my reading list. So here I am, finally circling back for Monster.

I read this book as an audiobook with a full cast, which I think helped me imagine the story as a movie. It’s a really quick read. I believe the audiobook runtime is less than three hours.

Powerful storytelling fills the pages of this book. I felt immediately connected to the characters and especially the plight of Steve as he prepares for a trial that will determine whether he spends decades in prison. It was easy to read between the lines of dialogue in the scenes, though, and feel like I understood what was going on in the characters’ heads or between the lines.

The story gives readers space to think about what makes someone a monster as each witness appears or each lawyer speaks. Though the author limits the content, keeping the story appropriate for its intended audience, he doesn’t flinch from hard truths about life in prison. The juxtaposition of Steve’s youth and inexperience against the harsh reality of prison life is shocking. I couldn’t help but think of real-life teens in similar situations as I read.

The ending really got me, too. I won’t spoil what happens, but I was impressed with the nuance and the impact of the scene in which the jury delivers its verdict. That scene will replay in my head for a long time.

I recommend this book for anyone interested in fiction about incarcerated teens, especially for younger teens.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 13 up.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Two uses of mild profanity.

Romance/Sexual Content
One scene very briefly mentions sexual assault. Some characters reference assault or a fear of being assaulted.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
References to gun violence (happened off-scene). References to and brief descriptions of fighting. Reference to domestic violence (happened off-scene). References to sexual assault. References to cutting someone with a knife (happened off-scene).

Drug Content
References to smoking cigarettes.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. All opinions are my own.

Review: The 57 Bus by Dashka Slater

Biography, Blogger's Favorites, Book Review and Content, Nonfiction, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , ,

The 57 Bus: A True Story of Two Teenagers and the Crime that Changed Their Lives
Dashka Slater
Farrar, Straus, & Giroux
Published October 17, 2017

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About The 57 Bus

One teenager in a skirt.
One teenager with a lighter.
One moment that changes both of their lives forever.

If it weren’t for the 57 bus, Sasha and Richard never would have met. Both were high school students from Oakland, California, one of the most diverse cities in the country, but they inhabited different worlds. Sasha, a white teen, lived in the middle-class foothills and attended a small private school. Richard, a black teen, lived in the crime-plagued flatlands and attended a large public one. Each day, their paths overlapped for a mere eight minutes. But one afternoon on the bus ride home from school, a single reckless act left Sasha severely burned, and Richard charged with two hate crimes and facing life imprisonment. The case garnered international attention, thrusting both teenagers into the spotlight.

My Review

I’ve had this book on my TBR for a long time, and I seriously can’t believe I waited so long to read it. What an incredible book! It blew me away.

What’s funny is that I’ve read several picture books by Dashka Slater (the Escargot books are a favorite in my house). This book is so different than those, and each is so well done.

It’s obvious that the author put so much care and thoughtfulness into the book’s structure. It’s got a ton of short sections. One defines some different queer identities. Another spells out the rights of a prisoner at a juvenile detention center. Others contain short stories or observations by Sasha or Richard or people close to them.

The narrative explores the lives of Sasha (victim) and Richard (perpetrator) with dignity and fairness. Nowhere does the author minimize or dismiss the seriousness of what happened to Sasha. She also includes interviews and statements from Richard’s friends and family, along with some biographical information about and statements from Richard himself. This way we get a more complete picture of both of the teens involved that terrible day on the 57 Bus.

Slater discusses how different people become targeted in hate crimes and the advancement and rolling back of protections for LGBTQIA+ people and the impact that has had. She also talks about the justice system, particularly in the process of juvenile offenders being charged as adults, and how that impacts the lives of young people and the community as a whole.

It’s such a powerful book. The points and information are clearly stated and related in a way that made me feel like I knew each of the people the narrative followed. I think this is a really important book for people to read.

Conclusion

Fans of true crime books and readers looking for compelling nonfiction or stories about LGBTQIA+ youth need to grab a copy of this one. Put it on your Pride Month reading list or read it on a weekend– the short sections and compelling writing make this a super quick read.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Sasha is agender and uses they/them pronouns. Some of their friends have LGBTQIA+ identities as well. Richard is Black. His family members and some of his friends are Black.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used somewhat frequently. The N-word is used, usually by a Black boy to his Black friends. There are a few homophobic statements.

Romance/Sexual Content
Some discussion of various sexual and gender identities and what the labels mean to the people using them.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
Contains brief but graphic descriptions of the burns sustained by Sasha when their skirt was set on fire on a bus and brief but graphic descriptions of the treatment of the burns.

Drug Content
References to the smell of pot smoke in bathrooms at school. Doctors prescribe morphine for Sasha during their recovery from burns and surgeries.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but help support this blog. All opinions my own.

Book Bans and The 57 Bus

THE 57 BUS is a frequently challenged or banned book. Author Dashka Slater offers this statement about book bans in general and in reference to this book.