Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    Unavailable
    Monster
    Unavailable
    Monster
    Unavailable
    Monster
    Audiobook2 hours

    Monster

    Written by Walter Dean Myers

    Narrated by Full Cast

    4/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    BONUS FEATURE: Afterword read by the author

    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 who is the prosecutor called me. Monster.

    FADE IN: INTERIOR COURT. A guard sits at a desk behind STEVE. KATHY O'BRIEN, STEVE's lawyer, is all business as she talks to STEVE.
    O'BRIEN
    Let me make sure you understand what's going on. Both you and this King character are on trial for felony murder. Felony murder is as serious as it gets….When you're in court, you sit there and pay attention. You let the jury know that you think the case is as serious as they do….
    STEVE
    You think we're going to win?
    O'BRIEN (seriously)
    It probably depends on what you mean by "win."
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPenguin Random House Audio
    Release dateJun 27, 2006
    ISBN9781400085880
    Unavailable
    Monster
    Author

    Walter Dean Myers

    Walter Dean Myers was the New York Times bestselling author of Monster, the winner of the first Michael L. Printz Award; a former National Ambassador for Young People's Literature; and an inaugural NYC Literary Honoree. Myers received every single major award in the field of children's literature. He was the author of two Newbery Honor Books and six Coretta Scott King Awardees. He was the recipient of the Margaret A. Edwards Award for lifetime achievement in writing for young adults, a three-time National Book Award Finalist, as well as the first-ever recipient of the Coretta Scott King-Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement.

    More audiobooks from Walter Dean Myers

    Related to Monster

    Related audiobooks

    YA Social Themes For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    Reviews for Monster

    4/5

    1,236 ratings169 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 5/5
      Monster is about a boy named Steve who is on trial for a murder/stick up. He writes out his story in the form of a movie script so that he can cope and possibly create a movie in the future. This is a good multicultural novel because Steve is an African american main character who is also from gang life. I would use this for intermediate and middle school.
    • 5/5
      This book was about a young, black boy named Steve Harmon. It starts out with him talking to the readers from a jail cell describing how he got there. He is on trial for the murder of a Harlem drugstore owner and could face the death penalty. Steve copes by writing a movie script based on his trial. The book is written like a film script and spends the majority of the time talking about the trial at hand. This book would be categorized under realistic fiction because it is a story that could very likely happen and it gives insight on what actually happens on a daily basis for many people. Age appropriateness: high school.
    • 5/5
      Excellent book!
    • 4/5
      4* for the full cast audiobook edition; for the book itself, I am undecided between 3 & 4 stars...This YA novel wasn't my typical sort of book & there were aspects of it I found didn't appeal to me. On the other hand, it made me aware of some aspects of life as an adolescent black man (boy?) in Harlem in a way that had more emotional impact than watching the news or reading the papers ever could have. In that sense, it was fitting that it won the Coretta Scott King Award & made it a good choice for me to read on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
    • 3/5
      This book follows the tragic story of a young man named Steve Harmon, a young man in Harlem who is accused of being an accessory to a robbery-homicide. The book is written as a screenplay, and is periodically interrupted with journal entries and real photos. It follows the trial and his time spent in jail.
    • 3/5
      Interesting style for both reading and listening, and it works well for a novel written during the height of the Law & Order craze, but it needed more story.
    • 4/5
      I wasn't pleased when I flipped through Monster and noticed it was written like a film script. But, it had lots of awards tacked to the front cover so I began reading. While it isn't the most passionate young adult read, it's one of those stories that needs to be told so as to reach the right audience.The script format allows it to be read quickly, skipping over the "details" that can bore a reluctant reader. It also allows Steve to tell his side of the story - from his life, to the crime, to the trial. As a teen, Steve could not have written a typical novel. But he certainly could have written a script, giving him a chance to tell his story with some actual distance. I think this is very much how teens approach reality - through some sort of lens.It seems that Steve was involved in the crime without understanding how he could possibly be involved in a crime - again, the inability of the young mind to see the duality of his own persona. Having worked with inner city black students, I think this is an important book. I did not work with many who had been in jail or were on trial, but many of their older brothers or fathers were. Monster would give these students an opportunity to understand the reality of the legal process - and how it often works against them.
    • 3/5
      Monster is a novel where a 16 year old boy, Steve Harmon, is accused of being an accomplice in a robbery/murder. Though Steve has a doubtful defense team working to prove his innocence, Steve struggles with whether or not he is actually capable of the title "Monster".This story is depicted as Steve's personal journal and a movie script. This can get confusing because sometimes you may get what Steve feels mixed up with something from the movie script. Though this book didn't personally appeal to me, I think it would be a great read for a high school classroom in how the justice system can work for or against you. I also like the idea of the switch of perspective, however it just didn't translate well for me as a reader.
    • 5/5
      Steve was a 16 year old African-American boy who was on trial for being falsely accused of the murder of a drug store owner Mr. Nesbitt. He was put in jail for a while and as he was sitting in his cell, he decided to do these journal entries and write about his trial and how he felt. It's actually a great book I really would recommend this to anybody who likes drama, and suspense!
    • 5/5
      This book was amazing because after being falsely accused of stealing, he wants to know who he is and he wants to start his journey????
    • 5/5
      awesome book to review esp for the teens. I give it a 10
    • 3/5
      This is a very raw and real look at a minor in prison, written for the YA crowd. Written in an intriguing screenplay-manner, it is easy to read and provides a clear mental image of what the author, the young man on trial, is going through.

      I liked his viewpoint of the effects of his arrest and trial on the attorney, his mother, and especially his father. It is a real look at the consequences of being at the wrong place at the wrong time. I highly recommend this book.
    • 4/5
      Monster offers a unique look into the judicial system through the eyes of a sixteen year old charged as an accessory to felony murder. I thought that the journal added more charter to the story and was a major part of the story. the format was a little off but didn't effect me much. this book kept my interest throughout the whole book. and was really happy to see how the ending turned out. I sagest this book to anyone that likes realistic fiction. I think this book is great for high school students, because it give them a look into the judicial system and how bad there life after high school will be effected by the choice they make in high school
    • 3/5
      Reread in 2014....can say it's any better. Checked it out from the library to read along with the African American read along for February....because I forgot that I had read it. This wouldn't typically be a "must reread!"

      Read it as a potential to read with students...It's ok in that sense (the read with students sense)...but not life-altering....
    • 3/5
      So I confess, I read this book because I encountered it on a list of book someone felt young people should not read (because of the references to violence and prison rape, apparently). As I'm a little rebellious, I took note of the titles which sounded particularly dicey and requested this one from the library. After finishing this book, I must say that I completely disagree with the opinion that this book should not be read. Monster chronicles a young man accused of a crime through the creative means of a diary and screenplay he writes about his trial. Yes, there is violence and rape in this book, but even more powerful is the critique of the social system - which might have been the real reason this book ended up on a Do-Not-Read List. On the contrary, I found it well-worth the read.
    • 4/5
      An interesting book told in an unusual format. I believe that this will speak to high school students (especially any who have become inadvertently tangled in a scenario they didn't much care for). I highly recommend the dramatic audiobook.
    • 4/5
      Gritty and at times difficult to read, Monster offers a unique look into the judicial system through the eyes of a sixteen year old charged as an accessory to felony murder. The book's display of it, through screen writing and a diary format, is refreshing and adds to the realism portrayed. It also leaves characters up to interpretation and many things unclear in the reader's mind, allowing the reader to draw his or her own conclusions. This very impactful book is one that will make you think about what it means to be guilty and what a life is worth.
    • 2/5
      To be blunt, I really wasn't a fan of this book. The style was unique and interesting in the way that it transitioned between journal and screenplay. However, I didn't find the story compelling. Much of the development of the characters seemed shallow and uninteresting. The focus on trial proceedings was boring and really didn't add much to my own perspective or opinions of our own judicial system. I suppose that there are students for whom this story may resonate though. The book is also a relatively easy read, once you get used to dealing with stage direction notes in the script. This could be a way to tap in to reluctant readers, especially if they have backgrounds similar to the main character. By reading the book, there are obvious connections that can be made to the judicial system, the concept of justice, how people treat each other and what it's like to be involved in the criminal courts system.
    • 4/5
      I think this book really helps young people understand the criminal justice system. Myers uses a screenplay format to tell Steve Harmon's story, which makes the book easier to read . I often recommend this book to my more reluctant male readers, and 9 times out of ten, they really enjoy it.
    • 4/5
      There are certain books that I have read in my lifetime that stick with me for better or for worse. I first read Walter Dean Myers's Monster in ninth grade. At that time, I honestly detested even the thought of reading the book. I thought that books that centered on the plight of an African American were overdone, possibly to the point of being cliche. Of course, I had not read a great deal of books about that topic; nonetheless, I despised my teacher for making us read Myers's novel. As a result of my negativity towards the book, I finished it with a bitter taste that I attributed to the work itself. Throughout the years, however, the book has stuck with me. I think I knew that I didn't give it the fair shake it deserved. Maybe it could be chalked up to my immaturity and ignorance of the concepts Myers attempts to convey, or perhaps it could be the environment in which I read the book (a predominantly White, private, all-boy, Catholic high school) that influenced my feelings towards it. Regardless of my prior feelings, while reading this book as an adult, I had a slightly different experience. During my second reading of Myers's novel, I was first reminded of the book's format--a collection of journals interwoven with screenplay both written by the main character, Steve Harmon. This format was the only reason I gave this book four stars. Although it is always interesting to get a change in pace versus the more traditional style of novels, I felt this story could have been better told through one medium alone (i.e. only journals or only screenplay). As it stands, the format distracts from the central message of an otherwise powerful novel.Other than the format of the book, I found my second reading fairly enjoyable. Like watching a movie for a second time, there were several subtleties that I had--understandably--missed as a ninth-grader. For example, I found myself relating to some of Steve's feelings of wanting to do something great with his life (i.e. becoming a filmmaker) that conflicted with the uncontrollable issues that held him back. Would he ever live his dream?Undoubtedly--without even mentioning race--this is an excellent book to use in the classroom as a way to connect young readers to text due to the age of the main character and his thoughts expressed throughout the story. I can easily see it being used as a supplementary text in a unit on identity or labeling. Any teacher who would have the urge to teach Mary Shelley's Frankenstein or Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird should have the same urge to teach Myers's Monster.
    • 2/5
      This is a multicultural novel about a man who is wrongly put in jail and also on trial for the killing of police officer during a robbery. He writes his point of view in jail as a script like a play of what would have been acted out from his point of view. He is wrongly put in jail and ends up being released as innocent. This book goes through his trial and how he has to prove that he is innocent. He goes through a lot of pain and anxiety and he tells us his point of view in his wrongful accusation of killing a police officer. This is an example of a realistic fiction book.
    • 3/5
      Gritty and at times difficult to read, Monster offers a unique look into the judicial system through the eyes of a sixteen year old charged as an accessory to felony murder. The book's display of it, through screen writing and a diary format, is refreshing and adds to the realism portrayed. It also leaves characters up to interpretation and many things unclear in the reader's mind, allowing the reader to draw his or her own conclusions.

      The illustrations also help pull the story together, along with the mental images provided through the script format.

      It was an easy read, taking me less time than normal, and although it was, as I've stated, difficult to read at times, one had to know how it ended, had to know whether he was found guilty or not guilty. Coming from a background in Justice Studies, the legal system was more familiar to me than perhaps to other readers and I could see how the arguments were going to proceed before they actually did. This tended to eliminate more suspense than I'd have liked.

      All in all, it was a decent book, rather disturbing to be a young adult novel.
    • 4/5
      I enjoyed the format of this story. I appreciated the ending and the thought this story provokes.
    • 5/5
      In this realistic fiction book, we are told the story of Steve Harmon, a boy who was on trial for felony murder. According to the police report, he had been the person to scope out if there were any police officers in the store that his "friends" wanted to stick up. This book is written like a screen play because Steve was in a film class, and it was his coping mechanism to get through the rough experience of jail, and the trial. Throughout the course of the book we are shown the fear that the boy is feeling, and how his fear is ruling what he is doing. It seems like he is guilty, and I guess that is why he is on trial. After the long and suspenseful trial, and many things leading up to that, we are told that the jury found him not guilty, and he was free to go.
    • 5/5
      This is a great and relevant read for any young adult audience. It evokes many feelings, frustrations, and questions. The style (written as a moviescript) pulls you in and helps you visualize the story and understand Steve's point of view.
    • 3/5
      planned on skimwitting but ended up reading it for real because got it good! These started as 1 1/2 stars and became 3 stars. it became a mystery in a way did he or didn't he? i thought he did.
      also his fear and his questioning of whether or not he was a monster really started to interest me.
    • 2/5
      Unusual format: handwritten journal juxtaposed with a screenplay written by the protagonist who is a juvenile in jail. Both chronicle his court case and his feelings about it. It was okay. Warning for parents and teachers: in one moment in the beginning, the protagonist explains that he goes to bed hearing the sounds of a boy being beaten repeatedly by a 2-3 other boys and then being sexually assaulted by those boys. It's really the only time the novel crosses into "too inappropriate for my classroom" territory. There's no swearing, other sex, or graphic scenes. Meyers engages readers with simple vocabulary and syntax to convey the theme of tolerance, prejudice, and the consequences of peer pressure. A quick read, both for me and my 13-year-old. We both finished it in approximately 3 hours (separately).
    • 3/5
      Sixteen-year-old Steve Harmon is on trial for murder. As a way to hold it together through his terrible nights in prison and the stress of the trial, he records events as part diary and as though he were writing a movie script about his life. It was an interesting structure and fits with Steve's personality, since one of his passions is to make films. But while the structure suits the character, it also created emotional distance from me, like I was looking at events through a lens instead of getting into Steve's head. The most moving moments in the novel were those written in diary format, where we were able to see more than just the surface and really get into his head.
    • 5/5
      Very intense novel about a young 16 year-old black boy from Harlem, Steve, who is on trial for murder. Told through a screenplay and Steve's diary entry, this very impactful book is one that will make you think about what it means to be guilty and what a life is worth.
    • 5/5
      This book was about a man who was put on trial for being involved in a murder. It is written in movie script. It shares all of the recorded court proceedings. It also includes journal entries about what happened that day that the victim was murdered. Everyone just assumes that this man was involved because he is black. This makes him feel like a monster, even though he claims he didn't do anything. His attorney fights for his innocence, and in the end they win. This book was fantasy.