Week #10: Monster

     Title: Monster
     Author: Walter Dean Meyers
     Genre: Courtroom Drama

     This is a book about a teenage boy named Steve Harmon who was wrongfully accused of both robbery and murder, and he is facing twenty-five years of prison for it. The story follows his struggles, his family's struggles, and the struggles in the courtroom as him and his lawyer attempt to stop the injustice unfolding in front of them.
     This is definitely the most unique book I have read so far this year, mostly due to how the story is told. The book is told soulfully through diary entries and a movie script. Not only do I love movies, but also new and unconventional ways to read books, and the fact that this is told through a script made this very enjoyable and refreshing to read for me. The diary entries feel very real and convincing, furthering the harsh reality of the story. The characters (despite the nearly immovable barriers) feel very true and heartfelt, which is a stunning achievement judging that it is essentially a film without actors. The only weakness of this story telling is that it makes the book much faster, and I finished it in one day because of it. Overall this was a very good and very interesting story that everyone should check out.