Wow, is this a powerful novel. Related through alternating journal entries and a film script written by the protagonist, Steve Harmon, Monster tells the story of 16 year old Steve's trial for felony murder in the shooting death of a drugstore clerk during a botched robbery. Steve has been fingered as the lookout, the one who gave the "all clear" for the robbers to enter the store. Right away, I was swept up in the emotional drama of Steve's story. I felt like I was living and feeling all the terror and uncertainty of this young teen facing the possibility of 25 years to life in prison. I was confronted by Steve's fears that as a young black male, he has already been judged guilty in the eyes of the jury. And what, if anything, is Steve actually guilty of? Steve grapples with the meaning of guilt and innocence, and where his actions actually lie on this continuum. I read this in a matter of hours and simply could not put it down. Highly relevant as our society continues to question the implications of its justice system, and the role played by race within the system.
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March 2015
Categories"A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies. The man who never reads lives only one." |