Monster

Myers, W. D. (1999). Monster.  NY: Harper 

The story is uniquely told via diary and a screenplay,  by 16 year old Steve Harmon, who is an aspiring videographer-writer.  He's in jail, accused of being involved in a heinous crime of robbery/murder in Harlem.  Steve, along with Richard Evans and James King are accused of botching a strong arm robbery, taking the victim's gun and killing him.  From the beginning to the end, the reader is left in suspense on the outcome of the trial and maybe a little unsure how innocent Steve is.  His lawyer, Kathy O'Brien, is definitely not sure he's actually innocent. Steve maintains his innocence, even though the others have confessed to the crime.  Steve is eventually found not guilty.

There is definitely the element of suspense in this novel.  Readers will wonder, and keep wondering.  Readers get a glimpse into innocence lost and most likely a life that they don't want.  The format the book is written in helps keep the reader's attention because it's fragmented- you cannot easily just browse through this book.  I would maybe suggest this book for reluctant readers for the suspense.  Themes that come up in this book are race, peer pressure, and identity- all themes that young adults wrestle with, so there is some identifying with characters, in that.  Monster won the 2000 Printz award.  (Printz awards are given to books that exemplify literary excellence in young adult literature.