Reviews

Monster by Walter Dean Myers

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alisarae's review against another edition

4.0

A teenage boy from Harlem is on trial for a robbery turned murder. He writes his experience like a movie script, and the book bounces between reading the script, his diary, and scenes from his life outside of jail. I'm guessing this book is pretty accurate (but succinct). The audiobook was done with a full cast, so that really helped with the script reading parts.

literaryhayley's review against another edition

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challenging emotional inspiring fast-paced

3.75

cgarboden's review against another edition

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dark mysterious fast-paced

3.75

conerosity's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? N/A
Loveable characters? N/A
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

An exceptional and accessible look into the dehumanizing operations of the prison-industrial complex. Easy to read, but full of interpretive possibility; suitable for helping readers learn to read between the lines.

I do wish certain character explorations had been expanded on.

cedarflem1394's review against another edition

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dark hopeful reflective

5.0

thebookkeepers's review against another edition

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emotional sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

This story follows the trial of a young black teen who is being tried for his alleged participation in a robbery that ended with someone dying. The story was nuanced and very emotionally gripping. The ending has my mind whirling and I’m eager to discuss this more in depth with friends that have or will read it.

Content Warnings