I started the 48hbc earlier than I intended and finished a book I was already reading: Walter Dean Myers’ Monster. It is about a 16-year old defendant in a murder trial and is told partially in first person from his perspective as a journal he is keeping and partially in screenplay format for the movie he wishes these events were part of , rather than his suddenly very frightening real life.
There are things I really like about this book and things I really don’t like. My main complaint is just a matter of personal taste. I am not so interested in courtroom dramas. A great deal of this book is courtroom scenes and dialogue. I say meh to that.
However, I like the screenplay style of much of the book and the personal journal style of the rest of the book. The main character/narrator, Steve Harmon, is a sympathetic character, even though he is on trial for his alleged participation in a robbery/murder.
Definitely a readable book, though the courtroom scenes can be dry and difficult to get through, especially the closing arguments. But the picture of our justice system–the best arguer wins–is interesting. I think it’s a good introduction to that world for young adult readers.
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