Representation: Black characters
Trigger warnings: Murder, imprisonment, physical assault and injury, blood depiction, drug use mentioned
Score: Six points out of ten.
Find this review on The StoryGraph.

I saw Monster displayed on the shelves of a library I went to so after I read another book, I immediately seized the opportunity to get it by picking it up. Afterwards, I read Monster, but when I finished it, I thought it had flaws that forced me to lower its rating. Maybe the original text will be a better reading experience for me.

It starts with the first person I see, Steve Harmon, who is arrested and awaiting trial for a murder accusation. He finds an opportunity to live through that journey like it is a movie, and thus the court case begins. There are some flashbacks to explain what happened before the police arrested Steve like the other characters who committed a robbery and, most prominently, the murder of a person. Despite Monster being under 200 pages, it still felt slow paced, allowing me to see the flaws, of which there are many. Why is the art black and white? I can understand that to be intentional, but I would've liked it if the art was full colour. The characters were hard to connect or relate with and the font was hard to read, dampening my reading experience. The conclusion petered out as the legal drama comes to an end. ( )

I read the original version first (the non graphic novel). I like the idea of this as a graphic novel, but after reading this I think the original book was a better format. The story is impactful in both formats, but I think it works better in the original. ( )

This is a beautifully illustrated adaptation of Walter Dean Myers' novel. The book would work well with struggling or reluctant readers but if you really want to read the meat of this story, stick with the original version. ( )

While reading this I thought this book was a very good way for students who do not like reading novels. The graphic novels pictures really give students a deeper knowledge and understanding since they can see the pictures. Even though it was only the second graphic novel I've read I really enjoyed it. Although it didn't end the way I wanted and didn't give us what we wanted to hear, I think that is a good talking point in a classroom with adolescents. ( )

This is one of the first graphic novels I have read, and I really really like it. I think the way the author drew some of the scenes really added to the story that I do not think you could get from an actual novel. The story was very interesting in general anyways. At first I was very confused as to what was going on in the story but as it went along I understood it better and really got it by the end of the story. Over all it was a fantastic book. ( )