Essay About Peer Pressure And Time Of The Murder

Lives On The Boundary A Book Report
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48 of 53 people found the following review helpful:
A thoughtful, emotional novel about a Black teen on trial, December 9, 1999
Reviewer: John Z. (Phoenixville, Pennsylvania) – See all my reviews
Steven Harmon was only a lookout in the four-person holdup of a drugstore, but during the robbery attempt the store owner was killed. Steven wasnt even IN the store at the time of the murder. How guilty does that make Steven? Does his participation make him a MONSTER? That is the question left up to the jury in this courtroom trial. While the book in made up entirely of the trial, Myers uses mixed modes to depict the case. Steven, an aspiring filmmaker, records the trials events as a screenplay, complete with close ups, reaction shots, and voice overs. Between scenes, we read Stevens handwritten journal about the case and see his fears of prison life and apprehensions about the proceedings in court. Mixed in are photographs of “Steven” in anguish. I found the telling of the story to be riveting and I feel it would provide terrific discussion in a classroom, perhaps 9th grade. Not only must we judge Stevens guilt, we also judge others involved and learn about the justice system in all its glory. By the time the novel ends, we feel as if weve been with Steven the whole time, and know we would never want to experience these events. It makes us consider peer pressure, the choices we make, the integrity of people, and different degrees of guilt. I enjoyed MONSTER very much and highly recommend it for personal use or with a class.