Preview

Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Monster

By: Walter Dean Myers
Narrated by: full cast
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $12.60

Buy for $12.60

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.

Publisher's summary

Sometimes I feel like I have walked into the middle of a movie. Maybe I can make my own movie. The film will be the story of my life. No, not my life, but of this experience. I'll call it what the lady who is the prosecutor called me: Monster.

FADE IN: INTERIOR COURT. A guard sits at a desk behind STEVE. KATHY O'BRIEN, STEVE's lawyer, is all business as she talks to STEVE.

O'BRIEN
Let me make sure you understand what's going on. Both you and this King character are on trial for felony murder. Felony murder is as serious as it gets....When you're in court, you sit there and pay attention. You let the jury know that you think the case is as serious as they do....

STEVE
You think we're going to win?

O'BRIEN (seriously)
It probably depends on what you mean by "win".

©1999 Walter Dean Myers (P)2000 Random House Inc., Listening Library, an imprint of the Random House Audio Publishing Group
activate_Holiday_promo_in_buybox_DT_T2

Critic reviews

"Steve Harmon, 16, is accused of serving as a lookout for a robbery of a Harlem drugstore. The owner was shot and killed, and now Steve is in prison awaiting trial for murder. From there, he tells about his case and his incarceration. Many elements of this story are familiar, but Myers keeps it fresh and alive by telling it from an unusual perspective. Steve, an amateur filmmaker, recounts his experiences in the form of a movie screenplay. His striking scene-by-scene narrative of how his life has dramatically changed is riveting....It's an emotionally charged story that readers will find compelling and disturbing." (School Library Journal)

Featured Article: Classic Literature from Black Writers, Performed by Black Narrators


Despite the many great works of literature by great Black writers, Black voices have had a hard time entering "the canon." Worse, there have been times when Black words were miscast and read by narrators who didn't connect with the spirit of the authors. To help rectify this, we offer our careful selection of classics by Black authors performed by gifted Black actors that truly deserve to be recognized, celebrated, and savored.

What listeners say about Monster

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    741
  • 4 Stars
    253
  • 3 Stars
    110
  • 2 Stars
    29
  • 1 Stars
    30
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    653
  • 4 Stars
    181
  • 3 Stars
    70
  • 2 Stars
    16
  • 1 Stars
    19
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    597
  • 4 Stars
    200
  • 3 Stars
    100
  • 2 Stars
    24
  • 1 Stars
    23

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

I wanted and needed more from this great story.

I find that I needed much more out of the story and characters. I also struggled with the screen play setting.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

A read never to be forgotten

An interesting story told in an unique style that makes the book a quick, but unforgettable read.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

A semblance of justice

The ending left this reader with a semblance of justice. Since it was written through the lens of a teenage boy, certain observations were superficial and locking depth at times. But I find that was intentionally done by the writer to give this a juvenile vibe. Well done.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great Book!

I love this book, and I can see myself listening to this again and again. I never heard of this book until my brother recommended it to me.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Decent book

It was decent just seemed a bit messy but I had to read it for English. Pretty quick read I finished it in less than three class periods.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Good Old Days!

I remember picking this book up in middle school , very interesting written format and Dialog between the characters. To listen to it and the sound effects that come with the audio version makes you feel you are in the room , present in the court room and get a better understanding of the issues explained.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Honest

It’s refreshing to read a story with a positive outcome for a young black man. I enjoyed the perspective he took as well, making it look like a movie.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great Delivery

The story line is well written! Mr. Myers and the Audible cast did an amazing job bringing the characters to life. I felt myself become each character presented. My heart beat in suspense.... would the jury find Steven guilty or not guilty?

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

8th Grade Middle School

Fantastic young adult literature! Walter Dean Myers always finds a way to make his work interesting and relatable to his readers. This book is NOT your standard novel; it is written from the perspective of Steve Harmon as though he were creating a screenplay for a movie. The various character perspectives are outstanding. The audio is absolutely amazing as well. It really adds a different level of understanding when my students can hear the tone, fluctuations, and overall personality of each character. Highly recommend!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Unique Story Structure

This was a unique read. I was impressed with the way the author wrote the main characters perspective through the lens of a film maker.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!