That Monster is an unusual novel is obvious from the start. Myers builds the plot around a screenplay that Steve is writing during his trial for murder. Thus, most of the novel is told in dialogue, with characters' names in typewritten boldface followed by their remarks in regular type. Interspersed among the scenes of the screenplay are handwritten notes by Steve, in which he tells of his terror in prison and conveys his thoughts about events. Some handwriting is in boldface, indicating the main points he wishes to make. All this may be disquieting to some readers, but the experimental construction of Monster provides a way to look at Steve through his own eyes; since much of the novel emphasizes Steve's struggle with the moral aspects of his conduct, the screenplay format offers a good way to look at how Steve sees himself and at the...