MONSTER

Young Steve Harmon, the 16-year-old narrator, is a promising filmmaker who, in an attempt to get some distance from the felony murder he is charged with and the bleakness of his future if convicted, narrates the story of his trial in the form of a movie screenplay he might make. This interesting idea is fraught with unfortunate consequences for both reader and listener. Peter Francis James, at his best with the rolling cadences of Southern Black dialect, is forced into a series of annoying interruptions: "voice over . . ." and "cut to . . ." Young Steve Harmon gets his distance, but, unfortunately, so does the listener. A compelling story and powerful reader are offered up to a gimmicky form. P.E.F. © AudioFile 2001, Portland, Maine [Published: APR/MAY 01]