Tough-O-Meter

We've got your back. With the Tough-O-Meter, you'll know whether to bring extra layers or Swiss army knives as you summit the literary mountain. (10 = Toughest)

(4) Base Camp

Monster is a screenplay and a journal. As such, it switches from courtroom mode to flashback mode to personal venting mode. These leaps can get confusing, but don't worry—it never gets all James Joyce on you. The reason we hiked Monster up to Base Camp is because of the ca-razy creep factor of life in jail mixed with courtroom drama. Myers cut a pretty clear path for you to follow into these spaces, though, with straightforward language that never gets boring, which means you should be able to enjoy the views, even if they're pretty tough to look at sometimes.