Monster Characters: Full List & Analysis

Who drives the story

Main characters

Steve Harmon

A sixteen-year-old aspiring filmmaker from Harlem, on trial for felony murder as the alleged lookout in a drugstore robbery. He copes by writing his trial as a screenplay, and even after acquittal he can't stop asking whether the monster label was true.

Appears in:: Part 1: The Notebook They Let Him Keep; Part 2: Monsters on Trial; Part 3: The Lookout Question; Part 4: Verdict and the Mirror
Themes:: Identity and the mirror; The slippery truth; Dehumanization; Race and the presumption of guilt; Peer pressure and coercion

Kathy O'Brien

Steve's defense lawyer, sharp and professional, who seems doubtful of his innocence and keeps him physically apart from King. Her refusal to hug him after the verdict is the book's most chilling moment.

Appears in:: Part 1: The Notebook They Let Him Keep; Part 2: Monsters on Trial; Part 3: The Lookout Question; Part 4: Verdict and the Mirror

James King

The older co-defendant accused of pulling the trigger, an acquaintance Steve barely knows. He is found guilty of felony murder.

Appears in:: Part 1: The Notebook They Let Him Keep; Part 2: Monsters on Trial; Part 3: The Lookout Question; Part 4: Verdict and the Mirror

Richard 'Bobo' Evans

The admitted participant who took a plea bargain and testified against King and Steve. He says King shot Mr. Nesbitt and that Steve was the lookout — while admitting he barely knows Steve.

Appears in:: Part 1: The Notebook They Let Him Keep; Part 2: Monsters on Trial; Part 3: The Lookout Question

Osvaldo Cruz

A Diablos gang member who took a plea bargain and testified that Bobo coerced him into the robbery. He claims Steve's role was to check the store and signal.

Appears in:: Part 1: The Notebook They Let Him Keep; Part 2: Monsters on Trial; Part 3: The Lookout Question
Themes:: Identity and the mirror; The slippery truth; Peer pressure and coercion

Sandra Petrocelli

The prosecutor who brands the defendants 'monsters' and argues Steve is guilty as a lookout. She tells the jury that in real life, monsters do exist.

Appears in:: Part 2: Monsters on Trial; Part 4: Verdict and the Mirror
Themes:: Dehumanization

George Sawicki

Steve's film club teacher, the man who taught him movies are predictable. He testifies as a character witness, defending Steve's moral character.

Appears in:: Part 1: The Notebook They Let Him Keep; Part 4: Verdict and the Mirror

Steve's father

A father who dreamed of his son attending Morehouse College, his alma mater. He breaks down crying during a prison visit, and five months after the trial he has moved away, leaving a noticeable distance between them.

Appears in:: Part 2: Monsters on Trial; Part 4: Verdict and the Mirror
Themes:: Race and the presumption of guilt; Peer pressure and coercion

Also in the story

Supporting characters

Asa Briggs

James King's lawyer, who attacks the prosecution's case by pointing out the only eyewitness saw two men — Bobo and Cruz — and that its witnesses are admitted liars trading testimony for deals.

Appears in:: Part 3: The Lookout Question
Themes:: The slippery truth

How they are connected

Key relationships

Kathy O'Brien Steve Harmon
Steve's defense lawyer, sharp and professional, who seems doubtful of his innocence and keeps him physically apart from King.
Kathy O'Brien Steve's father
Steve's defense lawyer, sharp and professional, who seems doubtful of his innocence and keeps him physically apart from King.
James King Steve Harmon
The older co-defendant accused of pulling the trigger, an acquaintance Steve barely knows.
Richard 'Bobo' Evans Steve Harmon
The admitted participant who took a plea bargain and testified against King and Steve.
Osvaldo Cruz Steve Harmon
He claims Steve's role was to check the store and signal.
Osvaldo Cruz Steve's father
He claims Steve's role was to check the store and signal.
Sandra Petrocelli Steve Harmon
The prosecutor who brands the defendants 'monsters' and argues Steve is guilty as a lookout.
Asa Briggs James King
James King's lawyer, who attacks the prosecution's case by pointing out the only eyewitness saw two men — Bobo and Cruz — and that its witnesses are admitted liars trading testimony for deals.
Asa Briggs Osvaldo Cruz
James King's lawyer, who attacks the prosecution's case by pointing out the only eyewitness saw two men — Bobo and Cruz — and that its witnesses are admitted liars trading testimony for deals.
George Sawicki Steve Harmon
Steve's film club teacher, the man who taught him movies are predictable.
George Sawicki Steve's father
Steve's film club teacher, the man who taught him movies are predictable.

Go deeper

Monster themes & symbols

Identity and the mirror · The slippery truth · Dehumanization · Race and the presumption of guilt

Themes explained

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The full story act by act, the ending explained and a quick quiz.

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