Monster: The Autobiography of an L.A. Gang Member [Hardcover]

Sanyika Shakur (Author), Kody Scott (Author)

Book Description

One of L.A.'s most notorious gang leader takes readers inside the world of gang wars, recounting his ascension through the gang hierarchy, surviving attacks by rival gangs, and life in prison. 65,000 first printing.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

This dispatch from a maximum-security prison chronicles Scott's transformation from a "gangbanging ghetto star" to an evangelical proponent of black nationalism.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

"Monster" Kody, today known as Sanyika Sakur, spent 16 years as a "gangbanger" in South Central Los Angeles. His account begins at age 11, when he was inducted into the ranks of the Crips, and ends (hundreds of bodies later) with Scott serving a seven-year prison term for beating a crack dealer. Throughout, he successfully conveys a sense of the siege mentality that prevails every minute of every day, due to the daily barrage of gang-on-gang violence. Names of derivative Crip gangs (e.g., Rollin' Sixties, Hoovers, Grape Street Watts Crips) and gang members (e.g., Li'l Hunchy, Tray Ball, Huckabuck) flit across the pages in a confusing manner, but Scott pushes the narrative forward with scarcely a glance backward, and, ultimately, names and incidents are not important. Unfortunately, Scott was in prison during the violence that followed last year's Rodney King incident and thus sheds little light on the peace treaty forged between the Bloods and Crips. Although unrepentant, Scott today is dedicated to ending gang violence. Recommended for most collections.
- Mark Annichiarico, "Library Journal"
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 383 pages
• Publisher: Atlantic Monthly Pr (May 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0871135353
• ISBN-13: 978-0871135353
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (217 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,021,544 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

66 of 84 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Mr. Innocent or Society Made Me Pull the Trigger, March 25, 2004

By 

Hauke Rudolph - See all my reviews

This review is from: Monster: The Autobiography of an L.A. Gang Member (Paperback)

This autobiography does not lend itself well to being rated, since it basically consists of two different parts. The first one is a fascinating and insightful description of a childhood and a youth spent in one of the country's most gang-ridden and dangerous neighborhoods, South Central L.A. This part deserves four stars. The second one is an endless tirade of how society has done the author wrong. This part deserves none. As a result, I could not give the book more than two stars.
Kody Scott tells with verve how he grew up to become one of L.A.'s most notorious teenage gangsters. A shocking and frightening account of boys gone mad, killing other kids for the mere fact of wearing the wrong color, or living on the wrong street corner. What sets Kody's story apart is the fact that he is a first-person narrator (albeit, it seems, with the help of a professional writer), whereas other authors have based their books about gang-life on observations and interviews. As a result, readers will learn more from Kody about gang members' motivations and feelings than they ever could from an author who has not been affiliated with gang-life him- or herself.
However, the second part of the book, Kody's description of his life in prison and his conversion to a black nationalist, is downright pathetic. He constantly blames others for the choices he made in life: His parents he calls "promiscuous" and "irresponsible", society ("the system") he accuses of "oppressing every person of color". The horrible acts of violence he has committed he plays down as "wrongdoings ... things that were morally wrong based on the human code of ethics". He tries to make his readers believe that there is an automatism: Every kid from a poor neighborhood will invariably end up as a gang member. However, why then, I would like to know, are kids mentioned throughout the book who choose not (!) to join a gang. And finally, he constantly complains about life in prison ("nothing ... could explain this level of action to me"), as if he had just run a red light or stolen a candy bar. He demands respect, but he doesn't give any (cops and prison guards he calls "pigs" and "Nazi-types").
The saddest thing of it all is this: Kody obviously revels in the attention and applause he has received from journalists and book critics. However, he overlooks that this praise is only lavished on him because he "only" ran amok in South Central. Had he gone to the suburbs and shot kids there, the same people would have called for his head. Considering the fact that Kody is a self-proclaimed Afrikan, I find his disregard for the lives and the well-being of his fellow African-Americans quite astonishing.

22 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Monster: The Autobiography of an LA Gang Member, October 19, 2000

By 

[e-mail] (West Des Moines, IA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Monster: The Autobiography of an L.A. Gang Member (Paperback)

I was very pleased with Monster in that Kody Scott did not use these stories for personal glory, but rather showed the shocking realities of gang warfare and the problems which occur in a neighborhood like South Central Los Angeles. The book breaks down several stereotypical barriers, as Scott's eloquent voice gives the reader a real perspective of his thoughts and the politics inside the Crips, who battle the enemy Bloods. It's an outrage how little is published about gang warfare and the amount of people who are killed on a daily basis in these gang wars. I also enjoyed how Scott stayed true to himself and his readers as he used the actual gang names, and the slang that is involved in the 'hood. This brought a real element of realism to the story and I believed from the start that this story was absolutely true. I also liked Scott's personal transformation from gangster to muslim activist, even though he is still a little extreme in his beliefs and even actions. One thing I think that Scott could have done better would be the less-than-smooth transitions from the streets to the various juvenile halls and prisons. At times I found myself wondering,"What landed him in jail this time?" as it seemed like important events in the story were left out. The story was very graphic and depressing throughout, so I would definitely not recommend this to anyone who gets overly scared or wants to keep their life as sheltered and safe as possible in thinking this kind of thing doesn't go on. I would also not recommend it to any of these Eminem wannabes who think the streets are the only answers to the problems in their life, and that gangsters like these are cool. Make no mistake, these guys are murderers and criminals, and are not meant to be role models. The intent of the book is not to glorify gang violence. For anyone else, though, I would recommend this book if they would like to be exposed to something that has been plagueing the streets for years, with no peaceful end in sight.

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars heart touching-, October 28, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Monster: The Autobiography of an L.A. Gang Member (Paperback)

I think every kid that is thinking or in a gang should read this book. Where I live There are not any gangs, though I know some bangers from nearby cities. Last year I was what you called a wanna-be banger. I had only seen movies and heard stories of what banging is like. As I matured I grew out of this phase. Though I still thought it would be cool to move to Boston or something and join a gang. After reading this extremly touching book I turned my head the other way and felt bad for kids that live in inner-cities that HAVE TO bang to survive. I feel that every young teen that thinks banging is cool should read this and see the trouble banging put Sanyika through. I personally would like to meet this legend and give him a lot of credit for coming out of jail and staying strong, and not banging.

Read this book if it is the last thing you do on earth, it will make you change your mind tremendously and really make you think. This book has inspired me in so many ways.

Sanyika, thank you.