Customer Reviews

Monster: The Autobiography of an L.A. Gang Member

5 star:		(148)
4 star:		(38)
3 star:		(14)
2 star:		(10)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

This book would be a much more interesting read if the author would have just presented his actions without trying to fake his deep moral feelings and such. The stories he relates of his life on the streets are of course interesting, giving you a window into the life of a remorseless serial murderer. He shows very little regret for his actions or sympathy for his victims, about the best he can come up with is that they should not have been there, in his way. He searches through most of the book for someone to blame, obvious targets like white people (americans), cops, the prison system are pointed out, no surprise there. He constantly compares himself and his fellow criminals to the military, attempting to make them seem in some way noble I guess, but it falls flat. He even goes so far as to compare himself (favorably) to the president, when he tattoo's his gang name on his neck, saying the president lacks the conviction to tattoo "republican" or "capitalist" on his own neck. It's silly thoughts like this that lessen the impact of this book, and just make him seem naive, a child in a man's skin.

Overall, some good writing in between a lot of propaganda and excuses. And what is the point of replacing "understand" with "overstand" throughout the book??

I want to stress that this book is virtually impossible to putdown and thats why it got 5 stars from me. It is powerful, captivating, and well-written. However, unlike most other reviews I have read here I do not feel that Kody is a hero and certainly not a role model, in fact it is unclear just how radical or lasting his departure from the gang lifestyle really was and is. But I do not wish to belabor this point for it is not where the appeal of this book lies. What is great about this book is that if you see it in a bookstore and open it to any page at random and read so much as a sentence or so, I will almost gaurantee that the bookstore in which you are standing will be collecting the price of this book.. Kody's style is also impressive as one wonders where he gained education enough author such a well- written story. Although some of his points may be very clouded logically, the writting is always engrossing and insightful. Kody never sugar coats his tales and more importantly never comes off as if he is bragging. Bottom line, bought it on a wednesday night, 383 pages later it was thursday.

I grew up in South Central Los Angeles and I heard stories from older homeboys in my hood about the notorious "Monster" Kody from Eight Tray. This book was painfull for me to read as it dug up my own personal memories from when I was living as a gang member in L.A. When I was younger I rolled with 18th street, now a 23 year old survivor and U.S. Marine I appreciate people like Sanyika Shakur. His story is that of thousands of young Black and Chicano males through out L.A. County. Look at life through a true gangbanger's point of view and read this book. I know you'll feel differently the next time you see grafitti or when you roll through the ghetto.

.....they are armed and dangerous". These words, written by an LA gang member who found his loyalty and respect on the streets as a Crip at the age of 11 years old. From the moment I started to read this book I felt like I was stepping into a parallel universe. A world where children riding ten speeds carry automatic weapons, and shoot down anyone who has dared to cross the line into their territory. They are Gang-Bangers and they live and die for their "Set" or gang. They come up in the ranks of the prison system like other children are oriented to boarding school and college.

Monster Kody has arrived and he is true to his Set and a leader among men. He has known nothing but his militaristic way of life for as long as he can remember. He knows never to be caught on the streets of South Central without his weapon; to do so could be deadly. He stands point when he enters the supermarket with his mom, and shoots when a rival gang member is spotted in produce. This sounds like insanity, and it is, but that doesn't make it any less real.

By the age of 19 Kody feels like he has aged beyond his years, and rightfully so. He has been at war for almost a decade. He realizes that he has to be a father to his children. He wants more for them, and he wants to break the cycle of New Afrikans killing New Afrikans. It is at this point that he decides to change his name and take on a new direction in life. Shakur is an intelligent individual that has much to offer. I was amazed by his insights and the words flowed along the page with ease. I usually don't care for books written with a lot of dialect, in this case street talk, but he did it in such a way that it enhanced the book. I hope you find your peace Sanyika and spread it among the people. You are surely capable of anything you set your mind out to do. Kelsana 6/25/01

Yes, I am an upper-middle class white male going to college. With that said, I wanted to say how deeply enthralled I was in this book and the incredible story of this man's life. Though I can't identify with the people in this book because I'm a middle class white guy, it gives an intimate look into what the inner-city black youth go through everyday. The strengh and loyalty of the people described in the book is remarkable. This is one aspect of American culture that has not recieved its share of exposure because the people best suited to tell it are so often in jail or dead. The events described may be violent and tragic, but they are as much a part of American history as the era of prohibition or the mafia of the 50's. The story needs to be told and so far, this is the best place to get that story.

AS A FORMER LA GANG MEMBER MYSELF (3RD GENERATION),I FELT LIKE I HAD BEEN GIVEN BOTH A HISTORY LESSON AND A WARNING. THIS BOOK IS SO REAL THAT SOME PEOPLE MAY HAVE TROUBLE BELIEVING IT. SEEING THE WAR DESCIBED FIRST HAND, I CAN ONLY SAY THAT AFTER MONSTER, FEW OTHERS COULD HAVE WRITTEN THIS ACCOUNT. BELIEVE EVERY WORD.

I read this book in French and I wasn't disapointed at all. It really showed me what happends in the ghetto. It's a story for the president of the united states.