Monster: The Autobiography of an L.A. Gang Member *(PDF)
Written in solitary confinement, Kody Scott’s memoir of sixteen years as a gangbanger in Los Angeles was a searing best-seller and became a classic, published in ten languages, with more than 300,000 copies in print in the United States alone. After pumping eight blasts from a sawed-off shotgun at a group of rival gang members, twelve-year-old Kody Scott was initiated into the L.A. gang the Crips. He quickly matured into one of the most formidable Crip combat soldiers, earning the name “Monster” for committing acts of brutality and violence that repulsed even his fellow gang members. When the inevitable jail term confined him to a maximum-security cell, a complete political and personal transformation followed: from Monster to Sanyika Shakur, black nationalist, member of the New Afrikan Independence Movement, and crusader against the causes of gangsterism. In a document that has been compared to The Autobiography of Malcolm X and Eldridge Cleaver’s Soul on Ice, Shakur makes palpable the despair and decay of America’s inner cities and gives eloquent voice to one aspect of the black ghetto experience today. Read more
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Why Must Read Monster: The Autobiography of an L.A. Gang Member?
I read this book initially because 2 dear friends of mine were murdered by a gang because they were going to testify against them for a robbery. I was searching for some closure because these were people who would give anything they had to a person in need and I couldn’t understand how someone could murder 2 innocent people. After beginning the book I was mesmerized with his honesty and writing ability to transform a reader to the time and place he was writing about. It couldn’t be farther from my lifestyle now although I did grow up around La Costa Nostra. It is a deep, heartfelt and honest account of his thoughts and life. I still don’t have closure for my friends but at least now I understand more about why they kill with no remorse or regret. It’s a sad life but he shows the good in his soul through his words. He didn’t kill for sick gratification like a serial killer. He’s a really good person in his heart. Definitely a must read!
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