This novel was written from the standpoint of a man who spent many years on the inside of a prison. The author Sanyika Shakur brings the superficially hectic world of South Central L.A. He engages the audience by letting them experience what he was going through. Shakur does a great job of relating his near death of being shot six times as well as getting beaten half to death by the prison guards. He did this in effort to educate those who yet have time to do something about it. The author/ character “Monster-Kody Scott” brings awareness about how one of the hardest and toughest Crips could turn his life around. He was offered hope as to where many other human beings shackled to a life of gangs simply because of where they live. Growing up in a world of gangs, death, and grief Kody Scott, also known as Monster, grew up in a life of turmoil.At the age of 11 Kody knew for sure that he wanted to be a “gangster”.…show more content… During the times of 1970 and the early 80s, he would be known as one of the most dreaded gang members of that decade. In the evolution of the “character” he goes through as child to Monster to finally Sanyika Shakur which is known as his Muslim name.To everyone Sanyika Shakur was a superior warrior. With everything being taken into consideration, the things he encountered has managed him to make something of himself from little to absolutely nothing. to the streets. Unfortunately due to his environment Kody Scott was born into the “life” whether he wanted to be or not. Scott was born on 1963 in South Central Los Angeles. His life would be affected by the growing number of gangs inevitably. He viewed pedestrians as spineless nerds who were always victims of someone’s ridicule or physical violence, who never responded to an affront of any