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Mona was struggling with her identity throughout the book, from when she was in a gang all the way up until she was in the PD. When Mona was in her early gang life she had been asked what she wanted to do when she was older and she said, "I want to be a cop." At the time for Mona, she couldn't achieve her dreams. Mona had prevailed and got to reach her goal, but as she was gearing up for actually joining the PD she starts to have anxiety about if she can really handle this job saying, "I suddenly found myself face to face with doubt: Can I really do this?"

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Mona had a terrible love life with Frank. She had met Frank at a Trooper party one night and she said, “He was good with words, which surprised me.” She and Frank had started dating, and soon got married. Frank became more and more abusive as the years went on. Mona had a toddler and was pregnant again with Frank's child, but as he and Mona started arguing, he started to kick Mona in the stomach that bared their second child telling Frank to “stop.” Frank was abusing Mona left and right, but at the time, she couldn't bring herself to leave him since a small part of her still had love for him.

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Mona was extremely close with her sisters and parents when she was young. Mona's parents were loving and supportive of whatever she did in life and were always there for her and her sisters. As she entered high school and grew a little older, Mona started to drift from her family, and entered the gang life. When Mona married Frank and had children, it made her bond with her parents, especially her father, nonexistent. Mona came to realize Frank was no good and left to become a police officer. When she accomplished her goal and was having a party to celebrate her goal, her father whispered to her saying, “I am so proud of you today. So proud.”

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Mona had to fight for her survival everyday during her time with Frank. She had to constantly deal with Frank's beatings and beratings. She had to be taking care of her toddler and her herself while Frank would get mad at her for not having food ready or not having the apartment clean. Frank would tell Mona that he is going to provide for his family, but had not been good on his end though. He was in and out of work constantly, and would blow his check to feed his drug and alcohol addiction, instead of feeding his family. Mona and Frank had gotten into a really bad fight, resulting in Mona thinking,  “I couldn't let him get to me. If he did, I had no doubt that I would be making a trip to the hospital, if not the morgue.” After this fight they had, Mona grew the courage to finally leave frank, taking her child along with her.

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Mona had immense growth throughout the book. From when she was in a gang, to her relationship with Frank, and then to becoming a police officer. Mona being in a gang had taught her the harshness of the streets. She knew how to defend herself in tough situations and how to stand her ground, but it also showed her death and how it can affect people. When Oso was shot, at the funeral Mona overheard angry vatos talking about getting revenge for Oso’s death. When she got home she was thinking, “Gangs offered nothing but pain and loss, and I wanted no more of it.” Mona started to drift from the gang life and more into spending time with Frank. Spending time with Frank didn't end well though. Frank started becoming abusive to Mona, even with her children present. But Mona had a realization again and had matured and left Frank to pursue her dreams in becoming a Police Officer.