Myers's writings are usually categorized as directed at young African American male readers—an overly narrow assessment of their appeal. Monster deals with universal issues; members of any ethnic group can value what Myers has to say about the human condition. In Scorpions (please see separate entry), the protagonists Jamal and Tito are of two different ethnic groups, African American and Puerto Rican. In that novel a gun and a shooting figure prominently, as they do in Monster, and challenging moral issues form the interest of much of the novel. Like Steve, Jamal and Tito make some bad choices about criminal acts.