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4.11 AVERAGE
4.11 AVERAGE
Listened to the audio-book, read by the author. I think this is an example of a book made better read aloud. It really drew me in, without being so complicated that it was hard to follow what was happening while I was working.
The Sierra Leone Civil War is an example of something that happened during my lifetime (I'm about the same age as Ishmael Beah) that I had no idea about at the time. I've been trying to fill in those historical gaps with my non-fiction selections this year.
The Sierra Leone Civil War is an example of something that happened during my lifetime (I'm about the same age as Ishmael Beah) that I had no idea about at the time. I've been trying to fill in those historical gaps with my non-fiction selections this year.
On the slimmest chance any high school English teachers see this I highly suggest teaching A Long Way Gone. I feel so lucky to have read it in class. It’s a really heavy, emotionally hard to read book. Like content warnings for extremities of war.
But it’s also beautifully written and opened my eyes to different parts of the world, different cultures, different life experiences, and different forms of literature. Being forced to analyze the writing really taught me a lot about memoir as a genre and made me realize that “good writing” doesn’t just have to be stuffy novels from before the 1930s.
Also, everyone in my sophomore English class loved this book. Especially the people who don’t read. Especially the people who hate reading for school. They were all engrossed with the story and, whether they liked it or hated it, they all had things to say about the ending (no spoilers).
And I’m also so grateful to have read it in class because my teacher knew how hard it was to read. He could tell when we were beaten down by the sheer bleakness of the account. He’d tell us to stop reading, close the book, and flip to the back cover to look at Beah’s author photo. “Look,” my teacher would say, “look at his big smile. He made it out. He’s okay now.” We watched quite a few interviews with the author (I highly recommend his Moth story even if you don’t read the book), and the guy is straight up bubbly.
We really made a project out of the book. We researched Sierra Leon and it’s civil war—although no one could quite figure out which side was in the right. They both made a child into a solider, after all. It really interspersed personal tales with historical events.
If you’re looking for something newer than the classics you were taught, I can’t recommend this book enough. It’s different, it’s brilliant, and it’s educational in a heartbreaking, personal way.
But it’s also beautifully written and opened my eyes to different parts of the world, different cultures, different life experiences, and different forms of literature. Being forced to analyze the writing really taught me a lot about memoir as a genre and made me realize that “good writing” doesn’t just have to be stuffy novels from before the 1930s.
Also, everyone in my sophomore English class loved this book. Especially the people who don’t read. Especially the people who hate reading for school. They were all engrossed with the story and, whether they liked it or hated it, they all had things to say about the ending (no spoilers).
And I’m also so grateful to have read it in class because my teacher knew how hard it was to read. He could tell when we were beaten down by the sheer bleakness of the account. He’d tell us to stop reading, close the book, and flip to the back cover to look at Beah’s author photo. “Look,” my teacher would say, “look at his big smile. He made it out. He’s okay now.” We watched quite a few interviews with the author (I highly recommend his Moth story even if you don’t read the book), and the guy is straight up bubbly.
We really made a project out of the book. We researched Sierra Leon and it’s civil war—although no one could quite figure out which side was in the right. They both made a child into a solider, after all. It really interspersed personal tales with historical events.
If you’re looking for something newer than the classics you were taught, I can’t recommend this book enough. It’s different, it’s brilliant, and it’s educational in a heartbreaking, personal way.
A harsh read, but something EVERYONE should read. It is crazy to think that the author was born the same year I was. It made me realize how shielded we are in this country, and how we need to know more about what is going on in other places.
challenging
dark
sad
medium-paced
Because I feel like rating all of the books I've read in the last couple of years. I read this for school, such a powerful story and all he had to go through
I feel that this is a worthwhile book to read. That being said, I think that people need to be aware that it is frank account. It is graphic at times. When I reached the end though, I came to the conclusion that he only scratched the surface. This book is not a comfortable read but I do believe that this story needed to be told.
This was a difficult read of Ishmael Beah and what he had to survive in a time of civil war in the late 1990s. I’m very glad he got therapy afterwards and was able to find a family. The story also seemed to end somewhat abruptly.
Country: Sierra Leone
Country: Sierra Leone
This was a powerful story that educated me a ton about Sierra Leone (which I knew nothing about). Speaking strictly from a literature perspective: I thought it was written well but I thought the ending was a little weak and left several imperative questions unanswered.
Upon reading this book a second time around, that is, for pleasure and not for English class, I really,really enjoyed it.
A Long Way Gone is the story of a Boy Solider Ishmael Beah. This was a really hard and heavy read for me. This is one of those books that you have to mentally prepare yourself for because it is laced with violence, child abuse, death and overall dark.
This Memoir is told from Beah's point of view, he recounts his life as a 12 year old child solider during the civil war in Sierra Leone. Even though this was a short read, it felt long and dark. This was so difficult to read because my heart broke for all the persons who died and the childhood that Beah did not get to experience.
Overall a memorable read.
This Memoir is told from Beah's point of view, he recounts his life as a 12 year old child solider during the civil war in Sierra Leone. Even though this was a short read, it felt long and dark. This was so difficult to read because my heart broke for all the persons who died and the childhood that Beah did not get to experience.
Overall a memorable read.