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4.11 AVERAGE
4.11 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
challenging
emotional
informative
sad
fast-paced
It puts civil war into a concrete context. If you want to read behind the headlines...this story will give you an account that stays with you.
While this book tackles the heavy themes of child soldering, civil war and losing parents...it is told from a young adult's perspective looking back on his experiences. There is a directness and honesty in it that is simple. It is not preachy or overbearing. It is simply a boy's account of an extremely difficult and tumultuous period in his life. I would have liked to hear more about his assimilation in the United States as he only touches on that near the end. It is at times sad and very painful to read about the hardship that the children in the book have to endure and their process of coping once they have managed to escape (for awhile at least) the wrath of war.
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Considering all the boys went through in this story, it is really trite to say this, but this was a hard book to read. I took a long time to get through it because I kept having to take breaks. I couldn't handle too much of it for too long. It is difficult to give words to the emotions stirred by this book. It is a story, however, that should be heard.
First, I was so heartbroken for Ishmael to lose his family in such violence. After that, for him to have to simply run and hope for the kindness of strangers to help him out was also heartbreaking. He was the same age as my own son is now. When he was taken by the army to be a boy soldier, I was horrified with the violence and drugs. It never ended though. Even when he was taken away from the army to be rehabilitated, it was painful to read! The violence and hate was deep n these boys and thinking they would be removed from the army and go on to a better life was niiave. Inear the end of the book, after being rehabilitated, he finds family again, only to have to run for his life when war breaks out again.
I wonder, as Ishmael did, why do I get to keep living such a good life when others go through so much horror?
First, I was so heartbroken for Ishmael to lose his family in such violence. After that, for him to have to simply run and hope for the kindness of strangers to help him out was also heartbreaking. He was the same age as my own son is now. When he was taken by the army to be a boy soldier, I was horrified with the violence and drugs. It never ended though. Even when he was taken away from the army to be rehabilitated, it was painful to read! The violence and hate was deep n these boys and thinking they would be removed from the army and go on to a better life was niiave. Inear the end of the book, after being rehabilitated, he finds family again, only to have to run for his life when war breaks out again.
I wonder, as Ishmael did, why do I get to keep living such a good life when others go through so much horror?
This book is very sad reading the experiences of war. It would be hard enough if it was dealing with adults, but bring teenagers took it to another level.
My favorite part was reading about the people at the rehab center and no matter how hard things got, they kept trying to help the kids.
Unfortunately this book leaves a lot of questions unanswered. The theme and have of the book get 5 stars, but the actual writing only gets 3.
I wish it was about 50 pages longer to your up loose ends.
My favorite part was reading about the people at the rehab center and no matter how hard things got, they kept trying to help the kids.
Unfortunately this book leaves a lot of questions unanswered. The theme and have of the book get 5 stars, but the actual writing only gets 3.
I wish it was about 50 pages longer to your up loose ends.
dark
emotional
informative
sad
slow-paced
I’m so grateful to have read this book.
**SPOILER ALERT**
This book is well written and the story is Sad and so powerful and I was glad to read it to learn more about the situation but honestly I got to the end and I felt like it was missing 50 pages. We end up with him in Guinea, with barely any money... how does he get out? What happens to his family in Sierra Leone? Does he ever see them again? The author references his new mother in NY but never talks about how that (I’m presuming adoptive) relationship continues... I just felt like it was missing so much. I felt like I was really left hanging, and disappointed.
Alllll that being said I am so grateful to the author for sharing his experience- it is really an amazing book- I just wish there was more of it!!
This book is well written and the story is Sad and so powerful and I was glad to read it to learn more about the situation but honestly I got to the end and I felt like it was missing 50 pages. We end up with him in Guinea, with barely any money... how does he get out? What happens to his family in Sierra Leone? Does he ever see them again? The author references his new mother in NY but never talks about how that (I’m presuming adoptive) relationship continues... I just felt like it was missing so much. I felt like I was really left hanging, and disappointed.
Alllll that being said I am so grateful to the author for sharing his experience- it is really an amazing book- I just wish there was more of it!!
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
I really enjoyed this book! The writing isn't extremely beautiful but Ishamel manages to get the point across in a clear (and relatively graphic) manner.
Anyone who is interested in understanding what happened in Ghana in the 90's should definitely read this book!
Anyone who is interested in understanding what happened in Ghana in the 90's should definitely read this book!