Reviews - A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier

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A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier

All you need to know is this book had me tearing up in public while I was listening to it. I had to pull myself together before I walked into work. It made me reflect on the benefits and relative carelessness of my childhood/life and made me really appreciate the advantages that came with my upbringing. Not everyone is so lucky, and some have it downright bad. This book really went a long way in maturing my worldview. Even though the author did an awesome job describing a small amount of the terrible wartime experiences that he participated in/survived, the knowledge that he probably had 100x as many stories that were equally horrific and shocking really makes you stop and wonder about the world.

idk I was really moved by this book and think that it is a necessary read for anyone who wants to crash back down to earth and witness the reality of life in a torn up nation that never received its time under the spotlight. If you can’t point out Sierra Leone on a map, consider changing your reading habits and lock in for an emotional ride. Most of what this author has been through is simply unbelievable and you need to see it for yourself.

zcpeterson's review against another edition

3.5

dark inspiring reflective sad slow-paced

sful40's review

5.0

challenging dark emotional inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

I think this book tells the story of boy and his circumstances due to the war. It made me reflect and look at things a different way.

Content Warnings

peacefulorchard's review against another edition

4.0

What a life. Though what he went through was horrific, his matter of fact writing style took some of the bite from it, which I appreciated.

tarynlannister's review against another edition

5.0

dark emotional informative sad tense

tspofalejandra's review against another edition

4.0

A Long Way Gone is a really good book that will make your gut turn.

Ishmael Beah tells the story of his childhood, how he fled from rebels, how he lost his family, how he became a soldier at age 13 and found he was capable of doing terrible things.

The book is very honest and it will break your heart. I took away a gratitude that the tough times in my life never involved anything like those of his life. I felt grateful to have lived in the this country my whole life and to never wonder if I was capable of killing to save my life, or having to wonder if my whole family was dead.

It's not gruesome enough that you'll find you can't continue reading, but it's heart-wrenching enough that you may want to put the book down and just breathe.

lanabug711's review against another edition

3.0

The story of a child soldier in Sierra Leone, this is very difficult to read. I would venture to guess that most Americans have no idea of the atrocities that have occurred in Sierra Leone. Fortunately, this young man survived the war, was able to leave the army, and eventually emigrate to the United States. The style of writing is not especially good, but I can overlook that because of his lack of education and that the book is not written in his native tongue. However, I think his editor did the book a disservice. The narrative really needed some tightening and a better chronology. It was very disjointed and I was confused about whether some events were current or flashbacks from his past.