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A review by emilyusuallyreading
Soldier Boy by Keely Hutton
4.0
What I Liked
Ricky's story is brutal and incredibly painful and jarring to read. I found myself setting the book down in moments because I could not stomach the pain of his story. However, it's so important for people to read about the impact of the LRA on children and communities in Northern Uganda, especially in a relatable way.
What I Didn't Like
Working for CRF as the Kenya Director has given me insight into East African culture, particularly the Luo culture. In the first few chapters, it's obvious that Hutton is trying to make Ricky relatable to American young adults... however, I can only imagine Ricky Richard chuckling at her attempt to describe life and family structures in his village, as they simply would not happen. Sutton's descriptions of Ricky back-talking his mother, his little sister interrupting an elder meeting, a bully shoving a child in front of village elders, and so on simply wouldn't happen in this culture and fell flat as lack of understanding to me. The East African culture is simply different from the American culture - and even though it is, it's still very, very possible for Ricky to be relatable to teens without having to draw the exact same scenarios that families would have here.
Ricky's story is brutal and incredibly painful and jarring to read. I found myself setting the book down in moments because I could not stomach the pain of his story. However, it's so important for people to read about the impact of the LRA on children and communities in Northern Uganda, especially in a relatable way.
What I Didn't Like
Working for CRF as the Kenya Director has given me insight into East African culture, particularly the Luo culture. In the first few chapters, it's obvious that Hutton is trying to make Ricky relatable to American young adults... however, I can only imagine Ricky Richard chuckling at her attempt to describe life and family structures in his village, as they simply would not happen. Sutton's descriptions of Ricky back-talking his mother, his little sister interrupting an elder meeting, a bully shoving a child in front of village elders, and so on simply wouldn't happen in this culture and fell flat as lack of understanding to me. The East African culture is simply different from the American culture - and even though it is, it's still very, very possible for Ricky to be relatable to teens without having to draw the exact same scenarios that families would have here.