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cvny 's review for:
A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier
by Ishmael Beah
I have rarely been so moved by a story before. I cried so much, sad and happy tears. I hugged the book in the end.
Ishmael writes a compelling story based on true events. Reading this book, I got to learn about the war in first person, so far from my own experience - but I also got to learn about the underlying processes that lead an innocent boy to kill. Drugs, abuse, fear. Nobody sees it coming, and much of the survival comes down to luck.
My favourite aspect: the metaphors and analogies he uses. Such as “the trees seemed to be holding hands and bowing as if to mourn” (not a literal citation but sth like that).
In some points I do think the English grammar used in the book was different to what I’m used to (a more british grammar). I don’t know if it’s “correct” or not (but I also don’t care). In any case, I appreciate it. It allows me to dive into the perspective of the author, inherently soaked in his roots from Sierra Leone. The depiction of events he paints with his words would not be possible without this deviation from the more conventional european english grammar, I believe. He plays around with words.
Thank you Ishmael for writing. I only wish I could thank all the people I met through the book, all the characters, as well.
Ishmael writes a compelling story based on true events. Reading this book, I got to learn about the war in first person, so far from my own experience - but I also got to learn about the underlying processes that lead an innocent boy to kill. Drugs, abuse, fear. Nobody sees it coming, and much of the survival comes down to luck.
My favourite aspect: the metaphors and analogies he uses. Such as “the trees seemed to be holding hands and bowing as if to mourn” (not a literal citation but sth like that).
In some points I do think the English grammar used in the book was different to what I’m used to (a more british grammar). I don’t know if it’s “correct” or not (but I also don’t care). In any case, I appreciate it. It allows me to dive into the perspective of the author, inherently soaked in his roots from Sierra Leone. The depiction of events he paints with his words would not be possible without this deviation from the more conventional european english grammar, I believe. He plays around with words.
Thank you Ishmael for writing. I only wish I could thank all the people I met through the book, all the characters, as well.