A Long Way Gone

Over the Summer I read A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah. It is about a boy (Ishmael Beah) in Africa who is trapped in a war and forced to become a soldier. The story was unlike any other I have ever read because Ishmael Beah is writing about himself. The whole, sad story is true and I think that that makes a difference in a story. In a piece of fiction, the reader can have feelings for the character, but when it gets too sad or upsetting, the reader will just think to themself, this is just a story so it is all ok. But in this story, I knew it was true and that made it even sadder to think that Ishmael Beah had to live with this over his shoulder for his whole life. 

I really liked the story and the way it was written. One thing I really liked was how the author skimmed some of the parts of the story that were a blur to him when this was actually happening. It made me feel like it was all a blur and made me realize what he was going through. One example of when this happens is when he becomes a soldier. He doesn't know what is happening and he describes the details he remembers of his first time fighting in the war. But he dimly mentions the two years of being a soldier after that. I think it made him seem somewhat like a robot, the same routines and fights and bloody scenes each day. This “blur technique” is something that made the book seem more realistic.

One thing in the book that made me question my own life was how no one trusts Ishmael and his friends even though they are just twelve year old boys’. This made me think about how many people I trust without a doubt. In the story, there are many twelve year old boys fighting with the Rebels, so people can’t be sure whether Ishmael Beah and his friends are safe to be around. This creates a tension in the book and more lying. Trusting the wrong person could have led to Ishmael’s death.

I really liked A Long Way Gone because it is written well, it is an interesting story, and because the characters’ and the story are true. I feel like after I read this book, I have actually experienced a war.