Customer Rating: 
Summary: along way gone review
Comment: Here it is a book about adventure and action, emotion and death. The memoirs of a boy soldier. The war in South Africa took its toll on thousands of people, emotionally and physically. Poverty plagues Ishmael Beah in Along Way Gone.
Along Way Gone should be read by adults only. The book uses graphic description and profanity not suitable for minors or teens. The events in this book have happened and have happened to many children. This is nothing line any book I have ever read. Exciting and fun but at different parts of the book he mixes in sadness.
As the main character, Ishmael, tries to walk away from his worst nightmare, he runs into problems. After the atrocities that happened to him and his family he finds refuge with his family. Try picturing thatched roofs blazing with fire, women and children screaming for there lives and the only thing you are worried about is you might not have drugs for the night.
Along way gone cannot relate to any of my real life situations or even any books I have read but can relate to similar situations. Genocide and poverty has corrupted South Africa's coast line. Both, the civil war and Ishmael's life as a soldier are the same in many ways.
Ishmael Beah changes a good hearted kid into a ruthless troublesome teenager as he is faced with many different challenges such as starvation and death. He also uses very descriptive paragraphs to enlighten the reader. These horrific tragedies are repeated and repeated throughout the story line.
After I have read this book many times, I think the book has a very good description of the civil war in South Africa. This book sums up the atrocities that occurred there. I would recommend this book to anyone willing to read it.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Opened my eyes
Comment: I want to preclude this review by saying I do have some minor spoilers here to the plot but they don't give so much away that it would in any way diminish your enjoyment of this book.
Having heard about the ongoing conflicts in Sierra Leone and knowing that often children in many different countries are forced into military service far too young I was drawn to this book and Ishmael's story.
I was not disappointed.
Ishmael's story begins as a young adolescent boy who lives in a village that is industrially behind but peaceful and productive. His world is turned upside down when the rebels come and destroy his entire community and in the midst of the gunfire and fleeing he is separated from his family. He begins a long and dangerous journey where good people mistrust him and believe he is the enemy, to facing the truly threatening who kill without mercy or restraint. He narrowly misses being reunited with his family when they are burnt alive by the rebels only minutes prior to him reaching them.
Ishmael eventually is trapped in a situation where he must decide if he want to be killed by the rebels or join those who kill them. He is forcibly hooked on drugs and becomes a killing machine that closely mirrors those he abhors. The last third of the book is dedicated to his slow rehabilitation and advocating for peace only to be once again caught in the midst of the killing.
Prior to reading this book I knew that these situations were horrible but I truly had no clue. Considering what he went through and how close this is to his recent life I was astounded at how objective his account is. He does describe his hate and disgust that he may have felt in the moment but he never deviates from his story to try and give a political or social tirade on the events (which if he did I honestly would have been forgiving of). He does not make the reader feel guilty for their lack of knowledge on the subject nor does he criticize those whose involvement is a direct cause of this conflict. It truly is just his story with every excruciating detail of how he remembers it.
Although I am giving this book five stars, I must say that stylistically it is not one of the strongest books I have ever read. At times it does seem a bit too matter of fact and certain parts do appear dry in their accounts. However, his story is so incredible, informative and touching that it overpowers any and all of its flaws.
This is one of those books you simply MUST read but be prepared because the details will get to you. Also, understand that once you read it you can never, ever truly be the same.
Customer Rating: 
Summary: Too much empty space in the narrative
Comment: An interesting story, but child soldiers fighting for the side of the government seem a lot less interesting than those fighting on the sides of the rebels.
Here, although there were some harrowing, even blood curling incidents, they were spaced out far enough that there was a lot of empty space, both in the story and in the logic of the narrative.
There was a lot of walking along isolated roads that led to nowhere and a lot of sleeping in the woods along those roads to nowhere. There was no sense of cohesion to this war story. Having read other books on child soldiers, I was disappointed in this one. I was looking for a lot more.
Two stars
Customer Rating:
Summary: INCREDIBLE AND HEART FELT
Comment: When I put this book down all I could say was, "Wow." You feel the pain he must have been going through when he lost his family, you feel his anger at the way he was treated by the Rebels and you are shocked when the Rebels who claim to be siding with the people are killing the people with joy.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Very impressive and inspiring
Comment: This book is disturbing and for that reason should be on the short list of required texts for college. Unlike the WWI and WWII war books which read like ancient history this one hits close to home as most of the events transpired within the last decade. The author does a great job of telling his story from a boys point of view with imagery that will give you nightmares.
If you cannot handle reading about graphic violence, rape, murder, wartime atrocities, then do not buy this book. Otherwise it is a good companion to the Blood Diamond movie which covers some of the same material.
|
