I have recently finished A Long Way Gone, which is the memoir for Ishmael Beah. Beah was a young boy who was involved in the Sierra Leone civil war. The tale that this young man tells is a sad, graphic story about the brutality and unbelievable brainwashing that can take place in war.
This story starts out with Beah on a quick trip with his friends to perform in a talent show/concert just a few villages over. Each of them listen to rap music and love to break dance, but little do they know that their lives will never be the same...
Just a short time after they leave their village, it is attacked by rebel soldiers. Beah and his friends flee...the next few months of their lives are simply an attempt to survive. Some do...and some don't.
There were literally some parts of this book that turned my stomach. Between some extremely graphic scenes that entail, essentially, cold-blooded murder and the drug utilizing to brainwash young men to become these cold-blooded killing machines...I almost couldn't take it. I do, however, believe that this is definitely an important read. You learn about how very non-peaceful the rest of the world can be, which can be enlightening in a country where our lives are pretty sheltered. Give this one a try, but be ready for the content!
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