The only book that got all of my seniors engaged, interested, and curious. A CLASSIC~!

I can not suggest this book highly enough. It is Blood Diamond minus the diamond, and REAL. Be prepared to cry, and feel more intelligent by the end.

Before I started reading this book I didn't like reading because I used to think that it was boring but, I had to read this book because it was required for my class. I remember that after I read the first chapter I didn't want to put the book down because Ishmael made this book interesting and it wasn't boring. I thought that it was actually funny that a boy from Africa would listen to rap he loved to listen to rap. But I think that he did a good job by telling us his story about life and the soldier boys. I think that his childhood was really hard and also tormenting to see so many people die. And Ishmael and his friends just trying to survive and not get caught to become a soldier boy. Its sad that all those things happened in Africa and that some many kids got involved in becoming soldier boys and that they were so young. But at that young age they were tough to use a gun and kill people like if it was nothing. And I understand how Ishmael now that he is older still a little tormented by all those things that he lived with. But at the same time he was lucky that he was able to come to the U.S. and get adopted by someone from the U.S. and was able to go to College and write his life story. I would suggest this book to anyone to read!!!

I read this book without reading any prior reviews and couldn't put it down because I wanted to know how everything played out. I began to read these reviews and did a little research on the accuracy of this book. There are many events to question and few that have been disproved. So the problem is how much of the events actually happened to the author. (Spoiler) The wild pig chase, losing his family right before he was going to find them again, a few boys taking out a whole rebel unit, a 24 hour fight (no one runs out of ammo), being saved by his rap cassette, vivid detailed dreams, the grenade toss, and being stripped searched by border soldiers but then having money to take a cab are some of the events that may make you wonder is this fact vs. fiction.
The author should have explained the rationale for burning villages and killing civilians. Was it tribal, religious, or just economic? Also a chapter explaining the history of the civil war rather than a historic time line would have been helpful.
Finally I was left wondering what responsiblities should boy soliders have to bear. Should they be charged, including the author, with war crimes for killing prisoners and slaughtering civilians? If they are not charged and punished will that insure more future child soldiers?

The candid account of a Leonian who exemplifies the chief export of Sierra Leone - Resiliance.

Beginning with a Leonian middle class kid who couldn't wait to hit the next hip hop event with his friends, the reader is swept up with Beah in his experience as it happens. From terrified dislodged tweenager looking for food and family, through his evolution to the most deadly and dangerous of human weapons, the Author takes us along, openly, without patronizing or passing judgement on himself or others.

One quickly learns that child soldiers are not merely boot-fillers, not just to swell the ranks of otherwise adult forces. On the contrary, these children are among the most deadly of all human begings. Without the life experience to develop normal moral code, completely stripped of all connection to family and normal life, with youth allowing uncanny physical endurance and capability, they become the most remorseless, ruthless, and skilled of killing machines.

Recruited for their clean mental slate, twisted adults will drive them to robot-like assassin status, then unleash them to obliterate entire communities. Read, and witness.

Without the likes of Ishmael Beah, we would not have the insight to understand the phenomenon. Jarring, sad, disturbing, current, and ultimately uplifting, this work haunts.

This novel is uninspiring at best. I would expect a novel about child soldiers to inspire me to want to do something about the situation but, really, it just left me like "eh, oh well."
It's very redundant without much suspense. I struggled to turn the pages at times- that's how bored I was.
The way he ended the book was horrible
This was my first time reading a book on this subject so I should've been easily impressed, unfortunately, i wasn't.

Overall, you should skip this book.

The item came in the condition that it said. I was very surprised it was in new condition, no writings, or bent bindings. Very glad I bough this item!

A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier is one of the most powerful books I've read in years; I was painfully trapped in the experiences of young Ishmael. I recommend this memoir to readers of all ages. I could not put the book down.