I chose this month's book club pick. I decided to go in a completely different direction for the book.
This is a true, first person account of a young boy, Ishmael Beah, who survives the attacks on his village and eventually becomes a child soldier. It's heartbreaking, honest, and real. I couldn't even begin to imagine happily listening to rap music one minute and the next your entire life is shattered and you are on the run in order to survive.
Ishmael recounted his attempts to survive the attacks from both the rebels and the national army, his will to survive, and his desire to try to see his family again. He eventually had no other choice but to join the national army, where he was essentially brainwashed and drugged.
Ishmael is eventually removed from the army by the United Nations and taken to be rehabilitated. I wish that he had gone into more detail about the rehabilitation process, but as we were discussing at book club, I'm not sure that anyone who has gone through all of the horrors of a civil war and being a child soldier can truly explain the changes in their mind and their heart. Then again, what do I know- I certainly never even came close to experiencing any thing like Ishmael.
This is a wonderful book and very eye opening to the realities that children in this world are facing. Definitely recommend this book!
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