Last Chapter (:

Out of all the chapters this was so intense. I couldn't put my book down without finishing the chapter. It starts of really nice, his family adopted his friend Mohamad and they return to the school they went to as a child. They really enjoy school. Although I was mad to hear that the all the kids mistreated them because they were soilders. Just when everything was going good all hell broke loose. A war breaks out in Freetown . Ishmael was seriously in fear of his life because he thought he might see one of his friends and then they relize that he is a civilian now so they would kill him. I thought that one point Ishmael had a relapse and wished htat he could be a part of the war but then he realizied that he is now  a civilan for good. It was so sad when they had to resort to getting food in an undergroud market, and then ofcourse he gets trapped in between a war. He just barely misses getting shot. Then his Uncle gets sick and dies. He took it very hard. I remember thinking wow look how much he has changed, he actually cried when his Uncle passed. At that point he felt that everything he loved was gone forever now, and it was. Then he knew he had to get out of Sierra Leone. So he calls up Laura and asks if he could live with her and she said ofcourse. I seirously didnt think Beah was going to make it to Guinea, the peaceful neighboring country. He almost gave up to when during like the 3rd part of the journey he discovered he didnt have enough money. But im glad he didnt. I seriously cant wait to go hear him talk in Janurary. By reading this book it really touched me so im sure going to hear him speak will too. (:

Chapters 19-20

These chapters were so cute! I was so happy that Beah went to NYC. I just knew he would get chosen to go there. You can really see that he is not that well educated. I mean he didnt know what an elevator was, he was actually scared when the "box" started moving. I thought that was really funny. But by going to New York I knew great things would come from it. I think that a healing strategy for him is talking about all his experiences. What he said to the UN really touched them because Laura grew very fond of him. She even took him to the airport and later on they would write to each other often. It was so cute how he was descrbing the city. And when he got off the plane! He didnt even know what snow was. I feel like if he didnt go to New York he wouldn't be who he was today , because I know that was a big part to his full recovory.

chapters 17-18

It made me real happy to read these chapters. In these chapters Ishmael begins to understand what its like to be a civilian again. Also I think its really funny how Esther tries to bribe Ishmael to come to the hospital and talk to her with coca cola. I think it was a big turning point when Beah got to go to the town and Leslie bought him a Bob Marley cd. I kinda thought that that was what sparked his memories as a child. But the only way he could listen to it is if he went to the hospital and visited Esther. This was a good strategy because it made him go and eventually he started talking to Esther. I think that talking to Esther about everything was one of the big aprts of him recovering. Chapter 18 made me feel so happy. At first Beah thought he had no family but then he realized he had an uncle, but when he realized this he gave up hope in Leslie finding him. But he did and it touched me when his Uncle first came to visit Beah and what he said to him . I was really glad that Beah now got to be apart of a family again.

chapters 15-16

In these two chapters I kinda lost my respect for Beah. But then I again I know he can't help himself. They way the boys treat the staff and nurses and guards is horrible! It really shows how mentally disturbed they are from the war. All they think, and want is violence. Especaially when at first the boys were put with RUF kids, they all got in fights and evenually a couple people got killed. Also in these chapters you seriuosly how the drugs messed the kids up. For example Beah faints, and throws up green. They are so obsessed with drugs that he even searches his pockets for crumbs of drugs. In these chapters you can really see how they boys crave violence, and how they wish to  go back to war. For example they all move there matresses outside. Theyre trying to do anything they can to get the feeling that they are still in power. They even resort to beating up suppy person just because they know they can . Also in these chapters Beah is first introduced to Esther. Although he doesnt like her yet, she tries to have a relationship with him. I knew that when she was first introduced that they would have a relationship and she would be his backbone. Overall these 2 chapters made me realize how traumitizing the war was.

book choices!

GOSSIP GIRL - CECILY VON ZIEGESAR- These are my favorite books, I know guys aren't going to want to read them but I know girls will.

TEARS OF A TIGER - SHARRON M. DRAPER- I read this book last year, once I started it I had to finish it the same day. Its so good and really teaches you about life

chapters13-14

These two chapters, were the most powerful but yet disturbing pages I have ever read. I had to stop reading at a couple points because I couldnt handle what was happening. These chapters were about war. How the soliders that Beah is with fight the rebels. It starts out with the boys about to go to war and someone comes and gives everyone white pills, which the boys take without blinking. That already bothered me. Then the boys go out and start to fight the rebels, Ishmael at first was reluctant, but then he sees the blood coming out from his dead two friends and he snaps. He kills the first person without feeling any emotion, and from there on out kills people without even blinking.  These were most definetly the most intense chapters yet. You see that Ishmael has turned to the bad side, and from what it looks like at this point isn't going back . I wanted to kill the commander when he made those 5 kids play the game where whoever kills they're  prisionr and they die first gets a prize. But ofcourse Ishmael was asked to play that game and of course he won. He seriously doesnt care about anything anymore, he does drugs almost 24/7 and kills people whenever. He is brainwashed to think its good and htat hes killing rebels, but in fact he is just doing what they are doing. I was really sad from reading these chapters.

chapters 11-12

In chapter 11 and 12 I was sort of confused. I knew Beah and his friends were in a safe place, but yet at the same time I was confused whether the soilders were good or bad. They did the same thing rebels did, smoked, did drugs, captures towns and civilians. What took place over these two chapters though was interesting. Its all about the boys getting trained to fight the rebels who wre just outside there town. I didnt want Ishmael to participate because I knew he would turn bad but he did train. In these chapters you can really see how it leads up to Ishmael snapping in the next chapters. I remember while reading these chapters I just wanted to keep on reading to see what happens to Ishmael, which unfortunetly turned out badly.

chapter 10

Chapter 10 was very long and very emotional. It starts off by the boys going to a village and the village is very accepting towards them , by letting them stay there and feeding them as well. At night their friend Musa would tell stories about this spider and how it came to be what it looks like now. They boys though eventually have to leave the village. While they are walking a bird fell out of the sky and Saidu decided to eat because the poor boy is starving. While walking later that night the boys thought they heard Rebels and then Saidu passes out. The boys carry Saidu to the next village where they are allowed to sleep for the night. Later that night Saidu died. The villagers were nice enough to allow him to buried there. This must have been really hard on Beah. Seriously all i want to do is give him a hug because I fell so bad for him. Im curious to see what happens next.

chapter8-9

I though chapter 8 was pretty cool. I liked how he kept having flashbacks, but I guess that would be sad for him. I this chapter you see how Beah becomes responsible for himself. I mean he sleeps in in trees. And gets his own fruit. Thats pretty hard to do , especially when the group of 6 always had trouble finding food. Chapter 9 really like impacted me. Its awesome to see a complete stranger take the boys in like that. He had no idea if they would harm him or not but the man still let them in . Somehow people in the village found out the man did this, and they were very angry so they went out and captured the boys. They were brought in front of the chief who thought they were rebels. Then he foundthe rap tape and learned that they were just lost boys. Can you even believe that RAP MUSIC can save Beah's life not once, not twice, but three times ? Its amazing. Obviously this is happeneing because he is supposed to live. So far I thought chapter 9 was the best.

chapter 6-7

I though chapter 6 was pretty intense. Especially when all the boys get captured. Its amazing to see that is the rap music in Beahs pocket that saves them. Its pretty ironic though, because it was the rap music that saved them in the first place when their village was orginally attacked.After they were captured and set free it seemed like things were different. All the boys are quiet now and they always have a look of sadness on their faces. Later on when the boys go to the Kamator they get jobs being farmers. I thought that was really good and it was distracting. Its funny to see though that it took them 3 days to clear out the field and only 3 hours for the uncle to do that. Sadly though after 3 monthes the rebels eventually came. And he never saw his older brother again. I dont know what i would do if that were me. I can not belleive how strong of a kid Beah was. In chapter 7 when the boys are seperated Ishmael finds Kaloko, they go village to village to find their friends by they never end up finding them. Ishmael becomes frustated and decides to go off on his own. He goes away and it takes him 6 days to even have any human contact. YOu start to relize that Beah really is truly alone in this chapter. Its really sad to think about that ,I cant believe though that he went off on hiw own. I could NEVER do that.

chapter 3-5

In chapter 3 of the book things start going down hill. First off messengers are sent to the village to tell them that the rebels are coming. The meaning behind this is to warn them about the RUF power. Also in chapter 3 we learn that the RUF carve RUF into their soilders skin. They do this because if someone tried to runaway a soilder would see the marking and kill the runaway. Mainly they try to recruit young, healthy boys into there army. In chapter 3 we see how Ishmael starts to become less caring. For example in the swamp he just passes people instead of helping them. In chapter 4 the boys become internally displaced and the rebels find them. They try to run away but one of the boys is too slow because he is carrying a bag so he gets shot. In chapter 5 Junior gets recruited for the RUF, but Ishmael and Khailou do not. This couple of chapters shows how everyone is slowly turning on each other and how its now all one man for himeself. Im interested to see what happens now.

chapter 1 +2

The first couple chapters to Along Way Gone really got me hooked to the book. In the first chapter it is  just introducing you to what is going on in the book and the main characters. Right away we learn that Ishmael and his friends are really in to rap. Him  and his friends make  a little rap group and make dances together. Then the boys go 16 miles out of their village to comptete in a rap show. They learn that while they are gone that there village was attaccked. They go back and go to the wharfs to see if theyre families are there but they are not. So they go back to Kabati which was destroyed. What the boys is very disturbing. There is blood everywhere and everyone is fleeing for their lives. Chapter 1 ends by telling memories what happened before the war. Chapter 2 is very confusing , it is all a dream and i about 3 pages long. He has a nightmare and in the nightmare he is pushing a wheel barrow with someone in it. When he unwraps the body its himself with bullets all in it. It sybolized that he is not innocent anymore and is starting to turn into the monster that he later becomes.