“Ishmael Beah is 12 years old when all hell breaks loose in Sierra Leone in the 1990s. Families are separated, most are brutally killed, and the boys are recruited as soldiers, including, ultimately, Ishmael. Readers will come to understand how truly damaged these children are, but Beah's ability to write so eloquently is a testament to his humanity and resilience.”
— Dianne Patrick, Snowbound Books, Marquette, MI