Beasts of No Nation

Beasts of No Nation
-a novel-
by Uxodinma Iweala

This book was not as informative regarding child soldiers as "A Long Way Gone" was but this book was also more artistically written and on my part more artistically read.

Here is a quote for an example of the artistic language: "It is night. It is day. It is light. It is too hot. It is too cold. It is raining. It is too much sunshine. It is too dry. It is too wet. But all the time we are fighting. No matter what, we are always fighting. All the time bullet is just eating everything, leaf, tree, ground, person--eating them--just making person to bleed everywhere and there is so much blood flooding all over the bush everywhere and there is so much blood flooding all over the bush. The bleeding is making people to be screaming and shouting all the time, shouting to father and to mother, shouting to God or to Devil, shouting one language that nobody is really knowing at all. Sometimes I am covering my ear so I am not hearing bullet and shouting, and sometimes I am shouting and screaming also so I am not hearing anything but my own voice. Sometimes I am wanting to cry very loud, but nobody is crying in this place. If I am crying, they will be looking at me because soldier is not supposed to be crying." (pg. 117)

What I mean by artistic reading is in a different way I read parts of this book, for instance on the battlegrounds of an actual war involving a type of child soldiers. As I read through this book I heard the sounds of guns, helicopters, screaming, trucks, and motorcycles.

When I read "A Long Way Gone" I read at Harrik lake. The only identifying I had with the child was the fear of bugs. We simutaneously fought off mosquitos. But in this book, Agu and I both shuttered at the sounds of bullets flying through the air.

As a novel, "Beasts of No Nation" was brilliant. However, if you desire facts about the occurances of child soldiers, there are better resources available. If you like beautiful and creative language don't pass this book up.