LWG ch. 21-last chapter

Ishmael Beah just can’t get away from war.  Seems like everywhere he goes someone is killing someone.  It’s really sad.  The evil rebels just can’t leave him and the ones he loves alone.   He was just starting to enjoy life and then he has to have it snatched away from him AGAIN!  That must have been so scary going through the village with all that shooting.  Granted, Ishmael is used to it, but he got over it and now he has to see it all over again.  I can’t believe the gunshots went on for 5 months!!! I though it was only a couple days not months!  That’s astonishing.  I already knew the uncle was going to die, but when I had to read it again it made me feel real sad and just think that what else could hurt this kid!  Everything he has loved has been taken from him; he said it in the book himself!  The poor uncle was so good, and he just left the family, I guess he gave up hope and died.  I’m so glad that Ishmael made it out of his country alive, but I think it’s so rude that the soldiers take so much of the civilian’s money and valuable!  For heavens sake they are running from war and these evil people have to take all over their possessions.  Ticks me off.  Ishmael finally made out of war.  Everything that he went through, he finally got out.  He went through really tough times to finally complete what he wanted, but he got it.  I loved how the end of the book ended with a story.  The story is good and it’s a difficult answer to come up with, but Ishmael came up with a great one.  He had the perfect answer to give.

LWG ch. 19-20

I thought it was so sad when Ishmael had to leave the rehabilitation center.  He made so many friends there and started to become really close to his nurse and then he had to leave.  I’m sure he was happy to get out of there, but you could tell he felt a bit of sadness linger over him.  I also thought it was sad that he didn’t see his nurse ever again at one point in the chapter.  But he enjoys living at his uncle’s and having family around.  I think it’s good for him.  Then when he got the interview.  That was so exciting; who knew that would happen to him!  I thought it was so rude when the kids were making fun of him because he didn’t know how to work the elevator, etc.  I mean if they knew what he just went through, they would not have been laughing.  I think it’s funny how he didn’t know what snow was, it’s actually really sad!

            It’s amazing to hear about all the stories that the other children experience from their different countries.  I’m glad I didn’t hear most of them, because I would have gotten really sad and feel even guiltier than I do now.  Laura seems so nice, and it’s weird to read that she is Ishamel’s mom later on in his lifetime.  She was s nice to provide him and Bah coats.  His speech was so good I thought!  He did a great job, and I think he proved his point to the people.  He’s so young and to get up and do that is really good.  I’m glad that Ishamel had a great time on his last day in New York, he deserved it.

LWG ch. 17-18

I'm so glad that Esther is trying to get close to Ishmael and doing so much for him.  He's opened up so much to her.  She's done a lot for him, like buying him cassettes and cokes and he starts to enjoy himself when he's around her at the end of Chapter 17.  He starts to look forward to seeing her!  When he tells her the story about how he got shot that was so sad.  I can't even imagine how much pain he would be in.  He was very tough to go through all that though.  Very violent when he killed the rebels, he was so determined and didn't care what they felt.  At the end when they went to Esther’s house, that shows how much they get alone now.  She makes him dinner and watches the moon together.  I’m so happy Ishmael had that happen to him.  The dreams he had were very scary, I can’t see why he gets headaches!

I’m glad that Ishmael saw his old friend from Mattru Jong.  I thought all of his old friends would be dead or gone.  I could tell it lifted his spirits.  Ishmael has a uncle.  It’s good that that is where he will live when he is done getting rehabilitated.  He needed more family to see, but it’s gonna be sad when he leaves the place.  He has been there for 7 months and I was beginning to like it, plus Esther.  I’m so glad that Ishmael got to have walks with his uncle. I think its good that the uncle’s family is calling Ishmael his brother, because Ishmael needs that in his life since he doesn’t have anymore family left except his uncle. 

Suggestions

I don't think we should read an ancient type of book.  The language they use is very difficult to understand and hard to follow.  The class probably won't have a response to those types of books.  I think we should read a book that is easy to understand, stuff that may have symbolism and has good vocab, etc. but keep it simple.  We should read adventurous books that are different than the normal world.  Kind of like fiction books.  I like non-fiction books, but I think people would enjoy a fiction book more!  A book kind of like The Magician's Nephew.  Not that exact book, but something along the lines of it.  But I don't know what everyone wants.  If you pick a fiction book, I think you will get a lot more description and enthusiasm in the blogs.  You'll get more words and paragraphs.

LWG ch. 15-16

In Chapter 15, I was really happy that the people took Ishmael and others away to go through therapy.  I know that Ishmael was mad about it, but he needed to leave that awful place.  He wouldn’t have survived probably if he didn’t go to the helping place.  When the others started fighting it was shocking.  It shows you that they have so much hostility for each other, they hate each other and they are not afraid to kill each other!  It’s scary and seems fake, kind of like a movie.  They killed them as if they were killing bugs.  They do it so gruesome!  I can’t imagine seeing that blood or disgustingness.  The head people obviously don’t have any control over the group if the boys can tie them up.

In Chapter 16, you can tell they are straight up addicted.  Everything they do is violent because they are so hostile and addicted.  When the boys beat up Poppay and he came back and said it’s not your fault, I thought he was totally right.  It’s the drugs and violence taking action on him, not the actual boys.  When Ishmael goes to the nurse, you can tell she cares.  The poor boy with his headaches.  It sounds like Ishmael was a really good fighter in the war.  He was nicknamed “Green Snake.”  You can tell the kids are getting away from the drugs because when they sell their school supplies, they don’t go and buy drugs.  The dreams Ishmael has is terrible, same with the other kids!  All the bullet bruises on his arms are really creepy.

LWG ch.13-14

Chapter thirteen was disgusting and very sad.  He had to kill those people and watch blood fly in the air and watch people die.  Very gross.  When his 2 friends died I thought that was very sad!  To read what happened to the little boy crying and whining in pain.  Hearing that his back was shattered and everything made me feel so bad and just want to skip reading it again.  It’s good that he got angry at that and used that to kill people, but still.  The whole situation is sad and awful!  Sure can’t say that line enough.  I don’t know what I would do if I was put in Ismael or any of those kids’ positions, I would, I don’t know what I would do!  L  Also, those white tablits they keep giving them!??

In Chapter forteen, Ismael is officially addicted to soldier life.  All of the drugs and killing and bad things that go on in the village.  It’s so sad to see him like this when he was so sweet and inncent in the beginning.  I feel so bad!  He really isn’t on the good side, he raided a civilian village!  There were good people there!  Now they have the goal of how many minutes it takes them to take out a whole village all by themselves!  Even after reading this a second time the things they do and how they cheer after killing the rebels in such gross ways astonishes me!  I just don’t see how people can do this to one another.  The last part of the chapter completely and utterly disturbed me.

 

LWG ch. 11-12

Granted, I have already read A Long Way Gone.   So I knew what was coming when we got to chapter 11.  But wow, the first time I read it my reaction was unbelievable.  I couldn’t believe what actually happened.  I thought it was all a joke.  When I first read the book and before I got to the part where the village got burnt down I thought to myself, wow that would be really bad if the rebels came to the village before he got to see his family.  AND THEN IT HAPPENED.  I couldn’t believe it.  Words again can’t describe how I feel for Ismael, the poor people who didn’t get to see their family!!!  That must be so devastating.  Ugh L.  I feel bad for the man who was helping them had to die such an awful and painful death.  That is one way I would not like to die.

Chapter 12 was kind of confusing, even though I’ve already read it.  I don’t get why the good army people were laughing at the men on the ground that were dying or were suffering.  Who were those people dead on the ground?  Where did the soldiers take them exactly?  All I know is that there in the middle of a war zone and the lieutenant is selecting people to fight!  When the lieutenant showed the people the bodies that was disgusting!  Then when he said all the ways the rebels had killed the innocents was UNBERABLE!  HOW CAN YOU DO THAT TO SOMEONE?!?!?!?!  It was very sad when they threw his pants with the cassettes in the fire!  That was one thing he loved, now it’s taken from him L.  I think the soldiers used a good line to make the kids get angry and kill the rebels harder and more gruesome!  That they rebels killed their families!  Get angry at them!!  You can tell Ishmael is turning into a killer by him saying that he will laugh when he captures a whole bunch of rebels and watches them burn.

LWG ch. 10

Many things happened in Chapter ten.  It was so nice of the villagers to give the boys food.  That was one village that actually did let the boys in…in a way.  When they left they were laughing and having a good time.  It was good to read that they could still smile even though they felt guilty for it when everything so terrifying and saddening is going on at the moment.  When they found the strange house with the kitchen I was so happy they did!  Finally, a place to sleep and feel ½ way safe with.  They had food with them too!  Reading about how Ismael keeps having flashbacks of his old life is sooo sad!  Nothing like thinking of your family when you don’t even know if there alive or not.  I feel bad that the dog ate the rest of the kids’ food.  It’s amazing how silent the group becomes when anyone brings up family life.  Taking in all of the boys’ stories about how their life was taken from them was just unbelievable.  Saidu’s was the worst in my opinion because now we know why he’s so quiet.  The boys not knowing what day it was a big symbolism sentence!  The war has taken so much effect on their lives that they don’t even know what day it is.  Wow Saidu dieing L I guess it’s for the best.  I felt so bad for that poor boy, at least he doesn’t have to go on and watch the war happen.  But the poor guy, ugh words can’t describe how I feel.  I guess the sound of the dog’s cries were right, something bad did happen and badness still lies ahead.  Beah’s writing was amazing this chapter.

LWG ch. 8-9

Chapter eight was a lonesome chapter. Ismael was all by himself the whole chapter except for the end. It was very detailed. He told us everything that happened while he was on his own in the forest. How the pigs almost attached him before he could climb up the tree and save himself. I felt so bad that he was all alone in the forest without anyone. Luckily he had that type of food to keep him from not be totally starving for a couple days. But when he finally got lost and decided to walk more was when he found his old friends. I'm glad he found them, because Ishmael needed some company. The poor 12 year old needed at least someone to talk to and keep his mind off of the horrible things that were happening.
Chapter nine was once again, sad. How the people don't trust the kids and capture them again and take their shoes and sent them away. Luckily, they found a nice man to help them heal their feet and rest. The one man is so nice to them, he gives them food, medicine, a place to sleep, and kindness! All of that is something the young boys really need in their lives at this point. Unfortunately the chieft of the village caught them and tied them up just like every other person that catches the boys. Luckily, Ishmael's songs saved him that were in his pocket. His life was saved all because of his music. He got very lucky.

LWG ch. 6-7

Chapter six was a bit frightening.  When the kids got captured and had to have their feet and hands bound together sounded so painful!  Luckily, they had those rap tapes to save them, because otherwise they would have been killed, etc.  

Chapter seven was frightening by the fact that they all got separated at the end of the chapter.  Poor Ishmael will never see his brother again, or hasn't seen his brother.  It's so hard to imagine that he won't ever.  I for sure can't imagine it.  None of them spoke together because they were all so shocked of what was happening to them and how it's hard to believe that something like that is actually going on in their lives right now.  I feel so bad for all of them and in chapter seven it shows you how everything in a village can be so peaceful.  How they were all farming and were so sore but were all together and then the next thing you know the rebels have come and taken over and everyone has run out of town.  Everyone just runs their separate ways and no one knows were any of their family or friends go.  Like Ishmael and Junior.  Luckily Ismael sees one of his friends, but soon that changes.

LWG ch. 3-5

Chapter three was very intense.  It's so sad how the town felt so empty since everyone has dispersed because the refugees have invaded most towns.  Everyone is so afraid that they have left.  But when the rebels didn't come when the messenger said they would people started to return to the village and things started to be happy again.  People got back to their work and were being a family and cooking and doing everything that they used to.  But then all the sudden the rebels came and everyone ran.  They all went there own way and everyone was screaming for there loved ones.  I can't imagine what that must feel like.  Then when Ishmael and his friends ran through the forest and the rebels were following them that must have been terrifying!  Then witnessing that person's awful death right in front of them and feeling the man's blood being sprinkled on them.  I just can't imagine all the feelings that goes through their heads.

Chapter four was gross.  They had to go back to the village and get money and they had to witness all the dead bodies.  Then they had to basically crawl on them when going through the forest.  The rebels are gross for doing such things to a person.  It just disgusts me.  Then they finally get the money and go back to where the people where were selling the food and then they didn't sell the food!  So they did all that hard work for nothing.  This book is frustrating.

Chapter five was very sad.  I can't believe they got captured!  Well, I knew they would since I've already read it, but still.  The things the rebels did to the people in front of the little kids is astonishing!  I feel so bad for everyone who got captured, etc.  It's so sad and not fair.  I'm so happy they got away, but that situation must have been so scary!  I would have been scared out of my mine!!

LWG ch. 1-2

Chapter one was a big shocker to me.  Granted, this is the second time I have read the book, but it still got to me.  I mean, for heavens sakes it's the first chapter of the book and it's already chocked full of detail, some detail that I don't really want to read about.  This book obviously has a message though if it starts out like this on the 15th page.  I couldn't believe the images that Ishmael and the others saw in the one town.  They're so young and they had to see that happen.  They have such a fun childhood for not having much and they all seem so funny and enjoyable and then to see something like that, it just rains on their parade.  It made me very sad and horrored at the site or description of what he wrote.  It sounded so fake, like no that could never happen, but a matter of fact it actually did and it scares me and haunts me in a way.

Chapter two was short but gruesome and scary.  He keeps imaging himself getting hurt or taken away or being like the others.  In this chapter it is telling him as an older man looking back to his past and what he had to become and what he was and how he has to remember it because it is a big part of him to this day.  I already feel so bad for the boy, so young and has to experience things like that at such a young age.  It's not fair and I already don't want to continue the book at the second chapter.