noeljoaquin's review against another edition
challenging
dark
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
tinathedrifter's review against another edition
dark
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
5.0
Iweala put so much detail into Agu’s voice and thoughts over the course of this novel. It made me love him as if he were a friend recounting his stories to me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Pedophilia, Murder, War, Gun violence, Child death, Sexual assault, Gore, Drug use, Blood, and Death
Moderate: Cannibalism, Injury/injury detail, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Mass/school shootings, Sexism, and Sexual harassment
_dostoefuckme_'s review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
kairosdreaming's review against another edition
4.0
Between the name and the cover of this book (my particular copy had a group of boys standing on a hill) I was intrigued by this book. A quick glance at the inside cover and I was even more intrigued. So I picked it up, and it was very interesting, and tragic, all at the same time.
Beasts of No Nation follows Agu. Agu is a smart little boy, who, went war started in his nation, was picked up by some rebel fighters and forced into being a soldier. Along with this came forced killing, rape, and other atrocities that should never happen to a child, or really anyone against their will. His life as a young warrior becomes brutal and harsh but he still remembers the days from his family and laments for them as he struggles to forget what happens by day.
Agu is a very sympathetic character. I really didn't care if he was killing people because for him it was the survival of the fittest and not a life that he chose for himself. He wanted to be educated and instead was degraded so far as a human being that I wanted to weep for him. There were even some other redeeming people in the book, although Agu was our narrator, and for them I harbored a little hope as well. As for the bad guys, well, let's just say they were easy to hate.
This book, although I can't verify having never experienced it myself, does seem to be very authentic in the telling of what happens to the child soldiers who are forced into war. This is something that is happening all over the world and shouldn't be ignored, but with the brutality few are willing to step in to do something about it. So many children are being hurt, forced to kill, and this book kind of opens the curtain on that, even if it is a fictional story. There is a lot in here that isn't for those with weak stomachs, as it doesn't hold back on the violence or rapes experienced by these boys. The writing style was the in the present tense, first person. I normally don't like that kind of writing but it really worked in this book. Especially with the use of onomatopoeia it really felt like Agu was there telling you the story. Although after awhile it did cause the brain to hurt a little bit from translating it in your head; kind of like a long conversation with someone learning English. I think if the book had been any longer I would have started to have trouble with it. But as is, it was a good length.
A very sad and tragic tale, but one that was also very informative on just how the life of a child warrior could be. I would read more by this author.
Beats of No Nation
Copyright 2005
142 pages
Review by M. Reynard 2012
More of my reviews can be found at www.ifithaswords.blogspot.com
Beasts of No Nation follows Agu. Agu is a smart little boy, who, went war started in his nation, was picked up by some rebel fighters and forced into being a soldier. Along with this came forced killing, rape, and other atrocities that should never happen to a child, or really anyone against their will. His life as a young warrior becomes brutal and harsh but he still remembers the days from his family and laments for them as he struggles to forget what happens by day.
Agu is a very sympathetic character. I really didn't care if he was killing people because for him it was the survival of the fittest and not a life that he chose for himself. He wanted to be educated and instead was degraded so far as a human being that I wanted to weep for him. There were even some other redeeming people in the book, although Agu was our narrator, and for them I harbored a little hope as well. As for the bad guys, well, let's just say they were easy to hate.
This book, although I can't verify having never experienced it myself, does seem to be very authentic in the telling of what happens to the child soldiers who are forced into war. This is something that is happening all over the world and shouldn't be ignored, but with the brutality few are willing to step in to do something about it. So many children are being hurt, forced to kill, and this book kind of opens the curtain on that, even if it is a fictional story. There is a lot in here that isn't for those with weak stomachs, as it doesn't hold back on the violence or rapes experienced by these boys. The writing style was the in the present tense, first person. I normally don't like that kind of writing but it really worked in this book. Especially with the use of onomatopoeia it really felt like Agu was there telling you the story. Although after awhile it did cause the brain to hurt a little bit from translating it in your head; kind of like a long conversation with someone learning English. I think if the book had been any longer I would have started to have trouble with it. But as is, it was a good length.
A very sad and tragic tale, but one that was also very informative on just how the life of a child warrior could be. I would read more by this author.
Beats of No Nation
Copyright 2005
142 pages
Review by M. Reynard 2012
More of my reviews can be found at www.ifithaswords.blogspot.com
joao_dcosta's review against another edition
4.0
Super recomendo este livro, contudo não é uma leitura fácil e nem para o gosto de todos. Retrata uma realidade que não me é familiar, cuja existência era do meu conhecimento, mas que a força do quotidiano nos 'obriga' a ignorar - as crianças soldado.
Retrata a frieza, violência, brutalidade e desumanidade a que uma criança pequena é exposta quando lhe colocam uma arma nas mãos e a obrigam a lutar e matar.
Retrata a frieza, violência, brutalidade e desumanidade a que uma criança pequena é exposta quando lhe colocam uma arma nas mãos e a obrigam a lutar e matar.
naddl0r's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
English not being my mother tongue, it first was hard to get into the use of Nigerian English and Nigerian Pidgin English in this book. But as I got more into it, it just added to the story of Agu, a child describing in 1st person POV his experience in a civil war in a West African country.
I haven’t read any war themed novels before and I feel like this won’t be my favorite book niche, but ~150 pages is just as much as commitment I can give something I haven’t had any business with before. Here’s what I think:
It was gruesome and heartbreaking. Maybe not an easy read but necessary and definitely worth it.
"I'm walking walking to where the sun is setting. I'm looking at it and wanting to catch it in my hand and to be squeezing until color are dripping out from it forever. That way everywhere it is always dark and nobody is ever having to see any of the terrible thing that is happening in this world."
Maybe check trigger warnings or content notes before reading it, if that’s something that has worked for you in the past.
I haven’t read any war themed novels before and I feel like this won’t be my favorite book niche, but ~150 pages is just as much as commitment I can give something I haven’t had any business with before. Here’s what I think:
It was gruesome and heartbreaking. Maybe not an easy read but necessary and definitely worth it.
"I'm walking walking to where the sun is setting. I'm looking at it and wanting to catch it in my hand and to be squeezing until color are dripping out from it forever. That way everywhere it is always dark and nobody is ever having to see any of the terrible thing that is happening in this world."
Maybe check trigger warnings or content notes before reading it, if that’s something that has worked for you in the past.
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Murder, Death, Rape, Physical abuse, and Gun violence
tinypumpkin's review against another edition
dark
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.25
nicolemarcell's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 stars
I picked up Beasts of No Nation when I was on a Barnes & Noble date with a friend of mine: it was the beginning of the year and I had just set the goal of reading 50 books by authors of color. I had a few authors in mind when I stumbled across this book randomly. I hadn't known about the recent Netflix film made about it, nor had I ever heard of it before. But it looked short, I liked the cover, and it sounded interesting, so I bought it (also, it was the cheapest thing I had picked up, so that certainly didn't hurt).
What I'm saying is this: I had absolutely no idea what I was getting into. I hadn't heard a single thing about it, had no images associated with it in my head, and I had no expectations. What I found was a story that broke my heart and left me crying in the middle of the student union with a jumble of emotions -- horror, disgust, sadness, sympathy, anger, etc. -- that distressed me to no end. Buckle up, kiddos, this one's a doozy.
So let's just get this out of the way now: this book is about war and child soldiers. It is violent and gruesome, features graphic descriptions of murder and rape, and will leave you pretty much horrified by the time you're finished. There isn't an ounce of lightness in it: every part is heavy, and it is unrelenting in its weight. Iweala doesn't let up for a second -- doesn't let you forget exactly what it is you're reading about -- and I think that's what makes this book so powerful. Yet -- I can only give it 3.5 stars. There are a few reasons for that.
But first, let's talk about why this book works: first and foremost, the narration. It's something that was difficult for me at first: the entire novel is written in broken English, with simple sentence structures and wording. I wasn't always clear on what Agu was saying, and sometimes I had to read a sentence a few times to understand what he meant. In the beginning, this made it very hard to get into the story; but as I continued, it became easier to understand, and once I could understand our narrator, I was able to appreciate what Iweala was doing with this style of writing: we read scenes of intense violence, hear about this grief and guilt and anger and fear, and we are constantly reminded that all of this -- all of these emotions and all of these scenes being witnessed -- is coming from a child. The simplicity of the narration does not allow us to forget that, while the subject matter of war and violence is something that is usually restricted to adults, the one experiencing these things is not; Agu is still a child, and that's what makes the story all the more horrifying.
Here's where Beasts of No Nation begins to lose me: characterization. I felt a certain level of protectiveness over Agu, mostly because he is our main character and because he is a child in a violent setting; near the end, when he was reflecting on his time in the war, is where I connected with him the most. But everyone else? Absolutely nothing. I felt absolutely nothing for any of the other characters, except maybe rage for the Commandant. There wasn't anyone else to connect with, and while I'm sure that was done purposefully to emphasize Agu's isolation, it made me feel too trapped into one story. There was another child soldier in the novel, and yet he wasn't explored as much as he could have been; we could have heard another story, and yet we did not. This complete lack of care for any of the other characters in the novel is where I think Iweala falls for me: in a story about war and violence, I should feel a certain degree of sympathy or anger for most of the characters; instead, I only felt sympathy for Agu and anger for the Commandant.
There are certainly good and bad things about Beasts of No Nation: the story itself is simple, but extremely powerful; the narration can be difficult to get into, but is useful in sending its message; and most characters feel far away and hard to connect to, but Agu's emotions and struggles make him easy easily accessible to readers. This book is certainly not for everyone (again, intense scenes of violence and rape are present, so perhaps avoid this if that is triggering for you), but it is absolutely a powerful and important novel; it tells a story that not a lot of people tell, one that is kept in the dark or hidden, one that needs to be talked about more. Definitely check it out if you get the chance.
Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go grab my box of tissues and look this up on Netflix.
I picked up Beasts of No Nation when I was on a Barnes & Noble date with a friend of mine: it was the beginning of the year and I had just set the goal of reading 50 books by authors of color. I had a few authors in mind when I stumbled across this book randomly. I hadn't known about the recent Netflix film made about it, nor had I ever heard of it before. But it looked short, I liked the cover, and it sounded interesting, so I bought it (also, it was the cheapest thing I had picked up, so that certainly didn't hurt).
What I'm saying is this: I had absolutely no idea what I was getting into. I hadn't heard a single thing about it, had no images associated with it in my head, and I had no expectations. What I found was a story that broke my heart and left me crying in the middle of the student union with a jumble of emotions -- horror, disgust, sadness, sympathy, anger, etc. -- that distressed me to no end. Buckle up, kiddos, this one's a doozy.
So let's just get this out of the way now: this book is about war and child soldiers. It is violent and gruesome, features graphic descriptions of murder and rape, and will leave you pretty much horrified by the time you're finished. There isn't an ounce of lightness in it: every part is heavy, and it is unrelenting in its weight. Iweala doesn't let up for a second -- doesn't let you forget exactly what it is you're reading about -- and I think that's what makes this book so powerful. Yet -- I can only give it 3.5 stars. There are a few reasons for that.
But first, let's talk about why this book works: first and foremost, the narration. It's something that was difficult for me at first: the entire novel is written in broken English, with simple sentence structures and wording. I wasn't always clear on what Agu was saying, and sometimes I had to read a sentence a few times to understand what he meant. In the beginning, this made it very hard to get into the story; but as I continued, it became easier to understand, and once I could understand our narrator, I was able to appreciate what Iweala was doing with this style of writing: we read scenes of intense violence, hear about this grief and guilt and anger and fear, and we are constantly reminded that all of this -- all of these emotions and all of these scenes being witnessed -- is coming from a child. The simplicity of the narration does not allow us to forget that, while the subject matter of war and violence is something that is usually restricted to adults, the one experiencing these things is not; Agu is still a child, and that's what makes the story all the more horrifying.
Here's where Beasts of No Nation begins to lose me: characterization. I felt a certain level of protectiveness over Agu, mostly because he is our main character and because he is a child in a violent setting; near the end, when he was reflecting on his time in the war, is where I connected with him the most. But everyone else? Absolutely nothing. I felt absolutely nothing for any of the other characters, except maybe rage for the Commandant. There wasn't anyone else to connect with, and while I'm sure that was done purposefully to emphasize Agu's isolation, it made me feel too trapped into one story. There was another child soldier in the novel, and yet he wasn't explored as much as he could have been; we could have heard another story, and yet we did not. This complete lack of care for any of the other characters in the novel is where I think Iweala falls for me: in a story about war and violence, I should feel a certain degree of sympathy or anger for most of the characters; instead, I only felt sympathy for Agu and anger for the Commandant.
There are certainly good and bad things about Beasts of No Nation: the story itself is simple, but extremely powerful; the narration can be difficult to get into, but is useful in sending its message; and most characters feel far away and hard to connect to, but Agu's emotions and struggles make him easy easily accessible to readers. This book is certainly not for everyone (again, intense scenes of violence and rape are present, so perhaps avoid this if that is triggering for you), but it is absolutely a powerful and important novel; it tells a story that not a lot of people tell, one that is kept in the dark or hidden, one that needs to be talked about more. Definitely check it out if you get the chance.
Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go grab my box of tissues and look this up on Netflix.