Son of a Gun

Tells the tale of two siblings during a tumultuous period with multiple civil wars in Liberia. Told in small blocks of narrative from both Lucky and Nopi's points of view. The siblings have awful experiences both on the run and when they are involved in the civil war. The author has provided a short articles about Liberia at the conclusion of the story, pictures and writings from child soldiers.
At times the details are so sparse and the narrative just provides a sketch, the reader longs for more details although having more information might prove too heartbreaking and too horrible.
The author has used a style that employs the characters speaking directly to the reader.

This is a harsh and violent story about the involvement of children in the civil war in Liberia. Told in alternating accounts, it is the story of Nopi and her little brother Lucky. The two are taken from school by soldiers and forced to join their fight. As the story unfolds ( we “see” everything through the eyes of these two children)and covers the next eight years of their lives. Violence and uncertainty form a major part of their lives but Nopi, who was 10 at the beginning of the story, and Lucky survive their ordeal. The atrocities are handled well for a young audience. They are not overly graphic but enough to explain the horror of the situation. The children are amongst the lucky ones although Nopi has been left deaf due to a show more beating. They are jubilant at being united with their parents but are they permanently scarred by their experiences? There is no straightforward, happy-ever-after ending.
Although it is a fictional story it is based on factual accounts. The author, Anne De Graaf, bases her narrative on interviews with Liberian children. She provides historical, political, economic, and social information in the back in appendices with photos, maps, facts and figures. It also includes drawings and letters by young survivors of the civil war that give you some hope for the future. show less

This novella is a heart-wrenching story of a brother and sister kidnapped to fight in the Liberian Civil War at the ages of 8 and 10. They are survivors, but not without paying the huge price of their childhood and innocence. I predict that this book will leave an indelible impression on its readers, for although quite short, it packs a huge punch. The story is only 89 pages, followed by pages of information about Liberia, its culture, and history.

A vividly detailed, grim story about child soldier survivors of the Liberian civil war. Unfortunately titled, but powerful, poignant, and gripping. The author includes excellent back matter for historical context.

Son of a gun is a powerful slim book. While the topic is by it's nature disturbing and violent, child soldiers in Liberia, it is handled in a sensitive way and may be a very good introduction to this serious topic for children 10 or 11 and up. Very well done, and no gratuitious violence, while reading between the lines as an adult you can tell that rapes do occur, I believe it would be over the head of most middle schoolers or a place where a sensitive conversation could occur.

I received an early reviewers copy of “Son of a Gun”. It is a powerful book that I truly enjoyed. One of the things that makes this book both horrific and interesting is that the story is told from the viewpoint of a child. The horrors that a young brother and sister have to endure during the Liberian Civil War are appalling. Not only that, but once they escape the war they still have to endure more evil.
This is a true story and is written for young adult readers. I am a middle school language arts teacher and truly believe that any book that gets a student to read is a good book, however, I believe that some people would take exception with children reading this book. Some scenes that are depicted both during and after the war are show more both unsettling and graphic. I would recommend this book for a 13 and up audience. Young readers will find the book to be interesting and easy to relate to, since the narrator is their age. The size of the book is not intimidating to readers and I do expect that many students will want to check this book out of my personal classroom library. Also, this book may help some young readers to realize just how fortunate they are. The word choice of the author and sentence complexity is appropriate for the audience. I enjoyed the book and found it was an easy read for an adult, but still informative and interesting. show less

What a powerful read. This book is certain to make an impact on young and adult readers alike. Heartfelt and cutting, the story told by Lucky and Nopi will wrench your heart. By directly addressing the potential young readers of this book, knowledge of what these child soldiers went through definitely makes the reader stop and re-evaluate all we take for granted. That it's easy to understand because it is written from a child's perspective, and that the information in the back is written simply, guarantees that young readers will be able to understand and take something valuable from this story.