Journal #4 - Natacha

 The last few chapters of this book were my favourite and the most interesting in my opinion. Throughout the whole book Ishmael had to say goodbye to the people closest to him and almost every new person he met during is journey as a boy soldier. Even when he finally found family and it seemed that nothing else would go wrong, the town was attacked and he had no choice but to leave. This book is so well written, and extremely descriptive that you're almost able to feel what Ishmael felt at the time.

I really loved how fast Ishmael was able to make so many new friends and how he was able to go to New York City. I didn’t like Mambu at first because he was intimidating, but as time passed he seemed to become a good friend to Ishmael. I was very happy when Ishmael’s old friend Mohamed showed up.

The story is in his point of view, and you feel as if you are going through the same experiences that Ishmael did. For example, when Ishmael told us that he never saw Mambu again because he was sent back to war, he never saw Alhaji again because he was sent to another children’s center , and when he said “It was the last time I saw her. I loved her but never told her.” Referring to Esther, This line was so sudden and a rather simple ending to their friendship. As the reader, you know read about everything Ishmael went through and you know that he was always stubborn towards Esther but for the first time he says he loved her. Alhaji, who he spent so much of his war days with and was by his side for so long was never seen again, which is pretty sad because they went through the toughest times together. This book literally makes you feel a pain inside yourself. This book book makes readers so emotional, while reading it you will laugh, you will tear up, you feel happiness, you will sympathize and you will learn.

This book is, by far, the best book I have ever read and I would re-read it.