Beasts of No Nation
by Uzodinma Iweala · first published 2005
3mentions
2recommended by
3HN commenters
2008–2026first – last mentioned
67% recommend33% neutral
In this stunning debut novel, Agu, a young boy in an unnamed West African nation, is recruited into a unit of guerrilla fighters as civil war engulfs his country. Haunted by his father's own death at the hands of militants, Agu is vulnerable to the dangerous yet paternal nature of his new commander. While the war rages on, Agu becomes increasingly divorced from the life he had known before the conflict started--a life of school friends, church services, and time with his family still intact. In a powerful, strikingly original voice that vividly captures Agu's youth and confusion, Uzodinma I
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…"Less Than Zero" sheds light on the alienation and social dysfunction of the wealthy suburban middle class. It's easy to think about the tragedy of child soldiers in Africa, but it wasn't until I read "Beasts Of No Nation" by Uzodinma Iweala that I realized just how horrific things really are. Reading classics like "The Odyssey" or Dante's "Inferno" will help you understand Western culture in general. Certain novels…
on “It's not you, it's your books” ↗Beasts of no Nation is a personal favorite!
on “Fela Kuti First African to Get Grammys Lifetime Achievement Award” ↗…to be uneconomical to develop or just being down stream from the actual mine. While it's true that these sites are often taken over by some gang of former child soldiers and their master (we all liked Beasts of No Nation) more often than not these days unofficial mining is conducted by communities, villages, and individuals who do not hold any one at gun point. These unofficial mining operations do not produce any substantial…
on “Apple May Be Using Congo Cobalt Mined by Children, Amnesty Says” ↗