When Abdi's family is kidnapped, he's forced to do the
unthinkable: become a child soldier with the ruthless jihadi group Al Shabaab.
For weeks, Abdi trains with them, witnessing atrocity after atrocity, becoming a monster himself, wondering if he's even pretending anymore. He only escapes after he is forced into a suicide bomber's vest, which still leaves him stumps where two of his fingers used to be and his brother near death. Eventually, he finds himself on the streets of Sangui City, Kenya, stealing what he can find to get by, sleeping nights in empty alleyways, wondering what's become of the family that was stolen from him. But everything changes when Abdi's picked up for a petty theft, which sets into motion a chain reaction that forces him to reckon with a past he's been trying to forget.
★ “Anderson...breathe[s] ferocious life into a story
that needs to be told. This is one of those tough but invaluable books with the
power to increase a reader's awareness of and empathy for teens who have lost
the right to be young.”—Booklist, starred review
“A riveting account…[where] greed, guilt, and redemption are layered in a sober yet tender narrative showing the lengths one will go to for loved ones.”—Kirkus Reviews
“An intriguing examination of ways familial loyalty and guilt can lead anyone to make desperate choices. Anderson uses the exploration of manipulation and coercion to craft a thought-provoking narrative.”—School Library Journal
“A riveting account…[where] greed, guilt, and redemption are layered in a sober yet tender narrative showing the lengths one will go to for loved ones.”—Kirkus Reviews
“An intriguing examination of ways familial loyalty and guilt can lead anyone to make desperate choices. Anderson uses the exploration of manipulation and coercion to craft a thought-provoking narrative.”—School Library Journal