Review


The reoccurring theme in the work or stories of Uwem Akpan is the idea of struggles that African children face. Child trafficking, poverty, genocide, violence, prostitution etc. the examples used in the short stories bring out or expose the harsh realities of African life on children. A girl forced into prostitution so as to feed her family, two friends forced to give up on their friendship because of their differing religions, a brother and a sister being sold, a teenage boy being murdered because of being a Muslim in a christian gathering and two children being forced to see their father kill their mother because of tribal clashes. This is not what a normal teenager is expected to go through, unfortunately, in Africa, it’s seems like the only life they know.

I would highly recommend that a peer read this book not only because it provides a different view of life but because it also brings one to an appreciation of what he/she has. Getting to learn from the stories about the struggles of African teens opens up the readers eyes to what kind of life exists out there for those who are less fortunate. You get to experience life through someone else’s eyes, and put yourself in certain situations that in the end will make you think twice before making any decisions in life.