Discuss the consequences of the violence and how Beah presents these consequences throughtout the book.

Yikes, the consequences of violence are everywhere. Family members, friends, strangers, children and babies are killed and maimed. Few, if any, escape this and Ishmael is no exception. It is difficult to pick out a horror that is the worst. For me, one of the saddest consequences of the violence that Ishmael describes is the loss of innocence. Imagine a place where children stop laughing and smiling? When Ishmael's clothes are being ripped off, all his cheesy rap cassettes fall out. This was the end of Ishmael's innocence, the end of his childhood joy. Ishmael presents a nightmare picture of virgins with rifles traipsing through the bush high on whatever and looking to kill someone. How much worse can it get?