How did knowing a long way gone is non-fiction affect how you read the book?

In A Long Way Gone, Beah is thirteen years old when he is picked up by the government army. Beah is a gentle boy at heart but made to do unspeakable acts of violence. It is difficult for me to comprehend the like that Beah endured, even after reading the book. I, however, have read a little about this, scene documentaries...The big question is how do you see this book? Sierra Leone is one of the most infamous countries for child-combatants. How would you feel when boys, like Beah, are given drugs to make them "fearless" in battle? How do you react to Beah's long and painful rehab in the UNICEF camp? This all depends on your point of view but hopefully this is a beginning.