We've got your back. With the Tough-O-Meter, you'll know whether to bring extra layers or Swiss army knives as you summit the literary mountain. (10 = Toughest)
(4) Base Camp
A Long Way Gone can be a tough read. Yes, you're reading about horrific acts of violence during a terrible real-life war, but that's not all that's hard about this book. Readers who aren't familiar with the landscape of Sierra Leone (and we're gonna go ahead and guess that's a majority of you) might have a little trouble following along as Ishmael rattles of names of places, foods, friends, and political groups that just might go right over your head. Don't worry, our author really tries to keep things as simple as possible, but that doesn't mean you might not trip up every once in a while. It's cool. Shmoop will be there to hold your hand on the steep parts of this climb.