The protagonist and narrator of this memoir, Ishmael Beah is a 12-year-old boy whose parents are separated. He enjoys performing rap music with his older brother, Junior, and their friends. When they travel to another village to perform one day, the RUF attacks his home village, and his parents and relatives are scattered. The boys wander through neighboring territories seeking food and shelter until Ishmael loses the rest of the group in another rebel attack and survives alone in the forest for weeks. Eventually, he is claimed as a child soldier by the Sierra Leone military forces until United Nations workers rescue him at the age of 15. He is rehabilitated, and a paternal uncle invites Ishmael to live in his home in Freetown. The author is eventually chosen to participate in a United Nations Children’s Conference in New York City where he speaks about his experiences as a child involved in a civil war. Later, an official whom Ishmael meets at the Conference adopts him. Ishmael seeks to promote the wellbeing of children internationally, particularly that of children impacted by war.

The acts of violence Ishmael witnessed and committed in Sierra Leone continue to haunt him.