What is the author's tone in A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier by Ishmael Beah?

After an initial third-person introduction, this novel is written as a first person narrative. The material presented is harsh and real, describing brutal killings in detail. These details are presented as a matter-of-fact without extra drama.

Several times throughout the novel, the author points out that he appreciates poetry in the music he hears, and he also enjoys reading and performing Shakespearean writing. This shows through in his own writing. Many of his descriptions are poetic. Instead of saying he was scared, the author would write, "My veins tightened." Instead of saying he was sad, the author would write, "I felt a sting in my heart."