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Child Soldiers: During the 26-year civil war between Sri Lanka and the Tamil Tigers, a young, immature girl is brainwashed by the Tamil Tigers to join them as a child soldier.
Riza, a young upper-middle class girl from Jaffna, Sri Lanka born during the bloody and brutal 26 year Sri Lankan civil war has her whole world turned upside down when her close family member is killed in the civil war. She didn’t want anything to do with the civil war, but now she was forced to join a side, she had to, even though she was still only a child. The thirst for revenge was too great for her courageous spirit to simply ignore it. Even if it meant saying goodbye to her family she had come to love more than she ever believed possible.
But things wouldn’t go so easy for young Riza, as she delves deeper into the conflict she finds out the dark and hidden secrets of the terrorist forces she joined in the civil war in order to avenge her family member. Riza will truly find out the meaning of a full-scale bloody civil war, and will learn the true meaning of sacrifice and loyalty as she uncovers the ugly side of the people she joined…
Will she survive the brutal war, avenge her fallen family member and return to her family, or will the horrors of war get the best of young Riza?
Scroll up and grab your copy now.
But things wouldn’t go so easy for young Riza, as she delves deeper into the conflict she finds out the dark and hidden secrets of the terrorist forces she joined in the civil war in order to avenge her family member. Riza will truly find out the meaning of a full-scale bloody civil war, and will learn the true meaning of sacrifice and loyalty as she uncovers the ugly side of the people she joined…
Will she survive the brutal war, avenge her fallen family member and return to her family, or will the horrors of war get the best of young Riza?
Scroll up and grab your copy now.
230 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 17, 2019
8 people are currently reading
15 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
December 29, 2019
The island nation in the Indian Ocean had a gruesome civil war for almost quarter of a century. Over 100,000 people were killed and 800,000 people were displaced, internally or as refugees elsewhere. Heads of state of two countries (Sri Lanka and India) were assassinated. As someone who is from just across the Palk Strait, I could easily relate to the stories from the civil war. Child Soldiers is a fictionalised portrayal of the reality that prevailed in Sri Lanka during the Civil War.
The story features an upper middle class Tamil family comprising John, a Colombo based doctor, his wife and two children. The eventual persecution of the Tamils in Colombo and other Sinhalese majority areas of Sri Lanka forced the family to move north in Jaffna. This is a story of how John and his daughter Riza, eventually are radicalised and join the militant separatist movement – the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).
The author has paid extreme attention to detail in the story – giving an elaborate background as to what led to the troubles in Sri Lanka. Very little is known about the gruesome war outside of Sri Lanka and in the state of Tamil Nadu in India and the background is needed to appreciate the story. The character of John was built well, a moderate, who was initially against the militants and extreme circumstances made him to eventually give in. Riza was an even more interesting character, well read and someone regarded as the ‘intellectual’ in a class. Her journey from the pacifist to a child soldier and a totally committed LTTE warrior was a highlight of the book. The internal functioning of LTTE was brought out well, including aspects like jealousy and caste / religious consciousness within the ranks.
I believe the author could have avoided the use of representative images in the book – the writing seemed so akin to non-fiction that for a while, I thought it was perhaps a real story before I read the initial disclaimer again. While I appreciate that the style gave the feeling of reading the story of a real person, as a reader, I would always prefer to visualise the scene myself and a representative image limits a reader’s thought.
While John and Riza were characters with a high level of detail, sufficient attention was not given to any of the others. Under such circumstances, an epilogue stating the fate of every character was unnecessary.
This was a war with extreme level of human rights violations from both sides. Persecution from the Sri Lankan Army on the one side, brutal suppression of any opposition by LTTE, not to mention them using children as soldiers. However, what I felt was the most shocking was presence of political and ideological support right across the Palk Strait in Tamil Nadu (India) and an equally alarming is the fact that hardly anything is known about this outside of South Asia.
Thus, I feel it is great from the author that an effort has been made to bring out this story and I thoroughly enjoyed reading this story (would have been able to even if I was from outside of South Asia). On that note, I would give the book a rating of four on five.
The story features an upper middle class Tamil family comprising John, a Colombo based doctor, his wife and two children. The eventual persecution of the Tamils in Colombo and other Sinhalese majority areas of Sri Lanka forced the family to move north in Jaffna. This is a story of how John and his daughter Riza, eventually are radicalised and join the militant separatist movement – the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).
The author has paid extreme attention to detail in the story – giving an elaborate background as to what led to the troubles in Sri Lanka. Very little is known about the gruesome war outside of Sri Lanka and in the state of Tamil Nadu in India and the background is needed to appreciate the story. The character of John was built well, a moderate, who was initially against the militants and extreme circumstances made him to eventually give in. Riza was an even more interesting character, well read and someone regarded as the ‘intellectual’ in a class. Her journey from the pacifist to a child soldier and a totally committed LTTE warrior was a highlight of the book. The internal functioning of LTTE was brought out well, including aspects like jealousy and caste / religious consciousness within the ranks.
I believe the author could have avoided the use of representative images in the book – the writing seemed so akin to non-fiction that for a while, I thought it was perhaps a real story before I read the initial disclaimer again. While I appreciate that the style gave the feeling of reading the story of a real person, as a reader, I would always prefer to visualise the scene myself and a representative image limits a reader’s thought.
While John and Riza were characters with a high level of detail, sufficient attention was not given to any of the others. Under such circumstances, an epilogue stating the fate of every character was unnecessary.
This was a war with extreme level of human rights violations from both sides. Persecution from the Sri Lankan Army on the one side, brutal suppression of any opposition by LTTE, not to mention them using children as soldiers. However, what I felt was the most shocking was presence of political and ideological support right across the Palk Strait in Tamil Nadu (India) and an equally alarming is the fact that hardly anything is known about this outside of South Asia.
Thus, I feel it is great from the author that an effort has been made to bring out this story and I thoroughly enjoyed reading this story (would have been able to even if I was from outside of South Asia). On that note, I would give the book a rating of four on five.
January 29, 2019
‘Till death we fight, I repeated to myself. That’s how we Tigers thought.’
Sri Lanka author Indika Guruge earned his Bachelor of Commerce in Business Management at Royal College and was an Honors graduate of the National University Singapore. The handsome young man now works in real estate and property development. He is a director of The Guruge Group of Companies, a prominent outfit of property development and amusement parks in Sri Lanka, winning awards for his talent and services. His published novels to date are KARMA NEMESIS, ORPHAN GIRL, HOUSE MAID, FOREVER YOUNG, RASHIMI’S STORY, and now CHILD SOLDIERS.
Indika steps into the world of world of history and romances and in doing so he gives evidence of a writer who hopefully will continue to explore this genre of writing further. His reader-friendly style of writing is evident from the opening chapter as we meet Riza – ‘I stood under a mango tree with my AK-47 assault rifle in my hand, scanning the darkness and growing more tired as I watched the night sky. I was on 2AM sentry duty, and there had been nothing unusual to indicate what was to come. Everything seemed so peaceful. Then I saw a shooting star cross the sky. ‘Please lord let this war be over son an all the Tamil people live in peace,’ I wished upon the shooting star, ‘Mother, Mike I hope you are both nothing but safe. Father hope you’re in heaven looking down on me.’ It had been months since I’d seen my mother and brother. If I survived the war, I promised myself I would go back to them and make sure they were well protected.’
The well-developed and paced plot is as follows – ‘During the 26-year civil war between Sri Lanka and the Tamil Tigers, a young, immature girl is brainwashed by the Tamil Tigers to join them as a child soldier and embark on a perilous journey to seek revenge. Riza, a young upper-middle class girl from Jaffna, Sri Lanka born during the bloody and brutal 26 year Sri Lankan civil war has her whole world turned upside down when her close family member is killed in the civil war. She didn’t want anything to do with the civil war, but now she was forced to join a side, she had to, even though she was still only a child. The thirst for revenge was too great for her courageous spirit to simply ignore it. Even if it meant saying goodbye to her family she had come to love more than she ever believed possible. But things wouldn’t go so easy for young Riza, as she delves deeper into the conflict she finds out the dark and hidden secrets of the terrorist forces she joined in the civil war in order to avenge her family member. Riza will truly find out the meaning of a full-scale bloody civil war, and will learn the true meaning of sacrifice and loyalty as she uncovers the ugly side of the people she joined…Will she survive the brutal war, avenge her fallen family member and return to her family, or will the horrors of war get the best of young Riza?’
Another superb novel – for both the intended Young Adult audience and for adults. Indika Guruge is an important author, worthy of our attention.
Sri Lanka author Indika Guruge earned his Bachelor of Commerce in Business Management at Royal College and was an Honors graduate of the National University Singapore. The handsome young man now works in real estate and property development. He is a director of The Guruge Group of Companies, a prominent outfit of property development and amusement parks in Sri Lanka, winning awards for his talent and services. His published novels to date are KARMA NEMESIS, ORPHAN GIRL, HOUSE MAID, FOREVER YOUNG, RASHIMI’S STORY, and now CHILD SOLDIERS.
Indika steps into the world of world of history and romances and in doing so he gives evidence of a writer who hopefully will continue to explore this genre of writing further. His reader-friendly style of writing is evident from the opening chapter as we meet Riza – ‘I stood under a mango tree with my AK-47 assault rifle in my hand, scanning the darkness and growing more tired as I watched the night sky. I was on 2AM sentry duty, and there had been nothing unusual to indicate what was to come. Everything seemed so peaceful. Then I saw a shooting star cross the sky. ‘Please lord let this war be over son an all the Tamil people live in peace,’ I wished upon the shooting star, ‘Mother, Mike I hope you are both nothing but safe. Father hope you’re in heaven looking down on me.’ It had been months since I’d seen my mother and brother. If I survived the war, I promised myself I would go back to them and make sure they were well protected.’
The well-developed and paced plot is as follows – ‘During the 26-year civil war between Sri Lanka and the Tamil Tigers, a young, immature girl is brainwashed by the Tamil Tigers to join them as a child soldier and embark on a perilous journey to seek revenge. Riza, a young upper-middle class girl from Jaffna, Sri Lanka born during the bloody and brutal 26 year Sri Lankan civil war has her whole world turned upside down when her close family member is killed in the civil war. She didn’t want anything to do with the civil war, but now she was forced to join a side, she had to, even though she was still only a child. The thirst for revenge was too great for her courageous spirit to simply ignore it. Even if it meant saying goodbye to her family she had come to love more than she ever believed possible. But things wouldn’t go so easy for young Riza, as she delves deeper into the conflict she finds out the dark and hidden secrets of the terrorist forces she joined in the civil war in order to avenge her family member. Riza will truly find out the meaning of a full-scale bloody civil war, and will learn the true meaning of sacrifice and loyalty as she uncovers the ugly side of the people she joined…Will she survive the brutal war, avenge her fallen family member and return to her family, or will the horrors of war get the best of young Riza?’
Another superb novel – for both the intended Young Adult audience and for adults. Indika Guruge is an important author, worthy of our attention.
January 31, 2019
The author is brilliant in detailing the opening scenes of a 14 year old Razi - Armed with an an AK-47 and a suicide capsule in a necklace around her neck in the midst of a political war in Sri lanka where she and other children known as Tigers are fighting for their freedom. The author’s skillful writing sets the stage for what his readers know is going to be a devastating time of war and all of its horrors.
And then to how it all began - to when Razi was born - during a time of civil war where no one was free and the militant murderers were wild with rage and unlawful politics and purpose in the name of their corrupt government- I was so frightened as I read and imaged the horrors of the innocent people murdered, lives destroyed, families torn apart and for the children kidnapped and forced to be trained as soldiers as well as those who felt obligated and honored to join forces against the oppressors.. The pictures the author shows in this book where they lived and what they look like as child soldiers really made a difference in my being able to completely imagine and see how they lived and way too often how they died. The pictures of children in army fatigues carrying rifles was heart wrenching to see. This book is raw, real and not for the faint of heart . And so to avenge her father’s death Riza leaves her home, her mother and her brother and joins the resistance, the Tigers, against those who killed her father and in her mind believes that she is honoring him by fighting in this war even if she dies. She is only 12 The historical accountings are an added informative bonus as the author blends the history into Razi’s story. The harsh realities are devastating. Razi is determined to fight at all cost and so she does. The horror of war is well-documented and well written by the skillful writer as he honors all those who fought, all those who died and all those who escaped. I wept.
And then to how it all began - to when Razi was born - during a time of civil war where no one was free and the militant murderers were wild with rage and unlawful politics and purpose in the name of their corrupt government- I was so frightened as I read and imaged the horrors of the innocent people murdered, lives destroyed, families torn apart and for the children kidnapped and forced to be trained as soldiers as well as those who felt obligated and honored to join forces against the oppressors.. The pictures the author shows in this book where they lived and what they look like as child soldiers really made a difference in my being able to completely imagine and see how they lived and way too often how they died. The pictures of children in army fatigues carrying rifles was heart wrenching to see. This book is raw, real and not for the faint of heart . And so to avenge her father’s death Riza leaves her home, her mother and her brother and joins the resistance, the Tigers, against those who killed her father and in her mind believes that she is honoring him by fighting in this war even if she dies. She is only 12 The historical accountings are an added informative bonus as the author blends the history into Razi’s story. The harsh realities are devastating. Razi is determined to fight at all cost and so she does. The horror of war is well-documented and well written by the skillful writer as he honors all those who fought, all those who died and all those who escaped. I wept.
January 23, 2019
This was amazing
I loved the story. Riza was courageous and fearless at the same time. She stood up for her people but the ending is sad. Still it’s a beautifully written story.
I loved the story. Riza was courageous and fearless at the same time. She stood up for her people but the ending is sad. Still it’s a beautifully written story.
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