Beasts of no nation

This is a stunning novel about a child-soldier in Africa that introduces a brilliant young writer and will be much discussed.

Agu is just a boy when war arrives at his village. His mother and sister are rescued by the UN, while he and his father remain to fight the rebels. 'Run!' shouts his father when the rebels arrive. And Agu does run, straight into the rebels' path. In a vivid, sparkling voice, Agu tells the story of what happens to him next.

His story is shocking and painful, and completely unforgettable. "Beasts of No Nation" gives us an extraordinary portrait of the chaos and violence of war.

Unlike anything else we have read this year, it is a gripping and remarkable debut.