I am not sure where I first came across this short story collection (or more accurately, 3 short stories and 2 novellas) but I recently came across it in a pile of my "to read" books.

"Say You are One of Them" is a collection of short stories about the numerous political and religious conflicts on the continent of Africa told through the voice of a child. While I was moved by the horrific stories,(prostitution, human trafficking, religious persecution, and civil war) something was still lacking emotionally for me.

Akpan writes dialect that I had, at times, a very hard time following. I found myself skimming certain sections due to the variation in wording and thus never felt a full connection with the story-teller. In the two "novellas" I felt that they were almost too drawn out and I lost interest and found myself continually flipping forward to count the number of pages until the end of that story. I felt as the simple fact I lost interest took away from the horrific situations the author was trying to address.

Overall, I am glad I pushed through and completed the collection if only to become more aware of the horrible conditions much of Africa suffers through each day, but I am disappointed that due to the disconnect I felt, the information will most likely easily pass away.