The truth is closing in.
Life's not easy for Sami Sabiri since his dad stuck him at a private school where he's the only Muslim kid. But it's about to get a lot worse.
When Sami catches his father in a lie, he gets suspicious. . . . He's not the only one. In a whirlwind, the FBI descends on his home, and Sami's family becomes the center of an international terrorist investigation. Now Sami must fight to keep his world from unraveling.
An explosive thriller ripped from today's headlines, borderline is the story of a funny, gutsy Muslim-American teen determined to save his father, his family, and his life.
Review:
Allan Stratton's Borderline is a compelling, honest, and thought provoking look into one Muslim-American teen's life whose world changes in the matter of seconds.
Sami is a character who was facing a lot even before his father's arrest, so now with it added in, he's not sure what he's going to do. Since not only is his family falling apart now, but he is too.
Sami constantly managed to surprise me with how far he would go to save everything; his life, his mother, and most importantly, his father; since I'm sure some teens would just hid in a corner. But not Sami. He's not only gusty, strong, and brave but a great friend and son even with the set backs he receives because of who he and his family are. Also, his friends, Andy and Marty, managed to win me over from the start because of the funny undertone they gave this mostly serious story.
The premise of this is one you see in the news everyday. A guy arrested for being a supposed terrorist. Though, when seeing that kind of news, do you ever think about the person's family? Well, I have to admit, I don't. So with Borderline showing the after effects occurring to the family members, it was a unique trait for this novel to have. Since I never would have thought how much Sami's life would change, how people would look at him like he was the plaque and judge him just based on his father's decisions; it was simply a horrifying awakening. And even more horrifying with the different types of injustice that Stratton showed can occur in the legal system. It all just really makes you think.
Even with Borderline being a book that I liked, it still had some faults. Such as the slow pace in the beginning, the sometime soap opera like characteristics, and the lack of action that I thought would be present. But these problems were mostly small which left them to not detract too much form the overall story.
In all, Borderline is a book that calls to be read no matter who you are because not only is it truthful and compelling, but it reminds you of a very simply saying; don't judge a book by its cover, because it, or the person in this cause, can end up surprising you in a big kind of way.
Grade: B-
Borderline is now out!
Source: Publicist at Harper Collins. Thanks Marisa!
Wonderful review! I'm going to have to read this one for sure. I like how it takes a topic we're all familiar with yet gives it a personal spin.
ReplyDeleteIt's nice to see another cross-culture novel. It opens people's minds up for more possibilities.
ReplyDeleteGreat review. And your so right about don't judge a book by it's cover. I have to stop doing that. The book sounds very interesting and nice to read. I don't know if I can handle a slow pace at the moment and lack of action.
ReplyDeleteLauren, hi --Glad you liked my book. I remember when I was eight I was convinced that when I grew up I'd be accused of a murder I didn't commit and be hung. That idea that life isn't fair and we're judged by rumors and gossip has stayed with me all my life. It's one of the things behind this book.
ReplyDeleteCheers,
Allan