LitPick Review
The main character of "Borderline" is Sami, a Muslim teenager. He thinks that his life is as complicated as it gets when his strict father sends him to private school, where he is picked on and lonely because of the color of his skin. However, his life gets more complicated when he realizes his dad is keeping secrets from him and his mom. One night, the FBI break into his house and arrest his father on charges of being involved in a terrorist group. Things at school are getting worse, and when the Academy expels him for being his father's son, Sami decides to take action. He knows his dad is innocent, and he is determined to find the truth and set his father free. Finding the truth will be difficult, and the answers may be more than he hoped for, but Sami learns the true meaning of family while he fights to save his father.
Opinion:
This book is a middle-school reading level. The book seemed to be unfocused until the last half. I wish that the author would have elaborated a little more once the main plot was revealed on how it affected Sami, his mother, their community, and their faith community. The plot was easier to predict than other books I have read. However, I do not dislike the book. Even though this book is not one I would recommend for high-school age students, I will definitely tell my younger brothers to read it. The book's genre is a mix of mystery and drama; drama because Sami deals with the pressures of school, religion, and race. I am interested to read more books by this author and find how they compare to "Borderline". Overall, "Borderline" was a good read, but a one-time read for me.
