Borderline

by Allan Stratton

Life’s not easy for Sami Sabiri, especially since his dad stuck him at a private boys’ school where he’s the only Muslim kid. But it’s about to get a whole lot worse.

When Sami catches his father in a lie, he gets suspicious. Unfortunately, he’s not the only one. In a whirlwind, the FBI and RCMP descend, and Sami suddenly finds his family at the centre of an international terror plot. Everything he’s ever known comes into question as Sami fights to keep his world from unravelling.

Genres: Young Adult, Realistic Fiction, Mystery, Fiction, Thriller, Terrorism, Suspense

308 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 9, 2010

About the author

ALLAN STRATTON is the internationally acclaimed author of CHANDA'S SECRETS, winner of the American Library Association's Michael L. Printz Honor Book, the Children's Africana Book Award, and ALA Booklist's Editor's Choice among others. His first YA novel was the ALA Best Book LESLIE'S JOURNAL. His latest, CHANDA'S WARS, a Junior Library Guild selection, won the Canadian Library Association's Young Adult Canadian Book Award, 2009, and is on the CCBC Best Books List.

The German/South African film version of CHANDA'S SECRETS has been named an Official Selection of the 2010 Cannes International Film festival. the film title is LIFE ABOVE ALL. You can read about Allan's experiences on set on the December posts of his blog.

Allan's new novel, BORDERLINE, a coming-of-age mystery/thriller, came out in March 2010 from HarperCollins with starred reviews in Publishers Weekly and School Library Journal and raves in Booklist, Kirkus Reviews and Quill and quire..

He loves travel, cats and dogs, ice cream, working out, doing readings and workshops -- and, oh yes, meeting readers!

Allan is published in the USA, France, Germany, Korea, China, Japan, Vietnam, the Netherlands, Great Britain, Canada, Australia and Slovenia. You can read more about his books, and visit him online at www.allanstratton.com

Reviews

[Allan Stratton]

Hi,

I'm the author of BORDERLINE -- and I love meeting readers. If you have any questions about the book, please email me here or through my website www.allanstratton.com

BORDERLNE is a coming-of-age mystery/thriller/suspense centered around a gutsy, funny, Muslim teen whose dad is accused of being part of an international terrorist plot. To save his family, Sami must risk everything to discover the truth about his father's secrets. It's a story about parents and children, family and friendship, identity, the courage to fight for truth, and the conflict between staying true to oneself and fitting in.

I wrote it because of a couple of questions in my own life: My mom left my dad when I was a baby and I soon realized that the dad I knew was different than the dad my brother and sister knew. I asked myself -- Who is Dad really. And, if I can't know my own dad, how can I know anybody?

Also, when I was eight I was certain that when I grew up I'd be accused of a murder I didn't commit, and be found guilty and hung. Pretty sunny thought for an eight-year-old, hunh? My concerns about injustice have stayed with me always.

[Richie Partington · Rating 5 out of 5]

20 December 2009 BORDERLINE by Allan Stratton, Harper Teen, March 2010, 320p., ISBN: 978-0-06-145111-9; Libr. ISBN: 978-0-06-145112-6

"Roll you down the line boy, drop you for a loss,
Ride you out on a cold railroad and nail you to a cross."
-- Petersen/Lesh "Unbroken Chain"

"Sometime after midnight, I eventually drift off. I wake up at four, drenched in sweat. For the first time since I can remember, I have this need to pray. I wash my hands, face, and feet in the laundry tub. Lay a blanket on my bedroom floor as a prayer rug. Face Mecca, and begin to bow, kneel, prostrate myself, praying in Arabic for God's blessing.
"I've prayed the first chapter of the Qur'an so many times, I've stopped hearing the words. But now, in the predawn dark, they ring clear. Each syllable connects me to a power bigger than myself, a world of others praying the same words. My forehead tingles. I'm not alone."

The progression of events in Allan Stratton's absorbing new coming-of-age tale BORDERLINE -- particularly what befalls fifteen year-old Mohammad Sami "Sammy" Sabiri at the Theodore Roosevelt Academy for Boys -- is at times so outrageous and unspeakably evil that there may be skeptics who will argue that such behavior on the part of school administrators and law enforcement authorities could not take place in America today. But those who know their American history will likely respond by citing scores of textbook examples revealing this tale involving Muslim hate mongering in twenty-first century America to be just one more link in a long chain of unfortunate blemishes on the face of our so-called sweet land of liberty.

"Then I think of what our imam says: 'Show me what a man attacks, and I'll show you his sin.'"

BORDERLINE, set in Rochester, New York, is an eye-opening mystery and adventure story involving what happens before and after the FBI tears apart Sammy's home and arrests his father as a member of an international terrorist conspiracy ring. Sammy has always known his father to be an overly strict but good man. But he just doesn't know what to think -- or what the real truth about his father might be -- because, shortly before the FBI raid, he uncovers his own evidence that his father has blatantly lied to him about a business trip to Toronto. The anti-Muslim sentiments that we see Sammy and his parents frequently encountering prior to the surprise raid seduce us into presuming that Sammy's father is being railroaded. But is he really innocent? It turns out that Sammy will find it necessary to take some crazy risks, putting his own safety on the line in order to uncover the truth about his father's involvement in the alleged plot.

"'We can't choose what life throws at us. But we can choose what we do about it. Our choices are who we are. And who we are -- that, no one can take away from us.'"

We live in a country where the swiftboating strategy employed in the last election contest against our President was a whisper campaign claiming that he, Barack Obama, is a really a Muslim; that he is one of Them rather than one of Us. Hate mongering in America is nothing new, of course. Whether identified by the color of the face, the slant of the eye, the sound of the name, the choice of the partner, or the manner in which freedom of religion is practiced, there always seems to be those in America who are ready and willing to mark the next group whose turn they believe it is to become the focus of hate and suspicion; to be the next Them.

"And so it goes and so it goes
And so it goes and so it goes
But where it's goin' no one knows"
-- Nick Lowe

What I pray for is that it won't always have to be this way.

Richie Partington, MLIS
Richie's Picks http://richiespicks.com
BudNotBuddy@aol.com
Moderator http://groups.yahoo.com/group/middle_... http://slisweb.sjsu.edu/people/facult...

[Kristin · Rating 5 out of 5]

v. v. nice tautly paced....makes-you-think-about-the-world-we-live-in thriller. recommend highly...esp for teen boys...and a truly positive portrayal of a strong male muslim teen character, who is true to his faith and really wants to do the right thing.

[Sara Shalash · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whoa. What an intense read! Being a Muslim girl, I have to say that Borderline was the closest representation of Islam that I've read about. It wasn't perfect, but it was close to it. It was nice having so much in common with the main character. I haven't read anything about this subject and I'm sure not many have you either.

Sami is forced to attend an all boy academy after having some trouble at his old school. Although he keeps his two buddies with him, everyone else makes fun of him. He sticks out like a sore thumb. Sami is really confused about his identity and who he is. He never had a really close relationship with his dad. Everything is going pretty normal, aside from his dad's sneaky behavior. After the blink of an eye he witnesses his dad being dragged out of the house for being accused of being a terrorist. Sami doesn't know what to believe. The family is flipped upside down.

Sami was such a strong character. I loved seeing things through his eyes. I was so proud of him, he was a great son and friend. I was very glad to see his transformation throughout the book. He went from being lost to being proud of who he was. I mean imagine having a father being watched and accused of being a terrible person by about the whole country. Along with everyone else, I even automatically assumed he was guilty. But there is always more parts to the story. It was crazy to watch how the family was treated. The mother lost her job and Sami was even asked if he wanted to drop out of the academy. Cameras were everywhere and everything was bugged within reach of their house.

There were a couple of complaints that I had. The beginning was kind of slow, but it definitely picked up during the second half when more of the action begin. Boy did I love the action parts, it was very intense. And I wasn't the biggest fan of the writing.

Those little complaints didn't take away from the story at all. I thought that this was a very important book and it was quite enjoyable. It taught me not to judge anyone and that there is always more to a story. You usually don't get to see what really happens during these situations, but now you can. Mystery, thrill, a life lesson- it's all there. I would definitely recommend this one to anyone (:

Taken from my book review blog at Along For the Ride

[Kate Ringer · Rating 2 out of 5]

This story was so fast-paced and engaging. I'm certain that my students will like it, and it connects perfectly to students' interests in racism, bullying, Islamophobia, and the criminal injustice system. I also like how the protagonist's friends stuck by his side no matter what.

[Int'l librarian · Rating 3 out of 5]

I almost stopped reading this book at least three times, when the plot hit its unbelievable peaks. A gang of students torture a classmate in the bathroom, a teacher breaks up the attack, and the gang is able to twist the story and blackmail the teacher into retiring? A US teenager sneaks into Canada to uncover a terrorist, and convinces his two goofball buddies to join him? The FBI conducts its own raid of the teenager’s home – his father is implicated in the terrorism after all – assaults the teen and destroys the family’s home in the process?

Just like our hero Sami Sabiri, I didn’t give up. Sami keeps struggling, and I had to find out what would happen. In the biggest surprise, the conclusion almost succeeds in explaining away the ridiculousness. Not quite, but it’s a tribute to Stratton that he came so close. He also provides an interesting perspective on the conflict some teens face to balance peer pressures and Islamic family culture.

[Jo · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fast paced thriller which really held my interest. I loved the fact that we get to see from the POV of an Arab-American family. It showed the prejudice that these families live with and was a little bit about bullying as well. Sami was a great conflicted character. He wanted to honor his religion but fit in as well. How does a teen do that in today's society that picks on the one who is different? Stratton does a great job of showing his conflict. I think the value of the book lies in forcing the reader to confront those prejudices about others who may worship differently.

[Nicole Parsons · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sami Sabiri is the only Muslim teen in his high school. Being raised by ultra conservative parents makes him feel like an outsider. When Sami's father starts to become more distant and even cancels a father-son weekend trip to Toronto Sami envisions the worst. Then the FBI shows up at the Sabiri house and accuses Sami's father of being part of a terrorist organization. Sami must risk it all to save his father, his family, and their reputation. Very realistic and exciting.

[B · Rating 4 out of 5]

How Sami, a Muslim American high schooler, deals with the arrest of his father for being accused of terrorism. His father has done some unexplainable things but Sami believes in his innocence and is determined to bring out the truth. A good contemporary story.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clean, clear writing with believable characters and good plot.

[Chloe · Rating 3 out of 5]

The characters: In the book Borderline there is a small group of teen boys, Smai is the main character. He didn't even make friends until he got into high school. But his dad made him go to all boys schools because of what happened when he went to a public school. At the all boys school he was bullied every single day he went to school, all because he was Muslim. I personally really Sami, he has been through a lot with his dad he was given every reason to turn on him but instead he did everything he could do to save him.

Plot: The beginning of this book could have gone a little bit faster. I felt like the background information could have gone faster and was dragged on. It would have been better if there was more information on what each character looked like. The middle was really good, it was my favorite part. It was just the right place, it was interesting. The ending I did not like for everything that Sami and his family went through the ending should have been more realistic and not as relaxed and was extremely unrealistic. The ending is not what would happen in real life something else should have happened and not just Sami's dad got released and the government admitted that they were wrong. In real life, the government almost never admits that they were wrong especially when it involves an alleged terrorist. Also, the FBI was trying to find an alleged terrorist it extremely unrealistic to have a boy in high school find him before the FBI.

Writing Style/Language: The writing style was very easy to follow. While reading the book there were some Muslim religious words that you will have to look up so you know what is happening in the story. It was easy to follow. The author does a good job of not making it confusing in which characters thought are whos. It's not confusing you know what's happening. The author gives a lot of detail in the surrounding area. I wish that the author would have given more information on what each character would look like so us readers could make a picture in our heads.

Theme: The theme of borderline was social justice. The theme was extremely present. The main character Sami was bullied every single day that he went to school. He herd " Yo, sand monkey"(Stratton 47) by the rich boys that went to his school almost every time they passed each other. Sami was not the only one that was judged on the fact that he was Muslim, his dad was also. His dad was accused of being in a group that was planning to attack the United States because they were all Muslims. He was "Just packing family photos and mementos" (Stratton 270). He was planning on giving the pictures to his long lost son.

Compare/Contrast To Kill A Mocking Bird: Borderline and To Kill A Mocking Bird have a very similar theme of social justice. In To Kill A Mocking Bird Tom Robbinson was accused of raping a young white girl only on the fact that he was an African American male. In Borderline Sami's father was also accused of a crime that he didn't commit solely based on the fact that he was a Muslim meeting another Muslim. The other characters in both of the books are similar in the fact that they both wanted to help the man that was being accused of a crime that they didn't commit. The differences in the books are in To Kill A Mocking Bird Tom didn't get out the government didn't believe that he was innocent. In Borderline Sami's father was let out the government admitted that they were wrong unfortunately not everyone is that lucky.

Connection: One thing that I made a connection to was the main character Sami and his mother are very close. I am also very close to my mother. Also, there was a lot of crime that you see on crime shows. I really like watching crime shows reading what happened you see a lot of on crime shows. Another connection that I made was hanging out, talking with my friends. In the book, Sami hangs out with his friends all the time I try to do the same thing. I also talk to my friends all the time, in the book Sami is always talking or thinking about his friends.

[Sam Dandrea]

The characters- The main characters in the book are established very well. The author does a very good job creating a picture right away in the book of what Sami and his friends look like. Though I would have to say that toward the end when they were describing the character of "Erim" it was hard to follow what he looked like. I personally liked Sami and his friends. I did not like Sami's dad in the beginning of the book, as he did not treat Sami very well and acted very suspicious. He had said things like "I have no son"(Stratton 115) .Though in general the characters were developed well and really helped while understanding the book.

The plot- The start of the book had a very good plot. It was realistic and I personally could relate to Sami's life, and it was very accurate to today's time. There were a few things in the book that if I were the writer I personally would have changed. Sami was getting bullied in school and the things the bully was saying and acting was very aggressive, and the bully never got caught. To me personally it just seemed a little unrealistic and yes bullying is a real thing and a real issue, but the way the writer put it was just a little excessive. Getting toward the end it started to become very unrealistic. Sami was looking into why his father was taken into custody and was doing simple tasks even the FBI could have done, but he thought he could take matters into his own hands and look for the man that was an accessory to his fathers case. This mans name is Tariq, and he is a suspected terrorist. Sami as an adolescent and his friends start to investigate and find Tariq. They found him very easily and if three teenagers could have done it in a day the FBI definitely should have been able to. Just felt very unrealistic.

Writing style- The writing style is generally modern. The way Sami and his friends speak is close to how me and my friends talk. Sometimes when Sami's father would speak it could be a little hard to follow. The way he spoke to Sami was very different from how my parents talk to me. I did not like the way he spoke to him or how the writer explained how he treated him.

Social justice- At first in the book I could only pull out one example of social justice. Thinking about it now, there is many examples. It was clear in the beginning that the theme was Sami's father was being mistreated and taken into custody based off suspicion, and presumably because of his religion or the way he looks. Because this was taken place in New York, and around the 2000s, there was a lot of suspicion around Muslums and maybe how they looked because of the 9/11 attack. I later realized that Sami was also being mistreated at school and that is a form of social justice. He was being bullied and was called many racial slurs for no reason, other than what he looked like. His bully would carve things into tables like, "Sabiri sux" (Stratton 118). Along with many other things.

Comparison to TKAM- The books were very different in many ways. The time, the era, the people, all aspects of the book were very different. The connection I make is that Tom Robinson in the book "To Kill A Mockingbird" was being mistreated because he was African American. It was the same thing with Sami and his family. They were both accused of a crime with no hard evidence. They both also did not get any time to explain for themselves. They were both judged and assumed of doing something horrible only because of the way they looked.

Real world comparison- The book was pretty accurate to a real life situation. In today's world people still get judged for the way they look and their religion. It still happens that people are assumed of doing bad things when they may have not. Only because of what we see with our eyes. I think that today people are still getting judged and accused even without evidence. It is real that people should never judge a book by it's cover.

[Jack · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the book, Boarder Line, the main character's name is Mahamod Sabiri. Better known as Sami. I really liked this character due to the amount of stress he overcame in the book. Sami was non stop piled on with countless amounts of things made to rip him up and destroy him mentally and physically. You can see him throughout the whole book overcoming everything thrown his way and becoming stronger because of it. However, I did not like the character Eddy, Sami’s bully. The author, Allan Stratton needed to make Eddy more of a realistic bully. Eddy was the type of bully you see on little kid cartoons. I wish he would have been more realistic.
The plot for the most part was entertaining. The abruptness of everything and how fast pace it was kept me interested throughout the whole book. One thing I did not like was the resolution. Sami’s dad was in prison, and just like that, he was out. The government dropped all charges and everything was all happy, the end. I Wish it would have had some more meat or substance behind it, other than “ Everythings all happy now, the end”. The only Content the reader actually gets of the release of Sami's dad is just their lawyer saying “They’re letting Arman go. I’ll drive him home” (Stratton, 294). I feel the author had a chance to make something really fun and suspenseful out of this situation and didn’t capitalize on it.
The way Stratton layed out this book is very easy to follow. The language is not as mature as I wish it was. It was fairly hard for me to find new words every week that I didn't know. I wish there would have been a bit harder language in there. The book has a very good bit of dialogue, but my favorite parts of the book were Sami’s thoughts. Stratton had italicized contradicting thoughts in Sami's head and these were very interesting to read. The way Stratton portrayed Sami in the self conflict was very entertaining.
The book pulled off the theme of social justice fairly obviously. The situation Sami’s family was in clearly gave off a sense of social justice. They were an Arabic family, living in a country rocked by the effects of 9/11. Some of the first things you read about in the book include social justice, giving it off right away. On the 3rd page of the book, it talks about how Sami and his parents have secret code words to call Sami inside for prayers, as to not embarrass him in front of his friends. “Years ago, Mom convinced Dad to give me prayer calls in code, so I wouldn't be embarrassed in front of my friends” (Stratton, 3).
The relation between the two books Border Line and To Kill a Mockingbird is very minimal. The two books do not have much in common. However, the Sabiri family is discriminated against due to their religion and appearance. They are being tried in the court of law with the odds against them due to their race and religion. This is the same exact thing that happened to Tom Robinson. The FBI didn't have a lot of information to arrest Sami’s dad. The police also didn't have alot of information to arrest Tom Robbinson in the book To Kill a Mockingbird Wither.
I made connections to the real world from this book by putting myself in Sami’s Positions. The most specific example is when Sami’s house was raided and his dad was arrested. All I could think about during that part is how terrible it would have been if my house was raided, I was interrogated and my dad was ripped from our home. I really connected to this book when Sami talked about how detached from the world he felt. Sami sat in his room, upset about a fight that he had gotten into with his parents. He shoved his head into his pillow and wished he could just disappear. I think everyone has felt like that at least once in their life and that's a feeling you never tend to forget. So that moment was very easy for me to relate too.

[Charlotte Johnson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Charterers
My favorite charterer in this book is Sami Saribi. He shows growth through out the book in many different ways. One way is when he stands up to his bully that has put him through so much through out the book. "And out of nowhere, I'm filled with this weird tingling, this power. I can't describe it. All I know is, I'm not afraid. I'm not mad. In fact I'm scary-calm."(Stratton 290) He realizes that if he is calm and not scared that the bully wont hurt him anymore. At the beginning of the book he would run down the halls and hide so that this guy would not find him but now hes standing up for himself. Sami just doesn't seem real because there is no way that when his father gets arrested that the FBI wouldn't figure out where the alleged terrorist before an average 15 year old boy would.
Plot
The plot of the story was okay. I wish the ending would have been different though. The whole book there is such build up and you get a twist towards the end but that is not what I wanted. The ending for this kind of book I think was way to happy. Realistically that would not have happened in real life. One thing that was realistic about the end though was one charter that got all of the alleged terrorist in trouble in the first place. He was the real threat but the FBI let him get away with it because he was their informant and they never do anything to people who cut deals like that. I wish that that charter would have been arrested but that didn't happen.
Writing Style
I liked how the words they used is correlating with the culture of the main family of the book. I like how the author of the book made it so you could really picture what was going on. He was very descriptive through out the whole book. Also the wording wasn't to advanced so I feel like almost anyone could read this book and not get to confused even though that there are some new words in there. While charters were taking even without the author saying you could tell what kind of tone they were talking in.
Social Justice
This book shows how some people treat Muslims in upstate New York. Not to many people are accepting up there so Sami gets bullied. "Yo, sand monkey."(Stratton 47) Eddy the school bully called him sand monkey because his father is from Iran. That awful name is used many times on Sami just because he is a different race than Eddy. Also Eddy hates one of the teachers and ends up getting the teacher fired because Eddy's dad has a lot of power in the school that they go to.
Comparing and Contrasting
This book is like To Kill A Mockingbird because in both books a charterer goes to jail on not the clearest evidence. In one book a man goes to jail just because he was a black man in the south, in the other a man goes to jail just because he is shaking the hand of someone that the police was looking for. Both people did not go to prison fairly and both didn't commit the crime that they were put in prison for.
Real World
This book is like the real world because after 9/11 everyone started to believe that anyone that was Muslim was a terrorist. That is because they are afraid of anyone that looks different. So it is very likely that with some "evidence" that the father in this story would very much so be put in prison. Also innocent people go to prison all the time so this could definitely happen in real life.

[Brynn Peterson · Rating 3 out of 5]

My favorite character from the book is Neda Sabiri. Neda is the main character's, Sami, mom. She is my favorite character because she is very sweet and supportive. My least favorite characters are Sami's friends, Andy and Marty. Andy and Marty seem very judgmental. When Sami introduces himself by his real name, Mohammed, Andy said this: "That's like the Prophet, right? So if you're the Prophet, who's gonna win the world series?" (Stratton 10) They also aren't very supportive of Sami, he deserves better friends.
The plot of the story, is for the most part, good. I liked the idea of what Sami was doing, but I didn't think it seems super realistic. The plot seemed too good to be true. It wasn't realistic for a teenage boy to do. I think if the plot was a little more realistic it would be better.
The writing style of the book was good. The book was easy to read, but not too easy. I liked how the writing style because it made the book seem very well written. Although the writing style is good, there is one thing I don't like. I didn't like how the words that are part of the Muslim culture weren't explained. It was hard to understand some of the words because I'm not Muslim.
The book Borderline has social justice in it. The main character is Muslim. Because of the 911 attack, Muslim Americans were thought of as threats and terrorists just because they were Muslim. Sami dealt with bullying throughout his life, being called Prophet, etc. Sami and his family were also believed to terrorists, but it was more believable to some people because the Samiri family is Muslim.
Borderline has some similarities to To Kill a Mockingbird. In both books, their is a character that faces discrimination because they aren't white. Also, in both of the books there is a character that is accused of something they didn't do. One difference in the books is in Borderline the character accused of wrongdoing was set free and in To Kill a Mockingbird the character accused of wrongdoing was not set free. (Stratton 292) "'They're letting Arman go. I'll drive him home.'" Another difference is that in Borderline the character accused of wrongdoing is Muslim and the character in To Kill a Mockingbird that is accused of wrongdoing is black.
Borderline can be connected to the real world. Just like in Borderline, many people are discriminated against because of their religion. After 911, Muslims were assumed to be dangerous people that shouldn't be in America just because they were Muslim. Another connection is that everyday, people are being accused of things they didn't do. Innocent people are being charged with crimes they didn't commit.

[P5richief · Rating 4 out of 5]

Borderline
In the book “Borderline” by “Allan Stratton” which a story about a nerding Kid named Sami living in upstate New York who is trying to fit in despite being the only muslim kid in his entire prestigious private school. But as the story continues Sami’s suspicions start to rise about his Dad’s constant trip to toronto. Sami’s suspect an affair but that suspicion is but to rest when the FBI barges in arresting Sami’s dad as a part of an international terrorist investigation. Being this time was post 9/11 there it had been a very prejudiced time for americans toward muslims and people for the middle east which Sami’s Dad was both. Along with this conflict there is a sup-plot, where we see one of Sami’s teachers Mr. Bernstein who is a gay history teaching about the history of discrimination. Mr Bernstein is a witness to Sami’s bullying problem and tries to always step in and help whenever he can.This book is just another example of how people need to be more open minded and hopeful for other people and not keep sticking to these affol stereotypes.
After reading “Borderline” I really enjoyed reading the story and the topics it touches on. The main idea of this story is a very corvasal topic that people are facing everyday with racism and stereotyping. Sami’s Dad getting arrested is a clear example of this type of controversial topic coming into play. Were people who do not know the full story and decide to make assumption like arresting Sam’s dad in Borderline. This Book was a good way to show people to not stereotype.
I would recommend this book to anyone that is interested in the types of topic that we see in the news today, things like labeling and stereotyping others because of their differences.

[unreliable greenink · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was okay. The most interesting part was when he confronted the guy, (although I find his his friends buying his explanation to why they should go to Canada very unrealistic) and the big reveal was interesting. The way things ended seemed realistic to me.

idk about law and governments, but shouldn't you get some sort of penalty for lying to the government? Wouldn't falsely testifying to the government be similar to hindering investigations and wasting resources? Like at least a fine or something? If they could prove that he intentionally lied...

The insecurity about the main character's identity as a Muslim was kind of realistic, but at the same time he came off as a coward to me. I get it if a person doesn't want to be all religious, but you could at least respect another family member's desicion. I didn't like his lack of a spine around his friends (and everyone else). I got the vibe that he didn't want to do what his friends did, but never did he say no to them, he just gave into peer pressure every time. And then there were the bullies; he just silently went through it every time they abused him. When he finally stood up to them, it played out unrealistically and cliche. The insecurity, bullying and peer pressure are things that Muslim teens experience, so while its realistic and relatable with to some point, he's not a character that I'd like.

[Garth Mailman · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the news is a young man who has returned to Canada where he grew up claiming it isn't his fault his parents were Russian Spyies. [The sins of the father.]

Sami is the only Muslim kid in a white-bread American Suburb saddled with the first name Mohammed, an orthodox father who calls him to prayer in the middle of playtime with his buddies, the kid who has to pretend to drink beer. His salvation is his next-door neighbour Andy who takes it all in stride and makes him his best friend.

This story will resonate with anyone who was ever bullied for being different. What makes it worse is the fact that the bully's parents and the school vice principal back him up.

His father's false arrest is simply more proof of racial profiling at its worst. The war on terror is a war on fear and fear leads even governments to fearful things.

[avril · Rating 5 out of 5]

Borderline is a book I would easily recommend to anyone. I think any teen can find one particular detail they can relate to. Sami, the protagonist of the story, isn't necessarily an outcast but isn't exactly lonely. He's bullied, but he has his friends Andy & Marty by his side who are loyal and humorous when they need to be. His family life is held together pretty well until it all crashes down as Sami questions his father.
The book is easy to start & finish and it leaves you think of the injustices of our society.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un autre excellent roman de cet auteur.

Sami, jeune musulman, victime d’intimidation tente de passer inaperçu jusqu’au jour où son père est arrêté par le FBI. La vie de Sami et sa mère est bouleversée. Ce dernier tente de découvrir ce que son père a fait pour être arrêté par le FBI. S’ensuit une série d’aventures pour le jeune Sami.

Un roman qui nous montre que l’humain peut être cruel. Que parce qu’ils sont riches, certains racistes/ intimidateurs s’en sortent trop facilement. Une bien triste réalité encore d’actualité.

[Shruts · Rating 3 out of 5]

Second time in a couple of weeks that I picked up a book and within a chapter or two I suspected it was YA. Unlike the first one, this one really is. I should have read the author's bio on the back sleeve first to see the YA awards he's received. Not that there;s anything wrong with that.
Nonetheless, I kept on because I had no other book to read. Well, it's not a bad story, to be frank. I little transparent, with some simple writing but, yeah, ok.

[TY · Rating 3 out of 5]

I recommend this book for young adults. because this book is mainly about this Main character named Sami Sabiri is the most important and my favorite character. his Struggles to deal with being Muslim in a non Muslim area and accept himself for who he is. this book is TTS I'll give this book 3 stars

[Andrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was such a thriller. The title grabbed me then the booked hooked me. I loved it so so much and I could read it over and over again. The twists in the book made me go like "wow" "no no no no, this can't". Like things got so intense but so good.

[Brooke Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this was going to be a coming of age YA novel about a Muslim American high school boy. It ended up being so much more! When Sami's father is arrested in the middle of the night by the FBI, it turns into a thriller.

[hersafehaven_ · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was interesting but not in a "wow!" kind of way. The conclusion seemed kind of...stupid to me if I may say. I feel like it would have been a bit better if it wasn't for the lacklustre ending. But that's just my 2 cents.

[Maryam · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good read, sad at times with the circumstances as well. First half was boring but I liked the ending. It dealt with really important issues and made it very important for me to read. Try it out!

[Aidan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really makes you ask questions and make predictions and inferences. It's a fun and exciting read!

[Stephanie Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Birhanu · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book honestly made no sense to me.

[Kiki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fast paced, thriller that touches on the topics of Islamophobia, friendship, bullying and family. It was entertaining and had some unbelievable moments.