Steve Schafer’s timely The Border is one of best YA novels this year

THE BORDER, by Steve Schafer, Sourcebooks Fire, Sept. 5, 2017, Hardcover, $17.99 (young adult)

There’s been much talk about the building of a wall to keep “the bad hombres” from Mexico out of the United States. The Border, by Steve Schafer, makes you question just who those bad hombres are.

It’s a time for celebration — a quinceañera for Pato’s best friend’s sister. There’s laughter, music and wonderful food. Pato, Arbo, Marcos and Gladys slip away from the lights for a smoke and the celebration slips away, too.

In seconds, the sounds of gunfire have the teens scrambling for cover. Fearful for their family, the four returns to the house only to find carnage. No one has been left alive. No one, that is, except the gunmen. The teens have been seen, and they have no choice but to run.

But where do you run to when the narcos are everywhere? When their pictures are plastered on the front of every newspaper? When the narcos are offering a reward so big no one could turn it down?

Pato and his friends can’t stay in Mexico. That much is clear. To stay means certain death, but crossing the border can be just as deadly.

The Border is one of the most gripping YA novels I’ve read this year. Even if I had wanted to put it down, I couldn’t have. It’s that good.

The opening chapters are fraught with terror. Author Steve Schafer does an excellent job setting the scene. It plays out cinematically, making you feel as if you are watching the events unfold right in front of your eyes. This same cinematic, almost visceral feel, continues throughout the novel, ending with the final pages.

The Border was inspired in part from an experience Schafer’s friend went through. One of the friend’s family members was kidnapped. Calls for a ransom were made but then suddenly stopped. The family member was never heard from again. Schafer began to wonder what he would do if something like that happened to his own family. That question sparked the idea for The Border.

Many readers will come away from The Border asking a similar question, “what would I do?” As is often the case, there’s no black-or-white answer.

The Border is a timely novel that punches you in the gut. It’s well worth your time.

Although fictional, this book deals with the real problems of living near the US/Mexico border. A group of young Mexican people are entangled in a shoot out by narcos, forcing them to flee for their lives. Well written and sensitive, this is readable and authentic.

From gun violence to sexual assault. To mental illness and racism. An increasing number of YA authors are tackling tough topics. And while there are YA and MG books that have changed my thinking, or challenged my perspective- Speak. Challenger Deep. All American Boys. The Hate U Give. Dear Martin- there are few that have incited action.

Steve Schafer's The Border takes you straight into the heart of La Frontera, and Mexico's narco war. When four teenage friends-Pato, Arbo, Gladys, and Marcus-barely escape with their lives after their family and friends are brutally murdered, they begin an impossible trek across the Mexico's hottest desert. Navigating wound-inflicting cacti, relentless heat, and the watchful eyes of the Border Patrol, Pato, and his friends give illegal immigration a face.

This is one of those books that need to be in our world. This book does for illegal immigration what The Hate U Give did for the Black Lives Matter movement and what Alan Gratz's book did for refugees.

I'll lean on this book to guide discussions on empathy and compassion.

After finishing this book, you'll think again the next time you see an immigrant. And, if you're like me, you'll head straight to websites like Humane Borders or Border Angels and make a donation to help fund water stations throughout the immigration trails.

This book came at the perfect time for me. I am taking a class on immigration and it just hit every spot.
We never truly realize how privileged we are, even when we see others who are underprivileged. This book really opened my eyes to situations that occur daily and we don't see or recognize it.

This story is told in 1st person, making it easy to connect with the character. We see how they get caught in the crossfire of the endless, pointless war that is drug trafficking. It is heartbreaking to read about these 4 people who lost it all and lived in fear because of what they encountered.

This story brings that reality into perspective and forces the reader to see and understand the pain that each of the characters experience and you're able to see and feel each of their pain. The writing is incredible forcing you to be in the same place as them.

"I wonder what life might be like had I been born over there. If I were the one sitting in the SUV with a frosty drink in hand, on my way to play at a fancy resort. Would I have noticed me watching from the sidewalk? Would I have merrily taken pictures while armored police cars rolled down the streets? Would my life have been better or just different?”

this is written as fiction but could easily be a true story. it is. You see it and hear about it all the time. Its heartbreaking and awakening at the same time. Incredible book- I highly recommend it.

This story is about four high school aged teenagers in Mexico who face a major unexpected tragedy that wipes out their families one night. They don’t know what to do and decide to cross through the Sonoran Desert and get across the border to the United States. Following their trials and tribulations as they try to follow their dream is heart-wrenching. The book was so engaging and suspenseful that I couldn’t put it down! I couldn’t imagine being in that situation and agonized every step with them.

I would highly recommend this for a high school library. Since everyone in politics is talking about illegal immigration, I think this was interesting from a different perspective. Yet, if the school didn’t want to approach this topic, there are many other topics that this book addresses that are relevant to a teenager. I think this book would be one that boys would enjoy also. It would be a great book to open discussions about illegal immigrants, relationships with peers and families, trust, survival, and drug cartels.

Wow. I know this is slotted as YA but it had a great impact on me as well. The violence these teens flee Is awful but very sadly very real. The travel across the border is harrowing, but also very real. These are sympathetic kids- especially Pato who carries such a large burden of guilt. They are no different from kids you see every day, just in a horrible horrible situation, Schafer has crafted a novel which should make you think twice about immigration policy. Beautifully written. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

Such a fitting story for this time in our country. Many see people crossing the United States illegally as not people, but statistics or threats to our way of life. This novel helps us see the people behind the political story. People with lives that matter.

I was offered this from Sourcebooks fire to read, I hadn’t heard anything about this book before, although this is not one of the books I would normally reach out for I thought I would read this and go out of my comfort zone. For me this a contemporary survival story following four teens on the aftermath of a massacre and their journey to America.

The story is told from Pato’s point of view, he is attending his cousins Quinceanera party – which is extravagant and pretty much all the family and friends are there to attend. When the party gets too much Arbo and Pato decide to skip the party for a bit and sit in their usual star-gazing spot in the desert not too far from the house.

Everything is normal and life is great until they hear gunshots….lots of gunshots.Once the shooting has stopped they go back to the party to find the whole party dead. Unawares that the gang are still in the house the boys hold the bodies – only to be seen and hunted down by NARCOS – the Mexican gang. Pato, Arbo, Marcos and Gladys need to cross the border to America that is the only way they will be safe – they don’t go to any other relatives houses in fear of putting them at risk – this is a story that follows four individuals crossing a desert for freedom.

I liked this story, but I wasn’t blown away by it.It definitely taught me how difficult it is to get across to America from Mexico and how hard it must be for people over there as the police are corrupt by gangs. It’s laughable that Trump wants to build a wall on the border – I mean thousands of people die each year trying to get across and even with a wall they will still find a way to get in. For a debut novel I was pretty impressed all the characters had their own personalities, however I don’t think their emotions came across in the writing very well. There is a bit of romance in this novel but it doesn’t takeover the main story line.

Overall I rated this 3 out of 5 stars

Thanks for reading

The Border is a really interesting and insightful novel about the journey from Mexico to the USA and the dangers people undertake when crossing the border.

I did like the story but felt really detached from the characters and what was going on and this was disappointing as I wasn't fully invested into the story. I also felt that the book dragged on quite a bit and was longer than it should be.

A very timely piece. Heart-wrenching, extraordinarily realistic, and devastating. I will recommend this to many people--teens and adults alike. Thank you for the opportunity to read it. I

2.5 Stars. I was not a fan. The book was nothing like I expected. Despite the severity of the situation, the writing and the characters felt too juvenile.

Well, DANG! I can't think of too many other books that grab you from the start and don't let go until the end like "The Border" does. I mean, by the end of Ch. 1, there are 20, 30, 40 people dead! (Okay, I can't really remember if it was by the end of Ch. 1, but it was right away!) The tension in this book was just high the whole. darn. time. I'm so glad I didn't have to visit the doctor right after reading this book because I'm sure my blood pressure and heart rate were through the roof. But that is exactly the way that young adults like their books. They don't want to wade through a bunch of world building, character background, and other expositionary details. (Is expositionary a word?) And I guess here I should qualify that statement - in general, MOST young adults like their books this way. In general, they want the action to begin. Now. Please and thank you. And they get that with this book. But, unlike some books that start off great and then fizzle out, "The Border" kept the surprises and plot twists coming. But none of it felt forced or gratuitous; sure, the fact that the main characters' plans kept getting discovered and thwarted got frustrating, but it was frustratingly believable.

As a teacher, what I liked so much about this book was the research the author put into it; reading his notes afterwards, it was clear that he was dedicated to making this book as authentic and accurate as possible. We need a new genre called "fictional nonfiction" because that's what this book is. Authors like Patricia McCormick do this SO WELL - they essentially create fictional characters who live in the real world, or take real people and gently fictionalize their story. That's what Mr. Schafer did here, and I think he did it well.

This would be an excellent text to pair with the nonfiction book "Enrique's Journey (The Young Adult Adaptation): The True Story of a Boy Determined to Reunite with His Mother."

As a teacher in a school comprised by 88% Hispanic/Latino students, half of whom are considered English Language Learners, this book hit especially hard. From the first chapter to the letter from the author at the end (which you should definitely read), I was right there with Pato, terrified as we crossed the border together to save his life. I was struck by the brutal "realness" of the story and the voice of this character. It's a very timely book.

If I could have one wish, it would be more connection to the characters. I could be showing my age but the only characters I felt connected with were Pato and Sr. Ortiz. The others...I just did not feel a connection with (which is kind of just as well considering). I downright loathed Marcos, which is better than feeling nothing at all.

I have a group of students reading it right now and I am wondering what their thoughts will be as they finish the book this week.

This book wasn't quite the right book for me. (I didn't personally request to review it, but it showed up on my shelf and I wanted to give it a try.) I do enjoy YA, but found myself overwhelmed by the dialogue to the point that I was skimming over sections. The book does pick up speed once the characters begin their trek across the border, and the author did a very good job building the suspense and painting a harrowing picture of what that journey must be like. I appreciate the timeliness of the topic and think that younger readers will enjoy it and learn something from it.

I am not in the right age group for this book but I did enjoy it in spite of being some what far removed from being a YA .the characterization was good and it did make me care about what happened to them .The banter was funny at times and broke the tension, and that was good too.Not an easy book to describe, its quite different to my usual reads, I'm not really sure what genre to slot it into to, but maybe it doesn't have to slot in I think I like it because it is different and original.To a certain extent its originality is what makes it stand out.But you will have to read it and see if you think its good for yourselves if you like the sound of it, no spoilers from me.Thanks to the publishers and netgalley for an ARC in return for an honest review.

Where to start.... I really enjoyed the authenticity of the journey through the desert. The author's note at the end made it perfectly clear Schafer did a lot of research into the crossing and the life there and everything. I loved one scene at the end that I can't say much more about without getting into spoilers. But it's there.

But... that was about it.

While I was reading I felt such a strong disconnect from the characters. I found myself not caring if they lived or died, if they got hurt, when they ran out of water etc. I think it might have been rooted in the beginning where they kept doing stupid things and I just started yelling at them like I would the characters in a horror movie. Also, things don't happen to him. They happen to literally everyone else except him.

I almost DNF-d this book during this one scene I had to put my tablet down. I couldn't even begin to fathom what happened. Like what did I just read? It's not a spoiler, it's just gross. If you want to know, ask.

And the instalove. The whole book takes place over five days. He falls in love with this girl within the first couple days. And they're planning their future together. I get it's the whole hope in the middle of a horrible situation but it just didn't do it for me. They didn't even really know each other before. Plus she's the little sister of the person that's Pato's age so the entire time I was wondering about the age difference. You're told she's about fifteen but I didn't notice how old they were. It had the potential to get weird.

And then there was the premise in itself. Running from the narcos? Can you get anymore stereotypical Mexican coming to the US?? There are a million other reasons! Wanting to go to college in the US, wanting to get out of the desert, just general teenage angst.

This book hits on what could have been a great concept and way to persuade people to change their way of thinking about illegal immigrants and instead it does exactly the opposite. It takes every stereotype and puts it in this book.

If I hadn't spent six hours in a car this weekend with almost nothing else to do I probably wouldn't have finished it.

If only Pato would have said something about the mystery car that was parked outside on the street, perhaps things might have been different. But Pato dismissed the car once he was inside the party, overwhelmed with the sights and sounds of relatives and family, the birthday party was just beginning. As the boys smoked their cigarettes back behind the house, the real excitement was occurring at the party, excitement that will have lasting effects. It was the gunfire that brought the boys running in, the bodies lying in groups and individually, the room was hopeless. There was a confrontation, one gunman is shot and one is furious to see his brother lying dead. Thus, begins the fight between these groups of individuals.

The boys and one sister are now on the run but where can they find shelter in a corrupt Mexican world? What gang would do this to their families and why? Quick thinking, leads them to an individual who loves his liquor but also carries strong feelings towards the world he lives in. With their photographs being plastered everywhere, these four young individuals must decide what to do with their lives. Mexico seems to be, no longer an option, they must cross the border yet people are looking for them and the gang will not let them survive. It’s a race against time, against criminals and individuals who want to turn them in and it’s a race against the elements.

From the beginning pages, this novel took off. As they made their journey, I found myself sitting on the edge of my seat worried with anxiety and anticipation. What awaited them as they made their way and would they all actually survive, were my main concerns. I enjoyed the confrontations and the struggles that the group experienced. Try to image what it would be like crossing an unknown territory while being under the scrutiny of others, would you be able to handle it? 4.5 stars
I received a copy of this novel from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

What drives someone to flee their country? What drives someone to leave everything they've ever known? What drives someone to risk their lives to get to a country that may ultimately turn its back on them? Unlike anything else I've ever read, <i>The Border</i> gives us a fictional look at what drove four teens to make the decision to cross.

In the author's note at the end, he says "This political discourse often loses sight of the individuals at the heart of the issue. [...] They leave desperate situations to find an opportunity for a better life. And they risk everything along the way." That couldn't be more true for our main characters in the novel. I think Schafer does a fantastic job at providing a candid look at a heavy situation that most never to get to see.

The best way that I can think of to describe <i>The Border</i> is heartbreaking, but with hope of better. It's an emotional read that feels pretty on point in terms of realism. I highly recommend it.

Hooked from the opening chapter full of action, readers will not be disappointed by The Border. Pato and his family are attending a family party when gunshots ring out and Pato's life as he knows it, falls apart. Suddenly on the run with three other teens, the young group is forced to great lengths to survive, fighting both the Sonoran desert and the Mexican gang that attacked their families.

Themes of loyalty, honour, friendship and first love are woven through the novel, as well as it being a launching point for discussion on illegal immigration, gangs, and poverty. Overall, The Border is a well-written YA story that will have a wide-range of appeal.

3.5/5 stars

This was an amazing story about four teens who lost their families to a gang shooting and find their own lives are in danger. They have to leave their country and cross the border into the U.S. But is any place safe for them? I think a lot of readers will enjoy the fast pace of this book. The characters are understandable and complex. It also will bring up discussion about immigration and maybe make the readers think twice and feel some empathy.