This is a very powerful story. The issues refugees face are in the forefront of the media today and this is a powerful story for young adults about the struggles.

Illegal is the tale of two brothers who are trying to escape their home and reunite with their sister who is now in England. The boys gone on a dangerous journey over desert and seas. This is a great graphic novel for middle grades and up. Fans of Alan Gratz's Refugee will enjoy this book as well.

Illegal by Eoin Colfer and Andrew Donkin brings the refugee story front and center and paints a clear picture of the human experience. As the setting bounces back and forth in time for the story of two brothers trying to make their way to their older sister in Europe, the story will cause your own hopefulness and despair to bounce back and forth as well. Make the time to experience this powerful graphic novel. It will set the stage for a discussion with older middle-grade readers and beyond.

Beautifully painful story, both heartbreaking and healing. I can’t wait to share this story in my small town library, it’s important to hear these stories!

Offers a powerful perspective to the immigration narrative.
Beautifully illustrated.
I'm eager to share this story with students.

This graphic novel tells the timely story -- illegal immigration. Eoin Colfer brings the characters to life and makes me think and care more about my global world connections. Perfect choice for middle school and high school curriculum regarding current events in immigration.

Wonderful and important story to share in this climate. I really appreciated the additional content at the end of the book.

I think the more stories of immigrant and migrant children we can collect, the better. I haven’t seen one in graphic novel form before. This would be perfect for reluctant readers!

Unsurprisingly, this is a solid, deeply personal graphic novel that I think will connect to many readers.

Colfer's Illegal portrays the dangers faced and bravery shown by immigrants leaving Northern Africa for Europe in a highly engaging graphic novel format. Students will take the journey vicariously with the brothers and root for them the whole way.

I was very interested in reading this book when I heard about it. I didn't know it would make me cry. This gives a moving and realistic portrait of the struggle of modern immigrants. It reminds the reader how much many people are willing to risk and sacrifice for a chance at a better life.

Topical and well-illustrated, this is an interesting new work from Eoin Colfer. This will definitely appeal to teens wanting to know more about the topic.

Illegal is a deeply moving graphic novel that tracks Ebo as he attempts to migrate from his village in Ghana to a new life in Europe. Each stage of his journey; from the trip across to the Sahara desert to the harrowing sea journey are wonderfully illustrated. Although Ebo’s story is fictional it’s followed by the real-life story of a young woman named Helen.
Illegal is aimed at MG and YA but I think adults would love it too.

Powerful, poignant, and bittersweet.
A stark reminder that for many immigrants the journey to their new home is an agonizing undertaking -- they are often fleeing from their home country due to war, persecution, poverty, etc.

Thanks to NetGalley for an eARC copy of this graphic novel.

I think this is one of the best graphic novels I’ve ever read. Be prepared. It is a rollercoaster of emotions. I’ve never once geared up from a graphic novel but this one had tears streaming down my face.

I was engaged the entire time, pulled in and spurred to emotions by the narration and illustrations. This has some of the best storytelling I have seen in this format. Usually I have a sense of disconnect when I read graphic novels because of the information the authors leave out that would normally be in a book. I didn’t feel that with this one.

I’d also like to note that it is a different immigrant story than the one I have grown used to. This one features a young boy trying to make it from Ghana to Europe. This allowed a fresh look into these characters life’s and gave me a different, new perspective when it comes to the immigration situation.

I feel like this book is important. These things are really happening and they shouldn’t. There should be more humane ways to handle these kinds of situations, of helping people get to where they need to be.

Illegal is relevant and honest. It tells the story, based on real refugee accounts, of a boy in Africa trying to get to Europe. The adversity he faces is unbelievable, packed in a small raft leaking water while unable to swim, traveling through the desert on foot with no water, yet is what refugees throughout the world are facing. Refugee stories are hard to accept and understand, especially for young adults.

This graphic novel will appeal to students interested in the topic and also to reluctant readers. It will be an aid for educators teaching about refugees and immigration because of it's visual nature and relatable characters. The amazing visuals and perfect amount of text make this a perfect selection for even 5th and 6th grade reluctant readers. Even though it is fiction, it is rooted in nonfiction, which will appeal to teachers and parents who are still not open to graphic novels as good literature. The subject matter is deep and somewhat mature in nature so it should be noted as a YA book, rather than an elementary selection.

This is fictional story made from pieces of what refugees truly experience as they make their way from Africa to Europe. People who attempt the journey make their way across Africa, through the Sahara until they reach Tripoli. They save their money and pay for a ride across the desert. Once they reach the port city, they must find passage on a boat or ship to cross over to Europe. If they make it across the Mediterranean, they are taken to refugee centers and must find a way to make a living and meet up with family members who have made the journey before them.

For this account, readers follow a boy named Ebo as he tries to find his brother Kwame and join him in the journey to Europe to reunite with their sister Sisi. They encounter many difficulties including illness, dishonest human traffickers, flash floods, and leaky boats - to name a few. Throughout their ordeal, Ebo never gives up hope, just like many of the real refugees. The back matter includes an account (put into comic book form) of a refugee named Helen.

This is a useful book for classes studying immigration, refugee situations, current events, or humanitarian organizations. The format makes the story very accessible and helps students visualize the conditions refugees endure to reach their goal.

Ebo’s brother Kwame is missing. But Ebo knows where he’s gone: he’s gone to find their sister. Life in Libya is hard, so Ebo and Kwame’s sister, Hannah, left and promised to send back money once she was installed in Europe with a new job and more money. But since she left, Ebo and Kwame have heard nothing from her. So when Ebo wakes up one morning and Kwame is gone, Ebo knows he must go after him. What follows is the harrowing, heartbreaking story of Ebo’s journey through dangerous cities, deserts, and the ocean.

Wow. Look, I cry a lot, and am no stranger to crying whilst reading. But this book made me sob. Like, uncontrollable tears running down my face. The refugee story is often a sad and intense one, and Ebo’s is certainly no exception. And then, when you think about Ebo’s story in the context of it being a real thing happening to real people in this world that we all share, and the US is actively turning away people in similar if not the same situation, well, its depressing. But importantly so. One must also consider the fact that thousands of children, thousands of people are dying, and no one seems to care. It’s a deeply sad book that will cause lots of introspection, but for me, that’s a good thing. This is an issue that needs more attention.

The stunning artwork added to the impact. Seeing Ebo’s expressions - the heartbreak, loss, and hope playing out across his face – made what was already an intense, powerful story all the more affecting. I loved pretty everything about this book, and I hope you take the time to read it. 5 stars.

Thanks to Baker & Taylor, Netgalley and Sourcebooks for the free paper and electronic advance copies, which I received in exchange for an honest review. Illegal is available for purchase now!

The only thing that keeps this from being five stars is that the back and forth storytelling was off putting. I understand it was there to build up the tension, but since we know, from the first page, who makes it onto the boat, I was not worried about people or I knew who was not going to live to see the boat. If the story were told in a straight line, I do not think I can find a flaw. The last line in the author's note that "everyone of them is a person" was perfectly placed and exemplified the point.
4.5 stars. Thanks to Net Galley for the ARC.

This haunting story is both timely and unfortunately timeless in that the refugee crisis has been going on like this for so long. It gives so much context to what we often see as a single news story of a single moment in a much larger and longer journey. The art matches the story perfectly, the luminous eyes and frenetic lines convey so much.