Book Review: The Border by Steve Schafer
Review by Dawn Thomas

Pages
Publisher: Source Books Fire
Release Date: September 5, 2017

Fiction, Teens & Young Adult

Location: Sonora Desert, Mexico
When seventeen-year-old Pato and his parents arrive at his uncle’s house for cousin Carmen’s Quincenaro he notices a suspicious car in front of the house. The bumper that should be chrome was painted black and there appears to be a bullet hole. His cousin and best friend, Arbo greets him but before Pato can tell him about the car, Arbo steers the conversation to Carmen and her appearance. They cannot believe how grown up she looks.

Arbo and Pato join Marcos and his sister Gladys to smoke out back, they hear gunfire. They take cover until it stops. Arbo take off towards the house. Arbo begins to wail. The scene in front of Pato is unimaginable. There are bodies everywhere. He blames himself for not saying anything about the car out front. There is no one they can trust. La Frontera, the drug gang, has infiltrated the police. The teens are literally running for their life as they try to cross the border into the United States.

This is a story of survival and loss. It is written in first person present tense. The characters are somewhat developed. There is a touching story when Arbo explains how he created his superhero to help him get through tough situations. Now more than ever, they each must reach inside and find their own superhero.

This was a very interesting book. I liked how thrilling it was and the story kept me engaged the whole time wondering if they were going to make it to safety or not. I highly recommend to anyone interested in crime thrillers that have to do with current events and different backgrounds

My apologies for missing this review--I"m not sure what happened there, but I just found it on the over three months shelf and realized I never reviewed it!

This was a great read. The story broke my heart. A day for celebrating turned into a day of terror. Pato, Arbo, Gladys and Marcos lost their family by the Narcos. I felt really bad for the four main characters as they fight for their own survival. I am glad that I finally got to read this book. It was in my ARC pile for a long time. I thought the story is needed to be heard by everyone. It was really a thought-provoking one. The author’s note at the end of the book was very interesting to read as well. He really studied and did his research. Overall, a raw read.

I thought I would like this book more than I did...

"Empathy begins with the recognition that everyone has a story."

Pato and Arbo aren't just cousins, they're best friends. They're both 16, and they live in a small town near the Sonoran Desert in Mexico. When gunmen open fire at a family celebration, Pato and Arbo go on the run along with their friend Marcos and his sister Gladys. Together, the four of them realise that there's no going back - they'll have to try and cross the border into the US. Along the way they'll face dangers that none of them could ever have imagined - and, there's a price on their heads. Will they survive?

I'm trying to make an effort to read books set in other cultures, so when this was suggested on Netgalley as something I might be interested in, I said I'd give it a go. While it's not an #OwnVoices novel, the author knows his stuff (and checks his privilege) - his piece at the end of the book on why he felt he needed to tell this story was really interesting and made a lot of sense.

This is really a 2.5/5 read for me - not just quite enough to make it to three. I felt it was hard to connect to the characters, since we didn't really get a chance to know them before the action happened. We're pretty much plunged right into them going on the run, so I didn't form a bond with any of them. Secondly, the text was littered with Spanish words - which is fine, but the characters were already speaking Spanish throughout (even though the text was in English), so I didn't see the need to throw in an odd Spanish word or sentence. A glossary would have been nice.

Talking about language, I felt that one of the most powerful scenes in the book was when the boys met people who didn't speak very good Spanish - the fear and panic in that scene was frightening. Frightening is a good word for this story overall - it's scary to know that this is happening to people as we speak. I think it's important to read about other cultures and the struggles people have that lead them to make the painful decision to leave their homelands.

This was a really realistic and terrifying book for what is beyond the border of Canada and the States. We as a people do not understand what it is like to be anything but white and priviledged. I would definitely pick this up if you want to hear a different perspective from the normal caucasian

Pato, Gladys, Marcos and Arbo embark on a treacherous journey to fight for their lives. They thought crossing the border was the hard part, but they soon realize that this is only the beginning of their struggles. They are in a race against the desert heat, gangs and themselves for survival. I struggled through this story. The content was heart wrenching and relevant to what is happening in our world today. It is hard to read about struggles that people endure, especially when it is undeserving. That feeling is multiplied when the innocents are children. The author did a fabulous job researching and creating a situation that felt real. This could be the actual story of one of the many immigrant children that sit in our public schools. This book reveals a perspective that many people choose to ignore, but dare I say, should be at the forefront of our decisions when it comes to immigration issues. This book was well written and I look forward to more books by this author. I highly recommend this story to those of high school age and beyond. This book would definitely create great discussions and maybe create some viable solutions. 4.5 stars

**I'm extremely grateful to SourceBooks Fire and Netgalley for sending me this ARC. This has in no way affected my opinion of this book.**

The Border, by Steve Schafer is such a fierce book. I don't think that's a regular adjective for describing literary works, but The Border is not a regular literary work.

Dark, gritty, but humorous at times, the story follows four teens on their journey across the Mexico/U.S. border. Pato, Arbo, Marcos, and Gladys are on the run from the narcos responsible for their families' murders. They have prices on their heads, and the journey will be grueling. They need to cross the border through the Sonoran Desert for a chance at a better life.

I was totally engaged for every second I was reading. I was thinking, I was questioning, and I was always on the edge of my seat, waiting to find out what would happen next. The journey was dangerous, with threats from border patrol, dehydration, and desert plants and animals, which built suspense. This story will be great for readers who like action, but also for those who value character and emotional depth.

I was surprised by how much I came to care for the four, especially Pato and Arbo. They were cousins, and since Pato was the narrator the reader gets a special view of their bond and their fathers' bond. I'm a huge fan of well-done family dynamics, and this was no exception. The way their fathers' deaths affected their mentalities on this journey felt so real, and the moments of grief were only heightened by the added detail.

One thing I do appreciate from Schafer is that he knows when to inject a bit of humor and hope into the story, to keep readers invested in the story and not give up on a desolate narrative. Amongst all the terrors of the trip, there was the banter of friends strengthened by a harrowing experience, and a blossoming romance.

The only complaint I have is about the treatment of Gladys, Marcos' younger sister. She is often only seen as fragile, and in need of protection. I think she could have been portrayed as fiercer, maybe in that the events could have caused her to have the same growth into toughness as the others.

That being said, I think this whole story is necessary in these times because of narratives that don't always acknowledge that everyone has a story. There is a lot of controversy over immigration, and I liked that The Border didn't brashly assert a position, it just told an underrepresented, emotional, human story.

I gave The Border four stars for the obvious care shown in creating the narrative and telling a unidealized story with the realism it deserves.

A brilliant, memorable novel. This is a book that shows the other side of the very debated issue of illegal migration. I’m not usually a fan of books that approach the dark side of society, but this one is a must-read for people to realise that in the end, we’re all human and most of the time illegal immigrants are victims forced to flee their homes due to events beyond their control.

A peaceful night of celebration turns into a bloodbath. During the birthday party of his cousin, Pato, Arbo, Gladys and Marcos sneak away quietly from the house to smoke. Suddenly the sound of multiple gunshots ring through the night and the group returns home only to find their families dead and the shooters still in the house. Forced to run, with nowhere to go and a bounty on their heads, the four teenagers are driven across the desert in hopes of finding sanctuary in American territory.

The storyline is very solid and the details are very nicely described. This truly is the perfect novel that portraits the current issues of society and how quickly the media and the people forget that sometimes illegal immigrants are running from life-threatening situations, in this case, extreme violence. It explores how much a person can endure, how they react in extreme conditions just to have a chance at an unknown future. Steve Schafer managed to capture perfectly the effects of the traumatic experience of these characters and it’s both admirable and heartbreaking. This novel shows that all a person has at some point can be taken away and that nothing should be taken for granted. If the objective of the author was to inspire compassion, understanding and empathy towards the victims of the horrors that lead to illegal immigration, he did a brilliant job. For me, he marked literature with this novel.

The characters are very well-developed and it’s very easy for the reader to connect with them. Each one reacts to events and interprets information different, which gives the reader to understand them and bond with them in different ways. It’s even easier to get entangled in their story, to really feel for their struggles and to root for them in their journey. I felt emotionally connected to them and it was both a pleasure and a struggle for me, to know that even though these are characters, these are the struggles of a lot of desperate people.

The story is quite fast-paced and intense at times but it has its slow moments too; I would say that it’s to give the reader a break and to give some time to adjust to the events that occurred before. There aren’t just moments of sadness or fear; there are also moments of humour and some drama when a line of romance starts to develop between two characters, which softens the story a bit and lightens the mood. One thing is for sure, the plot isn’t predictable at all, and the reader doesn’t know what is just around the corner.

It’s a fast-paced, heartfelt novel that I can’t recommend highly enough. It fully deserves its five stars and people should definitely read it at least once in their lives.

I want to thank the author for reaching out and for giving me access to the digital copy of his book through NetGalley.

A quincenera is a right of passage. A large celebration for most latin girls. It is when a girl turns fifteen years old. A big party to celebrate this milestone in life is usually thrown. There is family, lots and lots of family, friends, good food, cake and music. It marks the transition from childhood to young womanhood. There is a big pretty dress and a court made up of friends and family. It is a memorable event. Not one I see mentioned in novels or movies, much. Schafer opens up his novel with this celebratory event.

The reader is lured into a fun and safe place but tragedy strikes fast and the story unfolds right before your eyes. Pato, Arbo, Marcos, and Glady are our main characters and they have stepped away from the main event when gunshots ring out. When they return to the scene they find they are the only survivors. Everyone else is gone except the gunmen. The gunmen are Narcos and the only way to escape with their lives is to flee.

The fighted, young group of teens are wanted by the narcos and have price put on their heads. The only way to make it alive it to cross the border from Mexico into the United States. Getting to the border is the easy part. Crossing the vast empty, hot land with little to no supplies and surviving will be near impossible.

Their voyage is fraught with many issues and one can't help but to imagine the desperation not only these characters feel but that of those who attempt to cross the border into the United States every day. There are predators all around, animal and human. Minimal water, oppressive heat, no medication, no map are a few of the issues they will be forced to face.

The character's are realistic. The story is touching and covers a variety of topics that we don't see in the media or that isn't understood.

The characters' are flawed and Schafer does an excellent job of giving them voice and making them "alive". I felt a connection to each of them and could easily see them in the people I know, the people I lov and the strangers on the street whose background story I don't know.

This was an extremely emotional read for me and it left me feeling helpless, powerless and slightly misanthropic yet I encourage you to read this. I highly recommend it.

There is spanish in the novel and it isn't always translated or translated correctly but I feel that a reader would still get the gist of what is being said.

Four teens in Northern Mexico run for their lives when a drug cartel targets them. The teens decide to cross the border into the United States and learn firsthand of the excruciating hardships undertaken by those who follow the same path. Author Steve Schafer does a brilliant job of making the excoriating desert heat a reality in his realistic, heartbreaking novel The Border.

Cousins and best friends Pato and Arbo can’t wait for the start of Arbo’s sister’s quinceañera. A quince, as it’s known for short, always means great food and a family celebration. Life may be hard in their small town in Northern Mexico there on the edge of the Sonoran Desert, but Pato and Arbo have no complaints. Their fathers, brothers, share a construction business and always talk about bringing the boys into it one day. Now that they’re both 16, Pato can practically see himself and Arbo working side by side in the family business.

For now, though, the boys get ready to enjoy Carmen’s quince. Invited to the party, among others, is Marcos, a year older than Pato and Arbo and soccer superstar. Marcos oozes confidence, on the field as well as with girls. His little sister, Gladys, also tags along to the party, and Pato has always noticed her. She stands out from all the other girls because of a quiet dignity that she possesses and that Pato appreciates.

At Carmen’s quinceañera, the four teens sneak behind the house to smoke a cigarette. As they talk, they hear gunshots, which have come from Arbo’s home. The targets? Everyone at the party, particularly Pato and Arbo’s fathers. In a burst of bravery, Marcos runs into the home and manages to shoot one of the killers before the four teens run.

The small act of revenge brings on life-changing consequences. After seeking help from an unlikely friend, the teens find out that the people who attacked their families weren’t just run-of-the-mill mercenaries. They were members of the drug cartel La Frontera, Spanish for The Border, and they had serious problems with Pato and Arbo’s fathers. Since Marcos killed one of the gang members, La Frontera now wants to find Pato, Arbo, Marcos, and Gladys and execute them as well.

They’ve lost their entire families, and now they must face the reality of giving up the only home they’ve ever known. But what other choice do they have? If they stay in Mexico, no matter where they go, La Frontera will find them. Leaving means crossing the other border, the one that leads them north to the U.S. and a life full of uncertainty. Eventually, they opt for the latter. A life of uncertainty at least means they’re alive. But they’ll have to conquer the desert before they can think of living again.

Author Steve Schafer explains in an author’s note about the extensive research he did for the story, and the novel is all the better for it. He builds well rounded characters in the four teens, and while Pato leads the way as the point-of-view character readers will feel like they know all four of the travelers by the end.

In addition to the people, however, Schafer allows the desert to become a fifth protagonist in the book, and, really, the desert turns into the story’s linchpin. It becomes just as crucial for Pato, Arbo, Marcos, and Gladys to get along with desert conditions as it is for them to accommodate one another. At some point, in fact, the drug cartel turns into a distant second to their worries about how to survive crossing the Sonoran.

Schafer doesn’t hold back on all the other story points, which results in a richly layered novel. From the initial attack at the quinceañera to the grief the teens experience at losing their families and the entire experience of securing a coyote to take them across the desert, Schafer draws readers into the story and will keep them turning pages with the most intimate details. The book’s authenticity, thanks to the sound research, makes it feel almost like a memoir.

While Schafer may have intended the book for the YA audience, adult readers will certainly enjoy and benefit from reading this story. It could offer a necessary component to the larger conversation today on immigration, its necessity, and its challenges. I recommend all readers Binge The Border by Steve Schafer.

Oh man the feels. I'm absolutely in love with this book but I would be lying if I didn't admit how incredibly hard it is to read. How heartbreaking this story is.

Four teenagers are thrust into survival mode when dozens of people, including their families, are brutally murdered at a quinceanera in Mexico in THE BORDER by Steve Schafer. These four decide, with some sage advice from people they barely know, to try to cross the border into the United States. As difficult as it appears to be, it becomes harder than any of them ever imagined it could.
A harrowing adventure of a novel, THE BORDER keeps the reader constantly wondering whether these teenagers will succeed in crossing the border and finding new lives for themselves. There is a lot of heartfelt self discovery along the way, about who they really are and who their families really are. Schafer crafts these for young people in such a way that each of their faults as individuals makes the group stronger. Having this level of detail and clarity about each character really puts the reader in their shoes and feels what they feel. Schafer also makes a commentary about the hard realities of border crossings, not just literally doing it, but its greater political and social impact on Mexico and on the US.
An emotionally charged story, THE BORDER succeeds in being a exciting adventure and shedding a light on many lesser known aspects of modern border crossing.

The Border

Wowsers, I really loved this book! Having read a little about the Mexican Cartels before and having visited Mexico in the past and seen people waiting for dark so they can sneak into the USA, this story was all the more real for me.

Carmen’s Quinceañera becomes carnage when almost all the guests are executed, the only survivors are four teens who had snuck off for a ‘smoke’ when it happened. Their lives are changed forever as they are forced to go on the run...

This is an intensely powerful and emotional read. I absolutely loved this book and it will stay on my mind for a long time to come. One of my favourite reads of 2017, I highly recommend giving it a go! Five beautifully shiny stars from purplebookstand.

Words cannot describe how important I think “The Border” is for everyone from middle grade up to read. The story really put a face on the plights of those crossing the US border from the south. The author did meticulous research and took great care to tell the story in an easy to understand manner. This would be perfect for classroom and child/parent discussions. It’s also a good choice for reluctant readers and those looking for diversity in their books. Highly recommended.

A wonderful story of friendship and bravery! Would definitely recommend!

This was a very original book indeed, like nothing I had read before. The author takes a well-known phenomenon (the crossings of Mexicans into the US) and takes us on a journey through hell. What makes it even more compelling is the fact that the people embarking on this journey are teenagers with no one left to care for them. This is certainly a lesser known, but definitely a key phenomenon in migration flows today.

The key question our protagonists are faced with at the beginning of the story is one no person should ever have to face. What do you do when leaving in search of a better life might mean never making it to the other side, but staying means certain death? This is the question Pato, Arbo, Marcos and Gladys, four ordinary teenagers, must answer quickly, after the party of the year ends in tragedy. And so they embark on what may very well be the last journey of their lives, following in the footsteps of so many before them... and with the narcos hot on their trail. Because a slight chance of making it is better than the certainty of dying.

I found the book to be very well written: there were moments throughout when I was really holding my breath. Throughout their journey, the four are faced with a myriad of obstacles, and I was left wondering up until the very end whether they would make it or not. I liked the freshness and honesty in the description of the characters, even though that meant I ended up not liking all of them equally. We see everything through Pato's eyes, as a clueless teenager having to deal with something so much bigger than him, and I enjoyed it greatly. We feel his fears and doubts, and are part of the growing process that he forcibly goes through to survive. The other characters, however, fall short by comparison. They feel like "types" more than actual people and that is a real shame because of the potential they showed at the beginning. I also wasn't a fan of the romance: I could predict something along those lines would happen, but it seemed to come out of nowhere. For a book that was trying (and succeeding!) in being original and unconventional, to fall into the trap of mandatory YA romance was slightly disappointing.

Overall, a solid read which will definitely appeal more to its intended audience than to me and does a great job of raising awareness while entertaining.

What to say about The Border?

Well, it was an okay book. I liked the story, I liked the characters, and I liked the writing, but none of the three blew me away. There were times it was super exciting and intriguing, but an equal number of times when I was just a little bored. The premise is super different and I've never ready anything similar so I do wish this one had done more for me. One thing I flat out did not like was the way the ONE AND ONLY female character was written - she was one dimensional and flat and deserved way more than given in this story. She was a object of protection and ownership for one, while the object of desire and some infighting for others. She barely had a place or voice and the few times she did, her contributions were trite at best and ridiculously sexual (flashing her breasts first in exchange for a book to give to a boy and then second to that boy because she'd already shown the clerk who gave her the book - WHY?).

I do think, based on the author's bio and the way the story felt, that it was well researched and that a lot of heart was put into the book. I think it is an important topic and one that deserves more voices and more space in today's world, and I did enjoy the book to some extent. While I won't necessarily go shouting recommendations for it from rooftops, I do think if someone finds it intriguing, they should give it a shot.