A powerful, story with characters that were easy to relate to and root for. I loved that it was a graphic novel on a deep, current topic. A great book to introduce refugees with potential for more in-depth studies on the topic.

Wow. WOw. WWWWOOOOWWWW. This book was amazing. The heartbreak, reality, compassion, fear... It was all there for the eye to see and it was brutally honest. above all else. There was easily hope and joy to be found, but oh my the reality of their situation!

This book was a profound beauty and I wholeheartedly believe that this will end up becoming required reading for kids in the coming years. Heck, I'd love to put this in some adults hands. I utterly cannot wait for this release.

This was a heartbreaking graphic novel about a boy named Ebo and his brother Kwame who go on a dangerous journey to Europe. Beginning in Ghana, they must work to pay for passage to Niger then across the Sahara desert, then Tripoli, then across the Mediterranean Sea crammed in a tiny boat with twelve others. This story shows the desperation and devastation of immigrants and refugees.

Illegal
By Eoin Colfer and Andrew Donkin
Illustrated by Giovanni Rigano
Interest Level 5-8
Book Review by Liz Kilibarda

Illegal is a graphic novel about a young boy and his siblings desperately trying to migrate to Europe for a chance at a better life. Though fictionalized, “Illegal” was inspired by the countless, tragic, accounts of people fleeing war, persecution, and poverty. Rigano’s haunting illustrations capture Ebo and his brother, Kwame’s harrowing journey through the desert and sea. Colfer and Donkin craft a tale appropriate for older children, though they do not shy away from difficult topics including violent death and the perils of human smuggling. “Illegal” is surely to provoke crucial conversations and provides the reader with a snapshot of what the migrants must endure during their travels. Could Colfer, Donkin, and Rigano provide a window into the realities of children living in refugee camps? One can only hope. Highly Recommended.

Parts of this book would definitely be useful to the class curriculum. The artwork, the content itself, and the medium combine together in such a meaningful way.

What immediately struck me about this book is the beautiful illustrations. The artist really has talent for conveying so much with colors and placement. Graphic format is definitely the best way to tell this tale.
The actual story draws the reader in quickly. One thing I appreciate is that my time is never wasted. There are lots of action and humanizing elements for the characters to keep me reading. I devoured this book in one sitting then shared a particular panel with a couple of friends. "Illegal" has a satisfying resolution - even though your heart is broken.
As a high school librarian, I am always looking for items that my patrons can see themselves in. With our refugee students, I know this book will demonstrate some truth of their lives. My hope is that other students will read "Illegal" and use it to get to know their classmates better.

Harrowing fictionalized tale of immigration. This is difficult content to cover, but both the artist and the author do so in a way that is both humane and heartbreaking.

Illegal is the story of a small boy, Ebo, who leaves Ghana on a mission to reach Europe. His way is more difficult than anything most people could imagine, involving a dangerous trip across the Sahara Desert, and an even more dangerous trip across the sea. Will he survive the trials, or will his life be lost like so many others on the journey?

It is difficult to judge this book as it is not something you can enjoy. It is a terrible story of lives that are only as valuable as the money they have. It was a moving journey, though, and hopefully will do something to help people understand some of the horrors going on in our world. There are so many that need help, and they need a better life.

Illegal is the story of Ebo and his journey to Europe. Ebo and his brother Kwame are journeying across Africa to go to Europe to find their sister. The way the book was illustrated made me feel like I was there with them on their journey.
This book is fictional, however, it is based in reality. Migrants make this journey all the time. It is something that kids in middle schools should be exposed to. I would highly recommend this book to kids in that grade level, and kids above that as well.

This is a wonderful powerful graphic novel, the story it relavent with the struggles of refugees today.

This book was so good and very realistic. It really allows for an understanding of what "illegal" migrants go through in order to have a safe life and stay with their family. It really shows that all people deserve a safe life, but unfortunately it does not happen for some people. In our current political climate and environment, this book really struck close to home. It highlights very realistically the struggles some people go through, and they seem insurmountable and imaginable. Everyone should read this book, and I think it would help people be less judgemental and more understanding, i hope.

Illegal is an amazing, harrowing story of Ebo and his brother as they try to leave Africa in hopes of finding their sister and a better life in Europe. The illustrations made me feel like I was there with them as they crossed the desert, eked out a living while saving to continue the journey, and went to sea in an overloaded raft. I was brought to tears by the end of the story.

While this book is fiction, the trials Ebo goes through are based on real immigrants' stories. There is an afterword that is the true story of a teen girl who made the journey, and it will make readers think long and hard about immigration policies and the incredible difficulties people have to overcome to attempt a life in a new country.

My thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. And my thanks, especially, to the author and illustrators of this powerful book.

A swiftly moving engrossing story told through dynamic artwork.

This book was fantastic and amazingly well executed! It tells the story of two brothers, Ebo and Kwame, as they attempt the perilous journey from Ghana to Europe where they hope to reunite with their sister. At the mercy of others and traveling over the desert and ocean, they face many dangers. The artwork does an amazing job of showing the fear and desperation this refugees experience. This is a title I will definitely be purchasing for my school library.

Images are beautifully created time draw the reader into the story. You feel what Ebo feels and you want to help him.

I wasn’t sure what I was jumping into when I opened Illegal on my computer, but I feel like it is a book everyone should read. The main subject of this book is immigration, as you can probably guess by the title, but it doesn’t focus on the issue faced by the receiving countries. The story focuses on Ebo, a young African boy (most likely from Ghana based on locations and vocabulary in the book) who travels across the continent to find his brother and sister in Europe. While he does catch up with his brother, Kwame, the journey is not easy. The ending was rather bittersweet, but I would recommend this to anyone interested in the story of immigrants. The journey for many immigrants is about life and death, and this is depicted in the brief interview with an Eritrean woman at the end of the book. Overall, this book is put together very well and it focuses on bringing a voice to these individuals who end up in the western world after surviving the journey when thousands of others die before they reach their destination.

This graphic novel is a poignant account of a young boy’s journey from Ghana, across the Sahara, to Tripoli, then across the sea with his brother. Their hope is to find their sister who has already emigrated to Europe, but their journey will be fraught with hardships. Ebo tells his story with two timelines—then and now. Colfer and Duncan will introduce young readers to some of the challenges facing illegal immigrants in this empathetic and timely narrative.

Truly a wonderful if harrowing story, and perfect for children in elementary/ middle grades (even high school). I don't know if this book is tied to any refugee crisis and relief organizations but I wish it would be. For all the good it can do, I hope it lands in the hands of a child who either realizes they are not alone as a child of crisis or a child who realizes that there is so much opportunity for helping those who are trying so desperately to help themselves.

Writers Eoin Colfer and Andrew Donkin and illustrator Giovanni Rigano created the graphic novel adaptations of Colfer’s classic fantasy action series, Artemis Fowl. With Illegal, they turn to the here and now and have created a deeply affecting and thought=provoking account of the 21st-century refugee experience.


Graphic novels can be sparse on words, but they can still tell an eloquent story as is the case with the graphic novel, Illegal, written by Eoin Coulfer (of Artemis Fowl fame) and Andrew Donkin and illustrated by Giovanni Rigano. Due to be released in August 2018, the novel is geared toward grades 3-7 and ages 10-14. As a school librarian of 34 years, I would place it on the shelf for middle school and high school due to the graphic nature of part of the story. I would recommend it to adult readers as well —It is extremely well done and moving.
The book weaves real stories of migrants from Africa and the Middle East trying to reach Europe to find a better life with a fictional twelve-year-old protagonist named Ebo from Niger. Ebo is parentless, and he and his older brother set out to find their older sister who has already made the desperate journey to Europe before them in search of a better life. Ebo and his brother must survive a journey across the Sahara Desert to Tripoli before ever braving the Mediterranean. They are many times in the hands of nefarious human traffickers and barely survive many times. This well done graphic novel tells an important story. Thank you Sourcebooks Jabberwocky and NetGalley for the Advanced Reader’s Copy of this novel and for allowing me to review it.

This is a heartwrenching and beautiful graphic novel about a boy, Ebo, searching for a better life and experiencing a harrowing journey with his brother to get there. The illustrations enhanced the text of the story which was so informative and emotionally impactful. Though this is a fictional text, elements of the story were taken from actual experiences and there is an additional graphically rendered true story to add more depth. Ebo's story is hopeful, heartbreaking, and so essential in our current time. As stated in the book, this a story that reminds us that we are all human.