Book Review: Border Crossing by Jessica Lee Anderson

Title: Border Crossing
Author: Jessica Anderson
Pages: 174
Ages/Grades: 12 up/ 7 up
Published: October 2009
Acquired: book provided to me by Blue Slip Media

link to author website and book discussion guide

I liked this novel. I was intrigued by the storyline. I just had to know how things would turn out in the end. This is what makes a great story when you care enough for the characters to find their fate. Browsing the internet there really is not much out there on this book. This bothered me because this is a book that I think many young adults would really like. The book really captures the rough life of teens and the fact that life is not perfect for everyone.

I just read the young adult novel, Border Crossing written by the author, Jessica Lee Anderson. Border Crossing is a story about a Texas teen named Manz. Manz is part white and part Mexican who is not only trying to identify who he really is, but also trying to survive the life of dealing with Border Patrol. His mother is an alcoholic who drove me insane while reading. I think this is the point, but she is one who never comes forth with the fact that she too has a problem. The father is not around (his mother was pregnant at the age of 16), and his mother's boyfriend Tom is a truck driver who is rarely home. Manz must learn to not only deal with all the factors of being a teen, but also his home life and the fact that he is beginning to hear voices more and more everyday.

Manz becomes more and more paranoid and begins to think everyone is out to get him or kill him. He meets Vanessa at his summer job, but has a hard time accepting her friendship. The voices in his head tell him that Operation Wetback from the 50’s is up and running and that Border Patrol is coming after him. Will Manz to figure out what is real and what is not before things get too out of control? Read the book and find out.

I plan on finding the first book by this author to read as I really liked her style. The story was simple, but yet powerful at the same time. This is perfect for so many students that I talk with about books because many do not want 10 different plotlines going on at one time. The author really crafted a story that created this very simple, plain atmosphere in my mind which is what I felt the backdrop of the story should be. Manz does not have much and being in Texas the landscape is not always full of colors and smell. I sensed this drab world where it is constantly hot.

Find this book and give it a read. I am very grateful that I was sent a copy because had this not happened I would never have come across this book. Now I am off to find the first book by this author and give her some more praise.

I will be holding a contest to give this book away beginning on January 10th.

Check out the link below for a trailer on the book.