Allan Stratton’s Borderline is a standalone novel.
Sami Sabairi is a fifteen year old kid stuck at a private school while his best friends attend public school. To make matters worse, he is the only Muslim kid in the school, making him a target for daily bullying. Events of the past have put a strain on the relationship between him and his father. Because of this, when Sami catches his father in a lie, he gets suspicious. Unfortunately, he is not the only one with suspicions. The FBI burst into Sami’s life accusing his father of terrorism and throwing Sami’s world into chaos.
Sami lives an unfortunate life that many teenagers can relate to. He is an average kid who counts down the seconds until school ends. He is embarrassed about his home life which sometimes gets him into trouble with his parents. His major problems begin with how people judge him based on his skin color. As a child, he found it difficult to make friends and as a teenager, he must endure daily bullying. Sami proves to be a smart and streetwise kid. He is aware of many of the stereotypes and judgments that come with being a Muslim in a time and area that has little respect for them. Over the course of the book, he proves himself to be both brave and intelligent.
Borderline is a great read. It tackles current topics like racism and bullying. Allan Stratton does an amazing job of making Sami a relatable and human character. Many of the situations that Sami is in mirror problems that many people have to face. Many people can say they were bullied as a child and many minorities can admit to being bullied or judged negatively based on their skin color. Allan makes it interesting by turning the government against Sami as well. This book is a coming of age story that remains interesting throughout the entirety of the plot. While many can point out the outlandish details that dot the plot, I think that these details make the story better. It adds suspense and action to a simple coming of age story and makes the plot more interesting.