The Border
Steve Schafer
(Author)
21,000+ Reviews
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Description
Perfect for readers of This Is Where it Ends, The Border is a gripping drama about four teens, forced to flee home after a deadly cartel rips apart their families. They must now face life-threatening danger and unimaginable sacrifice as they attempt to cross the U.S. border.
"Thrilling... often brilliant."--Kirkus
One moment changed their lives forever.
A band plays, glasses clink, and four teens sneak into the Mexican desert, the hum of celebration receding behind them.
Crack. Crack. Crack.
Not fireworks--gunshots. The music stops. And Pato, Arbo, Marcos, and Gladys are powerless as the lives they once knew are taken from them.
Then they are seen by the gunmen. They run. Except they have nowhere to go. The narcos responsible for their families' murders have put out a reward for the teens' capture. Staying in Mexico is certain death, but attempting to cross the border through an unforgiving desert may be as deadly as the secrets they are trying to escape...
Product Details
Price
$17.99
$16.73
Publisher
Sourcebooks Fire
Publish Date
September 05, 2017
Pages
360
Dimensions
5.4 X 8.4 X 1.3 inches | 1.15 pounds
Language
English
Type
Hardcover
EAN/UPC
9781492646839
BISAC Categories:
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About the Author
Steve Schafer is the author of The Border, a finalist for the Joan F. Kaywell "Books Save Lives" Award. Schafer enjoys exploring cultural hot topics. In the The Border, he addresses our conversation around immigration. In his new novel, eMortal, he examines the tricky questions and nebulous ethics that may arise with quickly evolving AI. He has a Masters in International Studies from the Lauder Institute at the University of Pennsylvania and an MBA from Wharton. His curiosity for exploring diverse perspectives on life has led him to live, work, study, volunteer, and travel to over 65 countries across 6 continents.
Reviews
"This book is both eye-opening and terrifying. Schafer creates a compelling story about survival and wanting to create a better life far away from the violent Mexican drug cartel... Filled with chase scenes, dangerous situations, and a strange love story, the plot moves along at a rapid-fire pace and keeps the reader engaged." - School Library Connection
"Steve Schafer walks us through the ebbs and flows in the lives of ordinary immigrants, the dramatic moments at the border, the fear, the yearnings, and the hope for a better future. An engrossing narrative delivered in trepidant prose." - Mauro F. Guillén, Director of the Lauder Institute at the Wharton School (Philadelphia, PA)
"An amazingly touching and heart wrenching story...Schafer gives an honest portrayal of the fear, grief, and the human condition as a whole of these young teenagers as they fight and struggle for their survival. Their journey is written in a beautifully harsh way that doesn't gloss over the reality of their desperate situation, but also allows these characters the room to grow and develop in a natural way as they adjust to their new and changing realities. " - The Booklovers Magazine
"This opening sequence-one among a handful of equally suspenseful scenes, including a car chase in the border town of Sonoyta -makes the quieter, bleaker moments that follow seem all the more intense, stressing the desperate troubles these teens endure... brilliant." - Kirkus
"This is a thought-provoking adrenaline rush sure to satisfy fans of action and adventure. Pair with Marcus Sedgwick's Saint Death (2017) for another charged look at border tensions." - Booklist
"Steve Schafer has given voice to a tragically common, but far too-infrequently told narrative of reality in towns and villages in Mexico that are controlled by drug cartels and drug smugglers. Providing legal representation for three decades to immigrants in Dallas, I have heard this same account dozens of times... Lest anyone think Steve Schafer's account is exaggeration, I can attest to the realistic depiction he provides of innocent children, adults and families caught up in the dystopia of cartel-controlled areas in Mexico." - Vanna Slaughter, Director, Catholic Charities of Dallas (Dallas, TX)
"In his book The Border, Steve Schafer deftly brings to life the drama of unauthorized border crossing and gives a human face to those often dismissed simply as "illegals." The story of how four young people compelled by circumstances beyond their control struggled and survived a perilous crossing of the Sonoran desert into the United Sates restores humanity and dignity to the 11 million undocumented migrants who now live among us." - Douglas Massey, Henry G. Bryant Professor of Sociology and Public Affairs at Princeton University (Princeton, NJ)
"Teenagers facing one of the most arduous, life-threatening journeys any person can endure is elegantly presented in this important book. Jolted from their home country by violence and thrown into an escape to save their lives, the four young people in this powerful story find hardship and humanity, ruthlessness and compassion without ever losing their own sense of optimism, hope, love, and goodness." - Luis H. Zayas, PhD, Dean and Robert Lee Sutherland Chair in Mental Health and Social Policy, The University of Texas at Austin (Austin, TX)
"This story is timely and controversial because it looks at the U.S./Mexico border issue on a humane level, not a political one. Schafer's cast of characters provides young adult readers with a variety of relatable characters to root for as he aptly demonstrates the ruthless realities facing those who cross the border between the two countries." - VOYA Magazine
"A riveting story of survival and perseverance along the unforgiving frontier of the Sonoran desert." - Summit Daily
"Steve Schafer walks us through the ebbs and flows in the lives of ordinary immigrants, the dramatic moments at the border, the fear, the yearnings, and the hope for a better future. An engrossing narrative delivered in trepidant prose." - Mauro F. Guillén, Director of the Lauder Institute at the Wharton School (Philadelphia, PA)
"An amazingly touching and heart wrenching story...Schafer gives an honest portrayal of the fear, grief, and the human condition as a whole of these young teenagers as they fight and struggle for their survival. Their journey is written in a beautifully harsh way that doesn't gloss over the reality of their desperate situation, but also allows these characters the room to grow and develop in a natural way as they adjust to their new and changing realities. " - The Booklovers Magazine
"This opening sequence-one among a handful of equally suspenseful scenes, including a car chase in the border town of Sonoyta -makes the quieter, bleaker moments that follow seem all the more intense, stressing the desperate troubles these teens endure... brilliant." - Kirkus
"This is a thought-provoking adrenaline rush sure to satisfy fans of action and adventure. Pair with Marcus Sedgwick's Saint Death (2017) for another charged look at border tensions." - Booklist
"Steve Schafer has given voice to a tragically common, but far too-infrequently told narrative of reality in towns and villages in Mexico that are controlled by drug cartels and drug smugglers. Providing legal representation for three decades to immigrants in Dallas, I have heard this same account dozens of times... Lest anyone think Steve Schafer's account is exaggeration, I can attest to the realistic depiction he provides of innocent children, adults and families caught up in the dystopia of cartel-controlled areas in Mexico." - Vanna Slaughter, Director, Catholic Charities of Dallas (Dallas, TX)
"In his book The Border, Steve Schafer deftly brings to life the drama of unauthorized border crossing and gives a human face to those often dismissed simply as "illegals." The story of how four young people compelled by circumstances beyond their control struggled and survived a perilous crossing of the Sonoran desert into the United Sates restores humanity and dignity to the 11 million undocumented migrants who now live among us." - Douglas Massey, Henry G. Bryant Professor of Sociology and Public Affairs at Princeton University (Princeton, NJ)
"Teenagers facing one of the most arduous, life-threatening journeys any person can endure is elegantly presented in this important book. Jolted from their home country by violence and thrown into an escape to save their lives, the four young people in this powerful story find hardship and humanity, ruthlessness and compassion without ever losing their own sense of optimism, hope, love, and goodness." - Luis H. Zayas, PhD, Dean and Robert Lee Sutherland Chair in Mental Health and Social Policy, The University of Texas at Austin (Austin, TX)
"This story is timely and controversial because it looks at the U.S./Mexico border issue on a humane level, not a political one. Schafer's cast of characters provides young adult readers with a variety of relatable characters to root for as he aptly demonstrates the ruthless realities facing those who cross the border between the two countries." - VOYA Magazine
"A riveting story of survival and perseverance along the unforgiving frontier of the Sonoran desert." - Summit Daily
