Review by Jill Williamson
Jared is annoyed. He gets that people like to be do-gooders in the world, but why his family? And why dangerous African refugees? As he understands it, there are no good guys in a civil war, so how was he supposed to get excited about sharing his bedroom with a teenage soldier who may or may not have killed?
Yet his parents sign up to house a family of four African refugees. The dad has no hands, the daughter is a mute, and none of them have ever used a phone, gone to a supermarket, or driven a car. Yet Jared can’t help but be impacted by what he learns of this family’s life. And when a dangerous fifth refugee finds the family, what will Jared do when he realizes that the good guys are not always innocent?
This was a fascinating read. I knew little about African refugees and I thank Ms. Cooney for shedding light on the subject. This book was fabulous, first from Jared’s realistic and hysterical teenage boy voice, to the awe America provided for the Africans, to the suspenseful plot with the fifth refugee. This book is gripping and really makes you think for days. Highly recommended.
Age Range: 12-16
Genre: Contemporary fiction
Part of a Series: No
Pages: 228
Publisher: Waterbrook
Released: 2007
Leave a Reply