Giovanni Rigano

Sick day! Chest cold and laryngitis. Time to rest, read, and review.

The European migrant crisis becomes fodder for a generic dramatized graphic novel by what looks like a bunch of European white guys. Hmm. There was an over-reliance on coincidence and having a split time-line throughout much of the book took away a lot of the dramatic tension of the desert sequences, as we know who makes it to the boat later in the story's chronology.

A happy ending is slapped on, but I feel the show more protagonist's problems would be far from over if he were a real person. I guess this is simplified for kids, focusing on the dangerous and adventurous parts of the hero's quest, but really glossing over the causes, consequences and potential progression of this sad and difficult time of upheaval for millions of people in our world. show less

This graphic novel explores immegration and illegal aliens in a way that is very real and at times, heartbreaking. It was incredibly well done and I really enjoyed both the story and the illustration.

Ebo finds out his brother, Kwame, has ventured to the city to figure out a way to join their sister in Europe. Their sister made the trip to Europe some time ago but they haven’t heard from her. Ebo decides to set out after Kwame. What awaits Ebo is a deadly journey across the desert, dealing show more with traffickers who don’t care whether Ebo and his brother live or die.

This is a fascinating and heartbreaking look at what Ebo and his family go through in an effort to leave Ghana and seek a better life. The illustrations are amazing and the story is very engaging. I found it impossible to put down and ended up reading it in one sitting.

This is marketed as a middle grade book and that seems appropriate. While some of the content is brutal, it never gets too gory or graphic. There is some brief discussion about a brothel, people are killed at gun point, and many people die. However, this is a fictional portrayal of real events. I thought an excellent job was done getting across the reality and brutality of the situations Ebo goes through while still keeping the story appropriate for pre-teens.

Overall I really loved this and immediately gave it to my twelve year old son to read. We’ll see what he thinks about it. This tackles a tough and controversial issue in a way that is easy to relate to and engaging. Highly recommended! show less

Read this book in one sitting and it hit hard. The tale is harrowing on multiple levels, even more so knowing that it’s all real and really happening to hundreds of thousands of people. The narrative structure is neat and the illustrations are gorgeous. My only complaints are that it’s a little short and there were events and characters I wanted fleshed out more. But it’s an important story and I’m so glad I read it.

Ebo and his brother, Kwame, live in abject poverty in Niger and decide to flee to Europe for a better life. Along the way through dangerous cities, the desert and the Mediterranean Ocean, they work, starve, and combat illness. The plight of humanity fleeing for their lives is well researched and heart breaking.