Representation: Black characters
Trigger warnings: Death of a child and brother in the ocean, refugee experiences, disappearance of a sister, death of parents
Score: Six and a half points out of ten.

A few years back, I saw this book on the shelf and decided to read it. Initially, I thought this was a compelling tale about refugees, but afterwards, I looked back and saw some issues; I never want to reread this, especially considering the triggering content inside, so much so that I don't think this is a middle-grade book, it's young adult. If these trigger you, don't read this. Did I mention this book is non-linear? There's another book similar to this, Zenobia, but this is better. It starts with the main character, Ebo, whose last name I don't know, on a dinghy with other asylum-seekers, but! The story cuts to a different time when Ebo lived in Niger, and only a few pages later, he decides he has had enough and wants to go to a new country, but first, he must complete the most treacherous journey he will undertake. I appreciate that this raises awareness of refugees, but a white man wrote this, and as with Zenobia, it would've been better if a refugee wrote an account of their experience. The book continues to cut from before and after Ebo arrived in Europe. He first crossed the desert before arriving in Libya, and to find his sister, he, alongside other people, purchased a barely seaworthy dinghy, but that didn't work out that well. Soon enough, Ebo finds a refugee-filled boat, which he gets on and stays for a portion of the book. That's not all. The last few pages are heartbreaking and depressing, and let's say Ebo survived and went to Europe, while others didn't share the same fate, but at least he reunited with his sister, which I appreciated. ( )

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. ( )

Straightforward immigrant diary style story -- heartbreaking, detailed, beautifully done. For tweens-teens -- older -- wouldn't give it to a younger kid. Bleak, but realistic. ( )

Powerful and tragic. I'm crying. ( )

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.