by Don Brown
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2018, 103 pages, Graphic Novel/Young Adult Nonfiction
Starting in 2011, refugees flood out of war-torn Syria in Exodus-like proportions. The surprising flood of victims overwhelms neighboring countries, and chaos follows. Resentment in host nations heightens as disruption and the cost of aid grows. By 2017, many want to turn their backs on the victims. The refugees are the unwanted. Shining a light on the stories of the survivors, The Unwanted is a testament to the courage and resilience of the refugees and a call to action for all those who read.
This book recently won an award for excellence in young adult nonfiction, and it definitely deserves it. The story is moving and compelling. Brown’s focus on the stories of the refugee experience, instead of on the incredibly complex politics that surround the reasons why so many refugees are fleeing Syria, helps keep the focus where it should be--on the extreme human toll that is charged with any war. I highly recommend this book for anyone who wants to understand the Syrian refugee crisis a little better, and for anyone who enjoys graphic novels about complex real-life stories such as March, Maus, or Persepolis.
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