Review of Frontera by Bj Allanah

 

The book, Frontera, written by Julio Anta and Jacoby Salcedo, is astounding. It follows Mateo, a boy who is trying to make it across the Sonoran Desert that will take him from Mexico to the United States. Soon after sneaking across the fence in the dead of the night, he's caught by Border Patrol. Escaping their grasp came with a price for Mateo, being lost in the desert without a guide or water.  He becomes frightened at the thought of the unforgiving heat that was to arrive at the sunrise. With the odds stacked against him, his only chance at survival may be putting his trust in someone that he wasn't sure existed. When he is confronted by Guillermo, he begins to have second thoughts when the ghost tells him he guided migrants in the desert to safety. Even with this relationship between the two survival was still uncertain. As Mateo's journey continues, he will have to decide exactly what and who he's willing to sacrifice on his way to find home.

Beginning this, the story was very entertaining. Frontera was the first book I've ever read that involved Border Patrol. The book shows the harsh beatings of people who are brutally captured by the Patrol. The book shows many emotions from the main character, as we see the terrible living conditions Mateo. I thought that this was a good thing for Mateo, as throughout the book we see him adapt to them throughout the book. when he's in the desert. Even with Guillermo alongside him, Mateo shows high levels of independence at his age, which to me was very interesting. One thing I liked about the book was Mateo's creativity and the way he adapted to things in the desert.

In conclusion, I enjoyed reading the book as I was able to learn something new, and I liked how the book displayed the harsh conditions of Mateo living in the desert. One thing the book lacked was a good ending, as I felt it was rushed and incomplete. Key details of the characters in the book were seemingly left out, leaving me with many questions. My overall rating for the book would be 8.5, as it was an entertaining book, yet lacked a good ending.