Out of Nowhere

 

Tom Bouchard is a high school senior who has it all. Hot girlfriend, good grades, popularity, and the treasured soccer team captainship. He's on top of the world. Until. Until 9/11 takes the world by storm and Tom's town becomes home to hundreds of Somali refugees fleeing their war-torn country. Just like that, Tom's whole life is turned upside down. Watching people in his town display shocking prejudice against these foreign visitors has a permanent effect on Tom.

Somali kids are now attending Tom's school. As Tom helps these kids around, he starts to realize there's another side to each refugee. And then he meets one that's going to turn his senior year around, Saeed. Saeed is good. Real good. Already Tom's whole team is improving because of him. But it also has some negative effects. For instance, the team is penalized every day that Saeed is late. Tom discovers Saeed is sharing cleats with other members because he can't afford any of his own. Saeed and his fellow Somali people are showing the kids how wealthy they really are. And then the trouble begins,

In a game against the local Maquoit High team (the best team that can be), Saeed helps them defeat Maquoit. Instantly, an enraged father of one of the players (the son is coincidentally one of Tom's old best friends) sues the school district, claiming Saeed os too old to legally play. Tom quickly discovers Saeed does not know what his actual age is. Their team is falling apart. Then Tom, who has by now broken up with his clingy girlfriend, is seen with one of the Somali muslim girls, and all hell breaks loose. The Somali people stop talking to Saeed and his sister, who is the muslim girl Tom's seen with. Then Saeed leaves, and with him go all Tom's hopes of winning the championship. Maria Padian tells a story of racial inequality that's moving and true. But for me, it was a little boring. There wasn't much going on, and it seemed like an older story that wasn't really new. I do NOT rate this a Read It Twice. But that's my opinion. Go find out for yourself. Look for it at your local library or bookstore.

-BOOKWORM