I enjoyed the themes of this book - family, friendship, racism, standing up for others and yourself, refugees, immigration - but I sometimes tired of the teen angst and teens lying to their parents about partying or doing something they knew their parents didn't approve of. But overall, the juxtaposition of Michael's parents on one side of the refugee argument and Mina on the other, was well-written, informative, realistic, understanding, and very current. I loved the most how Michael grew to believe the opposite of his parents and they still remained a close family. ( )

Michael’s family members are leaders in an anti-immigration group. Mina, a Muslim refugee, has experienced unspeakable tragedy. They meet at an anti-immigration rally and eventually realize they have more in common than they thought. Includes About the Author

Michael likes to hang out with his friends and play with the latest graphic design software. His parents drag him to rallies held by their anti-immigrant group, which rails against the tide of refugees flooding the country. And it all makes sense to Michael.

Until Mina, a beautiful girl from the other side of the protest lines, shows up at his school, and turns out to be funny, smart -- and a Muslim refugee from Afghanistan. Suddenly, his parents' politics seem much more complicated.

Mina has had a long and dangerous journey fleeing her besieged home in Afghanistan, and now faces a frigid reception at her new prep school, where she is on scholarship. As tensions rise, lines are drawn. Michael has to decide where he stands. Mina has to protect herself and her family. Both have to choose what they want their world to look like.

I always appreciate a YA book that can bring something different to the table, and The Lines We Cross by Randa Abdel-Fattah really brought it for me. Set in Abdel-Fattah’s native Australia, she delves into their national immigration issues which illustrate a political and racial situation that I did not know anything about. Mina’s family escaped from Afghanistan, but not before her father and brother lost their lives. Now--ten years later--her mother has remarried, her family runs a successful restaurant, and she is an outstanding student who earned a scholarship to one of the premier high schools in the city. On the other side, Michael’s parents lead an active political group fighting to keep Australia pure and full of “Aussie Values”. Getting to know Mina forces Michael to examine his parent’s beliefs and figure out how he feels. Even though the setting is Australia, broad themes of Islamophobia, xenophobia, and finding your own voice really resonate in today’s America. ( )

great voices on the audio book ( )