The Unwanted

July 9, 2018
The author of Drowned City again humanizes a story that can seem remote and incomprehensible: this time, the Syrian refugee crisis. Brown outlines the conflict, going back almost a decade: teenagers protested nonviolently, the government responded with brutal repression, the violence spread, other forces entered the conflict. A wave of Syrians sought refuge in Turkey, Lebanon, and Jordan (“Just walk. Don’t breathe”); later, more attempted, at the hands of unscrupulous smugglers, to cross the Mediterranean in the hope of reaching Germany and Sweden. Eventually, “Europe sees sympathy for Syrian refugees fall.” Brown does not fictionalize (an appendix includes extensive source notes and references), and he pulls no punches: “I tried to catch my wife and children in my arms,” says a grief-stricken man floating in the ocean, “But one by one, they drowned.” In one hopeful example, a 10-year-old makes it to safety in Canada, where she “takes up skating and enjoys Halloween,” but hundreds of thousands of others languish in camps. In loosely drawn panels, Brown captures the migrants as they march over land or huddle in boats, zeroing in on their expressions of fear and exhaustion as he documents the way war’s effects spread far beyond the battlefield. Final art not seen by PW. Ages 14–up. Agent: Jennifer Laughran, Andrea Brown Literary Agency.

September 15, 2018
Grades 9-12 An unflinching look at the Syrian refugee crisis, the heartbreaking narrative of The Unwanted is told through a series of vignettes drawn from real refugee experiences. Brown's storytelling has no need for hyperbole; through the stories of the refugees themselves, we are led from the war-torn landscape of Syria to the arduous and sometimes futile pursuit of exile. We meet the young and the old, the asylum-seekers and those who deny them. Like his neutral narrative, based on real-life experiences and irrefutable statistics, Brown's illustrations are equally stark and evocative. Faces lined with anguish stand in sharp relief against barren landscapes and the impassive stares of guards and politicians. Brown manages to craft an impressive portrayal that is informative but not impersonal, allowing room for both facts and emotion, despair and hope. Brown sheds light on an ongoing humanitarian crisis with worldwide repercussions, but this is no elegy; rather, it's a call for action and acknowledgment the world over.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)

Starred review from September 1, 2018
There are over five million Syrian refugees around the world today, and each one has a unique story. Brown returns to the comics format of Drowned City (rev. 9/15) and The Great American Dust Bowl (rev. 11/13) to create a powerful history of the Syrian civil war, punctuated with the stories of many individual refugees. With the incorporation of the refugees' own words, this multiplicity of experiences accumulates and compounds to great emotional effect. Some of the refugees (all real people) have success stories to tell: a young girl and her family find refuge in Canada, where she thrives, takes up skating, and enjoys Halloween. Many other stories are tragic. A man loses his family when their boat capsizes; other Syrian refugees face hostility in Europe ( REFUGEES NOT WELCOME! ) or discrimination in neighboring, overwhelmed Lebanon. Near the end, one mother asserts, The future is not for us. The future is for our children. Brown provides concrete comparisons that make the problem more tangible and relatable (he compares the population of Syria to that of Florida; he shows how the influx of refugees from Syria to Lebanon is, proportionately, as if the entire population of Mexico moved to the United States). As in the previous works, illustrations have a sketchbook-like quality and feature faces drawn with minimal features that are nonetheless expressive, lending the subjects a sort of universality. The varied panels perfectly control the pacing, thoughtfully guiding readers through difficult subject matter. Appended material includes Brown's impressions from his visits to refugee camps in Greece, an extensive bibliography, and source notes for all quotations. The wrenching stories and illustrations would complement a historical inquiry of the conflict, or provide much-needed humanity to a depersonalized and politicized topic. julie hakim azzam

(Copyright 2018 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

September 1, 2018
There are over five million Syrian refugees around the world today, and each one has a unique story. Brown returns to the comics format of Drowned City (rev. 9/15) and The Great American Dust Bowl (rev. 11/13) to create a powerful history of the Syrian civil war, punctuated with the stories of many individual refugees. With the incorporation of the refugees' own words, this multiplicity of experiences accumulates and compounds to great emotional effect. Some of the refugees (all real people) have success stories to tell: a young girl and her family find refuge in Canada, where she thrives, takes up skating, and enjoys Halloween. Many other stories are tragic. A man loses his family when their boat capsizes; other Syrian refugees face hostility in Europe ( REFUGEES NOT WELCOME! ) or discrimination in neighboring, overwhelmed Lebanon. Near the end, one mother asserts, The future is not for us. The future is for our children. Brown provides concrete comparisons that make the problem more tangible and relatable (he compares the population of Syria to that of Florida; he shows how the influx of refugees from Syria to Lebanon is, proportionately, as if the entire population of Mexico moved to the United States). As in the previous works, illustrations have a sketchbook-like quality and feature faces drawn with minimal features that are nonetheless expressive, lending the subjects a sort of universality. The varied panels perfectly control the pacing, thoughtfully guiding readers through difficult subject matter. Appended material includes Brown's impressions from his visits to refugee camps in Greece, an extensive bibliography, and source notes for all quotations. The wrenching stories and illustrations would complement a historical inquiry of the conflict, or provide much-needed humanity to a depersonalized and politicized topic. julie hakim azzam

(Copyright 2018 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

January 1, 2019
Using a comics format, Brown creates a powerful history of the Syrian civil war, punctuated with the stories of many individual refugees. His illustrations have a sketchbook-like quality; faces drawn with minimal features are nonetheless expressive, lending the subjects a sort of universality. The varied panels perfectly control the pacing, thoughtfully guiding readers through difficult subject matter. Bib.

(Copyright 2019 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

Starred review from August 1, 2018
The collective tale of Syrian refugees' attempt to escape the horrors of their country's civil war in search of a better tomorrow.When war broke out in 2011 between the armed forces loyal to the country's potentate and a growing number of insurgents fighting his tyrannical rule, millions of Syrians fled the war zone, overflowing neighboring countries and creating a refugee crisis in Europe, their wished-for ultimate destination. Rather than focusing on individual stories, Brown (Up & Down, 2018, etc.) zeroes in on particular situations, providing compassionate snapshots of the harsh realities facing the displaced populations: cunning smugglers, unwelcoming neighbors, hostile legislation, the refugees' own disenchantment with their difficult conditions....Brown's poignant testament is fittingly titled The Unwanted, as the book damningly chronicles the slowly building resentment among host communities and the mounting legal restrictions on the asylum-seeking populations. Most importantly, by alternating sheer tragic moments (rockets falling, the capsizing of a boat, drownings, rejection) and glimpses of joy (a child's successful resettlement, a compassionate neighbor, family reunions), he succeeds in offering a window into the humanity of displaced groups--their resilience and tenacity but also their inspiring, hopeful nature. The pen-and-ink digitally colored art has a loose, informal style that vividly expresses the intense emotions contained in the book.A moving chronicle of a real humanitarian tragedy. (maps, author's note, source notes, bibliography) (Graphic nonfiction. 14-adult)

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Starred review from September 1, 2018

Gr 8 Up-In the spring of 2011, a group of teenage boys are imprisoned and tortured for spray-painting "Down with the regime" on a Syrian wall. Thousands of citizens who rise up in protest are met by tanks and snipers. The demonstrations and violence escalate, and civil war breaks out in Syria. Unsure of their chances for survival but certain of the dangers at home, thousands of refugees flee to surrounding areas. Blocks of text provide context about Syria's civil war, as well as commentary on the international response, with supporting maps and charts seamlessly incorporated into the story. The loose linework reflects the chaos, and the full-color art depicts a muted sepia and blue gray palette, with touches of brighter hues for effect. Violence is freely but not gratuitously shown, and death is depicted only rarely. The back matter includes an extensive bibliography, with citations for the numerous quotes used in the dialogue, as well as a journal summary of Brown's 2017 trip to Syrian camps in Greece, complete with pictures and source notes. VERDICT This accessible and heartbreaking primer, with its stirring simplicity and a note of hope, should be required reading for all teens hoping to be empathetic and engaged world citizens.-Alea Perez, Westmont Public Library, IL

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