In our daily lives, we are immersed in our struggles and responsibilities—each of us living in our own world. Consequently, we don’t pay as much attention to external issues as we should—and when we do, our perspectives can be misconstrued based on the media we consume. When people express interest in such controversial topics and external issues, they often lack sufficient knowledge of the subject. As a result, their opinions and discussions on these topics, which can spread widely, consequently create unrealistic and incorrect stereotypes. Borderless by Jennifer De Leon provides a unique perspective on one of the most debated and misconstrued issues: U.S. immigration.
In Guatemala City, where the main character Maya resides, there is widespread gang violence, an indifferent government, and pervasive poverty. Maya is a talented teenager with aspirations of becoming a fashion designer. However, after unintentionally getting involved with gang members, she must postpone her dream and devise a plan to escape her home country with her mother.
Throughout Borderless, the author effectively maintains a constant level of tension. I never felt bored while reading and was always intrigued to find out what would happen next. The rich and detailed descriptions of Guatemala vividly bring the vibrant setting to life, immersing the reader in the sights, sounds, and colors. Maya’s character is exceptionally well-written, for she is easy to relate to and understand. Although Maya’s decisions ultimately led her to cross the border and embark on a treacherous journey, she is portrayed as a typical adolescent, struggling with her relationships, friendships, and expectations from those around her. Though sometimes impulsive, her choices were the best she could make given the information she had at hand. In addition, her relationships with those she cares about are portrayed brilliantly, especially her relationship with her mother. In YA books, the mother-daughter relationship is often strained, so it was refreshing to read about a close mother-daughter relationship.
My only critique of Borderless is its ending. The author concludes with a bittersweet but hopeful ending for Maya yet leaves the fates of some characters unknown. I would have preferred a more definitive ending. In addition, while the majority of the story is well-paced, Maya’s journey crossing the border feels rushed. The majority of this book is dedicated to setting up her journey, yet the actual process of crossing only occurs in the later pages of the book. The author could have provided more details and delved deeper into this journey; it was one of the central parts of the story, yet it didn’t get as much coverage as it deserved.
“Borderless” depicts Maya’s journey in a realistic manner. It does not shield the reader’s eyes from the issues that migrants face and provides insight into the actual treatment that those seeking asylum receive. After reading this book, I realized how much I didn’t know about this process and how unaware I was of the immigration crisis. Before reading, I often accepted the negative stereotypes that are commonly associated with migrants- mainly due to the lack of exposure to the truth. Due to my media exposure, I was never aware of what migrants went through to reach the U.S, nor did I learn their stories. However, “Borderless” showed me a new perspective. I was able to learn the true stories of those who crossed the border, their struggles, and understand their perspectives. “Borderless” changed these people from strangers I didn’t know about to humans who did everything they could to survive, something we all do in times of crisis. This book opened my eyes to new issues and taught me an important lesson: do not always trust the stereotypes portrayed in the media. It’s important to expose ourselves to more than just one point of view on certain issues, and consume trustworthy instead of opinionated or biased media. Instead of blindly commenting on and spreading misinformation without knowing the full situation of a conflict or situation, we should choose to understand the circumstances accurately.
Overall, Borderless is humanizing, leaving a strong impression and revealing a side of the world that I was previously unaware of. If I had to rate this book out of 5 stars, it deserves a solid 4.