Out of Nowhere by Maria Padian-ADVISABLE

Padian, Maria, Out of Nowhere. Knopf, 2013. Pgs. 337. Language: R (140, 15 “f”), Violence: PG, Sexual Content: PG, Mature Content: PG-13

Tom Bouchard has a lot going for him. He is a great soccer player, his family doesn’t have too many financial problems, and he’s got a popular girlfriend. Tom’s luck, however, begins to change when his friend, Don coerces him into spray painting a rock to say “Maquoit Sucks” at the Maquoit, the rival high school. Forced to do community service if he wants to graduate, Tom starts working at the refugee community center helping the kids with homework. There he meets Sayeed and Samira, too refugee, Muslim students. Recognizing his skills, Tom convinces Sayeed to join the soccer team. Everything goes great until Chamberlain, the school where the two go, beat the rival high school twice. Mad about the upset, the other team captain’s lawyer father tries to get Sayeed thrown off the team. Things only get worse when Tom dumps his girlfriend to date another refugee. Now racial tensions are growing and people throughout the town are turning against the other immigrants. Can 

Tom find a way to make things better and turn his luck around?

The swearing gets old after a while, but the story is well-developed and engaging. The characters are well-developed and captivate the readers. People who like realistic fiction, school stories, and books dealing with tolerance will enjoy reading this book. HS. ADVISABLE. Reviewer: Kira M, Youth Services Librarian, WHI Public Library.