Have you ever been transported to fifteen different places in one book? The readers of Come On In edited by Adi Alsaid have. This book is a collection of fifteen different stories about immigration, with a focus on young people immigrating. All the characters and stories are drastically different, but immigration is a major element in all the stories, it shapes all the characters. From 1990s Indian teens, to 1930s Irish teens, to modern day Latinx teens, this book is diverse and full of adventure as well as heartbreak.

This was an amazing book because any reader could resonate with a story or writer’s style. Some stories were plot heavy, whereas others were more character based but in general the reader often wished the story hadn’t ended when they were finished. There were a few stories that were very poetic, with vibrant words that created wonderful landscapes for readers. The time jumps in other stories were flawless, which is very difficult to accomplish. Often characters were created with such care that they felt real, and whatever happened to them felt devastating or amazing. I could resonate with some of the stories because they were about first generation children like myself. A major thing I appreciated was that immigration was not only portrayed as something heartbreaking that separates people, but also something that creates new opportunities and hope. 

To wrap up, this is definitely a book I would recommend to others, not only to immigrants or children of immigrants, but people who want to begin to understand a little of what immigration is like. It shows immigrants as humans, which is immensely important as they have been dehumanized in the media. – Lynda O