The Only Road, by Alexandria Diaz

As this Oregon Battle of the Books season starts to wind down, I am still reading the last of this season's middle level books. The Only Road is the story of two cousins who are forced to leave their families in Guatemala for the safety of the United States, where their one older brother/cousin lives. This is a timely, important, difficult story to read, but an example of what hundreds of people from Central and South America face every day. Currently they are being diligently hunted and turned away at many points along the way, most notably at the Mexico-U.S. border. But before that even happens they face many, many hardships along the way, and most don't make it to their final destination, being returned back to their homes, if they are that lucky.

All that said, this is a good book, and although not as well-written as it may have been in a more experienced author's hands, it is a necessary story to read, think about, and grapple with. This is an important book that you should read. For that I give it 4 paws.