Hobbs, Will. Crossing the Wire.

HOBBS, Will. Crossing the wire. HarperCollins. 224p. maps. c2006. 0-06-074138-4. $15.99. (Lib. bdg: 0-06-074139-2. $16.89.) JS

Victor, age 15, barely scratches out a living for his widowed mother and his four younger siblings by growing corn in his central Mexican village. When crop prices drop, he realizes he must go to the US to find work so that he can send money home for his family. But without papers, or money to pay the unscrupulous "coyotes" who smuggle illegal workers across the border, Victor is forced to undertake the dangerous trip on his own. He jumps on trains and sneaks across the border with an older man who is soon caught by the police. Victor survives the cold in the mountains, but then he too is caught by the migra and returned to Mexico. Back in Nogales, he is reunited with his best friend, Rico, and together the two make another attempt--this time accompanying murderous drug smugglers. They endure terrible desert heat and even snakebite, manage to escape the smugglers, and finally make it to "the land of opportunity," where work as a migrant field laborer beckons.

Hobbs, the author of gripping YA survival tales like Jason's Gold and Wild Man Island, was inspired to write this in order to "put a human face" on illegal immigration, he says in an author's note at the end. The research he did, both on site and in books, clearly shows in his detailed descriptions of both the terrain and the appalling experiences of many would-be illegal immigrants. This gritty and realistic tale will be an eye-opener for many YAs, and whatever their feelings about illegal immigration, they will be able to appreciate Victor's desperation, determination, and courage. Paula Rohrlick, KLIATT