Border Crossing

Author's Bio:

Quotes:

"The first-person narrative gives readers a poignant close-up of the teen's gradual loss of control to paranoid schizophrenia. Anderson's vivid portrayal of this frightening illness nevertheless offers hope for the valiant human spirit." —School Library Journal

"[Border Crossing] is a page-turner. Anderson manages to be both realistic and compassionate in her depiction of mental illness." —New Pages

"The descriptions of Manz’s escalating symptoms are compelling. There are few books for teens on the subject of schizophrenia . . . a fast read, this book will provoke discussion and, perhaps, further research." —Booklist

"Poignant. Through the teenager's first-person narration, Anderson traces the isolated landscape of Rockhill, a very small town in Texas, and reveals the distressing stories behind the apparent simplicity of its inhabitants' lives. [A] thought-provoking exploration of mental illness." —Kirkus

"This taut coming of age novel explores mental illness and border issues in an honest and clear voice." —Boys Read 

"Like most of the best fiction, YA or otherwise, Border Crossing is really about Manz's search for a sense of self, his chafing against cruelty encountered at almost every turn. The author does an impressive job portraying [his] frightening mental illness. Even as Manz's paranoia becomes obvious, we never stop empathizing with his point of view. The short chapters and fast-paced scenes keep the pages turning, but it is [Anderson's] descriptions that make this fictional world almost crystalline in its bleak beauty." —Texas Observer

"Border Crossing is a fascinating and disturbing novel of Manz's descent into hallucinatory paranoia and suspicion, a result of his emerging schizophrenia. Using a first-person narration, Anderson skillfully unwraps the contours and tragedy of Manz's life and mental illness. Highly recommended." —Greg Leitich Smith, author of Ninjas, Piranhas, and Galileo and Tofu and T.Rex