Kicked Out - AM Dassu

Ali, Sami and Mark are friends who are looking forward to spending the summer together in Mark's plush new house after his mum's lottery win. However, when her new boyfriend, Callum, accuses their friend Aadam of stealing thousands of pounds, everything changes and Ali, Sami and Aadam are kicked out of Mark's house.  With Aadam already being threatened with deportation, this is a set-back that could change their lives forever.  Determined not to let Aadam leave the UK, and also determined to remain friends, the trio set about figuring out how to raise the money they need for his appeal.

Oh my goodness, Az certainly knows how to write a book that gets to you!  I finished reading Kicked Out on Sunday and it's taken a couple of days for me to write this review, largely because it's taken me a while to get my thoughts in order and to be able to write a review that does justice to this book (& I still don't think I've done that!).  

When an early copy of Kicked Out arrived for me, I was absolutely thrilled as I'm a big fan of Az's books and I know the impact they have: I used Fight Back with Year 6 last year and the discussions it prompted were incredible, and Boy Everywhere (to which Kicked Out is the sequel) left me in tears and had a profound effect on me.  

I began reading Kicked Out knowing that the book would highlight issues faced by children and young people today but those issues still hit me as the story unfolded.  We first met Sami and his family, as well as Aadam, in Boy Everywhere, as they were all fleeing Syria due to the war.  Where Boy Everywhere focussed on Sami and his family, it's Aadam's situation that takes centre stage here.  Together, they have settled into life in the UK, with Aadam living with Sam and his family; however, at the start of Kicked Out, we discover that Aadam's lack of documentation for his asylum application (this went missing during his ordeal to make it to the UK) means that his application has been unsuccessful.  Coupled with the fact that the authorities believe he is an adult instead of 16, he is being threatened with deportation unless he can quickly come up with thousands of pounds to reappeal.  As Aadam is already working several jobs (including gardening for Mark's mum in their new home), the chances of raising the money are incredibly slim.  As the plot develops, Az shows us the darker side of humanity in the way the boys are treated, but also shows us the compassion and strength of character that exists in the world, through the boys and their actions.  

As well as the asylum story, the book addresses the issues of blended families.  During the book, Mark has to face the introduction of his mum's new boyfriend and the changes that creates to him as well as his friends.  Ali is also dealing with his dad moving back to the area and is forced to face the situation that his father has a new family and the emotions that creates for him.  It is sensitively done and I think will help children to understand that absent parents does not reflect on them or their worth.  Ali really struggles to accept what his father has done and how he behaves on his return, and I hope this will help readers to understand their own situation if this is something they are experiencing.  

Kicked Out is a stunning book that I think deserves to be savoured so you can take in every detail and is one readers won't forget in a hurry.  It is a powerful story of resilience, hope and bravery that promotes empathy and speaking up for what you believe is right.  Like Boy Everywhere, Kicked Out is a book that will stay with me for a long time to come.