Boy, Everywhere by A.M. Dassu is a touching young adult novel that details refugees' challenges when they seek asylum in foreign countries. The central character in Boy, Everywhere is a 13-year-old Sami, and the narrative follows his journey from Damascus to England as his family seeks refuge after the Syrian war worsens.
The novel opens in Damascus City, Syria, where Sami and his family live comfortably. Sami's father is a surgeon, and his mother is a school principal. Consequently, the parents are well off financially and can give their two children the best in life. Sami has everything he needs to be happy. For instance, Sami has an iPad, a play station and toys. Sami is a joyful boy who spends most of his time playing video games and football with friends.
One day, Sami requests his mother and sister to go to the shopping mall to buy him new football shoes to use in the upcoming kids' football match. Unfortunately, while Sami's mother and sister are in the mall, it is bombed. Fortunately, Sami's mother and his little sister, Sara, survive the bombing, but are traumatized. Following the bombing of the mall, Sami's parents realize that the war in Syria is worsening. The war in Syria has been going on for about a decade, but it had not reached the capital city. Therefore, the parents secretly plan to flee the city to seek refuge in England. Sami and his little sister are unaware that their family is arranging to escape Damascus soonest possible. However, Sami starts to realize strange things because he stops going to school, and his iPad and other toys are taken from him. The family sells all its belongings to start a dangerous journey to England.
Sami and his family start the dangerous journey to the UK through Turkey. Sami says goodbye to his grandmother, Tete, but he does not get the opportunity to see his friends. The journey is dangerous because the family relies on smugglers to take them across borders alongside other refugees fleeing Syria. During the journey, Sami and his sister are subjected to a difficult life they are not used to. For instance, the family pees on bottles and poops on paper bags to avoid being noticed by the authorities. Sami feels sad for the fellow helpless refugees. After the long perilous journey, Sami and his family arrive in England, but the family is separated after being detained by authorities for illegally entering the country. When Sami's family gets asylum, they live with his uncle, but the family is unwelcoming.
Dassu concludes her novel by showing readers obstacles refugees face in foreign lands. When Sami and his sister, Sara, start schooling in England, they are bullied and discriminated against. Sami's parents fail to get good jobs and end up working as cleaners, which is not adequate to provide for their children. The novel ends with Sami deciding to go back to Syria to ease the burden on his parents by giving an excuse that he is going to care for his grandmother.
