Senio Padian's Out Of Nowhere

An eye-opening and life changing young adult novel that is guaranteed to leave one speechless, this masterpiece isn't a household name but its topic is. Exemplifying the importance of acceptance in today's melting pot, Out of Nowhere’s 330 pages are enough to not only educate the reader on the topic but change their views entirely.

Out of Nowhere consists of the far from the perfect protagonist, Tom Bouchard, being put through a series of emotionally draining tests to open his arms and eyes to others outside of his own little bubble. Bouchard is required to change all he's ever known to adjust to the new addition of Somali refugees. With a few hiccups and struggles along the way, he must learn to overcome the inevitable and take responsibility for his actions. Bouchard barely has his life figured out, but with the help of his new girlfriend Myla, he hopes he will soon.

With her immense amount of research and heart, it shows as your eyes continuously flicker through the words of the novel. Padian uses her preeminent curiosity and lets it shine through her amiable characters. Accompanied by loyalty and religion, Padians main keynote of acceptance radiates through each and every chapter without missing a beat, though sometimes it goes unnoticed.

Padians articulate vocabulary further stresses the affluent culture the characters grew up in. With the occasional bad-language slip up here and there, it further proves her point of being human. Padians studies of the Somalis, their background, and the Maine culture was not once disregarded. She used factual and real scenarios and settings to get her point across.

Out of Nowhere shows us the taints religion and race can put on society, the importance of sports, friendship, and acceptance in a multicultural community, the power and actions it takes to stand up for what you believe in and most importantly the cultural consequences our seemingly selfless actions can lead