Reviews tagging 'Racism'

Sanctuary by Paola Mendoza, Abby Sher

25 reviews

lcl_reads's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

One thing I will say about this book is that I do not think it should be marked as young adult. While the main character is a teenage, it tackles some pretty traumatic events.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Death, Abandonment, Violence, Rape, Deportation, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Child death, and Xenophobia

Moderate: Murder and Trafficking

ashylibrarian's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

Set in a near-future world, Vali and her brother are trying to find sanctuary in a nation run by a xenophobic government. While I do wish a bit more happened throughout this book, it is still a read that I would recommend to folks looking for a survival story with a dystopian government, Latinx leads, and a powerful message. 

Timely, this book is full of tragedy, emotion, and determination. Mendoza and Sher have created a powerful novel that will make readers question if they are reading science-fiction/dystopian or realistic fiction.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Child death, and Xenophobia

Moderate: Blood and Gun violence

lara2301's review

challenging dark emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Racism, Death of parent, Child death, Death, and Deportation

maevedora's review against another edition

challenging dark sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Trafficking, Sexual harassment, Murder, Xenophobia, Racism, Police brutality, Injury/Injury detail, Hate crime, Grief, Deportation, Death of parent, Death, Child death, and Confinement

Minor: Blood and Cursing

spicycronereads's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Xenophobia, Racism, Death of parent, and Deportation

Moderate: Child death

Minor: Sexual assault

paigereitz's review

challenging dark emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

Damn. This book was intense and hard and important. A near-set dystopian future in which Americans are chipped and undocumented immigrants are hunted by the government. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Xenophobia, Death of parent, Deportation, Police brutality, Death, Racism, Trafficking, Child death, and Hate crime

Moderate: Blood and Sexual assault

figgyreads's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional inspiring sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death and Violence

Moderate: Racism, Racial slurs, Xenophobia, and War

bookcaptivated's review

challenging dark emotional tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Deportation, Gore, Gun violence, Xenophobia, Child death, Death, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexual harassment, Violence, and Blood

Moderate: Confinement, Racial slurs, and Vomit

Minor: Rape, Sexual assault, Animal death, Slavery, and Torture

melmoony's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Non-spoiler synopsis: We follow Vali, a sixteen-year-old girl who is undocumented. The government is very anti-immigrant and in a dystopian future all residents are tracked by a microchip on their wrists. Vali and her mom get fake ones implanted, but her mom’s tracker malfunctioned one day in the past. With turmoil starting at the California/Mexico border, the government doubles down and decides to start going after all undocumented folk. Vali, her mom and her younger brother (a citizen himself) are forced to find sanctuary and safety when things begin to affect her local community and the country as a whole.

This story was heartbreaking and tragic. This reads like a young adult book but there are moments in the story that are quite intense and somewhat graphic. The struggles Vali and her family go through are not new, many people suffer from having undocumented status. What’s scary about this story is that though it’s a dystopian story, it could honestly become real life very easily.

Not only does Vali have to deal with the trauma of her dad being deported, but once the specialized police force start hunting and taking away undocumented people in her neighborhood, she flees only to have her mom’s tracker not work and they take her mom! She managed to escape, but got close to being taken thanks to the lady sitting next to her on the bus, seriously why open your mouth lady?! At the end of the book, she does get to make it to California with her brother (CA seceded from the US & became a sanctuary state for immigrants) but she’s not happy. The ending felt very bleak because she said she would never feel good until they help the others taken into interment camps back in the US. She also thinks she saw her mom in one at the CA/Arizona border?! But we don’t see her finding her mom after that or rescuing her. Quite sad.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Deportation, Blood, Body horror, Child death, Death of parent, and Xenophobia

Moderate: Confinement, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Police brutality, and Racism

Minor: Drug use and Sexual assault

tania_mybookishsecret's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Deportation, Xenophobia, Police brutality, Child death, Racism, and Death of parent

Moderate: Rape