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A review by duckyreads
Ander and Santi Were Here by Jonny Garza Villa
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Ander & Santi Were Here is a moving young adult romance by Jonny Garza Villa. First, we meet Ander Martínez, a nonbinary Mexican-American artist that is contemplating their future at a reputable art school while completing murals in their San Antonio, Texas neighborhood. Then they meet Santiago López Alvarado, a new waiter at their family's restaurant. As they get to know each other, Ander and Santi's blossoming love is threatened by ICE agents hunting Santi, and shakes Ander's world at its core.
Jonny has such a beautiful and captivating way of describing characters and environments. With such a complex issue of immigration in the US in general, but especially in Texas, there is a lot of care put into Santi's story. My heart broke many times for Santi and his family, and this is a stark reminder that there immigrants and people seeking asylum are complex human beings with histories and families that deserve to be treated with respect.
I loved all of the Spanish throughout the story and the fact that it wasn't translated. As someone who isn't a native Spanish speaker, it felt very authentic to the story and put the responsibility on the reader to translate or use context clues during conversations. Ander has such a great supportive circle of family and friends, especially their grandmother.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Jonny has such a beautiful and captivating way of describing characters and environments. With such a complex issue of immigration in the US in general, but especially in Texas, there is a lot of care put into Santi's story. My heart broke many times for Santi and his family, and this is a stark reminder that there immigrants and people seeking asylum are complex human beings with histories and families that deserve to be treated with respect.
I loved all of the Spanish throughout the story and the fact that it wasn't translated. As someone who isn't a native Spanish speaker, it felt very authentic to the story and put the responsibility on the reader to translate or use context clues during conversations. Ander has such a great supportive circle of family and friends, especially their grandmother.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Deportation, Kidnapping, and Xenophobia