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nina_chan01 's review for:
Ander & Santi Were Here
by Jonny Garza Villa
There is so much to love about this story, from the nuanced characters to their complicated lives and relationships, it pulls you in and helps you grow.
Ander MartÃnez is an artist in San Antonio. They love working in his family's taqueria and creating murals so much that they defer their entry into art school in Chicago to spend another year at home working on an internship with a local non-profit. It's during this time that they meet Santi, a quiet young man that starts working at the taqueria. Falling in love feels as easy and natural as breathing. But as Ander struggles to figure out what they really wants their art to be and Santi fights to be able to stay in the US, falling in love might be the only things that's easy about their relationship.
It's a great story that touches on some very controversial topics with grace and empathy. You feel everything right along with Ander, Santi, and the rest of the characters. It's a story of love, family, dreams, pressure, and, ultimately, hope.
My one issue is one that is probably just me, and I realize is kind of dumb is the language. I'm not talking about the mangled Spanish, but the rude and foul language the characters use between themselves and on certain occasions. Maybe I'm old-fashion, maybe I'm out of touch, but I majorly dislike the use of those words be it in print or spoken, so it pains me to do it, but I'm deducting an entire point from the rating just because of that. I get that it's realistic and normal and okay and whatever people want to say, but it's something that I personally hate.
Delighted thanks to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the emotionally satisfying read!
Ander MartÃnez is an artist in San Antonio. They love working in his family's taqueria and creating murals so much that they defer their entry into art school in Chicago to spend another year at home working on an internship with a local non-profit. It's during this time that they meet Santi, a quiet young man that starts working at the taqueria. Falling in love feels as easy and natural as breathing. But as Ander struggles to figure out what they really wants their art to be and Santi fights to be able to stay in the US, falling in love might be the only things that's easy about their relationship.
It's a great story that touches on some very controversial topics with grace and empathy. You feel everything right along with Ander, Santi, and the rest of the characters. It's a story of love, family, dreams, pressure, and, ultimately, hope.
My one issue is one that is probably just me, and I realize is kind of dumb is the language. I'm not talking about the mangled Spanish, but the rude and foul language the characters use between themselves and on certain occasions. Maybe I'm old-fashion, maybe I'm out of touch, but I majorly dislike the use of those words be it in print or spoken, so it pains me to do it, but I'm deducting an entire point from the rating just because of that. I get that it's realistic and normal and okay and whatever people want to say, but it's something that I personally hate.
Delighted thanks to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the emotionally satisfying read!