Ander Santi Were Here- A Novel by Jonny Garza Villa
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Web ID: 16361117Heartfelt Story with Important Issues at the Cente
It took me longer than it should have to finish this book, but that's my fault and not the fault of this beautiful book. If you want an older YA/new adult perspective on queer relationships, especially when life gets in the way, but with a supportive as heck family at the center of it all, then look no further than this book. It made me laugh, it broke my heart - and I'd do it all over again. I received an ARC of this novel, which was provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Being a diaspora kid is tough
Latine Heritage Month This is not only YA. It is Latine. It is queer. It deals with the undocumented. People that say kids don't have it tough, haven't been a kid in far too long. It's not only tough. It can be devastating. In San Antonio, a city I'm very familiar with, Ander/AJ Martínez are living out their artist dreams while they await their time to attend art college. I'm always pleasantly surprised when parents, especially non-white parents, are so accepting of their non-binary children. While Ander is a muralist, and loves depicting Mexican, Mexican American, and American art, the art school they are set on attending in Chicago believes they should lean into stereotypically Mexican art. But Ander isn't just Mexican. They are American. And they should be able to make whatever art they so choose. On the other side of this, Ander's parents own a restaurant that they work at. They are effectively fired so they can focus on art and preparing for school. However, one day, they see their new crush, Santiago López Alvarado, there. Guess who goes back to work? In all seriousness, the romance was very cute. I loved the fight between what people see you as, what you see you as, and what you are inside. Being a diaspora kid is tough. Being undocumented is tougher. I think that part was dealt with well, but as I have no firsthand experience, I'll let other reviewers speak to that. 📱 Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books
Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
All the feels!
4.5* Phew, this book. It was heavy and sweet and timely and entertaining and heartbreaking. It's the first book I've read in awhile that truly brought out all the feels. I'm kind of tearing up again just thinking about it. Ander and Santi, ugh, I love them. They were so sweet and I was completely charmed by them. But goodness, I kept waiting for the next shoe to drop. As much as I loved this story it was tough going at times, just thinking how things could go wrong. Ander's family was so wonderful. I loved how they were there for both Ander and Santi. I want more! I'm picturing them living such a happy life, but I'm sad that it's over.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
absolutely gorgeous love story
This is an absolutely gorgeous story. It sucked me in from the very beginning, making me instantly love and care about the characters, and never let me go. It's about courage and bravery in the face of unfair authority, about finding who you are and what you want to do and who you want to be with, about embracing your roots and being unapologetically yourself no matter what anyone else says. Ander is a dramatic nonbinary teen in San Antonio who is getting increasing recognition for their murals and preparing to go to Chicago for art school. Santi is a shy and quiet undocumented immigrant teen fleeing from the violence that killed half his family. They meet in Ander's family's restaurant and sparks fly. Their love story is raw and honest and changes each of them for the better, giving them hope and courage and determination. Santi wears his heart on his sleeve for Ander, who does the same, and they fit together so well. I loved the many scenes of Ander painting and the way Santi loves all of their paintings. The way it's described, you can tell that the author is very familiar with artists and perhaps is one themself. There is so much love infused in each of those scenes and descriptions. I also loved how loving and accepting Ander's family are in this book. They are loud and they argue but the love always shines through and they support Ander through everything. Ander's friends also come through for them and show their love. Ander comes from such a vibrant, loving family that I was jealous. I also loved that the conflict does not touch Ander's nonbinary identity. It is an established fact at the beginning of the book and no one questions it. It never takes a central role except as an essential part of Ander. Ander is nonbinary and that's the end of it. The conflict, instead, first centers around Ander's self-doubt about their future as an artist and the way the influences they want their art to be shaped by, and then later, as Ander begins to figure themself out, the conflict shifts to center around Santi's undocumented status and his future and their future together. It's masterfully done, and never feels forced or artificial. ICE is a looming threat throughout the last quarter of the book, and things take a bit of a darker tone, but Ander and Santi grow to meet the challenges they are faced with and the ending felt right and inevitable and perfect. Did I cry? yes. Was it worth it? Definitely yes. 10/10 would read again. The audiobook was brilliantly performed, with every character feeling distinct and real, with their own voice and tone. The way the different character voices carried emotion was excellent. The sprinkling of Spanish scattered throughout also was performed excellently and enhanced the setting for me, making it feel more real. Did I understand all the words? No. Did I understand the meaning behind them? Yes. And the emotions and tone they were delivered with helped with that. This book needs to be in libraries and classrooms everywhere in this country. And it definitely needs to win some awards. I received a review copy of this book.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
I fell in love with this LGBTQ coming of age book
I don't know what I was expecting when I started reading Ander and Santi Were Here, but I got so much more than I bargained for. Not only was this a beautiful love story between 2 young adults (one non-binary and one bi-sexual), but it also focused on culture, art, family, gender and politics and it all pulled the story together seamlessly. Ander is at home in Texas taking a gap year before starting art school in Chicago in the fall. Their family who is very close knit and owns a taqueria decides to "fire" them from working at the restaurant in order for them to focus on their art and get experience under their belt before college begins. They have all the support of their family and I loved their connection and utmost devotion they showed throughout the story. But when Ander notices the new guy, Santi that takes their place at the restaurant, they have a new focus. Art around their city AND Santi! Santi and Ander are the absolute cutest. I liked their instant connection and the way they brought each other into their lives. It's not until an incident at the restaurant that we see that Santi was hiding something huge from Ander. And that is the part of the story that ends up really bringing us all the emotions to the story. The politics and ICE and love and borders. This is a coming of age book that ended up giving me love, laughs, angst and even tears. I did get frustrated at a few things the main characters did, but then I had to realize their ages. They were still getting to know who they were. Ander had a strong sense of family and was just beginning to realize who they were as an artist as opposed to being put into a box. And Santi just wanted to be free in the US and also have a sense of love and family, but in a very different way. When things get turned upside down for him, Ander's family shows him what love, community and family is all about. Ander and Santi Were Here was a 4+ stars read. After the first little bit, I fell in love with all the characters, the city, the friends, the family and the entire unit as a whole. They made me think and made me fall in love with these characters that went to any length to have a little bit of freedom, no matter how it looked. I'm also a lover of seeing art depicted in books and loved the fact that the author brought the Mexican culture into Ander's art that he created. If you liked Jonny Garza Villa's first book, definitely give this one a chance. It is a story that is well represented and deals with topics that are important to our current times and weaves it with a bit of romance that will leave you with a smile on your face.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
LGBTQ Mexican-American Experience
Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, Macmillan Young Listeners, Wednesday Books, Jonny Garza Villa, and Avi Roque (audio narrator) for the opportunity to read and listen to the audiobook of Ander & Santi Were Here in exchange for an honest review. Ander works at their mother's Mexican cuisine restaurant, though she wants them to focus on their murals in preparation for going to art school. When Santiago is hired, it's pretty much love at first sight for Ander. When Ander and Santi begin hanging out together, they try to be just friends, but of course that's impossible. But Santi has a secret: he's an illegal immigrant. While Ander and their mom are Mexican-American, born in the United States, they have both certainly had their own scares with ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement). Knowing Santi could be deported adds fear to the relationship he and Ander have, but they will find a way to fight through it and be there for each other. With a huge emphasis on the Mexican-American experience, including LGBTQ and racial stereotypes, this novel shows the struggle of a young Hispanic person seeking to pursue their own dream and the challenges that come with being of a certain culture. There is a lot to learn from this stand-alone novel, and it is a magnificent work. Ander & Santi Were Here is a brilliant piece of writing for a teen and new adult audience that speaks multitudes on a cultural, gender, and equality level. An excellent must-read!
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Heartbreaking & Beautiful
Wow, this book stole and promptly destroyed my heart. Ander & Santi Were Here is one of my favorite books of 2023! Ander and Santi have a relationship filled with longing, so much love, and many real-life obstacles. It’s devastatingly romantic and filled with very real grief and pain. Ander & Santi Were Here is brimming with heart and beautiful writing that includes lots of Spanish (which is easy to understand based on context). This is a book that promises to make you cry, grin, and end up wanting to reread the whole thing over again. Ander & Santi Were Here is simply beautiful from the cover to the story inside. Once you read the story, you will have even more appreciation for the stunning cover. This is a book that is so moving, deeply romantic, and yet also incorporates real-life problems. I don’t see how anyone could read this story and not come away with a deeper understanding about how immigration laws in the US are horrifyingly cruel and tear families apart. The queer representation was excellent; Ander is nonbinary and uses they/them/elle pronouns. Ander and Santi have an instant attraction, surrounded by Ander’s family. I loved how Ander’s family was so wonderful and involved in protecting Ander and especially Santi. Ander’s parents were so loving and accepting, while also calling them out when needed and trying to help them no matter what. Since a good portion of this book takes place at Ander’s family taquería, you absolutely cannot read this book without snacks because the descriptions of Mexican food are incredible. I would recommend this for readers who enjoy Edward Underhill (Always the Almost), Gabe Cole Novoa (The Wicked Bargain), and Sonora Reyes (The Lesbiana’s Guide to Catholic School). I would truly recommend this to anyone, especially those who enjoy queer love stories that will take you on an emotional journey. I already can’t wait to read Jonny Garza Villa’s next book!
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
A must read!
Thank you Netgalley and Wednesday Books for this eARC, these opinions are my own. I enjoyed this books so much! Ander decides to stay home from college for a year to work with Beautify and be able to create murals and art around San Antonio. One day they meet Santi, the cute new boy their family hired to work at their taqueria! Ander and Santi grow closer, Santi helping Ander with their art! But Santi is undocumented and ICE is breathing down their necks. Can these two make it work? I am a big fan of Jonny Garza Villa’s work and this book was no different! Jonny has a way of writing connections between the main characters that I can’t describe! I feel all the feels for them! I think that they create deep meaningful relationships and have the characters fight through obstacles for each other! I just love the way they write the relationships between characters! I also really enjoy that the main characters have such strong support systems in their lives! I think there are a lot of people that are going to be able to relate to the struggles that Ander and Santi face and a lot of people who will be seen with these characters! I’m predicting great things for this book! Absolutely a must read for 2023!
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com