Queer as Books | Ander & Santi Were Here: A Novel

Ander & Santi Were Here: A Novel

Jonny Garza Villa

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Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe meets The Sun is Also a Star in this YA contemporary love story from Jonny Garza Villa, Ander & Santi Were Here, about a nonbinary Mexican American teen falling for the shy new waiter at their family’s taqueria.

Finding home. Falling in love. Fighting to belong.

The Santos Vista neighborhood of San Antonio, Texas, is all Ander Martínez has ever known. The smell of pan dulce. The mixture of Spanish and English filling the streets. And, especially their job at their family's taquería. It's the place that has inspired Ander as a muralist, and, as they get ready to leave for art school, it's all of these things that give them hesitancy. That give them the thought, are they ready to leave it all behind?

To keep Ander from becoming complacent during their gap year, their family “fires” them so they can transition from restaurant life to focusing on their murals and prepare for college. That is, until they meet Santiago López Alvarado, the hot new waiter.

Falling for each other becomes as natural as breathing. Through Santi's eyes, Ander starts to understand who they are and want to be as an artist, and Ander becomes Santi's first steps toward making Santos Vista and the United States feel like home.

Until ICE agents come for Santi, and Ander realizes how fragile that sense of home is. How love can only hold on so long when the whole world is against them. And when, eventually, the world starts to win.

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"Ander & Santi Were Here" Review

The latine, queer, and nonbinary representation in the book is commendably diverse. The characters are beautifully portrayed, and the emotional journey they go through is genuine and relatable. The author has a way of wrapping readers in the story, making them feel as though they too are experiencing the same struggles as Ander and Santi. The love story is incredibly heartwarming and touches the soul without feeling heavy-handed or cliche. Yes, I cried a lot 😭.

Overall, “Ander & Santi Were Here” is a must-read for anyone who loves a heartfelt, captivating and moving contemporary love story that offers an inspiring and uplifting message. Jonny Garza Villa's ability to blend life's most pressing realities with storytelling that can uplift and inspire is nothing short of admirable.

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