If you read American Dirt, this book is similar in some ways, but different in many, as it is written by an Own Voices author. Paola Mendoza imagined the worst she could think of for America, and crafted a near dystopian future in which undocumented people have to run from Deportation Forces, as well as citizens who have learned to fear non-Americans.

I must say I’m glad I didn’t read this until after Biden became president because the past administration made me feel that what is described here could actually happen. Paola Mendoza narrated the audio book herself, and she did an excellent job giving Vali a voice in which you could feel her desperation and fear. I am so thankful that this book won’t become reality! It does include depictions of loss, grief, deaths of children, and violence.

A gut-wrenching YA dystopian that feels incredibly relevant for the present-day world. It's a story about a fight for survival and I loved every minute.

An extremely timely book. It was tough, but a very much needed read, especially with everything going on in the world. I enjoyed the journey immensely and would recommend this.

Despite taking place years in the future, this dystopian YA book feels far too prescient for the times. But it's beautifully written, and I felt immediately hooked by Vali's journey and the lengths she goes to seek sanctuary for her family. This haunting book will stick with teens and adults alike.

See my review on YALSA's The Hub for this Best Fiction for Young Adults nominee:

http://www.yalsa.ala.org/thehub/2020/11/27/best-fiction-for-young-adults-bfya2021-nominees-round-up-november-27-edition/

While this is fiction, the parallels to what has been going on in our country are identical. The authors really targeted back in 2018 when things between the border were at a peak. My heart absolutely shattered reading this fictional families' journey just to SURVIVE.

This is set in a dystopian world - in 2033 I believe. Somewhere in that decade... I'm not joking - the parallels are uncanny. I appreciate this book so, so much and I'm so happy I finally read it.

This was a really intense but powerful read. I think that, in our country's current political climate, this book is so necessary. It has some really intense themes, so just be aware of potential triggers prior to reading. Overall, I think this is going to take a really powerful role in YA.

I am not able to review this book because I serve on YALSA's Best Fiction for Young Adults committee.

Immigrants are destroying the United States and there must be strong action to stop it. These immigrant criminals bring violence, danger, disease, and death wherever they go; set on destroying order and authority. This is the rhetoric Vali has been hearing her whole life, as an illegal immigrant. California has succeeded and declared itself an immigrant safe zone, can Vali make it there before she is capture? Sanctuary is a raw and honest depiction of the immigrant experience and the human urge to be safe. Mendoza and Sher perfectly render the dangerous journey an immigrant must travel to safety. Vali is a relatable character who wants to keep her mother and younger brother safe even when the government wants to destroy them. She is a force to be reckoned with but has to find her strength continually throughout the journey. Her unwavering love for her brother with pull at readers heartstrings and ache for the two children. Mendoza and Sher do not shy away from the current rhetoric of how immigrants are seen in the US, using this real life issue to fuel the near-future plot of Sanctuary. Right from the first page, the fast paced plot and heart pounding writing will leave readers breathless and tears in their eyes.

It’s not really my place to comment on a lot of this story, but I thought it was told really well. I read it in a day. The characters jump off the page, even the ones we meet for a brief time.

The setting is the United States in the near future, and just when I would think, “No way this would happen,” I realize a version of it is already happening. Or very close to happening if we let it. It’s heavy and awful, but eye-opening and necessary. Vali and Ernie get so far, do so much, and you can’t help but cry and hope and urge them on.

There was quite an open ending to this story, and I liked that about it. There can be no real resolution to a story like Vali’s, not the when the world is on fire.

I thought some of the writing was a bit too telling over showing, or like a bit too heavy on descriptions rather than letting the reader come to their own conclusions/having their own thoughts. But all in all, I’m glad to have read this book and hope many more people do as well.

SANCTUARY
Paolo Mendoza & Abby Sher

Imagine an America in the near future where citizens are chipped and tracked, where undocumented immigrants have nowhere to hide, and where California becomes a sanctuary state that is being walled off from the rest of the country. 16 yo Vali, and her mother Liliana are refugees from Columbia and are trying to escape to find sanctuary in California where Vali's aunt resides. Liliana's chip malfunctions and she is taken by the Deportation Forces. Vali is forced to make the journey alone with her younger brother Ernie on their own.

This is a fantastic story that I just loved for the wonderful dystopian story that is utterly terrifying, as it is not very far from what could really happen right now. The characters are amazing and the story completely gripping, thrilling, and gut wrenching. Well written and a compelling read.

I highly recommend this YA novel.

Sanctuary is a near future dystopian novel that is just a little bit too close to reality which makes it so incredibly unsettling. In 2032, Vali and her family are living in a US where a “Great Wall” has been built separating the US and Mexico and big brother levels of censorship and governmental control (including citizenship chip implants) are a part of life. Only Vali’s younger brother Ernie is a documented citizen, and the violence and danger have gotten so bad that the family must try to run to find Sanctuary. ⁣
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First impressions:⁣
This book is so hard to read because the emotions are so real and the danger feels so present and immediate. The characters burrow right into your heart and you immediately feel so invested in them. While I can never understand the struggles of race based discrimination as a white woman, the writing does an astounding job putting you in the characters shoes and making you feel their fear and pain. ⁣
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What I liked:⁣
Everything about this book blew me away. The descriptions were gritty and real, the pacing was perfect, and the characters were so well rounded and real. It actually took me a few extra days to read because it was so stressful that I had to take breaks. It was that immersive. ⁣
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One thing I didn’t love:⁣
Honestly, I can’t even come up with anything about this book that I didn’t love. The hardest part was how close to reality this could be if we as a country don’t wake up and make some changes. ⁣
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⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5 stars. Thank you so much to NetGalley and GP Putnam’s Sons for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!⁣

*T/CW: gun violence, attempted rape, death of a child, death of a parent, labor camps, etc.


The fact that this is written as a dystopian novel, and yet, it resembles Tr*mp’s America in more ways than one. As I read, I even forgot that this was written with a different future in mind until the talk of chips and other technology were mentioned.

Unlike other books written, this isn’t trauma porn. While it is heartbreaking, it’s just the reality of our main character Valeria, whom we follow on her journey to get her and her brother to safety as they are on the run from DHS. I will admit that I wasn’t 100% invested in these characters, as we never really get to know them, or at least that’s how I felt. The pacing was a bit off in places, but overall, I couldn’t stop listening to the audio and I urge you all to pick this one up.

Wow this book was really interesting. It takes place in America, where immigration restrictions have severely tightened over the years. The main character has to try to stay safe and alive as an illegal immigrant, which was terrifying to read through. Especially since how America is described in the book doesn’t seem very different from how it is right now. This was a really good and educating read!!

This is a hard one to review, not because the subject isn't incredibly important and timely. It's that I don't know that the world and setting are set up strongly enough. The story is a great idea, but I would have liked the country's politics and economy (what does America do without California, how does California operate separately, what does the world think about this?) to be explored more.

Powerful read. The first sentences grabbed me and without finishing the book I was already recommending it to co-workers who are also experienced librarians. I've read many books on young voices and what is like to be an outsider, making it in the states, crossing the border, but this book? It shocked me. Great job!

A very realistic, near-future novel where citizens are "chipped" electronically. It was a heavy read given our current political state; very on topic, very disturbing. Well written, excellent book.

Set in the near future, the president enforces a war on illegal immigrants. Citizens of the United States must have a chip implanted in their wrist and are subjected to chip checks regularly. Vali and her mother paid for illegal chips so that they can live and work in the United States. Then the president announces a system upgrade to the chips. This puts Vali, her mother, and her brother (who is a legal citizen) on the run. Trying to survive a coyote run to get to California, the state that has annexed from the United States and now provides sanctuary to illegal immigrants, is now their main focus. Finding food, avoiding the DF, and traveling in harsh conditions keeps you on the edge of your seat.

This was a raw and real story about immigration and a surreal analysis of what the world is currently headed towards if compassion towards migrants and minorities doesn't change for the better. Not only is a lot of the horrors in this book part of American history, but very well could become the future and present again. I was consistently in pain reading this because it was so gut wrenching. I loved this book a lot!

What a surreal book. Sanctuary had me on the edge of my seat! I talked about this title in my podcast, Book Talk Bakersfield. THIS BOOK IS REAL LIFE for so many people! I started reading it and then switched over to the audiobook and I was in love with both of them!