this book was one of my most anticipated reads of the year and it did not disappoint.

cw: ICE, deportation

this book deals with a lot of heavy topics, but at the same time was very beautiful and poignant. from the synopsis, i spent most of the book waiting for the other shoe to drop, and when it did, my heart broke along with the characters’. this is one book that will break your heart but put it together again by the end.

ander is gay, nonbinary, and mexican-american. i love how ander is unapologetically themself and how they have an amazing support system. the queer representation in this book was so good, and i love how their identity was something to be celebrated among their family and friends. ander and santi’s relationship development was very realistic, and despite everything they went through, they come out of it stronger than before. i felt that the ending was appropriate for the story, as it wasn’t a perfect ‘happy’ ending, but was optimistic and i felt that it was the best scenario for them with everything that happened.

<i>‘and the words ‘Ander & Santi Were Here’ are written along the top. Big and bright and bold. Wanting the world to know that we gave it our best and that that has meaning. That we loved here, and no one and no amount of hate can ever erase that.’</i>

i can’t wait to buy a physical copy of this book when it comes out. this is one book i’ll be thinking about for a long time. (also the cover is so beautiful, when ander describes their mural, i had to flip back to the cover to see the visual)


(thank you to Netgalley for the eARC)

Thank you netgalley for this ARC this was an arc i really wanted to read this year so when i got approved for it i had to read it asap and im so glad i did..

This book had everything you need in a book this book was detailed and written so amazing this book follows AJ and santi also want to say loved the NB rep in this novel and everyone who identifies as NB can feel seen in these novels. This novel was so beautiful and the relationship did not feel forced EVER and felt so authentic even through all the hardships usually alot of books just feel so forced and boring when it comes to love stories but this one was amazing. I loved all the food being talked about in this book it sounded delicious all the culture and art the author wrote in this novel was beautiful as well. I really look forward to other books in the future by the author of this novel they really wrote such a beautiful important book regarding stories we see that happen in society and it was so sad to read about. I cant express how much i LOVED this book seriously it was cute, sad, emotional at times but overall its a very important novel. One of my favorite things of this novel was the family dynamics the restaurant everything was perfect ugh. The murals were so detailed and had so many messages behind them.

Also can we talk about how cute the cover is????? The detail is so good.

Seriously such an amazing piece of work. I cant say much more because i dont want to spoil the novel for anyone but if you like YA novels READ THIS.

Classic tale set in modern times. I love the Mexican American experience being talked about and the the budding relationship between the two main characters. Even though it’s told in contemporary times you can tell the author pulled inspiration from ancient tales. A lovely read.

Thank you to Wednesday Books and NetFalley for the ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

This book. My heart feels broken and put back together. Jonny does such a phenomenal job at crafting a romance that truly pulls at the heartstrings and I couldn't help but fall in love.

This is the perfect blend of tender and heart with so much passion. An absolute can't miss!

I ABSOLUTELY LOVED THIS ONE! There was an incredible amount of depth to Ander and Santi's characters and I was absolutely drawn into this complex, raw, and real story. Villa does not shy away from reflecting on cultural or political realities, which is where I think this book draws its strength from. I was in awe of Villa's writing throughout, which I don't often experience when reading YA. The representation in this book was handled masterfully and I will definitely be picking up more from this author.

As someone who recently came out as non-binary, I can’t tell you how nice it was to come
across a book that features a non-binary main character. In this novel we follow Ander and Santi as they get swept up in a beautiful love story.

This novel was heartfelt, realistic, and full of both funny and emotional moments. The social commentary within this novel is so important and I found the use of Spanish throughout really effective and provided poignant cultural representation.

Thank you to the publisher for allowing me to read an ARC of this novel which I have no doubt will be a key piece of queer YA literature.

This book was a fairly interesting read for me.
I really enjoyed how many cultural elements were apart of the world building and the diction of this book, and the characters struggles felt very tangible and real through the page. I did find that the pacing of the book was much slower than I would have like though. Overall, I think its incredibly important, especially in today’s world, for stories like this to be told.

I’ve been searching for a good contemporary romance to read and I’m so happy that this is the one I got to pick up. If you're a fan of Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, They Both Die at the End, and/or I'll Give You the Sun, this book is for you.

Ander & Santi Were Here follows Ander, a nonbinary artist, in San Antonio, Texas, as they take a gap year before going to art school to do a residency with a local queer advocacy organization. This includes helping at their family’s taqueria…until Ander is “fired” so they can spend more time on their art, and a cute new boy is hired to take their place.

What a beautiful and fun story! I love Ander so much. Their passion for art is central to the story, and I appreciate the commentary on Ander being a token Latinx artist in college as well as their realization that they don’t want to be treated that way. They are not the next Frida or Diego, they are them and they'll paint what they want and how they want. Ander is also so funny and relatable, and I love their interactions with their family members, who are equally as funny and very supportive of them & their (sometimes outlandish) choices.

Pushing the story is Ander & Santi’s romance, how they fit so well together and yet are afraid of losing each other all at once. Their shared heritage brings them together, too, as well as Ander’s art, and I loved when they had their little moments together and talked not only about art, but books and family and having pride in themselves for being Latinx and LGBTQ+.

All the characters often speak in a mixture of English and Spanish, and although I'm not a native Spanish speaker and have little knowledge of the language, the language changes didn't take me out of the story. It made everything feel more real, and didn't feel like the author was throwing it in there to make the characters seem more Latinx--they just were, and unabashedly so. Which was refreshing, for them all to be themselves in a world that is sometimes unkind to them.

There was also a poignancy to it all because of the current racist migration policies in the US, meaning at every turn, Ander and Santi were worried about ICE being at the backs, and how they managed to love and be happy despite it all was wonderful, and yet heart wrenching at times. My heart sped at times and I couldn't swipe through the pages fast enough to see what was happening and make sure everything was okay. Ander & Santi grabbed me and didn't let me go, even at the very end, and it's a book that'll stay with me as I go forward, in both my reading and in life.

2.5 stars - ANDER AND SANTI WERE HERE is undeniably a book with a lot of heart, great message and intentions, giving a much needed humanizing depiction of an undocumented person, unfortunately its execution just does not do it for me.

The novel brims vibrantly with art and culture, a love letter to art that portrays and uplifts the community despite external ideas and pressure, to Mexican food and music that bring people together, and to community that shows up for one another even against state violence. It is a joy to read all the aforementioned and learn how the main character Santi is raised by, fed, thriving in all this, and it is a breath of fresh air indeed.

And of course the portrayal of an undocumented person here is almost monumental for me, so rare it is, let alone a fleshed out and humanizing one as is the case here with Santi. Similar to Ander, the topic of undocumented people seems like a concerning but distanced one from me, never something personal, but this book completely changes that, depicting both the minutiae and pressing aspects of being undocumented, shedding a more revealing and informative light on it.

While the book's intentions are heartfelt and well-meaning, however, I think its execution leaves quite a bit to be desired. The pacing is inconsistent, very slow at times with constant, repetitive internal monologues and reflection by Ander peppered with him doing art, going to Lupe's and hanging out with Santi, and only with rare bursts of development peppered in. It gets boring after a while, waiting for something concrete to actually happen. The last arc also ends too abruptly in my opinion, and more time could have been given to the ending.

The writing is also surprisingly juvenile. I get that this is YA, but at times the language simply does not fit the depth and sometimes seriousness of the story, and could have articulated in a better way. And while Ander and Santi's relationship is a major part of the book, despite it being a mostly health one and effortlessly queer, I am not a fan of the instalove and sometimes fail to comprehend or understand their bond. I think more focus could have been given to Santi's aspirations for the future as well, instead of only focusing on his past.

To sum up, this is a book with good message, with its love for food, culture, art, community, queer love that sheds a rare light on being undocumented, but one whose execution hampers its full potential.

Sometimes I adore a book, and then other times I am utterly consumed by it. My DNA is unwound until the pieces of me that didn’t fit quite right before begin to align perfectly with the shape of this book. I just…

I have loved a lot of books, and I have felt so many emotions for a lot of books - but a lot of books are not this one. And a lot of the things I have said or could say will never quite begin to encompass what this book did to me. For me. What it will do to you, and for you.

Ander and Santi Were Here is a story unlike any other. Filled with gorgeous prose, characters whose vibrancy shines both on the page and in your heart, queer joy, queer sorrow but most importantly, I think at its heart, it is filled with hope.

I think it’s safe to say I cried from the 65% margin onwards, Santi and his pain, Ander and theirs - the way they find each other, comfort each other and care for each other in the only way they both know how. I just will forever be in awe.

This book explores the lives of two Mexican people, as they meet in a glance and are then sucked in from that point onwards. Not only does it discuss so many important topics, such as the impact that ICE, and the police force in general, have on undocumented folks' lives, the injustice of limiting an artist to their culture as if that's all they are and so many other things, but It shares a message that most other books shy away from. A brutal truth that is laid out in its simplicity, fed to you in a way that is not delicate and nor should it be.

But, alongside that, this story is a love story. One that follows challenges, and art, and warmth and tender moments and heartbreaking ones. Truly everything you could think of and wish for. It is as brutal as it is kind and it is something I will be forever grateful I have read and cherished.

Anyways I think you guys should probably pick this one up when it comes out, i’ve got a good feeling about it, don't ask me why.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this E-ARC, it is out 4TH APRIL 2023. Mark your calendars.

I want to preface this by saying that I was not exactly in the best place when reading this book and I will likely reread it and change my opinion on it.
I had a hard time getting into this book. I thought the writing was good but it didn't quite work for me. I thought the characters were interesting and nice but I didn't connect with them. The plot was good and I thought it moved at a decent pace, but I had a hard time paying attention to it some of the time.
Overall: I didn't connect with this book in this read-through. I do plan on rereading it in the future because I do think my opinion will change on this.

Heartbreaking and vulnerable but also filled with moments of humor and romance. Garza Villa will tear your heart into pieces then put it back together again. Always recommend.

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with an advanced readers copy.

How do I describe the emotional rollercoaster that I went through while reading this book. I was so amazed by the authors ability to play with my emotions. This book had me laughing out loud and crying. All I could think about was how I wished I could’ve grown up reading books like this. I am also so grateful that books with non-binary characters are getting the platform they deserve.

This book had such heart warming scenes but also dealt with very heavy subjects. I could never really figure out the direction the book was taking. I enjoyed that in a sense that life is also unpredictable. Sometimes when you finally think you have everything figured out, you suddenly realize that you’re in over your head.

In full transparency I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
This book had me stuck to my couch for the entire day. Turning the page not knowing what would happen next. The gripping reality that some people actually live with day after day, afraid their humanity is being questioned due to not being “legal.” This was a beautiful and heart wrenching story of two young people with unwavering support from their loved ones. Seeing the queer rep was just the icing on the cake for this novel. Garza Villa does it again.

Was left in awe of this quietly devastating and beautifully intimate story of love, resistance, heartbreak, hope, and home -- in spite of fear, in the face of the things we can't control, and in all the moments in-between.

*ARC from Netgalley*

3.5☆

Let me preface this by saying I am NOT the target audience for this book, and that was definitely a factor in my feelings about the book.

The good:
I found that the writing was well done. The author was great at setting a scene and describing events.

The main character, Ander, I felt was well rounded and I was able to understand their motivations.

The cultural bits were lovely, especially regarding food and family.

Ander's painting was interesting and I liked reading about it.


The things that didn't work for me:

The plot felt so slow for like 75% of the book and just didn't seem like it was going anywhere. The last quarter of it was more exciting but getting there was a struggle.

I didn't feel like Santi was a well developed character. I know he had a rough background and likes to read and that's about it. And he just kind of moves in? with Ander? I'm not sure what happened with the people he was living with.

The instalove. This is where it is hard for me, because I know I'm not the target audience. These 19y/os are making huge life decisions based on how much they are sooo in love and only After a few months. I'm old and jaded I guess bc all I can do is roll my eyes. I cannot relate to these characters even a little bit.

The gen-z lingo. The author used the word "unalive" once and it completely derailed me from the story.

The formatting of the texting was really hard to follow and not always consistent.

So, overall, I don't think it was a bad book. It's actually a sweet story about young love and the lengths one would go for the person they love. I think that for an adolescent,it's probably a fantastic read. For me though, it was hard to get through.

Thank you to Wednesday books for an e-arc of this novel in exchange for an honest review!

Ander and Santi Were Here takes place in San Antonia, Texas and follows Mexian-American teen Ander who is also a non-binary artist. They meet Santi who is the hot new waiter working at their family’s restaurant and sparks fly. As their relationship progresses and unfolds, Ander starts to understand more deeply how they would like for their art to be perceived by the world. While, to Santi, Ander represents the first step toward settling down in the U.S. However, their relationship becomes more complicated once ICE agents come into the picture.

So first, I really enjoyed Ander as the MC as well as their voice in general. I thought their point of view blended seamlessly with the contemporary writing style. Specifically, modern-day references (while there were quite a few!) were incorporated into the book effectively and seamlessly. They all read very realistically and things I would actually say. It didn’t feel as cringy as other books that love to put so many modern-day references in them.

My favourite theme is how this book effectively touches on how minorities and underrepresented groups are watered down by institutions into the thing that makes them minorities — they impose a value on these groups that is directly tied to their cultural background. In a sense, it is exploitative and to quote Villa, “Even allies objectify people with “the potential of migrants”. Essentially, the bodies of migrants don't matter unless we are able to capitalize off of them.
It’s incredibly important for those who identify as allies and those who are on the path to allyship that they recognize any biases they have, in unconsciously or consciously imposing this value onto marginalized communities, especially in discussions of migrants.

The last third of the book was incredibly powerful, as it touched equally on themes of community solidarity and racialized injustice. Overall, I absolutely loved this book and will def read more of Villa’s work. 5 stars.

A moving, heartbreaking story. I read the author's first book and was really looking forward to this one, and it did not disappoint!

E-ARC provided by Netgalley

I should start this review by saying I'm Mexican, lol. I am also not a huge contemporary reader. But I really enjoyed this book. The relationship between the two main characters was just sweetness overload. I love how the restaurant and the town, the neighborhood and the familia were painted with so much emotion and uniqueness. A truly enjoyable read.


It was very interesting to see the Chicanx experience, with both Mexican culture and the Spanish language. I caught just one or two spelling errors like: "Ciudad México" which made me cringe but other than that, I related to pretty much everything. I loved the ending sm.

Jonny Garza Villa proved again that they know how to balance heavier, emotional themes with lightheartedness so well. This book has its difficult moments, but it's such a loving story. What really stood out to me was that the conflict in this book mainly came from external factors, specifically being undocumented and ICE. The relationship itself was so wholesome, which also made the storyline hit that much harder. This is truly a beautiful story.