This book honestly sent me on a whirlwind. I would say that this is my first book dealing with a non-binary latino character and I loved it. I love how the book put emphasis on Anders community and how close knit and supportive his family is because many people do not have that. I love how it dealt with the upper spectrum of the YA genre but still had classic teenage things such as the instant falling in love,

5 / 5 ⭐️'ˢ

“Ander & Santi Were Here” by Johnny Garza Villa

Edition: ARC ebook via @netgalley

Jonny Garza Villa delivered a stirring YA contemporary love story! This captivating novel took me on a poignant journey of self-discovery, young love, and the enduring quest for belonging.

Set in the vibrant Santos Vista neighborhood of San Antonio, Texas, the story introduces us to Ander Martínez, a nonbinary Mexican American teenager who finds solace and inspiration in their family's taquería. The narrative beautifully captures the tapestry of Ander's world—pan dulce aromas, the harmonious blend of Spanish and English, and the powerful role of their mural artistry. As Ander prepares to leave for art school, the familiar surroundings that have nurtured their creativity give rise to hesitation and uncertainty.

Ander's transition from taquería life to full-time muralist, thanks to a "firing" from their family, marks the beginning of a transformative journey. However, it is their chance encounter with Santiago López Alvarado, the enigmatic new waiter, that sets the heart of this story in motion. The love that blossoms between Ander and Santi feels as natural as breathing, and their relationship becomes a conduit for profound self-discovery.

Through Santi's eyes, Ander gains fresh insights into their identity as an artist, igniting a creative flame that propels them forward. Meanwhile, Ander becomes Santi's guide to understanding the intricacies of Santos Vista and the United States, eventually helping Santi establish a sense of home. But their love story isn't without challenges, as the shadow of ICE agents looms, threatening to shatter their newfound happiness.

Jonny Garza Villa masterfully addresses the complexities of identity, love, and belonging in a world fraught with uncertainty. As Ander and Santi navigate the treacherous waters of immigration, readers are reminded of the fragility of home and the resilience of love. The story delves into the stark reality of living in a world that often feels against them and beautifully depicts the power of love to persevere even when the odds seem insurmountable.

- thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an arc to review!

- a powerful story of love, trying to fight against the world, and finding those who make you feel happy. Garza Villa writes a painful story of love with casual and well-represented queer representation, and with characters whose struggles mirror the ones of many in real life. a story you don't want to miss.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for the eARC.

I was not prepared for the emotional ride this book took me on, but I am so glad I read it! I loved Ander & Santi's story, and I have high hopes for them to be together for the long haul (you never know with YA).

Thank you to Net Galley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. Ander is a non-binary Mexican-American who live in San Antonio, TX. Their family, friends and neighborhood are everything. They have just found out they've been fired from their job at their family's restaurant. Yet, their family is doing it as a favor so they can focus on their murals/art and prepare for college in Chicago. The new waiter taking their open spot is Santiago or Santi and Ander falls for him right away. And, Santi is falling for Anders too. As their relationship grows, Santi helps Ander to see themselves and what they want in life - being an artist. Santi has encountered tragedy in the past and came to the US for a better life. Ander helps Santi find home. Yet, Santi does not have legal documents to be in the US and he's picked by ICE while Santi is getting snacks at the store. Ander is devastated and it feels like the world is against them. But Ander's relationship with Santi is their future and they're willing do what it takes to make sure Santi doesn't get deported. This was a beautifully told story in the first person from Ander's point of view. The author did a wonderful job of developing Ander's character and creating a community. This is described as a YA novel and it does cover alot of important topics - immigration, coming of age/finding one's way in life.

Title: Ander and Santi Were Here
Author: Johnny Garza Villa
Summary: 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.
Copy provided by @netgalley in exchange for honest review.
Likes: The variety of queer representation, important subject matter, the story was well balanced between the main character’s passion and talent for art and the constant threat of deportation/ICE.
Dislikes: The pace of the story was a bit slow for me at times.
#mlm #NetGalley #LGBT #LGBTQIA #pride #mexicanheritage #mexicanart #poc #queerbookstagram #anderandsantiwerehere #jonnygarzavilla #yafiction #stmartinspress #macmillanusa #QPOC #books

Ander and Santi's story was a beautiful and rarely-seen look into the life of a queer, undocumented teenager, and the chosen family he finds in Texas. This is such an important book and I am so happy it is out in the world for young adults to read, learn, and see themselves in.

Garza Villa built a vibrant word for these two characters, with vivid descriptions of Ander's art, fluid transitions between Spanish and English dialogue, and a lively group of characters who had me laughing and rooting for them throughout. Despite this being a difficult story to tell, there was a great balance between heartbreak, worry, laughter and joy. You can truly see why Ander and Santi believe their love is worth the pain they go through to protect it.

My only qualm was the pacing. While I loved the descriptions of Santi's art and process, I found that they sometimes went on long enough that I lost focus and found myself wishing we could get back to the plot. This was especially noticeable at the end, when all I wanted was to know how Ander and Santi's story was wrapped up.

Overall, this was a heartwarming, heartbreaking and special read that I highly recommend.

Sweet, cute, fun, touching, romantic, lovely YA Romance. This book will definitely fill your craving for a feel-good romance, as it did mine. You will come to love Ander & Santi, as did I. You will not regret picking up this book, so go grab a copy asap!

This book is so beautiful and so important. I fell in love with our two main characters. This book packs such an emotional punch and won't let you down.

"Te amo, Santi. Y te veré pronto."


I read the majority of this book on a plane which means I spent the majority of that time on the plane crying into my N95 mask and texting my best friend to translate the Spanish words I couldn't decipher on my own (free texting in flight, no free internet). I knew this book would break me, but I was NOT READY.

TW: racism, America’s flawed immigration system, ICE, loss of a parent (cancer), missing parent off-page, threat of deportation, grief

I tend to be a cynic when it comes to YA romance because those relationships usually won't last, yet we're expected to believe them when they say "I love you" after 200 pages. However. HOWEVER. I would personally fistfight grown men in a parking lot to keep these two safe forever. I will never let them feel pain ever again!!!

Truthfully, I think everyone should know very little going into this book. Our main character, Ander or AJ, is nonbinary and an artist, in the post-grad stages and trying to find their footing before going off to school. The love interest, Santi, is hired as a new waiter at Ander's family's restaurant, and sparks start flying almost immediately. The problem? Santi is undocumented.

And the other problem? I read this book in public.

Here's a little rundown of the parts that left me screaming/crying/punch me in the face:
-the way the cover and title are integrated into the story (SOBBING I TELL YOU SOBBING!!)
-the sex positivity (upper YA/New Adult, by the end of the book both characters are 19)
-there is zero transphobia/homophobia
-it's a love letter to San Antonio, TX (anyone else want to do an Ander & Santi field trip?)
-the deep connections and love for Latine culture and family
-the passion for art, especially Mexican art
-literally everything

I think my most honest rating of this book would be 4.75 stars because the book has a slow start, but once I got 15-20% in I was blazing through the pages. It just took me a few months to get through that beginning.

Also, I did laugh quite a bit reading this! And not just because I made my best friend look up words in the Spanish dictionary that are a bit NSFW 💀

OH AND HOW COULD I FORGET? A major part of this book is a friendship going south and recovering from a friendship breakup. Felt very pertinent to my current life.

Rep: Nonbinary gay Mexican MC, gay or pan (not explicitly labeled) Mexican love interest, gay & gray ace SC, bisexual SC, trans SC, many queer minor side characters

Thank you to Wednesday Books for the early copy in exchange for an honest review.

I cried twice! I will read anything Jonny Garza Villa writes and this was proof of why. Just stunning, artistic, funny, voicey, and full of heart. And important too.

This book ended up being something that just wasn't for me. I know that others will really enjoy it, I just couldn't get into it.

I really liked the topics that were discussed in this book, and how it didn’t shy away from difficult conversations. I liked the premise, but I wasn’t super engaged in the storyline even though the characters and setting were compelling. I think it might be because Garza Villa’s writing style isn’t for me, but I will definitely be recommending this book to others since it had so many great elements!

This is one of the most captivating books I’ve ever read. Jonny Garza Villa captures emotion in a very specific, nuanced way that seems to both encapsulate and transcend any experience.

While helping in their family’s taquería and working on their murals and art, Ander is trying to figure out what the upcoming year will bring them. Art school doesn’t seem to be fitting exactly as hoped. When their family hires Santi to help with serving, Ander is immediately infatuated and the two fall for each other fast and hard. But their relationship isn’t on the sturdiest of feet as ICE agents seem to be always looming on the horizon, threatening Santi’s ability to stay in San Antonio.

This book was just beautiful. Astounding. Something I simultaneously felt compelled to finish while dragging my heels to stay with this story and these characters. The emotion and heart comes through on every page, in every description, and every word of dialogue.

Everyone said that the last quarter of the book brought an endless onslaught of tears and I’ll add my own experience to that. Definitely true. Definitely sobbed. Definitely one of the best books I’ve read.

5 stars

2.5 stars
DNF @ 30%
I’m very sad this book didn’t work for me but the “in your face, telling not showing” constant social commentary about racism and transphobia totally ruined the experience for me.

I'm absolutely going to get way too emotional trying to review this beautiful story. It deserves so many more than five stars because I genuinely think that it is a perfect contemporary YA romance.

The writing is absolutely gorgeous. I was lucky enough to have both an eGalley and the audiobook, and the audiobook absolutely brought everything to life. These characters, their families and friends, the artwork, the restaurant, their lives...everything is so vivid. And there was so much passion. You know those people who aren't afraid to feel, and feel deeply? That's how Ander, and honestly everyone felt to me. It was so raw and real and honest. And it was funny. There was so much laughter and love and joy. There are so many important stories to tell and I just want to shove this book in the hands of absolutely everyone.

I'm not articulating anything well, but just read it. Trust me.

Ander & Santi Were Here is a gripping YA romance that shines a light on the harsh realities undocumented immigrants face. Even more than that it's about the communities and loved ones who come together to support them during these times. Ander & Santi's story is a difficult one, but it is also full of love, hope and joy.

I finished this book, and it was amazing! Definitely a 5 star read. I love Santi, Ander and Ander's family. The book cover is stunning for one. Santi and Ander have a beautiful relationship, and it's wonderful watching them grow closer and seeing them together. It's not just a romantic story; this book shows the realities of what undocumented workers go through.

Johnny writes emotions and people so beautifully. The characters are all three dimensional and have a lot of depth to them. I loved getting to know each character better, especially Santi.

This story is about love, finding home, belonging, and fighting for what you believe in. I enjoyed the powerful story, writing style, and dialogue between characters. I listened to the audiobook and loved it; the narration was great and added to the story nicely. Also, I've just been enjoying audiobooks more than physical reading lately.

Get ready to have your heart broken and put back together again.

Art. Love. Immigration. Real life. Overcoming.

Ander & Santi Were Here is a heartwarming(and heart wrenching) view of what it's like to fall in love and see that beauty flash before your eyes. This is an absolutely lovely story.

Because of this one book Jonny Garza Villa will now be on my instant buy author list.

"...because maybe this is the first time my heart’s been louder than my brain, I want to listen to it.” 🖤🧠

Screaming. Crying. Throwing up. Punch me in the face. This book is fucking perfect. ANDER & SANTI WERE HERE by Jonny Garza Villa is just the most beautiful, YA contemporary romance. Told from the perspective of Ander, a non-binary, Chicano artist, this book is beautiful, heartbreaking and so, so hopeful.

Ander is taking a gap year before college - and they have a prestigious internship with a local nonprofit and are able to create beautiful murals around San Antonio. While working at their family’s taqueria, they meet Santi. What unfolds is a supportive, caring relationship - but when Ander discovers Santi is an undocumented immigrant from Mexico and ICE agents are frequenting the restaurant, their relationship and new love is tested.


This book is a searing portrayal of how immigration, ICE and the threat of personal and family safety shapes people’s existence, relationships, and mental health. This novel also has a fantastic sense of community - where other characters are supportive of both the relationship and of keeping Santi safe - and speaks to the resiliency of immigrants, as they look to lead secure, safe, and full lives.

I cannot wait to read the author’s other book - and it seems they have another one coming out next year! Just please read this book.

CW // immigration; ICE; deportation; xenophobia and racism; police; gentrification