Review by oofsharkz73 - We Are Not from Here

oofsharkz73 's review for:

We Are Not from Here by Jenny Torres Sanchez

5.0

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

"And even though we are afraid, even though the fear is right there beneath the surface, it's a different kind of fear.
It's fear with hope.
And hope matters, as we ride into an unknown future."

"Here I leave more of my hair.
Here I leave bits of my teeth.
Here I leave more of who I used to be.
And there, somewhere in the face reflected in the mirror, is who I'll become once I cross the border."

We Are Not From Here by Jenny Torres Sanchez genuinely stunned me. Sanchez bases this unflinching novel on three young teenagers - Pulga, Pequena, and Chico - and alternates between the perspectives of Pulga and Pequena. Pulga has dreams that he wants to share with Chico, and Pequena has hope that she believes will get her to the other side of the border. From the very first page, you are thrust into their lives, feeling the suffocating fear, the desperation. Sanchez depicts their harrowing journey as they escape from the perils they face in Guatemala, pushing you to reflect - to see past the politics and the news articles, to put yourself in the shoes of children seeking refuge in the United States. Pulga poignantly questions, "And why do we have to die to finally, finally be safe? And how can the world hate us for trying to survive? And how are we only reunited with our mothers in death?" This -- this yearning for a different reality, the notion that this depletion of life will always be their reality if they don't get out, is what incites their journey. As they progress on the La Bestia, the hearts of these children are hardened. Pulga's despair is palpable when he reflects, "We are specks that don't matter to this world. Our lives, our dreams, our families don't matter to this world. Our hearts, our souls, our bodies don't matter to this world. All it wants to do is crush us." These words encapsulate the tragic reality that Sanchez so powerfully brings to life, where survival often feels like an unattainable dream. I found myself praying for these "fictional" children - the story of Pulga, Pequena, and Chico is not just a story...For so many children like them, it is reality. I prayed for them. I wept for them. When their hope was dwindling, I wished I could give them mine, I wished strength was transferable to characters in a novel. Sanchez's novel is bigger than a fictional construct - it’s a call to empathy and understanding. We Are Not From Here is so raw. We Are Not From Here is so profound. We Are Not From Here is so necessary.