Name: Ander and Santi Were Here
ISBN: 9781250843999

Jonny Garza Villa

A Novel

Ander and Santi Were Here

Ralie Sutton

"I’d only seen you in small moments. Thought I might've been imagining you."

Monserrat Navarro 

I can only focus on either being grateful or scared, and the moment I walk outside my house house every day, I tell myself it has to be the gratitude. I have a lot more to be thankful for than I have to fear."

“Ay, qué precioso. I hope they're all going to church, so they get into real Heaven too. There are no tamales or tortas Hell."

Yes bestie romanticize this he’s down bad for you! This whole chapter has me feeding into the delusion and it’s teeth rotting cuteness 😭

Destinee Williams

"Here," he calls, holding on to both ends of a pink bandana that matches my shirt. Trying not to read into that decision.

And I Oop… I would have crashed the car from park right then and there. My teen heart would not have been able to handle this level of tension😩

"You don't have to put pants on." "What?" "I’ll see you later," he replies with a proud grin, knowing we both heard what he said. "I promise."

I concentrate on and try to match the pattern of his breathing. And consider everything that we could be.

This is a canon event I cannot interfere 😔

They know that Santi and I decided to be just friends. We might be doing a horrible job at it, more like friends who flirt with each other all the time and hold hands and get caught looking at each other constantly with big babose smiles. But this is the line Santi drew. I'm fine with that. Mostly. 

because mavbe this is the first time my heart's been louder than my brain, I want to listen to it"

But I also know that someday will be the last day I ever paint here. And as happy as all the other thoughts make me, that one brings a real heaviness to my heart.

Lila Roberts

i’m going to have to come back to this later and give my real thoughts once i’ve processed this amazing piece of literature but for now all i have to say is this is my favorite book i’ve ever read and touched my heart in so many places. will be recommending to anyone and everyone

12-15-23: thinking about this book again, truly one of the best pieces i’ve read depicting love and the lengths you would go to for the people you love. been finding that as a common theme of the books i’m attached to the most. ander and santi, love you both 🫶

Heartbreakingly beautiful. The author really captured the essence of what it feels like to be young, in love, and on the cusp of adulthood. It’s as fantastical as it is grounded in a solemn reality for many that this story might be their truth. These characters and their love will stay in my heart, and in a world where we could have existed together, I will be cheering them on.

the representation in this precious little slice of life story is so heartwarming

Ander and Santi Were Here A Novel