Gr 9 Up—Concluding that there is no future for them in Guatemala, Pequeña and brothers Pulga and Chico take off
north, following the tracks of La Bestia and risking everything, including their lives, to reach the U.S. border.
Desperation permeates the pages, as Sanchez's richly drawn characters confront the lack of legal options and the undaunted hope of those compelled to attempt the journey.

Absolutely absorbing, these teens felt real to me, I was desperate for them to survive their harrowing journey. If you like to feel something when you read, this is the story for you, it’s pretty gut-wrenching at times, expect to shed tears along the way but that’s how it should be, that’s what these kids and these families are enduring in real life and I’m glad this book didn’t shy away from the inhumanity they face just as I’m glad there were also moments that showed there is at least some humanity out there, the compassion from shelter workers and others.

Even if you feel like you understand to some degree why people risk their lives to move to another country, even if you already empathize with their situation, this book, as the very best books do, takes that understanding and that empathy to an even deeper level, in a perfect world this would be mandatory reading for everyone around the globe, not just students, but adults, too. ( )

Three Guatemalan teenagers flee their dangerous hometown.

In this action-packed and beautifully rendered depiction of the refugee migrant experience, Sanchez tells the story of 15-year-old Pulga; his brother by choice, Chico; and his cousin Pequeña, three teenagers from Puerto Barrios, Guatemala, who must sneak away from their town to survive. Pulga and Chico unfortunately happen to be at the wrong place at the wrong time when they witness the murder of Don Felicio, the convenience store owner who gives them Cokes in exchange for help. Pequeña, who is 17 and a new mother, wants to escape Rey, the gang member who raped her and wants to force her into marriage—and who murdered Don Felicio. The chapters switch between the first-person perspectives of Pulga, who has the heart of an artist, and Pequeña, who sees beyond her surroundings and escapes reality during stressful situations. Scared of a future controlled by Rey, the trio embark on the journey that will bring them to the United States. But first they must conquer La Bestia, the name given by migrants to the train that claims the limbs and lives of many who flee violence. Sanchez delivers a brutally honest, not-to-be-missed narrative enriched by linguistic and cultural nuances in which she gracefully describes the harrowing experiences the young people endure after making the choice to survive.

A gripping, heart-wrenching, and thrilling tale of survival. (map, author’s note, sources) (Fiction. 14-adult)

-Kirkus Review

We are Not from Here
By Jenny Torres Sanchez
This is a very possibly scenario of what may bring unaccompanied minors on the long trek to the US from Central America. Bitterly emotional, frightening, and sadly quite realistic. ( )

Told in alternating voices, this book tells the story of Pulga, Pequeno, and Chico. Life has gotten dangerous from the friends in Guatemala, so much so that they feel the need to run for a chance to survive. Pulga has been planning the trek to the US for years. After Chico and Pulga are on the scene of a murder and forced into working for the murderer and Pequena is facing a life together with this same person, suddenly the risks of dying on the road seem a better alternative than what their life at home will become.
A treacherous journey is told in alternating bits between Pulga and Pequena, who disguises herself as male on the trip. ( )