Reviews

Sanctuary by Abby Sher, Paola Mendoza

Only show reviews with written explanations

justinevandale's review against another edition

dark inspiring sad fast-paced

4.0

I received book two as an ARC and didn’t realize that it here was a book one so I quickly grabbed Sanctuary. I loved this book. It was absolutely heartbreaking but at the same time I feel like it’s so close to our reality that it made the story really scary. If you are a fan of The Handmaid’s Tale you need to read this one as well. I honestly can’t believe how messed up people are and that this is okay? I can’t wrap my head around it. In this first instalment Vali, her mom and little brother are trying to run away to Sanctuary to get away from all of the US except California, trying to deport immigrants and they goes as far as to basically put them in concentration camps. They are dying by the hundreds maybe even more thousands. It’s so sick to read but it’s sending the message that I’m sure a lot of immigrants feel. They are treated like they aren’t human. Is pitiful. I can’t believe that this is so close to reality in the year 2024. It’s mind boggling. I just can’t really give too much away I want everyone to read it for themselves.

erindecker's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark sad tense fast-paced

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

4.25

melisbooked's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous challenging dark emotional medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

kimbongiorno's review against another edition

Go to review page

5.0

A must-read for ages 12+ that takes “What ifs” inspired by the trajectory of the US over the past few years and projects them into a not-too-distant future. Makes us consider our actions and inactions, our power and what we can—or should, should not—do with it.

lucysreading's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

shksprsis's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging sad tense medium-paced

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

4.25

adnaw06's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.5

Content Warnings

ashleerosereads's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

* Whew * does this one hit too close for comfort. Sanctuary is a story about a young sibling duo who are fleeing the Deportation Forces in their pursuit to California, which has been recently walled off from the rest of the country as a sanctuary state for immigrants. The year is 2032, and in this not-so-distant-future, all citizens are implanted with a chip to prove they are citizens. As their president becomes more and more like a dictator, these chips are required beyond that at borders. Deportation Forces are now forcing people to scan their chip everywhere - getting on public transportation, going into school, going into grocery stores, etc - and anyone who either doesn't have a chip or is found to have a counterfeit is shipped off to a <*s> concentration <*/s> labor camp, and they are never seen again. As their home city in Vermont is becoming more and more dangerous, and Vali's mother's counterfeit chip starts to malfunction, they pack up and attempt to make the near-impossible trek to California.

I don't even know what to say about this but that it feels so real . With the way our government feels about immigrants, especially those from Southern/Latin America (which is the primary focus of this novel), this honestly doesn't feel like an impossible scenario. Which is terrifying. As someone who is privileged enough to not have to endure the hardships of being an immigrant or a child to an immigrant family, I can't even begin to imagine how much of Vali's struggles mirror that of the immigrants in America today. Although this is dystopian fiction, it takes inspiration from real issues that are prevalent in our society today, and paints a picture of a dystopian future that really isn't far off if we stay on our current trajectory.

Although devastating, I think this is an important read for anyone and everyone to get a glimpse of the immigrant experience, and what could happen if we give government too much power. Sanctuary is followed by a companion novel, Solis, & I plan on reading that as well.

niquee3317's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous emotional informative inspiring reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

Content Warnings

meswauncyc's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.5

More...