We Were Here

Written by Matt de la Pena

Narrated by Henry Leyva

Newbery Award-winning author Matt de la Peña's We Were Here is a "fast, funny, smart, and heartbreaking" novel [Booklist].

When it happened, Miguel was sent to Juvi. The judge gave him a year in a group home—said he had to write in a journal so some counselor could try to figure out how he thinks. The judge had no idea that he actually did Miguel a favor. Ever since it happened, his mom can’t even look at him in the face. Any home besides his would be a better place to live.

But Miguel didn’t bet on meeting Rondell or Mong or on any of what happened after they broke out. He only thought about Mexico and getting to the border to where he could start over. Forget his mom. Forget his brother. Forget himself.

Life usually doesn’ t work out how you think it will, though. And most of the time, running away is the quickest path right back to what you’re running from.

From the streets of Stockton to the beaches of Venice, all the way to the Mexican border, We Were Here follows a journey of self-discovery by a boy who is trying to forgive himself in an unforgiving world.

"Fast, funny, smart, and heartbreaking...The contemporary survival adventure will keep readers hooked."-Booklist

"This gripping story about underprivileged teens is a rewarding read."-VOYA

"A furiously paced and gripping novel."-Publishers Weekly

"A story of friendship that will appeal to teens and will engage the most reluctant readers."-Kirkus Reviews

An ALA-YALSA Best Book for Young Readers

An ALA-YALSA Quick Pick for Reluctant Readers

A Junior Library Guild Selection

• Language: English
• Publisher: Brilliance Audio
• Release date: Aug 13, 2013
• ISBN: 9781480524583

Matt de la Pena

Matt de la Peña is the Newbery Medal-winning author of Last Stop on Market Street. He is also the author of the award-winning picture books Carmela Full of Wishes, Love, and A Nation's Hope: The Story of Boxing Legend Joe Louis, and seven critically acclaimed young-adult novels. Matt teaches creative writing and visits schools and colleges throughout the US.

Reviews for We Were Here

[sophroniaborgia · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Miguel has been sent to a group home for a year after committing a crime that shattered his family. Trying to remain isolated due to his guilt, Miguel starts a journal and eventually escapes from the home with his housemates, simple-minded Rondell and violent, mysterious Mong. Their plan to get to Mexico quickly falls apart and they begin traveling the coast of California, trying to figure out where they can go. I liked the main character Miguel. His voice felt realistic and believable, although not all the events in the novel did. Unfortunately, Rondell was a bit of a magic black person figure rather than a character, which took away from the story, and Miguel's crime was not revealed until the very end, although it was pretty easy to guess. Matt de la Pena is a talented writer working with unusual subject matter and characters, and I would like to see him tackle something a bit more gritty and unpredictable.

[itentertainsme · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Decent story, though predictable and drawn out.

[kimpiddington · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Great read for HS boys-some rough situations, but positive message.

[mattsya · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

As far as I’m concerned this is the best YA book of the year. Three teenagers escape from a juvenile home, steal the home’s petty cash, and try to make their way to Mexico. It is a coming of age story told with a realistic, funny and heartbreaking voice. The characters are very real and likeable, and that just makes seeing them make a string of bad decisions so much harder. This is a book to recommend to both a reluctant boy reader, and a more sophisticated reader looking for something with substance.

[sweetiegherkin · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book is presented as the first-person journal of teenaged Miguel Castaneda, who has been court ordered to write this journal and live in a group home for a year. Things quickly go from bad to worse when Miguel and two other residents at the group home decide to make a break for Mexico and a new life. Along the way, Miguel learns a lot about his accomplices, Rondell and Mong, and begins to process and deal with what he has done. The book is well written, using believable colloquialisms, interesting characters, and a lot of action. It is however, rather gritty and intense, so it is not for the faint of heart.

[ekanderson_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Miguel's life wasn't so bad before what he did. His crime landed him in juvi and then a group home, where he knows he doesn't fit in. Sentenced to write in a journal, Miguel chronicles the events and people surrounding him, including his ex-roommate from Juvi, Darnell and Mong, a kid too crazy to think twice about killing you, if he felt like it. What Miguel never could have expected was that Mong and Darnell would convince him to run away from the group home in an attempt to start over in Mexico. The trip that ensues is an unexpected story of friendship and redemption. WE WERE HERE is one of the most beautiful and heart-wrenching books I've read, and it is not one you want to miss.