The book drags a bit in the middle and you wonder what else could they possibly run into to postpone the inevitable. With Miguel as a spunky version of Huck with lots of heart and Rondell as his simple-minded, socially awkward friend the only thing missing was the raft. Sometimes violent and a little bit graphic, I felt like I was reading a grittier version of Huck Finn.
With all of the chaos happening around him–the deep sadness of Mong, the childlike innocence of Rondell– he finally comes to terms with himself. The journal helps Miguel deal with his demons and he begins to question himself and his actions. As they move from one place to another, Miguel experiences more and the narration becomes more internal. As a narrator, Miguel’s voice is amazingly genuine–he’s just this misfit teen who is learning that the world is more complicated than he could ever imagine. Instead, he buries it behind happier memories so that as the story progresses, you constantly wonder what it was.Īfter they escape the home and travel south, Miguel records the events that happen, how he feels and what he’s thinking. It’s so terrible that Miguel can’t speak of it or even think of it.
She wouldn’t even look at him and he knows it’s because of what he did. He begins with the day his mom dropped him off at juvie. Miguel wryly comments that he probably would have written a book about something in his life anyway. The book is structured as Miguel’s journal (another mandate of the court was that he’d have to keep one). Through the trials and set-backs of their adventure the boys learn that the journey can often be more important than the destination. The idea of escape is what bonds them on their way, but freedom for each of them is something different. The three of them steal the home’s petty cash envelope and make a break for Mexico to start over and forget the past. Here he meets Mong, a borderline sociopath, and Rondell who becomes their cognitively challenged sidekick with all the muscle. We Were Here is the story of Miguel, a Mexican-American teen who is court ordered into a group home for troubled youth. Check out our review of Ball Don’t Lie here. His collection of young adult novels are critically praised, urban dramas with unforgettable characters and themes. Another special guest for the Celebrate Reading Festival is acclaimed author Matt de la Peña.
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