During this pandemic, I’ve been doing A LOT of reading. From romantic comedies to horror/thrillers, I’ve picked up so many books in the last few months that I can hardly remember what I’ve read. But one book I could never forget is SANCTUARY by Paola Mendoza and Abby Sher.

It’s 2032, and in this near-future United States, all citizens are chipped and tracked. If you’re an undocumented immigrant, it’s almost impossible to survive unless you have a counterfeit chip—which Valentina González Ramirez, a teenage Colombian immigrant, and her mother do. As the president increases security measures on ID chips and the number of deportations raids, Vali and her family are forced to flee their hometown when their mother’s chip starts malfunctioning. Together, they decided to embark on a journey to California—​a sanctuary state that is being walled off from the rest of the country.

When I began reading this book, I quite literally couldn’t stop. I stayed up until 3AM finishing it, and I cried so many times that my eyes hurt afterwards. As a first-generation Latina, this book hit a little too close to my heart because it depicts the immigrant experience so honestly and vividly. Throughout the story, Vali and other various characters encounter gruesome circumstances that, although fictional, aren’t too far off from reality. I’d heard these exact retellings from other people before—whether it was an uncle, a cousin, or a distant relative—and it reminded me that SANCTUARY isn’t just a story. It’s a reality that millions of American immigrants have endured and continue to face during this time of heightened xenophobia.

That’s why I loved this book so much. For people who don’t understand this experience, the authors place us in close proximity with the terror undocumented immigrants feel every day. We take on Vali’s fears, as well as her longing for freedom. We walk, run, and hide right beside her.

And I’m not the only one who thinks SANCTUARY is amazing! It’s already received two starred reviews. As one reviewer writes, “This novel is a triumph in its genre and so politically astute that it sears.”

I could go on and on about this book’s strong female protagonist, complicated family dynamics, and ethnically diverse representation. And I​But you’ll just have to trust me and pick up a copy for yourself on September 1​.