Sanctuary

By: Paola Mendoza, Abby Sher

Narrated by: Paola Mendoza

Cofounder of the Women's March makes her YA debut in a near-future dystopian tale where a young girl and her brother must escape a xenophobic government to find sanctuary.

It's 2032, and in this near-future America, all citizens are chipped and everyone is tracked—from buses to grocery stores. It's almost impossible to survive as an undocumented immigrant, but that's exactly what 16-year-old Vali is doing.

She and her family have carved out a stable, happy life in small-town Vermont, but when Vali's mother's counterfeit chip starts malfunctioning and the Deportation Forces raid their town, they are forced to flee. Now on the run, Vali and her family are desperately trying to make it to her Tía Luna's in California, a sanctuary state that is currently being walled off from the rest of the country.

But when Vali's mother is detained before their journey even really begins, Vali must carry on with her younger brother across the country to make it to safety before it's too late.

Gripping and urgent, coauthors Paola Mendoza and Abby Sher have crafted a narrative that is as haunting as it is hopeful in envisioning a future where everyone can find sanctuary.

©2020 Paola Mendoza and Abby Sher (P)2020 Listening Library

Critic reviews

A 2022 Garden State Teen Book Award Nominee (NJ)

A 2021-2022 Green Mountain Book Award Nominee (VT)

A 2021 Bank Street Best Children’s Book of the Year

A 2021 YALSA Best Fiction Book For Young Adults

A 2020 School Library Journal Best Book of the Year

A 2020 Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year

A Teen Vogue Book Club Pick

“In their portrayal of Vali’s family’s quest for safety, the authors beautifully mirror the treacherous, painful, and terrifying treks involving natural and human threats that migrants to the U.S. undertake as they traverse continents and oceans…Wrenching and unmissable.” —Kirkus, starred review

“[This] stunning work of YA dystopian fiction . . . is a triumph in its genre and so politically astute that it sears.” —School Library Journal, starred review

“The all-too-possible future in this suspenseful dystopian novel amplifies the undocumented immigrant experience in the U.S.” —Booklist

A warning of what our country can become

This book follows a young lady through her journey in the US as someone who is unwelcome, yet she calls it home.

A Handmaid’s Tale Like Page Turner - A Must Read

If you are counting the days until the U.S. 2020 elections, if you loved A Handmaid’s Tale tv series or book, if you love the United States but are so sad about what Trump and his gang have done to our country, you must immediately listen to/read Sanctuary. Mendoza and Sher have written a classic that makes you laugh, cry, cheer, fear and hope while inspiring you to do what you can to fight hate, climate change, and dehumanizing immigration policies.

I finished the book in 24 hours - I had trouble “putting the book down” because the authors have created such lovable characters who are so easy to root for. They have also created a world that seems so real if we don’t all vote and do what we can to make positive changes. Living in California right now not able to go outside because the air quality is so bad and ready to evacuate from fires if necessary, the dystopian world they have created doesn’t seem far away at all.

Note about the narration: This is read by one of the authors. It isn’t the high quality recording I’m used to on audible and I would have preferred a more experienced narrator. It distracted from the story at times but not so much that I wouldn’t recommend listening.

I hope this becomes required reading in high schools.

Gripping story

It is interesting to see how the United States could become dystopian and it was fascinating to see how Vali was able to get her and her brother to push forward through all the struggles in life to become a citizen who was free from danger.

This book will stay with you.

I’ve finished this book and am reading it with my students. It’s provided so much rich conversation for our class. It’s heartbreaking to read, but I think it’s a must read for all.

Absolutely Beautiful.

I needed this book. I needed the pain of the truth with the hope of the future. It took me on a journey that my heart was desperately craving. I don’t know how to express just how beautiful and moving it was.

Powerful, Vulnerable, terrifyingly hopeless and faithfully hopeful.

WOW! Incredible! Absolutely incredible.
I couldn’t stop listening to it. I stayed up late and woke up early to see what happens next. I was hanging on to every word...or, every word was hanging on to me, to my heart, to my soul.
The words were leading me, pulling me, to know more, and at the same time feeling known by this book’s existence.
Feeling seen by its words.
WOW! Yes, I say wow again, because there are no words I can conjure up to accurately share how magnificent this book is, and How much I wish everyone would read it.
I wish it was read in Highschool, in College, by The Oprah Book Club, by Activist Shaun King, so that everyone can read it too.
This book is Powerful, Vulnerable, terrifyingly hopeless and faithfully hopeful, just like I imagine its author to be. Like I am.

A life-changing Novel

This is a book that will open one's eyes to the reality of many immigrants.

must read

This book is a must-read for all generations, nationalities, religions, etc. May this only be a "What if" book and not a reality. May we love each other and our differences and not look to hate those that are different.

What could’ve been...

If we continued under the same administration.

I enjoyed this book although it was heartbreaking. A lot of families have gone through Vali’s journey, so this book was realistic. It’s a good book to recommend to others and raise awareness.

So near the truth, not for the faint of heart.

Struggled with the content; devasting truth that runs through the story. The voices were spot on whiney, frustrating child that breaks one's heart with fear and desperation to quiet and comfort.