The book We Were Here by Matt De La Peña was one tremendous conflict for or main character, Miguel. To summarize the book, Miguel killed his brother on accident and he spent one year in a group home. He immediately gets into a fight with a kid named Mong, who later decides to escape to Mexico with him. Rondell, a kid who transferred to the home and Miguel shared a cell in Juvy escapes to Mexico with Mong and Miguel. They go to a beach and find out Mongs sick and he kills himself. Miguel and Rondell decide to go back to the group home and pay back the 750 dollars they stole. Peña uses Mong, Miguel, and Rondell escaping to Mexico as suggestion whether it’s worth escaping and question their decisions from here on out, and also makes the characters make more decisions that question whether making them worth it or not.

First Miguel, Rondell, and Mong break out of the group home. Now, this is the start of the story and where it had began, it’s one of the most important decisions. On page 73 right about when they leave Miguel takes 750 dollars from the Lighthouse and leaves. It is obvious why he took the money, to have money enough to go to Mexico. Stealing the money brought a guilt trip for Miguel. Throughout the book, Miguel wants to return the money he stole, and he eventually ends up paying back the money. This symbolizes that his guilt from the accidents gone and he’s  ready to move on with his life. He has gotten over the incident and forgive himself for doing that. That is why at the end of the book, he goes back to the Lighthouse to face his consequence. (Peña, 67-73)

Later on when they are trying to get to the border, Mong made a decision to terrorize the manager at the Convenience Store. On page 114, the manager at the convenient store said racist comments while they were shopping such as calling them names based on their race. Mong proceed to tie him up and hit him many times to scare him while Miguel and Rondell stole supplies. They did this because Mong wanted to be better than everyone and the higher rank, someone who is feared. Miguel and Rondell go along with it because Mongs the leader, higher person and in control. Knowing the manager will call the police, he will always have a fear that he will come back. This puts more meaning behind Mong, he wants to be bigger than people and he do what he can to achieve that. (Peña, 114)

Finally, Miguel stopped Rondell from killing a kid at the party they went to. On page 257, Miguel talks Rondell out of killing someone for making fun of Miguel. Rondell is sensitive, so the anger got to him. Miguel had no reason to stop Rondell from killing him, but he did. Miguel didn’t want Rondell making the same mistake he did. Miguel knows the consequences of actions. Rondell still has a chance in life and Miguel sees it. (Peña, 257)

Once again, Peña makes Rondell, Mong, and Miguel make decisions that changed the course of the book. Peña makes them question whether escaping was worth it or not. Decisions such as escaping to Mexico to start a new life and whether to kill someone or not. Things like this could break a person on the inside. Mong literally killed himself because he made the wrong decision to escape when he did. Everyone will have to make the decision between whats good or not, it came sooner for or characters.