Miguel Castañeda was an average kid, who lived contently with his mom and loving brother, Diego. However, an accident occurred; Diego died and it did not only affect the very course of Diego’s family yet also changed the path of Miguel’s life. Due to an accident that happened early on in the novel, Miguel later ends up being sent to a group home. An event so devastating, it caused his mother to not only change her perception of him but also cut him off entirely. In We Were Here, Matt De La Peña uses foreshadowing to hint at Diego’s death, which shows why Miguel was sent to the group home and both the internal and external struggles he faces later on.

Miguel creates a visual for the reader as he remembers his brother’s death stating that he looked into Diego’s terrified eyes as his brother’s life came to an end. This is a clue left by the author that suggests what might have caused Miguel to be sent to a group home. This page is significant to the book because it shows what Miguel may have done to get himself sent away. De La Pena uses flashbacks to tell Miguel’s story, and this is just one example of it. (De La Peña 119) . In this chunk of the story, Miguel tells us about how he and his brother felt the day the accident occurred. This excerpt is also important because it helps the story move along all while keeping readers hooked.

Somewhere along the story, Miguel makes the reader aware of how he feels as he sits inside the cave drowning himself in his emotions. As he stares into the water Miguel shares some valuable information about his brother through triggered memories, how some events make him think of Diego, adding onto his guilt. “For the hundred-thousandth time. Falling on my back, slamming my head against the wooden cupboard. The wind knocked out of me and my head all wet with my own blood. I stared at the dark cave wall and saw everything happening all over again.”  (De La Peña 126) The reason this page is important is because it reveals how Miguel really feels on the inside. Miguel explains his emotions and memories through flashbacks because of who he is as a character, his inability to communicate properly with others affects both those around him and himself. De La Pena tells the story through flashbacks that hint at things that weren’t clarified through a first person perspective, which helps it flow better and remain captivating to its audiences.

After a conflict, Miguel was forced to face Rondell, readers’ questions are left unanswered for a bit. Later on Miguel finally explains how he felt about Rondell, how he wasn’t sick or mad at Rondell, but it just made him feel more complicated than need. “I watched the pigeons devour my bread, trying to think why my stomach felt so bad. It wasn't nothing to do with Rondell trusting me. And the food wasn’t spoiled. Everything else about me felt fine. Its weird, man, sometimes figuring out about the title of a book ain't nothing compared to figuring out about the d*** body.” (De La Peña 289) Miguel is reminded of his brother’s death when he sees a pigeon pecking at bread which signifies the stabbing of Diego. The author uses this part with the pigeon to show what Miguel saw as his brother’s life was taken from him.

In We Were Here, Matt De la Peña uses flashbacks to develop Miguel’s character by enticing readers with memories and hints of the past. After Diego’s death, Miguel is sent to a group home for a year because of the crime he commited . In Miguel’s head, he knows he was the one that stabbed his brother and is trying to forgive himself in a world that is unforgiving. The author uses foreshadowing as he leads Miguel onto a path of retribution. Even as his memories are what is haunting him, it is also the very thing keeping him from straying too far from the path.