Patron Saints of Nothing

Randy Ribay

Jun 2019 · Sold by Penguin

About this ebook

A NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FINALIST

"Brilliant, honest, and equal parts heartbreaking and soul-healing." --Laurie Halse Anderson, author of SHOUT 

"A singular voice in the world of literature." --Jason Reynolds, author of Long Way Down

A powerful coming-of-age story about grief, guilt, and the risks a Filipino-American teenager takes to uncover the truth about his cousin's murder.

Jay Reguero plans to spend the last semester of his senior year playing video games before heading to the University of Michigan in the fall. But when he discovers that his Filipino cousin Jun was murdered as part of President Duterte's war on drugs, and no one in the family wants to talk about what happened, Jay travels to the Philippines to find out the real story.

Hoping to uncover more about Jun and the events that led to his death, Jay is forced to reckon with the many sides of his cousin before he can face the whole horrible truth -- and the part he played in it.

As gripping as it is lyrical, Patron Saints of Nothing is a page-turning portrayal of the struggle to reconcile faith, family, and immigrant identity.

Ratings and reviews

This book was a unique read for me as I've never read a book from the perspective of a Filipino American. I enjoyed the voice and was instantly pulled in. I also liked the fact this character was also unfamiliar with the culture and current and past events of the Philippines because I learned so much right along with him. For instance, I wasn't aware of the drug situation and slaughter of so many people. What I didn't like about this book is the hint of romance/cheating aspect which I felt detracted from the story and was not needed. I also had hoped for a deeper look into the drug situation--more emotions, more exploration of what is the truth for the family. For example, why did his dad not tell him the truth when they are so removed from the homeland? Why did the parents agree to cut cultural ties to the Philippines? This novel felt more like upper middle grade because of this issue. However, these dislikes are not enough for me to not recommend this book--I think many readers should get this in their hands and see a part of their world through new eyes.

This book feels like it is made especially for Fil-Am folks. I am 3rd generation Filipino-American and never felt Filipino enough. The protagonist of this book starts out feeling the same way, and it's deeply relateable. But by the end of the book, I had learned so much about Filipino people, culture, food, the government, the good, and the bad. It was educational but also familiar in a very special way. This was all intertwined with a deeply moving and multidimensional story inspired by real life in the Philippines. It is a lesson in empathy and seeing the worth and power in every human life no matter our complexity.

Loved it! After learning that his cousin Jun (his best friend and penpal) has died, Jay Reguero heads back to visit his extended family in the Philippines to find out more about his cousin’s life and what happened to cause his death. This book is amazing. I didn’t really know much about it when I started reading it, it was kind of a spur of the moment pick. However, I’m so glad I did! This book is not afraid to address some very serious and difficult subjects and was able to handle it well. I also loved hearing more about Filipino culture with Jay as he learns and reconnects with his family and Filipino culture. I wasn’t overly fond of the romance, but it wasn’t that big of a deal, and ultimately didn’t affect my enjoyment of this book. Five stars! Thanks to Bookishfirst for providing me with a copy to review!

About the author

Randy Ribay was born in the Philippines and raised in the Midwest. He is the author of After the Shot Drops and An Infinite Number of Parallel Universes. He earned his BA in English Literature from the University of Colorado at Boulder and his Master's Degree in Language and Literacy from Harvard Graduate School of Education. He currently teaches English and lives in the San Francisco Bay Area.