Reviews with content warning for Emotional abuse - Patron Saints of Nothing

im known around my friends for being the relentless optimist, and it shines most when contrasted against subject matter like this.
i dont often get to read about my actual culture as a fil-am kid, so this was an amazingly intimate read for me. this book represents a real filipino family, and i am so glad to be a witness of it. the mood and atmosphere was captured beautifully, and ill definitely be looking into ribay's other books.

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carterhoward's review against another edition

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dark emotional informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

Brilliant.

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marissasa's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional hopeful sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

I knew this book would hit hard the moment I read the dedication page "For the hyphenated" and realized it meant to all the Filipino-Americans, children of immigrants like myself, but wow did this story break my heart on a deep level. The portrayal of family in this book is so damn accurate, from the way adult family members dance around talking about uncomfortable topics to the way that Jay's cousins interacted with him. The characterization felt so realistic with Tito Maning's machismo and his Marcos apologist beliefs, Tita Chato and her partner, Jay's Lolo and Lola, and the (absolutely hilarious) fact that Grace met her girlfriend online through a Yuri on Ice fan forum. I loved the use of letters from Jun as a way for us to learn more about the memory of him that Jay had and nothing compared to the emotional payoff towards the end when Jay reads out loud his final letter to Jun that he never got to send. I love that this book doesn't shy away from the reality of drug usage in the Philippines and reiterates that those who use or push aren't any less deserving of their lives because of it, that it calls out the corruption of the Philippine government but understands the valid reasons more people experiencing it don't speak out about it, and that it hits home the message of "none of us is one thing." I want every Fil-Am to read this book because I truly think there is so much to identify with in Jay and that so much of his story, although maybe not along the exact same lines, resonates with Fil-Am identity and with navigating the line between the two countries.

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nikkkimarrry's review against another edition

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challenging emotional hopeful tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Randy Ribay tells a nuanced and complex story about the grief and confusion that Jay feels over the death of his cousin Jun at the hands of police in the Philippines, and the strong conviction he feels about discovering the truth about his death. As a Filipino-American who has assimilated well into the suburban life of Midwestern America, his desire to find out how and why his cousin's death is related to President Duterte's 'war on drugs' is impeded by the realization that he has eroded his relations and connections to the homeland, which includes his relationship with Jun. He hasn't spoken to Jun in the years leading up to his death, he doesn't understand the socio-political circumstances of the country, and he has never cared for Filipino affairs before, so what gives him the right? Here, Jay must confront his Filipino heritage and his relations to the homeland in order to better understand the social-political-cultural-economic context of the Philippines and how these conditions influence the outcomes and realities of Duterte's anti-drug policies. By doing so, he is able to make sense of Jun's death and honour him by advocating for the truth.

Speaking from my positionality as a Filipino-Canadian, I think Ribay captured the complexities of the diasporic experience and the confusion of navigating one's hyphenated identity in an engaging, realistic, and honest way. Jay mentions so many times how he feels ashamed for not knowing enough about his Filipino identity - the language, the places, the history, the food - and how his family members in the Philippines chastise him about it in a way that I think many people of the Filipino diaspora could relate to, and also be inspired by. No matter how detached Jay allowed himself to be from his Filipino identity, and even if it won't change the fact that Jun is dead, its not too late for him to start caring and start acting on the issues occurring back home. In relation to these themes, this quote really stuck out to me "It strikes me that I cannot claim this country’s serene coves and sun-soaked beaches without also claiming its poverty, its problems, its history. To say that any aspect of it is part of me is to say that all of it is part of me." (p. 227). "

I think Ribay also does a great of voicing the privileges that the diaspora in the West may have - like assuming access to due process and legal rights/freedoms (although systemic racism and failures of the justice system are whole other conversations) - and how we need to keep ourselves in check when learning about and acting on the struggles back home. In this way, I think what's most powerful about this story is the fact that, even though it is a fictionalized account about the ramifications of Duterte's war on drugs, this is the kind of reality that exists under his leadership. Even so, the story still highlights the tensions that exist amongst Filipino citizens who support Duterte's policies and the brutality, sadness, and fear that simultaneously exists within communities because of these policies. It's not as clear cut as a Western perspective might make it seem - which Jay comes to realize - but still compels readers to honour the people back home who are putting their lives at risk to act on the ground. There is so much activism occurring back home and we will not be the ones to 'save' Filipinos from their plights, as Mia, a journalism student that Jay befriends in the Philippines, says when Jay demands they seek justice for Jun. I think this is a compelling way to engage Filipino readers to think about their responsibilities to the homeland and what it means to act on those responsibilities in a way that is respectful and useful. For those who are not Filipino, I think this story demands critical thinking about the role that Western powers play in enabling human rights crises like Duterte's war on drugs, as well as the need for those abroad to advocate in ways that support the activist efforts in the Philippines.

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egmamaril's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

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rynstagram's review

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challenging emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

Wow I’ve been lucky with books lately. Randy Ribay is the king of beautiful metaphors and complicated characters. I loved that Jay would admit when he was wrong or didn’t understand something, even if it took someone else to call him out on it. He eventually would notice these things himself much of the time. I also love that Jay’s simple view of his cousin as only good is challenged in a way that doesn’t erase the good, only adds to the many-sidedness of humans.

The language is beautiful, as well.

I docked a star mainly because it felt like a lot of things were repeated and reversed several times. I do think this adds to the story in some ways but also took a little bit away for me.

This book is about hope and the many layers of grief and how we can become closer to others when a mutual loved one dies.

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lyricalreads's review against another edition

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challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Wow. This book. Please read it.

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