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aformeracceleratedreader's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
sad
fast-paced
5.0
This hit close to home as my heritage has a lot of similarities with Filipino culture and the Philippines as a whole. I related heavily with being an outsider in a culture that is your own but not your own at the same time and trying to navigate what/how/how much you can criticize. When people told Jay he had no right since he doesn't understand and that he's looking at it from a very America lens, it reminded me of things my mom has said to me.
This made me cry.
I loved this book, and I will read more from this author. It is heavy in many ways so def check trigger/content warnings.
This made me cry.
I loved this book, and I will read more from this author. It is heavy in many ways so def check trigger/content warnings.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Colonisation, Classism, Addiction, Alcohol, Child death, Abandonment, Drug abuse, Death, Drug use, Grief, and Mental illness
gellyreads's review
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Colonisation, Drug use, Murder, Police brutality, Drug abuse, and Violence
Moderate: Sexual violence, Kidnapping, and Trafficking
kalmia31's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Police brutality, Classism, Genocide, Grief, Colonisation, and Death
Moderate: Religious bigotry, Violence, Homophobia, Racism, Murder, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, and Misogyny
Minor: Addiction, Animal death, Bullying, Sexual assault, and Alcohol
narbine's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
sick of unnecessary love interests!!!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Police brutality, Xenophobia, Death, Trafficking, Sexual violence, Colonisation, Grief, Addiction, Animal death, and Alcohol
Minor: Sexism, Body shaming, Homophobia, Racism, Infidelity, Lesbophobia, Violence, and War
l_arand's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
randy ribay’s patron saints of nothing follows the story of jay, a biracial filipino american in his senior year of high school. once he’s told about his cousin jun’s death and the mysterious circumstances surrounding it, he uses his spring break to travel to the philippines in hopes of finding the truth about jun and his death.
i need everyone to read this book. not only does it provide insight into the drug war and duterte’s policies, it also shines a light on the way americans sensationalize what’s going on in foreign countries.
i think a line of bo burham’s how the world works can put this into words better than i can, “why do you rich fucking white people insist on seeing every socio political conflict through the myopic lense of your own self actualisation? this isn’t about you.”
this can be aimed towards jay, our narrator, by his family members in the philippines, especially grace and tito maning. jay gives us an interesting perspective because he was naturalized in the states. more specifically, the midwest. he’s dealing with an identity crisis over his birthplace and race while being told by his white peers that “you’re basically white.” jay is self aware and is incredibly conscious of how american ideals have been ingrained into him, but he can’t help but think that some of the things going on in his home country would be different if they too functioned based off of said ideals. the exchanges between him and grace (his cousin and jun’s younger sister) are quite eye opening and serve as a commentary on national and cultural differences.
that wasn’t an incredibly eloquent review and it was hard to put my thoughts into words, but i hope that doesn’t discourage anyone from reading it. ribay also has sources with information pertaining to the drug war at the end of the book, and ways one can support the fight against it from afar. just, please read the book.
i need everyone to read this book. not only does it provide insight into the drug war and duterte’s policies, it also shines a light on the way americans sensationalize what’s going on in foreign countries.
i think a line of bo burham’s how the world works can put this into words better than i can, “why do you rich fucking white people insist on seeing every socio political conflict through the myopic lense of your own self actualisation? this isn’t about you.”
this can be aimed towards jay, our narrator, by his family members in the philippines, especially grace and tito maning. jay gives us an interesting perspective because he was naturalized in the states. more specifically, the midwest. he’s dealing with an identity crisis over his birthplace and race while being told by his white peers that “you’re basically white.” jay is self aware and is incredibly conscious of how american ideals have been ingrained into him, but he can’t help but think that some of the things going on in his home country would be different if they too functioned based off of said ideals. the exchanges between him and grace (his cousin and jun’s younger sister) are quite eye opening and serve as a commentary on national and cultural differences.
that wasn’t an incredibly eloquent review and it was hard to put my thoughts into words, but i hope that doesn’t discourage anyone from reading it. ribay also has sources with information pertaining to the drug war at the end of the book, and ways one can support the fight against it from afar. just, please read the book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Police brutality, Gun violence, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Drug use, Trafficking, Drug abuse, and Death
Minor: Animal death and Colonisation
tofutofutofu's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
informative
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
This would have been a terrific book, if it had been narrated by Grace. The narrator is annoying beyond measure, and nobody needed this book to be translated through the eyes of a privileged American who stomped in there to play white savior. I was surprised to see that the writer was not, in fact, a high schooler, but instead an adult who committed too much to the juvenile voice.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Police brutality
Minor: Drug abuse, Drug use, Death, Trafficking, Slavery, Murder, Gaslighting, Colonisation, and Classism
azyef's review against another edition
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
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? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Police brutality, Murder, Colonisation, and Grief
Moderate: Addiction, Drug abuse, Classism, Drug use, Death, Trafficking, and Abandonment
Minor: Infidelity, Homophobia, and Sexual violence
nikkkimarrry's review against another edition
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.
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.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Grief, Gun violence, Murder, Police brutality, and Violence
Moderate: Colonisation, Drug use, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Rape and Trafficking
krn's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
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
3.75
A great book about a Filipino American teen whose cousin dies at the hands of the drug war being carried out by the Filipino government. I had no idea about the drug war or current events and conditions in the Philippines so this was eye opening to the different classes of people there.
Jun’s desire to do but also by a flawed person was captivating and I appreciated that the author did not make him a one sidedly perfect character. Jay’s journey to connect and family is also powerful.
Jun’s desire to do but also by a flawed person was captivating and I appreciated that the author did not make him a one sidedly perfect character. Jay’s journey to connect and family is also powerful.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Police brutality, and Trafficking
Moderate: Colonisation
meow_gal's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
I really loved this book. I related a lot to jay and his experience with language because omg do I have terrible tagalog skills. I really love jay as a mc because 1) he’s very relatable 2) he’s not like some other dumb mc 3) he acknowledged he was wrong when he was wrong. I liked how instead of saying jun was innocent and didn’t do drugs they accepted the fact while he had flaws and and started using and selling it doesn’t change the good he did. I think this book did well talking about the issues in the Philippines especially about the drug war and it’s effects on the people. It’s also nice to see more contemporary books with Filipino mc’s have lgbtq+ side characters and this book did shine light on homophobia in the Philippines. I saw that most with Tito Manning’s logic with jun. overall it had a nice storyline and mystery plot. Really hit home with me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug use
Moderate: Cursing, Death, and Rape
Minor: Colonisation and Lesbophobia
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