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A review by sammiesshelf
Patron Saints of Nothing by Randy Ribay
adventurous
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Wow. This book was stunning. I found it by chance in a bargain bin at a used bookstore and I am sure glad that I picked it up.
This story follows Jay, a half Filipino teen who was born in the Philippines but raised in America. He finds out that his cousin, Jun, who he used to be pen pals with, has died at the age of seventeen under mysterious circumstances that the family doesn't want to talk about, and so he asks to spend his spring break in the Philippines to get to the bottom of what is going on.
Patron Saints of Nothing is a beautiful story that not only criticizes the drug war started by Rodrigo Duterte but also details what it is like to be an outsider in a country and a family that is supposedly your own. Jay is repeatedly criticized for his lack of knowledge of his birth country and Tagalog, and it is quite hard for him to reconnect with the family he hasn't seen in eight years. It is also hard for him to reconcile his Americanized reality with the reality in the Philippines. Seeing this already tense situation unfold on top of the fact of his family's refusal to acknowledge his cousin's death, the tension is palpable.
The writing in this book is also beautiful. There is an abundance of lyrical quotes that make you feel transported into the mind of Jay and depict his emotions in a way that no other words could.
Overall, this was a beautiful novel about what makes a person good and asks if there is any real justification for murder. With morally grey characters, it makes for a complex and riveting story.
This story follows Jay, a half Filipino teen who was born in the Philippines but raised in America. He finds out that his cousin, Jun, who he used to be pen pals with, has died at the age of seventeen under mysterious circumstances that the family doesn't want to talk about, and so he asks to spend his spring break in the Philippines to get to the bottom of what is going on.
Patron Saints of Nothing is a beautiful story that not only criticizes the drug war started by Rodrigo Duterte but also details what it is like to be an outsider in a country and a family that is supposedly your own. Jay is repeatedly criticized for his lack of knowledge of his birth country and Tagalog, and it is quite hard for him to reconnect with the family he hasn't seen in eight years. It is also hard for him to reconcile his Americanized reality with the reality in the Philippines. Seeing this already tense situation unfold on top of the fact of his family's refusal to acknowledge his cousin's death, the tension is palpable.
The writing in this book is also beautiful. There is an abundance of lyrical quotes that make you feel transported into the mind of Jay and depict his emotions in a way that no other words could.
Overall, this was a beautiful novel about what makes a person good and asks if there is any real justification for murder. With morally grey characters, it makes for a complex and riveting story.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Police brutality, and Murder
Moderate: Addiction, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, and Blood
Minor: Homophobia, Sexual assault, and Trafficking