

It gains a lot of criticisms because of its consequential horrors. The policy is aimed to neutralize illegal drugs which are rampant in the country. Mainly, it is about the steely war on drugs in the Philippines led by the current president Rodrigo Duterte. People are not always what they seem.Ī lot of interesting topics and issues are discussed in this book. This novel has many interesting characters as well.

Also, he even showed some toxic mentalities that unfortunately still practice nowadays. Ribay didn’t fail to capture Filipino’s traditional family values such as being respectful to elders. The description of the good and bad things was unbiased. I like the complexity and the challenges Jay has to face while finding the truth. Jay’s journey filled me with sympathy and concern. Randy Ribay wrote this story in a simple way and language but still invoked so many emotions that filled each page. Plotwise, it is interesting and gripping. The story follows Jay, a Filipino-American teenager who travels to the Philippines to find out the truth behind his cousin’s mysterious death. However, this novel gave me so much more. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.Īs a timely and relevant narrative especially to Filipino readers, Patron Saints of Nothing explores the importance of family and home, grief and regrets, and the belief in the basic goodness of mankind despite the flaws, injustice, and corruption that surrounds us.Īt first, I just wanted to read this book because of its Filipino representation.

I received an advanced copy of this book from Penguin Random House. 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.Īs gripping as it is lyrical, Patron Saints of Nothing is a page-turning portrayal of the struggle to reconcile faith, family, and immigrant identity. 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. 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. About the Book: Title: Patron Saints of Nothing Author: Randy Ribay Publisher: Kokila Expected Publication Date: June 2019 Genres: YA Contemporary Rating: 5/5Īmazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository Add Patron Saints of Nothing on Goodreads!Ī 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.
