Patron Saints of Nothing

by Randy Ribay

A NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FINALIST • 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.

"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

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.

• ISBN10: 0525554920
• ISBN13: 9780525554929
• Publish Date: 21 April 2020 (first published 18 June 2019)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Penguin Books
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 352
• Language: English
• URL: https://penguinrandomhouse.com/books/isbn/9780525554929

Reviews

[Veronica 🦦]

A+ | Have you ever read a book so good that it left you numb afterward because your brain legitimately cannot process how amazing the book was? That's me right now with this book.

This book is a masterpiece. It is an absolute must-read for everyone, regardless of their ethnicity or nationality. But it is especially important for us Filipinos in the diaspora to read this book. I have never read a book that has left me like this: in total shock and awe, ready to cry but also jump into action. I have never read a book until now that has left me breathless but also left me nodding my head along because everything said here?

I felt it right in my bones.

I'll be writing a full review for this when I've fully processed this awe-inspiring book, but I want to leave you with this quote that hit me right in my face and then stabbed me in the heart (but in a good way):

"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."

[Quirky Cat]

I received a copy of Patron Saints of Nothing through BookishFirst in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Patron Saints of Nothing is written by Randy Ribay, and it is a beautiful story of coming of age, grief, and so much more. If you're looking for a powerful read to dive into, look no further.

Jay Reguero had plans for his last semester. Granted, those plans mostly involved playing games, but they were plans nonetheless. All of that went out the window after the death of his cousin, Jun.

You see, Jun's death was related to the war on drugs, but with none of his family being willing to talk about it, Jay has to head to the Philippines in order to get the answers he desperately needs. So now he's on a new path, one that will hopefully get him answers. Even if those answers are not ones he's prepared for.

“If we are to be more than what we have been, there's so much more that we need to say.”

This is arguably one of the most enchanting and emotional novels I've read this year. Jay's quest for answers was simultaneously painful and beautiful, and for all the right reasons. This was a journey about grief and loss, and it carried all of the weight one would hope and expect to find.

The Patron Saints of Nothing captivated me from the first pages and kept me going right until the end. Even during the times where it felt almost too real, I found myself unable to look away. That's the sign of a good story right there.

There's a lot to love about this novel, from the main plot to the perspective, to all of the details that flesh out the world. Everything felt so rich and real – and again, sometimes that seriously added to the impact of what was happening (but in a good way).

I'll confess that this is the first novel I've read by Randy Rig Ribay, and thus I didn't know much of anything about the author before I began. But I've got to say, I'm extremely impressed. All the more so after learning some details about the author and their personal connection to many details within the novel.

Patron Saints of Nothing hit me in the heart like a ton of bricks – and it was totally worth it. I recommend this novel to anybody looking for an emotional and powerful read.

Check out more reviews over at Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks

[Amber]

I received Patron Saints of Nothing as a review copy from NetGalley. Obviously, these are my honest thoughts and feelings about the book. I also posted this review on my book blog if you'd like to check it out!

Prior to reading Patron Saints of Nothing, I knew very little about what is going on in the Philippines right now. I cannot express how happy I am that I picked up this book, as it encouraged me to learn more about the situation.


I can’t speak to the accuracy of the book and the events that happen in it, so I would suggest checking out other people’s reviews. From what I’ve seen from friends on Twitter, though, this book has really hit home and is saying some powerful things.

Patron Saints of Nothing follows Jay, an American boy whose father is from the Philippines. Jay is struggling to connect with that side of his roots, and it’s not until he hears about his cousin’s death that he wants to travel to the Philippines and figure out what went wrong.

There was a lot of abuse – both emotional and physical – in this book, and it was difficult to read about. There are other dark themes, such as murder and drug use, and to be honest it was all really quite sad.

As usual, I didn’t care for the main romance in the book. It’s not just because I don’t like romances, it’s also because there was some low-key cheating in there too. Not a fan. That said, there was some (some) LGBTQ+ rep in there, which I appreciated.

Overall, I think Patron Saints of Nothing is a fantastic book, and the fact that a lot of bloggers from the Philippines are praising it so highly means it’s a hit with me.

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[girlinthepages]

Patron Saints of Nothing was brought to my attention by the lovely Mel to the Any, so when I attended ALA midwinter this year I couldn't resist picking up a copy, especially after seeing the striking cover. Though I myself am not Filipino, my husband's family is and I am making an effort to read more diversely and learn more about his Filipino heritage, so I was excited to read this title that not only explored the experience of a Filipino-American protagonist, but actually explored the current state of the Philippines as well when the protagonist visits his birth country to look further into a mystery surrounding his cousin.

This book wasn't perfect, but I rated it highly because it completely gripped me. It was incredibly eye opening to learn about the state of affairs in the Philippines, as the happenings there are not necessarily widely known here in the US (as the protagonist Jason finds out as he tries to research things happening in the Philippines as well). I also am always here for a story of a biracial MC learning more about their heritage, and that's exactly what the core of this story is about. Jay get challenged quite a bit on is pre-conceived notions and privilege when he visits the Philippines as well and it was encouraging to see him digest the information and reframe the way he thought about things or understood things. There's definitely character growth throughout the story for Jay, even if he wasn't always my favorite of characters.

Another thing I respected about this novel was that it really drives home the message that you usually can't put people into one bucket- either "good" or "bad." Jay realizes this not only about his cousin, but about multiple other family members who may turn a blind eye to one thing but still support something else, even if it contradicts what they believe in. It also explores the fine line between pride and guilt that many immigrants and there families face, and how's Jay's family back in the Phillipines are both proud of their brother (Jay's father) who moved to America and can help provide for them by sending money and other necessities and help finance their childrens' education, but are also resentful of him as well for leaving his family and his roots. Overall I think this book did a great job (from my limited perspective) in showcasing the experiences of those living in the Philippines, those like Jay who have been very Americanized and raised in the states, and those who exist in the space in between (like Jay's father).

Ribay also did a good job in portraying the very different life experiences of the different young adults in this novel. We obviously spend a lot of time learning about Jay as the protagonist and his identity struggle as a biracial Americanized MC, but there's a great juxtaposition between him and the other young adults he interacts with. From Jun, his missing cousin who felt suffocated by the standards and beliefs he was expected to abide by, to Grace and Angel, Jay's cousins, who appear to be the model teenage citizens of an upper class Filipino household (though come to find out they are harboring their own secrets and activities).

While there were many elements about this story I enjoyed, I felt that it was weighed down by an unnecessary romance that felt very much like insta-love to me. While romance is very much a part of the young adult experience, this story has so much going on and the stakes are so high that it could have really excelled without the addition of a romance (especially one that felt uncomfortable for a variety of reasons).

Overall: Not a perfect read, but definitely a gripping one with some very important discussions and POVs. I would love to read more books by Filipino authors, especially those exploring the biracial Filipino-American experience.This review was originally posted on Girl in the Pages