Patron Saints of Nothing

In The Patron Saints of Nothing, Jay, a Filipino-American teenager, learns that, back in the Philippines, his cousin Jun has been killed. No one will speak of Jun's death, his family didn't give him a funeral, and even though Jay is a fairly typical self-involved teen thinking of not much more than video games and what college he'll attend, he knows this isn't right. He and Jun had been closer when they were younger, communicating regularly through letters, but over time, Jay had stopped writing. Against his parents' wishes, he goes to the Philippines to visit his distant family and to see what he can learn about what really happened to Jun.

This story touches on some deep topics. The lengths to which family will go to protect their secrets or maintain control of a situation. How difficult it may be to really know even those closest to us. The harsh reality of Philippine President Duterte's war on drugs. It was enlightening, as I'm not familiar with the culture of the Philippines or events occurring there.

I felt for Jay, trying to get to the bottom of a puzzle his family (both in the U.S. and the Philippines) didn't want him digging into. Mr. Ribay does a good job illustrating the conflict Jay felt at various times, the conflict of going against his family's wishes, of trying to maintain calm under his uncle's domination, of figuring out what really matters in life.

Thanks to BookishFirst for the opportunity to read this book. All opinions are mine, and I don't say nice things about books I don't actually like.