This comes up often, with Jay not knowing how to speak Tagalog and knowing little about customs and traditions in the Philippines. Maning’s constant shaming of Jay for not knowing anything about his culture also adds interest to the story. Although murder is obviously never acceptable, the author shows readers how supporters of President Duterte think through Maning’s arguments he tells Jay of all the ways the president has improved the country and how something had to be done about the destructive influence of drugs on the country. The thing is, both make good points about what goes on in the Philippines. Tito Maning is a police officer who worships the president who is calling for a drug war and the murder of millions, and like Jun, Jay is constantly at odds with him. He has no one to talk to besides his cousin who lives in America, and it’s definitely easier to depend on substances when one has no emotional support. Part of the reason Jun falls into drugs is because of his relationship with his family, and his father especially. The rocky relationship between Jun and his father and Jay and his Tito Maning is very interesting. Jay travels there over his spring break because he is unable to believe that his cousin truly did drugs, and he tries to uncover the truth that he thinks his uncle is hiding. His cousin, Jun, is killed in a drug war that is actually occurring in the Philippines. It’s hard to believe that our loved ones can ever do anything wrong, and Jay’s guilt over his cousin’s fate is also very realistic. The author’s depiction of what it’s like for the family of those lost to drugs is heartbreaking the main character, Jay, cannot believe that someone he was so close to could fall into such awful habits, and that’s such an important message.

Publisher: Penguin Young Readers Group Date of Addition: 06/18/19 Copyrighted By: Randy Ribay.Unfortunately, this book is based on real events, making it all the more emotional and captivating. 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.Ĭopyright: 2019 Book Details Book Quality: Publisher Quality ISBN-13: 9780525554936 Related ISBNs: 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.īut 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.

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.

Patron saints of nothing book cover