By Randy Ribay (author)
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Shortlisted for the CILIP Carnegie Medal 2020
Jay Reguero plans to spend the summer playing video games before heading to university in the autumn. But when he discovers that his Filipino cousin, Jun, has been 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.
A NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FINALIST A "powerful and courageous" (Kirkus Reviews) coming-of-age story about grief, guilt, and the risks a Filipino-American teenager takes to uncover the truth about his cousin's murder.
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A NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FINALIST A "powerful and courageous" ( Kirkus Reviews ) 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
"Passionately and fearlessly, Ribay delves into matters of justice, grief, and identity."- Publishers Weekly , starred review 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 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 truth-and the part he played in it.
As gripping as it is lyrical, Patron Saints of Nothing is a riveting portrayal of the struggle to reconcile grief and guilt, faith and family.
A Kirkus Reviews Best Young Adult Book of the Century
A Best Book of the Year: NPR , Paste, New York Public Library , Publishers Weekly, USA Today
A heartbreaking and original novel. - Guardian
Lyrical. Stunning. Searing. Patron Saints of Nothing is the real deal, a unique and intimate look into the extrajudicial murders in Duterte's war on drugs in the Philippines. Ribay's arresting narration and knack for characterization drive a story that is unlike anything else you'll read this year. -- Mark Oshiro, author of Anger is a Gift
I can't stop thinking about this beautiful book that left me in tears. A searing, soul-searching novel about grief and identity. This book makes me proud to be Filipino American. -- Melissa de la Cruz, author of Alex and Eliza
Randy Ribay seamlessly takes the cultural texture of the Philippines, the complexities between ethnicity and nationality, political tension and the propaganda that buttresses it, and, most importantly, teenage life, and weaves them all into a thick braid that asks one question: What is the truth? And the necessity to know that truth - the fight it takes to find that truth - somehow gets right to the core of who young people are. This is nothing short of a tremendous feat and will certainly solidify Ribay as a singular voice in the world of literature for years to come. - Jason Reynolds, author of Long Way Down
Brilliant, honest, and equal parts heartbreaking and soul-healing. I'll give this astounding book to all the teens and adults in my life. I suspect you will, too. I'd give it 50 stars if I could. - Laurie Halse Anderson, author of Shout
This powerful and courageous story offers readers a refreshingly emotional depiction of a young man of color with an earnest desire for the truth. -- Kirkus starred review
Randy was born in the Philippines and raised in the Midwest. He is the author of AFTER THE SHOT DROPS and AN INFINITE NUMBER OF PARALLEL UNIVERSES. He earned his BA in English Literature from the University of Colorado at Boulder and his Master's Degree in Language and Literacy from Harvard Graduate School of Education. He currently teaches English and lives in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Multilingualism in Schools with Dr Sabine Little
But when he discovers that his 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 truth-and the part he played in it.
The LoveReading4Kids Editorial Team have read and reviewed Patron Saints of Nothing and determined it is suitable for children aged 15-18 years old
Patron Saints of Nothing features in the following genres: Thrillers, Adventure Stories, Children's and Young Adult Fiction, Children’s, Teenage and Educational, Featured Books for Young Adults, Recommendations
Paperback, Hardback, CD-Audio. Not Available.
Patron Saints of Nothing was written by Randy Ribay and published by Kokila an imprint of Penguin Young Readers Group
Patron Saints of Nothing has 352 pages
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