In 2016, President Rodrigo Duterte was sworn into office in the Philippines. He declared a harsh ‘war on drugs’ where any known drug user was to be killed on sight. According to the Human Rights Watch, this policy killed over 12,000 Filipinos. The police were responsible for many of these killings, and often falsified evidence to justify their killing of innocent people. This drug war serves as a foundation for Randy Ribay’s Patron Saints of Nothing, where readers follow Jay, an American-Filipino teenager, in his search for answers.
Jay’s family moved to America to flee the severe poverty and political issues in the Philippines. By the end of his senior year, Jay was set on a college and a summer full of video games with his best friend. This plan was foiled when Jay received news that his cousin Jun —who still lived in the Philippines— was murdered by the police for drug pushing. In disbelief that his honest and compassionate cousin would use drugs, Jay spent his spring break in the Philippines finding out what actually happened to his warmhearted friend.
After Jay moved to America, he and Jun remained in touch by sending letters back and forth. The penpals shared everything, from daily events to their deepest secrets and private thoughts. After a while, though, Jay stopped responding to Jun’s letters and let them pile up. Jay’s guilt from the unanswered letters serves as fuel as he searches for the true story surrounding his cousin’s death. He says:
But I need to know more. I need to know what happened to my cousin. Maybe only for the sake of knowing—but maybe because I need to hear that it wasn’t my fault. That, whatever happened, a few more letters from me wouldn’t have made a difference.
During his trip, Jay slowly pieced together the timeline leading to Jun’s death. Along the way, he reunites with his family, learning more elements of Filipino culture, and helping his family members feel at peace with their loss. Returning to his home country drastically changed the way he viewed the world. Jun was an outstanding citizen, and, as Jay learned more about his life, he strived to be more like him. After discovering what really happened to his cousin, Jay was no longer the sheltered, self-interested teenage boy that he was just one week before. He became an informed individual who actually wanted to do something with his life.
Patron Saints of Nothing is an amazing read with a fascinating story, detailed and expressive writing, and relatable characters. Readers become invested in the hooking plot, and involved in Jun’s secret life. I loved this book because of its extraordinary writing and twisting plot that always had me excited to turn the page.
