I read to experience different perspectives, get to know interesting characters and, ideally, learn something new. Patron Saints of Nothing follows a Filipino-American teenager as he reconnects with extended family in the Philippines. The story is rich in examining intergenerational family dynamics, religion, colorism, colonialism, creation of identity for immigrants to the US, the current political climate and violent enforcement of programs in the Philippines under Rodrigo Duterte. There are many heart-breaking moments throughout the story, there are some victories that make you smile, there's a lot of "real" in how the author depicts (especially) the young people in the story. This one lingers.