I loved this story about Jay, who flies to the Philippines during his senior Spring Break, to try to find out what happened to his distant cousin, Jun. Though they used to be close, the cousins have lost touch and Jay's parents have been informed that Jun was killed for being a drug dealer, part of President Duarte's cutthroat measures to fight the War on Drugs in the Philippines.
There is a truly compelling mystery at the heart of this novel, which kept me turning pages and seeking answers. But what I loved the most about this book was Jay's experiences visiting different part of the Philippines, meeting up with family he hasn't seen in years, and connecting with an aspect of his culture from which he has become separated. I felt like I was in the Philippines with him and I gained a real sense of the culture, politics and people through this reading experience.
I recommend this book to my students regularly and it tends to be popular. A great YA title!
There is a truly compelling mystery at the heart of this novel, which kept me turning pages and seeking answers. But what I loved the most about this book was Jay's experiences visiting different part of the Philippines, meeting up with family he hasn't seen in years, and connecting with an aspect of his culture from which he has become separated. I felt like I was in the Philippines with him and I gained a real sense of the culture, politics and people through this reading experience.
I recommend this book to my students regularly and it tends to be popular. A great YA title!