Review ❤️ Patron Saints of Nothing ❤️ Randy Ribay ❤️ Kokila
This book opens with ten year old Jay trying to make sense of loss and grief after taking on the responsibility to care for a puppy whose mother refused to tend to him. It is the perfect introduction to Jay’s inner character. This opening is brief and we are quickly reintroduced to Jay as a senior in high school. Upon learning of his cousin’s horrific death, Jay is filled with emotions that parallel the opening well, shouldering a responsibility that should never have been his to deal with. Desperate for answers to ease his pain, he travels to his cousin’s home country, the Philippines, and we see a painful portrait of a boy on the cusp of adulthood trying to make sense of the wounds grownups create.
As I’ve conveyed, I found the beginning of this book to be incredibly haunting and compelling. They were several beautiful, thought-provoking lines occupying the first few chapters. The middle of the story seemed to deviate from the potency I came to love. It wasn’t a bad story and there was certainly meaningfulness to it. I think that, especially for the intended YA audience, this is a great read. It’s written from a relatable teen perspective and while it deals with some heavy topics, they aren’t delivered in a way that is overwhelming to digest.
As I neared the end of the book, I did find myself immersed in its power again. As it circled back into a portrait of grief, tears ran down my face.
Patron Saints of Nothing opens the door for critical thinkers to explore the information presented in the narrative further and that’s a positive thing. It exposes young readers to a world beyond their own and, ultimately, we all need to be reminded of the struggles that do not belong to us, no matter what age we are.
⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
This book opens with ten year old Jay trying to make sense of loss and grief after taking on the responsibility to care for a puppy whose mother refused to tend to him. It is the perfect introduction to Jay’s inner character. This opening is brief and we are quickly reintroduced to Jay as a senior in high school. Upon learning of his cousin’s horrific death, Jay is filled with emotions that parallel the opening well, shouldering a responsibility that should never have been his to deal with. Desperate for answers to ease his pain, he travels to his cousin’s home country, the Philippines, and we see a painful portrait of a boy on the cusp of adulthood trying to make sense of the wounds grownups create.
As I’ve conveyed, I found the beginning of this book to be incredibly haunting and compelling. They were several beautiful, thought-provoking lines occupying the first few chapters. The middle of the story seemed to deviate from the potency I came to love. It wasn’t a bad story and there was certainly meaningfulness to it. I think that, especially for the intended YA audience, this is a great read. It’s written from a relatable teen perspective and while it deals with some heavy topics, they aren’t delivered in a way that is overwhelming to digest.
As I neared the end of the book, I did find myself immersed in its power again. As it circled back into a portrait of grief, tears ran down my face.
Patron Saints of Nothing opens the door for critical thinkers to explore the information presented in the narrative further and that’s a positive thing. It exposes young readers to a world beyond their own and, ultimately, we all need to be reminded of the struggles that do not belong to us, no matter what age we are.
⭐️⭐️⭐️💫