Patron Saints of Nothing - Randy Ribay

Walden Award

I originally selected this book because the cover reminded me of one of my favorite games that I played in high school, Infamous Second Son. Which, after reading the novel, I learned that they were not similar at all. But, I did enjoy it. I was surprised by how real and heartbreaking this story is. While Jay is trying to find his cousin's murderer, he uncovers the truth and it changes his perspective on his cousin forever. This story is super relevant because of how many teens are caught up in drugs now and how much being addicted to drugs can change people. I think this is mostly a drama, you'd have to buy into the plight of the characters, but I think that anyone that has lost a loved one due to drugs or something similar can relate. I know this isn't a new topic, but it remains as a relevant one. 

I think that this book would appeal to teens in two main ways. One is the Filipino representation. I think that in America, we are starting to see more representation, but a lot of it feels generic or only focused around certain races or groups. Seeing Filipino representation has been rare from my own experience. I also think that the protagonist dealing with the loss of a loved one due to drugs is a huge point in this novel. In the school that I currently teach, there is a lot of students that have family members that are caught up in the drug trade. I think it's important for teens to see representation in media that can represent themselves, and I feel a well designed protagonist can be relatable in more than just gender and race. Sometimes is the actions those characters have been through that can make them relatable. 

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