Patron Saints of Nothing

By: Randy Ribay

Narrated by: Ramón de Ocampo

A NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FINALIST • A powerful coming-of-age story about grief, guilt, and the risks a Filipino-American teenager takes to uncover the truth about his cousin's murder.

A Kirkus Reviews Best Young Adult Book of the Century

"Brilliant, honest, and equal parts heartbreaking and soul-healing." --Laurie Halse Anderson, author of SHOUT

"A singular voice in the world of literature." --Jason Reynolds, author of Long Way Down

Jay Reguero plans to spend the last semester of his senior year playing video games before heading to the University of Michigan in the fall. But when he discovers that his Filipino cousin Jun was murdered as part of President Duterte's war on drugs, and no one in the family wants to talk about what happened, Jay travels to the Philippines to find out the real story.

Hoping to uncover more about Jun and the events that led to his death, Jay is forced to reckon with the many sides of his cousin before he can face the whole horrible truth -- and the part he played in it.

As gripping as it is lyrical, Patron Saints of Nothing is a page-turning portrayal of the struggle to reconcile faith, family, and immigrant identity.

Critic reviews

A National Book Award Finalist
An NPR Best Book of the Year
An NBC News Best Asian American Young Adult Book of the Year
A Paste Best Young Adult Book of the Year
A New York Public Library Top 10 Best Book of the Year
A Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year
A Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year
A USA Today Best Book of the Year So Far
A Raleigh News & Observer Best Book of the Year
A Junior Library Guild audio selection
National Consortium for Teaching about Asia (NCTA) Freeman Book Award Winner
An L.A. Times Book Award Nominee
Pennsylvania Young Reader's Choice Award 2021-2022
MISelf in Books 2020 Book List (Michigan)
Kirkus Reviews Best Books of the 21st Century (So Far) [2025]

FIVE STARRED REVIEWS
"Powerful and courageous." --Kirkus Reviews, starred review

"Deep, nuanced, and painfully real." --Booklist, starred review

"A perfect convergence of authentic voice and an emphasis on inner dialogue." -- School Library Journal, starred review

"Passionately and fearlessly, Ribay delves into matters of justice, grief, and identity." -- Publishers Weekly, starred review

"Compelling and informational" -- VOYA Magazine, starred review

“A must-read.” – Erin Entrada Kelly, author of 2018 Newbery Award-winning Hello, Universe

“Lyrical. Stunning. Searing…The real deal.”– Mark Oshiro, author of Anger Is a Gift

“Riveting, brilliantly told and deeply moving." – Francisco X. Stork, author of Disappeared

“Complex, gripping, haunting and deeply human… a story alive with longing and pain and grace. – Kelly Gilbert, author of Picture Us In The Light

wonderful life lesson

embedded in this story are targeted life lessons that everyone should attempt to live by

Beautiful, moving, exploration of masculinity and Phillippines history / contemporary society

I learned so much about the Philippines - its history and one view of its modern society. I also loved reading a book about a teenage boy coming into his own through emotional intelligence. My biggest critique is that all the female characters are only in service to his growth which still a reinforcement of patriarchy.

Teaching

I m diversifying my curriculum for World Lit. This is a favorite to add. My kids would enjoy it.

Wow

This book moved me to tears. Incredibly written and impeccably performed. A fantastic read for anyone looking for a deeply impactful story.

Beautiful and Tender.

This book was recommended by a friend of mine who teaches English to high school kids and I think it’s perfect and brilliant. I hope a lot of teens and adults read this book.