Patron Saints of Nothing

With the 2019 publication of his third novel Patron Saints of Nothing, Randy Ribay cemented his reputation as one of the new millennium’s most important and popular writers of young adult fiction. Ribay, a high school English teacher in San Francisco, was born in the Philippines but grew up in Michigan. His novels, coming-of-age stories praised for their hard-edged, street-hip lyricism, examine the implications of cultural identity and the problematic process of assimilation. In addition, Ribay’s adolescent characters—sensitive, introspective teens—face pressures from unchecked access to social media, the temptation to abuse drugs and alcohol, and complicated questions about sexual orientation.

In Saints, a high school senior named Jason Reguero, a Filipino American and a misfit drifting toward college, reclaims his cultural identity during a two-week trip to the Philippines for answers about the mysterious death of a cousin who Jason suspects became a victim of the government’s brutal drug crackdown. The book was praised for its unblinking realism. Ribay uses the backdrop of the conservative Catholic island nation to argue for the compassionate treatment of drug addicts as well as the civil rights of gays and lesbians. The book, shortlisted for the National Book Award for Young Adult Fiction, was awarded the Freeman Book Award, which is presented annually by an organization of Los Angeles educators to recognize the best achievement in young adult fiction depicting Asian culture.