A fascinating story about the lives of a young man and his mother from the Philippines who are TNT, tago ng tago, running and running, or in other words, undocumented immigrants. I didn't know anything about this book when I received an ARC of it from NetGalley, and it was such a pleasant surprise, one of my favorite books this year! I really enjoyed the story and felt drawn into the lives and personalities of all the characters so much that I wanted all of them to succeed, even when they were at cross purposes to each other. Author Lysley Tenorio got my attention quickly with an engaging story and I couldn't put it down. I think that's the test of a truly great author.

The Son of Good Fortune

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

I really enjoyed this unusual story of an undocumented Filipino and his mother. I was hooked from page 1 as we witness Maxima’s webcam act of enticing men over the internet to be interested in her and bilking them for dollars. What a way to make a living!

But it is the narrative of her 18 year old son Excel that ends up being the bigger storyline. A young recently graduated from high school undocumented boy who looks young for his age is trying to find his place in the world. His love for Sab and their weird life together took me to a new level of understanding how hard it can be for some young people, especially undocumented ones, to find their way. Excel ends up returning to the home where he grew up and to his mother, Maxima. The plot only gets thicker from there.

I will remember Excel long after I’ve put this one down.

Thank you Net Galley and Harper Collins for the opportunity to read and review this ARC

The story takes place over about a year when 19-year-old Excel (named for what he would do in his life--not the spreadsheet) struggles to find his way in the world as an undocumented Filipino. The book goes back in time to instances in high school, with his girlfriend, to the desert or times with his mother, Maxima. This story is as much Maxima's also. She was an action movie actress in the Philippines before coming to the US as a single mother. I really enjoyed Excel's journey but felt that he could have been fleshed out a little more. Though that fit within the theme of the book of being "there, not there." I was very satisfied with the ending and the characters stayed with me after I finished.

Focusing on Filipinos in the US, this book focuses on 19-year-old undocumented Excel (like the spreadsheet), and his tough as nails mother Maxima. Cutting back and forth in time, its not overtly political, but it does not take much reading between the lines to see the challenges the US immigration Program puts on people like Excel and Maxima. And as often is the case, it’s the women are the strongest and most formidable. Excel is nonconfrontational but yet he finds a way to help someone worse off them him. It is a book about the power of a parent to shape the future of her child.

I’m judging a 2020 fiction contest. It’d be generous to call what I’m doing upon my first cursory glance—reading. I also don’t take this task lightly. As a fellow writer and lover of words and books, I took this position—in hopes of being a good literary citizen. My heart aches for all the writers who have a debut at this time. What I can share now is the thing that held my attention and got this book from the perspective pile into the read further pile.

From up here, the view is the 280 freeway on one side with Old Hoy Sun Ning Yung on another, and the rest is Colma, town of seventeen cemeteries, a handful of car dealerships (Lexus, BMW, Toyota, Dodge) and a cardroom called Lucky Wishes, where old Filipinos play and never win. To the north are two Targets, one on each side of the freeway ( one in Colma one in Serramonte), their signs a nightly red and white glow.


I should also say I’m a huge fan of Tenorio’s work and have long anticipated this novel.

“I am not really here.” That is the disturbing realization of Excel from the time he was 10 and learned that he and his mother Maxima were TNT. In Tagalog that stands for tago ng tago or hiding and hiding because they are undocumented. Maxima came to California from the Philippines when she was pregnant. Unfortunately, Excel was born on the plane and not in the United States. The book gives a good picture of life for people who can’t get identification, social security numbers, driver’s licenses or anything else that will enable them to get a decent job. It describes the fear of doing anything that will draw attention to yourself, including going to a hospital or dentist. Maxima is currently getting money from gullible men she meets online. Excel has a demoralizing job working for a tyrant in a pizza place.

Unfortunately, I found most of this book to be a bland and boring coming of age story. Part of my problem with the book was that I listened to the audiobook and the narrator made the 19 year old Excel sound too young and I didn’t like the voices he used for most of the other characters (especially Excel’s girlfriend Sab). I expected to like this more than I did. It was just ok for me. 3.5 stars

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.

This story of the coming-of-age of an undocumented Filipino American and his relationship to his mother and himself was a moving and wonderful read from beginning to end. Excel's life, feeling like he must hide everything about himself all the time from everyone, is a sad one and his beginning how to trust his mother and reevaluate their relationship to one another was a beautiful thing to read. Excel and his mother Maxima are complex and interesting people whose depths of understanding are sometimes surprising (Maxima in particular continually surprises Excel and the reader with her ability to comprehend the world and her own past choices). Though so much of this story is depressing in its bleak depiction of what undocumented Americans can expect from their country and what a psychological toll that takes, the amazing thing about this book is that this does not overwhelm the story. The hope and love within the unforgiving realities of life -- not just the warmth between Excel & Maxima, but also between Excel and his quasi-co-worker Z, in particular -- make it clear that there is still much that is worth striving for in life, regardless of other difficulties.

I was really excited to be able to read this book because of the Filipino author and Filipino characters.

Excel is the undocumented son of Maxima, a former B-movie action star in the Philippines. They are "TNT" ... "Tago ng Tago" .. "Hiding and Hiding" because of their undocumented status.

The novel flips from present day where we see Excels relationship with his mom .. and her making a living scamming men online. The second timeline is the previous year where Excel and his girlfriend Sab are living in Hello City. I enjoyed how the book flips back and forth from the previous year with Sab to the present day with his mom because readers get a sense of why it was important for Excel to go back to him mom .. in order to fix his mistake he made the previous year.

There is Tagalog from time to time in the book...I understand the language ... so I really didn't need a translation part ... and I'm glad that the author didnt feel the need to put a translation in some of the dialog tha Maxima have with Excel.

My favorite timeline is the present day with Excel and Maxima. The storyline in Hello City and Sab was a little bit boring for me ... but I think it was important because we know why Excel is really in need to work, but also his relationship with his mom becomes stonger.

The Son of Good Fortune by Lysley Tenorio

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I find that a good book makes you see a side of things that at first isn’t apparent. If I said this book was about a teenager and his mother who are illegal immigrants living in the San Francisco Bay Area who scam money from men online it wouldn’t seem that they individuals worthy of sympathy. However, the author reveals both of the characters humanity through the course of the story. The reader can see their value as people regardless of their bad choices.

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The two main characters are Maxima and her 19 year-old-son, Excel. Maxima was an action movie star briefly in the Philippines. Once that fizzled our she found herself pregnant, jobless, and alone in her home country. She got a friend to help her immigrate to San Francisco. On the plane she delivers her son, Excel. Since he was born midair he is not a US citizen. A fact Maxima conceals from him until he’s 10-years-old. When she does tell him she grinds the importance of keeping their illegal status secret into him. Excel at that point becomes very afraid. He isolates as much as humanly possible. This leaves them both lonely and vulnerable. Then of course, without documentation they have a hard time getting jobs and then comes in the scamming men online.

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The book almost felt like a short story. It’s just a snippet of their overall story. It’s not really settled when the book ends. Overall, it’s good. This would work well as a book club selection. There are a lot of layers to this story.

My review for the Christian Science Monitor is here: https://www.csmonitor.com/Books/Book-Reviews/2020/0706/His-name-was-chosen-to-bring-good-fortune.-So-far-it-isn-t-working

The review is also cross-posted to my Smithsonian BookDragon blog here: http://smithsonianapa.org/bookdragon/the-son-of-good-fortune-by-lysley-tenorio-in-christian-science-monitor/ .

Really Enjoyed this book. The writing so interesting and well paced.
I especially enjoyed the character building and the portrayal of the relationships between the characters. It felt very real.
Loved reading this one. Wasn't bored for even a minute.
I would totally recommend it!

This book is fantastic. The character-driven plotline keeps the reader invested the whole time. If I had the time, I would have read the whole thing in one sitting. The bouncing back and forth between different times kept me engaged and motivated me to see what happened next.

The world-building was vivid and real. From Hello City, to Maxima's apartment, I felt like I was right there with them.

The writing is straightforward and fast. Tenorio also does a great job at describing the small moments. At these times, it felt like I was watching an A24 movie.

The characters were my favorite part. From Excel, to Sab, to Maxima, I loved every single one of them. The best part was the developing relationship between Excel and is mother, Maxima.

The Son of Good Fortune is now in my Top 5 fiction recommendations of all time. For me, this is the next Where the Crawdads Sing. Everyone should read this book.

This book follows the challenging life of Excel, an undocumented 19-year-old Filipino young man living with his mother in Colma, Ca & venturing with his girlfriend to a very unique community called Happy Valley out in the desert. There is a lot to like about this novel. It really speaks to how difficult it must be to be undocumented & have very few opportunities to get ahead because of lacking a SSN, etc., & to the stress of always having to be looking over your shoulder for the authorities. It makes me really feel for someone like Excel & for Dreamers, who have lived their entire lives in the U.S. & would have nowhere to turn if they were deported. On the other hand, the book was a little lacking in plot for me & reached a someone unsatisfactory conclusion. Lots of ethical issues to ponder in this book which makes it worth a try for sure.

I really enjoyed this novel!

Excel is an undocumented young man who lives with his mother, Maxima, in Colma California. His mother, once a Filipina movie action star, immigrated to US and now she makes her living by scamming men online.

This is a book about the hardships of undocumented immigrants - I felt Excel's deepening ache as he has to live "differently" from the people around him; how his TNT (tago ng tago) status affects his behavior and his relationship with Maxima. I was quick to judge this mother-son relationship at first, thinking that Excel was mean and immature. Nevertheless, I ended up finding it genuine and undoubtedly precious, even if people consider it cold/severe.

Still on the relationships, the relationship between Joker and Maxima would be more understandable from Asians perspective, since this master-student bond is undeniable and sometimes rather unexplainable (master as our first/second father).
I learned to like Maxima as a character while reading her experiences - her strength and role as a mother are flawed but at the same time, admirable.

By inserting Tagalog words, Tenorio elevated the authenticity of this novel which I loved. This is a book about family, sacrifices, hard work, hope and trying to find your own value. Even though I was less interested in the Hello City parts, Excel as a character kept me engaged and I enjoyed the humor and sarcasm in this novel. Finally, I thought that the ending was bittersweet.

THE SON OF GOOD FORTUNE is far from a comfortable read yet necessary- this book captures so much truth and rawness. I highly recommend!

I enjoyed this book so much! I don't know what I expected going into it, but this debut novel was a delight from start to finish. The premise sounded like it might be a heavier read, focusing on an undocumented Filipino son (Excel) and his mother (Maxima). However, the story is infused with heart and humor as it explores their relationship and life in the United States.

A former Filipina B-movie action star, Maxima is now making her living scamming men online. She has some great lines and I loved her feistiness; she practically jumps off the page and fills the room in every scene. Maxima revealed to Excel on his 10th birthday that they are "TNT -- tago ng tago, hiding and hiding." From that point on, he realizes that one accidental slip could uproot his life. Never having stepped foot in the Philippines (Maxima came to the U.S. when she was pregnant with him), this seems unfathomable to him. Excel does his best to stay out of the spotlight, but after an unfortunate accident in Hello City, a ramshackle desert town where he and his girlfriend Sab are living, his secret may finally be exposed.

I hesitate to reveal more about the plot because it was so much fun getting to know Maxima and Excel, and getting a glimpse into what it is like to be "TNT." They felt three dimensional from the start and I enjoyed spending time with both of them. The author sprinkled in Tagalog dialog throughout the novel, which I liked even though I don't speak that language. I felt that there was even context to get a sense of what was being communicated in those spots. It added a layer of authenticity to the characters for me.

If you enjoy books about family relationships, this would be a great pick. I also think it would be a great book club choice as it explores many themes and issues, such as being undocumented in America.

This review was based on an advanced digital copy that I received courtesy of Ecco/Harper Collins via NetGalley. Many thanks for the sneak peek of this fantastic novel! I plan to keep this author on my must read list in the future based on this terrific debut novel.

THE SON OF GOOD FORTUNE by Lysley Tenorio is a heartbreaking novel about an undocumented Filipino mother and son living in America. It was really easy to connect with the two main characters Maxima and Excel. I especially loved the touches of Tagalog and the strong theme of putting family first. Their lives were full of hardships but their bond was enduring. I’d definitely be interested to read more from Tenorio in the future.

The Son of Good Fortune by Lysley Tenorio at its heart is about 19 year old Excel who has lived almost all of his 19 years in America when his Filipino mother left her country for a better life for herself and her son. But when you find out a 10 years old that you are "tago ng tago" hiding and hiding because you are undocumented and can be sent back to a country you have never lived in how are you suppose to have a better life?

Excel keeps a low profile to the point of almost being invisible. He works at the best named pizzeria The Pie Who Loves Me and has a girlfriend Sab but there are no dreams of the future he can dare to think of or say out loud.

The great thing about Excel's journey is the humor, hope, and love that is interspersed through the characters in his life. His mother use to be an action actress in B movies in Manila and now scams entitled men over the internet. Roxy his first transgender friend literally makes you laugh out loud and is fiercely loyal. His girlfriend Sab can be annoying but they love each.

Circumstances force Excel to confront his plight in life, his resentment of his mother who put him here, and his need to deal with it all in order to, well, excel!

This is a special book about an endearing family having to deal with a country that promises so much if your the "right kind of person." There is a dual time line that often is jolting but gets easier as the story progresses. The author is brilliant at maneuvering through the harsh realities of an undocumented teenager and a life with a wacky family and friends.

I received a free copy of this book from the publishers via NetGalley for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

Absolutely loved this book! The Son of Good Fortune follows a Filipino teenager, Excel, and his mother Maxima as they try to get by in America living TNT, or tago ng tago. In English, this basically translates to being undocumented. Throughout the book, we learn more about Excel and his family life - how he and his mother came to live in Colma, CA, how he attempts to strike out on his own with his girlfriend, Sab, and what happens upon his return to the Bay Area.

This book means so much to me, I don’t even know where to start. First off, I loved the relationship between Excel and his mother. If you’ve read the book, is that weird of me to say? It just reminded me so much of my own relationship with my grandmother where it can be perceived as cold or strict, but it’s actually very loving in that Asian-relative way.

It was also a different experience reading about an undocumented character compared to the first generation or immigration stories I usually read. You see how Excel’s undocumented status not only affects his ability to go to school and work, but how he interacts with other people and envisions life for himself.

Also, I loved how there was Tagalog in here that wasn’t always translated. Excel is described as not really knowing Tagalog either, so even if you don’t understand some of what the other characters are saying, you get the same effect as if Excel was also listening in on the conversation.

Please check out this new release! It’s got so much heart and resilience and humor, and it was such a joy to read it.

Just let me say first, I am a bit out of my realm here...not my usual genre. At first I was not sure what I was getting into and the story seemed to relocate a lot-not just in time but in place. I am not a nomadic person, but this was a nomadic story. I did finally get on board about halfway through. The tenacity of these characters was amazing but I wondered why so much energy was spent on certain things....like TNT would think. It was sad that things couldn’t really change for the better, but maybe that was the point of telling this story???

Wonderful! This is the story of Maxima and her 19 year old son Excel, undocumented Fillipinos resident in the US. The story moves back and forth in time- from when Maxima arrived in the US pregnant to today when Excel returns from a year away from her. Maxima was a star back in the Philippines but in the US, she lives in the ghost world of rotten jobs and no health insurance. She's a con artist but she's raised a son with a strong moral core. Excel is in love with Sab and follows her to Hello City, a community in the desert where no one pays attention to his status but things don't go well (no spoilers). The back and forth between Maxima and Excel will seem familiar to many who have challenging relationships with their mothers- there's tension but there's love. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC. Tenorio has crafted two realistic, relatable, sympathetic characters who will linger in your mind.