Thank you to @penguinteen for the gifted copy and for @librofm for the ALC. I have been looking forward to Randy Ribay’s book, Everything We Never Had. I’m so glad I got the opportunity to read it early!

Everything We Never Had is definitely a book that I will be recommending to English teachers left and right! This was an amazing second book by educator and writer Randy Ribay. I wish that I had put pen to paper a little earlier in the week. Then I could have added a triumphant “I told you so!” stamp to my book reviewing record. Because this book was just nominated for the long list for the National Book Awards!

Father-Son Relationships
I found myself wrapped up in the different stories and experiences of each man in the book. Their hope and desires for their futures are illustrated so well when they are young men even as it feels like those hopes and dreams conflict with their fathers’ wishes, absence and/or presence. A generational tale woven with history and emotions. Stories that span from one continent to another; a migration tale and an Americanization tale. Each son wants to move on with their dreams, but they must contend with a father who is still actively pursuing his own.

The culmination of three generations of fathers and sons, Emil, Chris and Enzo being under one roof, forces a reckoning between them all. Healing that has been needed for years must find its way to the surface during the pandemic that brings them together. The timeline goes back between the past and present as the trio develop an uncomfortable relationship with each other that makes each man confront their grievances with one another.

Filipino-American History
Filipino-American history in California is intertwined with the migrant farmworkers in the region. Francisco, the young man who begins the Maghabol family journey in the United States, faces racism and violence as a farmworker. A 16 year old who left the Philippines behind for what many call the American Dream. But there are so many racist restrictions that he barely makes any money picking apples. It’s the only job he can get as a Filipino. It’s the beginning of a generational story where he becomes a labor leader and organizer who spends more time away from home than with this his son, Emil.

I found the story between Francisco and Emil to be especially powerful. Francisco is choosing between his people and his family. Emil feels pain and rejection of not being more important than “the people” to his father. Each young man is shaped by not only his experiences with his father but how they want to do the opposite of their fathers in order to “be better.” It is a layered part of the narrative that also contrasts the difference between an immigrant parent and a first-generation American child.

The American Dream
One chapter that especially hit me hard was “A Country of Broken Promises.” It was so powerful when I was listening to it that I immediately paused the audiobook and re-read it on my own. The power of perception, history and hope is spoken to in this chapter.

I hope many educators will consider using this book in their classrooms. There is so much richness and depth! You can focus on characterization, POV, generational relationships, history and historical context, psychology and so much more.

Filipino American History Month is in October. So, if you need additional motivation to pick this book up and read it, there you go.

What a beautiful and heartbreaking look at three generations of men in a family and the generational trauma that is carried forward. Ribay deftly weaves the stories of the three back and forth, giving us both the background and the understanding of their future behaviors. I also learned about the Filipino presence and activism of the migrant field workers in California. Highly recommended.

Everything We Never Had, the newest Young Adult novel from Randy Ribay, is the sort of thoughtful, character-driven novel we've come to expect from him. Told from four different perspectives in four timeframes, it follows the line of one Filipino man who immigrates to the United States in the 20th century, toggling back and forth from father to son to grandson to great-grandson, exploring themes of identity and belonging-- to a family and to a country. There are also rewarding rabbit trails to follow (regarding the modern history of the Philippines, for example) in this well-told coming of age story of intergenerational conflict and understanding.

This is one of my top YA of the year, if not just top reads in general! I loved getting to know all four generations, and see how they each dealt with identity, family, inequality, and purpose. I've bought multiple copies to use in our book club sets already. So so so good!

I adored Patron Saints of Nothing and was really hoping I would feel that strongly for this one, but I just didn't. I definitely understand the need for the alternating timelines, but the way they were written, I just couldn't really connect with any of the characters. This story covered so many important topics over so many years, but I just wanted the chance to care more about each of the characters. That alone would have greatly improved the rating for me. I just wanted more!

EVERYTHING WE NEVER HAD by Randy Ribay (Patron Saints of Nothing, a National Book Award finalist) is told in multiple perspectives across four generations of a Filipino-American family. The earliest action takes place in 1930 Watsonville, California where Francisco, a recent immigrant, has to deal with violence, prejudice, and his disappointment at life in America. In 1965 Stockton, California, readers meet Emil, Francisco's son, a dutiful student and hard-working employee at his aunt's restaurant. He resents his labor organizer father and vows to make his own way. Then there is 1983 Denver, Colorado where Chris yearns to play football but can't ever live up to the standards of his demanding father, Emil. Chris rebels as he discovers a love of history and pursues his own interests as a teacher. His son, named Enrique Lorenzo and called Enzo, grows up in 2020 Philadelphia, coping with anxiety, the pandemic, and continuing discrimination. Once again, Ribay offers so much to unpack – immigrant feelings, generational conflict, parenting styles, and plenty of anger. Students will relate to the stories of each of these characters as a young man and may be intrigued by the way the societal environment and the individual choices of each character impacts the next generation. The novel does flip back and forth between time periods and this may be difficult for some students, but EVERYTHING WE NEVER HAD received multiple starred reviews, including from Booklist, Kirkus ("many heartwarming and heartbreaking moments offer deep insights into intergenerational patterns"), Publishers Weekly, and School Library Journal. The book contains a list of recommended resources, both print and online like Asian Mental Health Collective, Filipino American National Historical Society, Stop AAPI Hate, and United Farm Workers. Interested previewers can listen to an excerpt on the publisher’s website. 4.5 stars

This was worth the read. I love reading stories from multiple perspectives. Worth picking up and giving a try to see if it's for you!

I received this book as a NetGalley ARC.

This is not a book I would have picked up on my own. It is YA Historical Fiction, which is not something I typically read. However, this book is really powerful and I would recommend it to adults just as much as I would recommend it to the typical YA population.

Told in 4 timelines chronicling 4 generations of Filipino sons and fathers, this book absolutely lives in the gray--characters that could have been very black and white were really developed as complex and flawed (the labor organizer that is not a good family man; the high schooler who is told to assimilate by everyone but his absent father).

In the beginning of the book, when the reader is just learning everyone's stories, there is a temptation to see things in black and white (this son wants to feel connected with his culture, while his father does not see the value in that, for example). It is further tempting to live in that binary (the son has it right! The father should listen!). But as the story unfolds, and the reader learns of the multi-generational trauma passed down from person to person, a message becomes clear: people are just doing the best that they can with the tools they have, and not everyone has that many tools.

I have two small critiques of this book. The first is based on my memory of the pandemic verses the author's rendering of it. The portion of the book that takes place during the pandemic is only a 4 month period (February thru May), but characters are described as wearing KN95 and surgical masks, which were not available that early on in the pandemic. It would have been more accurate to describe cloth masks. This is something that is so minor, but really stands out to me as a memory of the early days of the pandemic-- that surgical and KN95 masks were not only unavailable to the general public, but even to hospital staff.

The second is that the author's note, which shares a lot of the actual historical references, comes at the end of the book. Having not much historical context about labor uprisings and the government of the Philippines, this informative note would have provided more information early in the book, without taking away from the story.

I really enjoyed the way this was written. Each POV was captivating, intriguing and had me curious about what was going to happen next. The narrative is strung together in a logical and with great timing, revealing elements and parts of each character's story/POV at a time that makes sense.

This was both heartbreaking, heavy, emotional, but it also has it's tender and beautiful moments. A book that I found quite thought provoking, poignant, and one worth reading, especially to learn about the experiences of what it was like for Filipino's migrating to America, and it's impact on culture and each generation so forth.

It's 2020 and a teenage boy, his father, and his grandfather all end up staying together in a small house in Philadelphia during the pandemic. Told in chapters that go back through 4 generations of this Filipino-American family, Ribay centers each story around what was happening when each was a teenage boy. This is an excellent blend of historical fiction and contemporary fiction that is worthy of being read and discussed in high school classrooms.

This is a story for the children of the Filipino diaspora. A masterpiece of young adult fiction exploring the Filipino-American generational divide through four generations of Filipino boys and their father-son relationships. Ribay writes with so much heart in this highly emotional and powerful tale that explores generational trauma, racial violence, the pandemic and other current events, contextualized through its juxtaposition of the history of Filipinos in the U.S. (including revolutions for workers rights!). There’s so much intention in each paragraph, each chapter has double meanings, and each line has hidden gems. I loved the extremely relatable (to me) anxiety rep. I loved just how beautiful the conversations were between generations and their attempt at deconstructing. I was so moved by Francisco’s journey - his yearning for home and people permeates each page. Enzo, the youngest, had my heart; I was seriously rooting for him every step of the way. And that ending?! It couldn't have been more perfect. I’m just smiling thinking about Enzo’s future. Loved the inclusion on sapphic and trans secondary characters as well.

A story of four generations of Filipino men: Francisco, Emil, Chris, and Enzo. The story explores the perspectives of each of these men around the age of 16—so we see the first 3 as sons, and as fathers and grandfathers through the perspectives of their sons and grandsons. It's an interesting way to move through the history of this family, through its fathers and sons, from the 1930s through the 2020s pandemic lockdowns. Along the way the history of the Philippines and relations between the Philippines and the U.S. are also explored.

The switching between times and protagonists is really deftly done. Just when you've witnessed some conflict between a teen and their father, in which the father is clearly wrong, you go back to see a pivotal moment from the father's own adolescence that shapes the way he sees the world. It was hard to hold any of these men in contempt, or hold their failings as fathers against them, once you knew where they had come from. Which seemed to be the point—that their generational conflicts could be resolved, if they could truly communicate with each other. I wonder if even Francisco's family-abandoning father would have seemed sympathetic if we had gone back to see how he had grown up?

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for this ARC!

Leave it to Randy Ribay to write something so stunning that it makes me cry a few times while I'm reading! I loved this book so much. My favorite aspects of this book are how it was more character driven instead of plot focused and the way it explores generational trauma and how we can try to heal from that. Throughout the book, we get to spend time with four different generations of Maghabol men. We get to see how their experiences shape them, how they interact with the next generation, and what their idea of manhood is. The way that each character's point of view is presented helps you to understand where they're coming from. Something about each of the Maghabol men resonated with me either because I saw something of myself or something that made me think of my family. I also loved how much this book was steeped in history. This book touched not just on the history of Filipinos in America, but also our history in our own country. I felt like I learned so much while I was reading and I feel the need to learn more about the history of my people.

Everything We Never Had was a beautiful novel that shows the impact of familial lines on our lives and how trauma can carry forward from one generation to the next. I loved how the author shared the point of view of each generation, providing an understanding for their future actions with their own children. I would highly recommend everyone read Everything We Never Had; it will definitely be on my list of favorite reads this year!

Everything We Never Had by Randy Ribay is a poignant and thought-provoking novel that delves deeply into themes of family and identity. Ribay’s emotionally resonant storytelling and well-crafted characters create a powerful and moving reading experience.

'Everything We Never Had' by Randy Bibay tells the story of Filipino immigrants to America and their struggle through four generations to assimilate their identity as Americans and fathers/sons. The timeline is nonlinear and the point of view jumps from generation to generation. In fact the men from each generation tell their story three times. The book ends with Great-Grandfather Francisco realizing he has crossed a line he can't go back over while Great-Grandson Enzo, his Dad Chris and Grandfather Emil (the three remaining living generations) still grapple with how to become whole humans. I did have to keep going back and forth to keep each character storyline straight due to the nonlinear timeline but the story could not have been told any other way. As in many current similar novels the point is clear that immigrants to America often sacrifice much for the hope of a better life that often doesn't work. I give this book four stars. While it is a YA read it certainly doesn't seem such and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

I don't know how I would use this in a classroom, but I desperately want to. Although it seems to be YA, it didn't read that way. which would lend itself to many grade levels- 1oth, 12th, college prep?

It covers so many topics- generational relations, life experiences and how it shapes not only the person but those around him, COVID... Loved it!

Thank you for the opportunity to read this!

I've been sitting on this review for a few weeks now because I'm not sure any words I can write here can quite do this phenomenal book justice. Without a doubt, this is my favorite YA book of 2024 (and is arguably my favorite book overall this year).

Everything We Never Had is a moving, multi-generational novel that follows four generations of Filipino-American men as they grow up in the wake of their fathers' choices and try to pave the way for their sons to have more promising futures than they did (hence the title). The juxtaposition of these different perspectives allows the reader to truly understand each of the characters' hopes, dreams, flaws, and failures. Despite their failings, you cannot help but love and root for these characters and their relationships with one another.

I especially appreciated the historical aspect of this book. It was so well researched and provided an interesting glimpse of 20th century Filipino immigration--from Marcos's dictatorship to the unjust treatment of Filipino immigrant farmworkers in California.

This book is a must read for upper-MG and YA students. and teachers.

Thank you so much to NetGalley for my advanced copy. I will be thinking about this one for a long time to come.

3.5 stars

As an incoming fan of Ribay's, I was both excited and nervous about this recent effort. Overall, I enjoyed it.

This is a relatively short novel, but it feels more complex because of the timelines, locations, and characters. The end result is worth the effort, but I did find that there was more attention required than I expected. Since I'm a better visual than auditory processor, the joke may be on me for opting for an audio version. I enjoyed the narration and recommend this modality when and where available, but it requires dedication and focus; this is not a casual, background listen by virtue of the structure.

I really enjoy this author's work and hope to read more.

Randy Ribay has written another wonderful novel, this one focusing on four generations of the Maghabol family. It was really interesting to see how each generation dealt with similar challenges. I cannot wait to add it to my library.