"It's that you never bothered teaching me anything about our people's history, about where we came from, because you didn't think it was important. Well, I do. And now I have to teach myself everything."

Oooph. Randy Ribay weaves Filipino history within the pages of this beautiful and painful book that highlights the Filipino diaspora and how our experiences/traumas can affect us for generations.

Everything We Never Had took me double, if not triple, the time to finish because I had to stop frequently to process my emotions and talk it out with my FilAm best friends. I saw myself, my mother, my children within these pages and... wow. I honestly am having trouble describing how I feel about this book, but it has impacted me beyond words and I look forward to rereading it.

Everything We Never Had is a story about intergenerational trauma, the pandemic, and the convoluted nature of the American Story. The story alternates between four generations of men in one family, how their circumstances shaped their responses and how those responses were misunderstood by those that followed. More immediate is how the pandemic caused an estranged family member to relocate from a senior living facility to the home of his son and grandson. Misunderstanding abounds, and the story does not wrap up tidily Pollyanna-style, which I greatly appreciated as that lack of perfect resolution is more realistic.

I recommend this book to teenagers interested in learning about the American story, Filipino populations, Farm Workers Rights, or to those looking for stories about multigenerational living or intergenerational trauma.

Everything We Never Had is about generational trauma and the impact on familial relationships. Interwoven is historical information about life in the Philippines under Marco. Ribay telsl the story in 3 different eras so the reader begins to understand the grandfather and father’s backstories and the impact it has had on them and subsequently their grandson/son Enzo.


Thank you NetGalley for ARC.

This book is told from the perspectives of four different men starting with in 1930 and ending with 2020. It begins in the fields of California from Francisco’s point of view. Next, we go to Stockton California and get the perspective of Emil, who refuses to follow in the footsteps of his dad. In 1983 we are transported to Denver and hear from Chris whose dad, Emil, is overbearing. Chris yearns to learn more about his Filipino history but meets reluctance from his dad. And the last perspective is Enzo in Philadelphia, who is forced to deal with the pandemic while his abrasive grandfather moves in.

Wow. I have never quite read a book exactly like this. Yes, I have read generational contemporary fiction, but never about fathers, which was a spin I didn’t realize I was missing. Of course, there are many similarities to this book to other generational trauma books I’ve read, but this was such a great one. This book follows four generations of a Filipino American family going back to the 1930’s. I listened to this one on audio, and it was amazing. Each of the four men was read by a different voice actor, and they were all fabulous. The story isn’t necessarily told in a linear fashion as it jumps from character to character, and we are brought to their timeframe. In other words, the story was nicely interwoven. I thought I would get confused without the visual markers on the page, but that was not the case at all, so extra kudos to the author for writing a clear roadmap, and the narrators for bringing it to light in a clear way.

While this book is slated as a YA, it did read more mature. I do think that it will appeal to a YA audience, but that YA label should not deter those who normally shy away from the genre for it being too “young”. It’s very well written and a highly enjoyable read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC of this book!

I struggled with this one--I LOVED Patron Saints of Nothing and can get just about any of my high school students to read it. So, I was of course so excited to read this. As an adult reader, I enjoyed the multigenerational story, especially the second half of the book. But, when I read YA books I try to view them through the eyes of my students, and unfortunately I don't see this book resonating with a lot of teen readers. The pacing is a little slow for teens who need to be pulled into a story from the jump and I can see some teens struggling with the multiple POVs all in different time periods. This is a beautiful book that weaves together strands of family, identity, generational differences, immigration, and Filipino history and culture and I'd enthusiastically recommend it to adult and strong teen readers.

Book:
EVERYTHING WE NEVER HAD by Randy Ribay
Thank you PenguinTeen and Netgalley for the Arc (Aug 27)

Review:
4⭐
EVERYTHING WE NEVER HAD is a fictional tale about Francisco, Emil, Chris, and Enzo: four generations of men told across their generation. Each point of view tells a different tale: Francisco coming to the US seemingly failing at what he wanted to do, Emil lacking fatherly attention and working with his family, Chris lacking the same attention, Enzo suffering from that in the midst of a pandemic. All their stories intertwining in a way that I can't begin to describe.
I read this book in one sitting. I was surprised at how well EVERYTHING WE NEVER HAD held my attention. Literally, going into this, I didn't know what to expect---what I got was a riveting tale generations: falling apart, coming together, and everything in between.
I thought it would be confusing with the multi-pov + multi-timeline, and though it was at times, I appreciated that everything came together in a way that made sense in the end.

This book follows four generations of the Maghabol family. The author intertwined the generational stories perfectly, and made the characters relatable. Family dynamics play a big role in this book and we can all relate to those. The author touched on how we each carry parts of the generations before us, the good and the ugly.

This book was everything I didn’t know I wanted to learn about the Filipino culture. I absolutely LOVED this book. I ended up doing a deep dive into the history of Filipino immigration to the US. I think many people have no idea of the struggles Filipino Americans faced because history class doesn’t teach any of that. I received an eARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Like his other books, Everything We Never Had is simple beautiful and brilliant. Ribay's stories engage from the individual characters to the larger historical and social context through craft that is simply stunning. This book weaves together the stories of four generations of Filipino American men to explore intergenerational trauma, strength, and healing. I would recommend educators consider including this book in their curriculum as it opens up many possibilities for discussion and research to incorporate Filipino American history through interdisciplinary study. Moreover, it is a book that would speak to and engage students on many levels and his craft as a writer would enrich any instruction in literature. Not only would I recommend this (and Ribay's other books) for young adults, but for anyone who enjoys compelling historical fiction and artful prose.

This book follows the Maghabol family across different eras: Francisco in 1930s Watsonville, Emil in 1965 Stockton, Chris in 1983 Denver, and Enzo in 2020 Philadelphia. Each faces unique struggles in America, from racial prejudice to family conflicts, ultimately shaping their identities and relationships across generations.

Give me more generational stories, please! This one kept me engaged, turning the pages and soaking everything in. I wanted to finish but also wanted to draw it out. The multiple POV of the men in this family had me bought in immediately. It’s eerie how similar the generations had it, but they also had some stark differences.

The authors note at the end had me in tears. The list of additional recommended reading had me looking up books to learn more. I felt like Chris. How had I never learned of these atrocities in school?

I especially loved Enzo. I could totally relate to how he felt like the world was on his shoulders and always wanting to fix things. His anxiety and how he described it - it could have been from my brain. How he retreated during the pandemic? I did the same thing. Watching him learn about his family dynamic and come together with his father and grandfather was special and enlightening.

I fully recommend reading this one. I won’t forget it. It’s a special, timely, incredible book.

I greatly enjoyed this book!

I have a soft spot for reading (and watching) stories about relationships among men. We live in a time when men are still expected to be stoic, to be dependable, to be rocks. Somehow, men still can’t express their feelings authentically, even to one another. So I love getting the opportunity to see through someone else’s eyes in this way.

A good generational saga can be tricky to follow, especially when it isn’t told strictly chronologically. It took a while for me to get the connections between each man and his surroundings, but the pace was just right. All the settings felt real and rich, and I could see how the place and time shaped each character in addition to the relationship with his father (and, for everyone except the teenage Enzo, his son).

Reading about COVID in a (nearly-)published book is still a little spooky. The pandemic will be a defining growing-up experience for someone who was Enzo’s age at the time, though, so it’s as important to the story as the California migrant labor movement and the Marcos regime in the Philippines. I learned a ton about Filipino American history without feeling bogged down in the detail or the untranslated lines in Tagalog and Ilokano. (I read Spanish.)

This was a YA novel that didn’t feel like it needed to be—and what a great quality that is!

Well written and I loved the different points of view of the main characters, but I admit I found it depressing from the very beginning -- perhaps I'm not ready for Covid fiction yet.

I wish I would’ve liked this more, because I loved his other book that I read, but I just could not get into this and didn’t feel anything about any of the three characters

Powerful story of the legacy of a fictional Filipino family and their struggle to survive in the early 20th century is combined with the global pandemic to create an amazing world of history and culture. Read the story and learn about how different generations consider historical events and how a family heals.

A generational fiction beautifully crafted by Randy Ribay!! Loved it!
The storyline consists of multiple point of views and explores the childhood and emotions of four different generations of a Filipino - American family. The characters already seem meticulously written as it discusses the relationship between a father and a son in each of the stories of Fransisco, Emil, Chris and Enzo, set in 1930, 1965, 1983 and 2020 respectively. Indeed, it sheds light on the profound impact that generational trauma has on those specific generations. It was extremely interesting and gripping. I would love to see how COVID-19, the pandemic leaves an impact on their lives. In short, I would love to read the story and see how it ends. It is perfect for a person who is looking for a Young Adult that is well written and filled with emotions.

I also liked the cover page and the title as it makes you more curious about the story and it's characters.

This was such a beautifully written story about a Filipino American family. It shows 4 generations in multi pov and you can see why the older generation in the story is the way the are towards each other. I really enjoyed reading this. You can tell the workout knew what they were talking about even with it being a fiction story. I would definitely read more books like this

Told from four perspectives, each a different generation. I liked Enzo's POV the most, a high schooler dealing with anxiety when the pandemic hits and his grandpa moves in with his family. While I would have enjoyed this story more just being in Enzo's head the whole time, adding the perspectives of the three generations before him added a lot of depth to the story, and shows how each man in the family is molded and passes along his unique morals to his child. This book isn't very long, under 300 pages but packs a punch with themes of mental health, generational trauma, power of being sensitive/vulnerable, family, and more.

I had to DNF this one unfortunately because I think the only way I'm able to read about the pandemic is through a horror storyline rather than just a contemporary setting

Well what do you know, Randy Ribay does it again! I truly believe he is a master of writing beautifully yet accessibly while tackling issues that are often difficult to grapple with through characters who feel larger than life because they are inspired by real people and well-researched events. Despite making me cry multiple times (again), this book healed something in me. But fair warning, don't go in expecting a heavy focus on the plot. More than anything, it's an excellent collection of character studies across four generations, unpacking something that I am aware of but haven't really read much on previously: generational trauma, how it develops, and how it manifests in different forms in different people. This story drips with so much empathy that despite presenting hard truths about identity, manhood, mental health, and social responsibility, it refuses to be prescriptive in its narrative. Rather, it helps one to understand where these individuals are coming from. I learned so much about myself and even my own family members in the process of reading this book, which is impressive in itself considering how short this is. I'm defending revisiting and annotating this once I get my hands on a physical copy. Rush to the bookstore on release date because this is not a book you want to miss!