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!