Saints of the Household

"Saints of the Household" by Ari Tison is a haunting contemporary YA novel that explores themes of brotherhood, abuse, recovery, and doing the right thing. The story follows two Bribri American brothers, Max and Jay, who intervene in a fight in the woods and beat up their high school's star soccer player to a pulp. As the true details of that fateful afternoon unfold, the brothers grapple with the weight of their actions, their shifting relationship, and the realization that they may be more like their abusive father than they thought. Told through vignettes and poems, this debut novel by an Indigenous Costa Rican-American writer will take your breath away.