As a huge fan of Tenorio’s previous collection of short stories, I was so excited to read his first full-length novel. It did not disappoint.

Like his short stories, this narrative is full of life. Each character seemed like someone I could meet and have a conversation with since their backstories and descriptions were so specific and detailed. I liked each character and rooted for them even when they were at their worst. I admit that the plot was a little slow at times, but my interest in the characters’ lives and their decisions made the story really compelling for me.

I also loved the quirky details in the story that would make me chuckle. Excel’s job at a Chuck E. Cheese wannabe restaurant was particularly interesting as was Maxima’s lifestyle, including a life-size dummy that she practices her martial arts moves on while surrounded by posters of her the films she starred in as an action hero back in the Philippines..

These moments of levity always balanced out the grimmer aspects, leaving me feel like I truly was getting a slice of life from this family portrayed in the story. There were some heartbreaking realizations, tragic decisions, moments of lost hope, scams, but there were also some instances of real connection, generosity, and compassion.. The author cleverly weaves in the theme of identity or lack of identity. With references to costumes, Internet scams of people pretending to be someone else, and a city that doesn’t really seem like a city, Tenorio explores Excel’s sense of being adrift as an undocumented immigrant.

The best thing I can say about this book is that I will miss Maxima, Excel, Joker, Z, and Roxy. Even after finishing the book, I can’t help but think what they are all up to.

The Son of Good Fortune tracks the life of Excel, a 19-year-old coming home to Colma (a small city famous for having within its limits more dead people than living) after nearly a year away in a desert town with his girlfriend. A life-altering thing happened in this desert town, and now he’s home to make ten thousand dollars to send back to his girlfriend. It’s a tough task made more difficult by the fact that he’s undocumented.

This was an excellent novel that really sunk into the normal aimlessness of any 19-year-old, the desire to be better than our circumstances, and the desperation and frustration of being undocumented. Neither Excel nor his mother, Maxima — a professional scammer, are perfect, but it’s easy to be sympathetic to their plight. They do what they can and will put up with what they have to to get by.

Reading this as a Filipino American who grew up around Tagalog, I really loved how Tenorio handled the language in this book. A lot was left untranslated but could be understood through context. It felt true to the Taglish our families actually speak, and while this book is timely and I feel it should be read by all young people, it felt like a book written for us and not something trying to cater to a wider audience.

This was heartbreaking at a few turns, but not melodramatic. The characters felt like real people and this was a very realistic look at the life of undocumented teens. It also pairs well with Jose Antonio Vargas’s Dear America.

In his debut novel, Tenorio handles the poverty and hardships of United States immigrants with an even hand - getting around without a car (because you don't have your license), eating lots of fast food (it's fast and cheap and there always seem to be more pressing matters than nutrition), finding work (no social security number), and the constant worry: "the banality of poverty." Neat, articulate prose. I'm wondering where the title came from, whether there was something in the novel I missed (probably) or it's something Tagalog woven within the narrative. I like it. It's not a comfort read, but there's something consoling about a character like Excel who is insanely uncomfortable but assimilates to his circumstances with a sort of dis-ease.