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.