Even though it’s been a few days since I finished this book, Smaller and Smaller Circles by F.H. Batacan has stuck with me. I was transported back home to Manila thanks to Batacan’s prose. I could vividly imagine every single scene. If I shut my eyes for a moment, I could hear the characters’ voices even now because they felt so alive. Batacan not only analyzed the criminal justice system in the Philippines, but she also shined a light into the Catholic Church’s corruption and misdeeds.
Where do I even begin with this love letter to this book?
Title: Smaller and Smaller Circles
Author: F.H. Batacan
Publisher: Soho Crime
Publication Date: 18 August 2015 (Originally published in 2002)
TW/CW: Pedophilia, police brutality, child abuse, child death, sexual violence, sexual assault, domestic abuse, mutilation, physical abuse, torture.
Synopsis: This harrowing mystery, winner of the Philippine National Book Award, follows two Catholic priests on the hunt through Manila for a brutal serial killer.
Payatas, a 50-acre dump northeast of Manila’s Quezon City, is home to thousands of people who live off of what they can scavenge there. It is one of the poorest neighborhoods in a city whose law enforcement is already stretched thin, devoid of forensic resources, and rife with corruption. So when the eviscerated bodies of preteen boys begin to appear in the dump heaps, there is no one to seek justice on their behalf.
In the rainy summer of 1997, two Jesuit priests take the matter of protecting their flock into their own hands. Father Gus Saenz is a respected forensic anthropologist, one of the few in the Philippines, and has been tapped by the Director of the National Bureau of Investigations as a backup for police efforts. Together with his protégé, Father Jerome Lucero, a psychologist, Saenz dedicates himself to tracking down the monster preying on these impoverished boys.
Smaller and Smaller Circles, widely regarded as the first Filipino crime novel, is a poetic masterpiece of literary noir, a sensitive depiction of a time and place, and a fascinating story about the Catholic Church and its place in its devotees’ lives.
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Table of Contents
Where do I begin?
It’s hard to find books set in or written about the Philippines here in the states. Actually? It’s near impossible when we don’t take Patron Saints of Nothing by Randy Ribay into account.
Related Post: Flash Review for Patron Saints of Nothing by Randy Ribay
Then someone brought Smaller and Smaller Circles to my attention. Plesantly surprised and thrilled? Absolutely. Not only is this book set in the Philippines and is written by a Filipino, but it’s also available here in the states. Of course, I didn’t pick up this book simply because it’s by a Filipino and set in the Philippines. The plot drew me in and would not let me go.
Smaller and Smaller Circles explores the Catholic Church, the Philippines’ criminal justice system, and how we can turn a blind eye to victims of sexual abuse.
Although I grew up here in the US, I am quite aware of several points:
1) The Catholic Church cares more about protecting their rank and file members than they do about victims of sexual abuse;
2) There is no such thing as “justice” in the Philippines when you’re poor and unable to pay off the police to give a damn about you.
Batacan not only shines a light on these truths, but she also presents them in a factual, realistic narrative that refuses to let you go.
The plot was well structured and thoughtfully explored.
I just came off a book that had an exciting premise but poor execution. Smaller and Smaller Circles was a breath of fresh air. Execution? Solid.
One of the many things I loved about this book? Batacan distributes the action evenly throughout the book. There was always something going on to keep you on your toes during the downtime. She explored each plot point thoroughly and respectfully.
I was never bored; the book engaged me. Even in those quiet moments where our characters were trying to digest the situations, Batacan kept my attention.
Batacan’s writing is superb.
Had it not been because I was reading a library copy, I would have annotated and highlighted so many passages. I adored the writing in this book. Even though Batacan has a journalism background, not once did her writing feel too weighed down by exposition.
I mentioned in other reviews: I don’t usually read contemporary fiction based on recent history/current events. I find that it’s much harder for me to suspend my disbelief with these books vs. historical fiction set before the 1900s. Usually, when I want to read anything related to the 1900s and 2000s, I go with nonfiction.
But in this case, I didn’t need to worry.
Everything felt real: from the characters’ emotions to the politics involved. Not once did I find myself shaking my head and going, “No way! Can’t be real and isn’t real.” At times? I felt like I was back home in the Philippines. I could vividly picture the details mentioned in the books.
Smaller and Smaller Circles activated and tickled all of my senses.
What about the topics at hand?
One of the quickest ways to pull me from a story is when authors take a historical event/person and embellish when there’s no need. Thankfully, Batacan avoids this. As I stated above, I genuinely believe that Batacan captured these topics in a truthful, realistic manner.
Most importantly, she didn’t throw things in haphazardly or without care.
While this is a fictional story, she never sacrifices truth for drama or added shock value.
I won’t lie and say that it’s an easy book to get through all the time. It’s not. It can be unsettling at times. But any discomfort I may have felt is because of how real the emotions/situations felt.
Final Word
Smaller and Smaller Circles by F.H. Batacan earns 5 stars and an A+ grade. I have no significant complaints. While it is by no means perfect, it is pretty damn good.
I highly recommend that you pick this book up for your next read! If you do end up picking it up (or picked it up already), definitely let me know!
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