Toto O.

Toto O. is the Young Adult novel that won the Grand Prize (Nobela) in the 65th Palanca Awards for its 20-year old author, Charmaine Lasar. The book follows the travails and triumphs of its title character, Toto. Will he stay true to his newfound moniker and tell the truth, even if it has consequences? The novel is a heartfelt and modern Filipino coming of age story set against today’s social realities.

About the book

The truth is often tangled in best intentions and fearful secrets. This is what the National Book Award-winning novel’s teenage hero, nicknamed “Toto O”, will find out as he moves outside his comfort zone and into the big city. The novel is a heartfelt and contemporary Filipino coming-of-age story set against today’s social reality. As much as the book is character-driven, its setting is an important element as well that makes young Toto’s story come to life.

About the author

Charmaine Lasar is popular in Wattpad as @JustMainey, who surprised the literary elite when she won grand prize for Filipino novel at the 65^th Palanca Awards as a teenager. She has since published three other books, and has won the National Book Award for Best Filipino Novel for Toto O.