All the Saints

by Wesley Roodt

In the Eastern Cape, the gale force winds have nothing on the chanting gees of the boys at the prestigious local school. Isaac ‘Izzy’ Kingston, a recent matriculant and newly minted varsity dropout, has several bashers’ worth of hilarious and harrowing school memories to share with a sympathetic audience. Isaac’s nostalgic first-person confessional, peppered with tongue-in-cheek observations, takes readers from the testosterone-fuelled excitement and high drama of the rugby field on Reunion Weekend to near-death encounters on overnight excursions in Cradock.

154 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 1, 2025

Reviews

[Ralton Morrison]

Izzy’s story is one that I could identify with. Very different from my own life experience but so similar in many ways. This made me feel a kinship towards him in a way I hadn’t anticipated. I read this book in a single sitting. The story was told so simply and poignantly. I laughed through the occasional tears and felt all my emotions in waves.

It is a coming of age story that made it reminiscent of Spud (for me), but so much more than a simple fun-loving storytelling of teen angst and drama. At the centre of the story, I connected with the strong sense of friendship but not in the traditional sense of an external connection. Rather, it highlighted the friendship of oneself and the ability (or inability) to like who you are when no one is around. The inner dialogue and raw emotions of a queer character ebbing and flowing on the journey of self-discovery, and eventually self-acceptance. I really enjoyed this story.

[Rika Burger]

I had such a good chuckle at everything the boys got up to in this book! Really enjoyed this!

[Zubayr Charles]

I found this book interesting. I can’t imagine how tough it must be to be a misfit in a traditional boys’ school. The novel provides great insight into this. It is a very human feeling to want to belong.

I finished the book in two days. I loved that the chapters were quick and that the narrative was paced well.

I found the frame narrative of the book refreshing. It’s always good to think of creative ways to set a narrative. I do wonder what the story would have been like if told directly in the past tense without the narrator’s film-director self tape situation… just a thought, but of course would not have the same appeal and impact as the book currently has.

I hope many young men get to read this story.

[Razia]

After a bit of a slow start, I really got into this book and stayed up late to finish it. Chapter 11 I think was the turning point for me and the author’s writing and pulled me into the story. I liked the narration in documentary style with interludes of the narrator talking to the camera person. The way he talks about big issues in some laugh out loud, relatable, very South African ways was fantastic. The parts about the first-team rugby captain’s speech and his mother scattering his ashes at Storms River from a Woolies bag had me in stitches. The slow start is the reason for my four star rating but I would read another book of Wesley’s if he writes one 😊 congratulations Wesley

[Janine Roussouw]

First of all I love supporting local South African authors and meeting the author is always so special. When Wesley read just a snippet of his book I was hooked and I read the book within a few hours. He speaks about the life of Isaac Kingston as an awkward teenager trying to fit in at a boys school. At school a teenager wants to fit in and be part of the crowd, but when you can't find your niche you feel left out. Little does Isaac know just how unique, creative and what a special soul he is. This book I would highly recommend for young adults who are trying to find their feet in the world and also for anyone looking for an inspirational read with a touch of humour. Loved the book!

[TamaraReads]

Well written, well composed and well worth it.

I am nothing like Izzy, and yet I felt like I had been teleported back to my own school days. The prose speaks a language you can understand, and has a way of drawing you into the past and present all at once. In response, the narrative is nostalgic, reminding you of the stakes that high school once presented - which were very, very serious at the time. Izzy's journey is both poignant and healing, and the characters woven around his life gel the novel into what feels like an autobiography.

An excellent example of contemporary South African fiction, written almost like a memory of a time I once dreaded but often wish I could return to.

[Francis Anne]

I literally couldn't put the book down!
I found this book well written and enjoyed the school accounts. Being from PE and the same age as the author, being in a house play myself, as well as having watched many first team rugby games, the book was particularly nostalgic for me!
A great read, and extra nostalgic if you are from PE!
I recommend this book if you are looking for a fun, nostalgic read!

[Allan Schulz]

One of the worst books I have ever read. The repetition of a few catchphrases was harrowing, not to mention the very childlike descriptions of activities and events that so many alumni could describe in more vivid detail.

[Amina Williams]

This book is really poorly written. The writer could benefit from attending basic creative writing classes. All he does is TELL us what’s happening instead of SHOW. Sadly, nothing truly happens, especially in the first few chapters. I know the narration sets off from this self-tape documentary style, but the writing is not sophisticated enough to pull this off. It’s just recollection after recollection. This makes the author and the narrator come across as self-indulgent. Nobody should still be writing books in this day and age where the main character is so in their head all the time; all we get to read about are their thoughts and memories. The narrator also comes across as whiny, and immature, and reads like a pre-teen telling us their thoughts. Something actually has to happen in a plot, you know. As someone that is teaching at an all-boys’ primary school, this book is really disappointing.

[Shawn Buck]

An easy read with lots of great laughs, but wrapped up in dealing with the loneliness of feeling other. Really appreciated the realness of this story. The humor and classic SA wit made it fun to read, but connecting with the raw emotions made it compelling to stick with. Well done on a great debut novel!