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Saints, Unexpected
When fifteen-year-old Mutton is robbed at gunpoint while working in her mother’s Hamilton thrift store, the thief makes off with an item that she knows isn’t meant for him, hurling Mutton and her family into a summer of remarkable and heartbreaking events. From fighting unscrupulous developers to first loves to the anguish that comes from never knowing what your final words to a loved one might be, Saints, Unexpected reminds us of the magic that comes with each opportunity to begin again.
256 pages, Paperback
Published April 15, 2016
2 people are currently reading
50 people want to read
About the author
Brent van Staalduinen
14 books68 followersBrent van Staalduinen is the author of the novels UNTHINKABLE, NOTHING BUT LIFE, BOY, and SAINTS, UNEXPECTED, as well as the short story collection CUT ROAD. His award-winning short fiction can be found in notable publications on both sides of the Atlantic. Find out more at www.brentvans.com.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
May 5, 2023
Brent van Staalduinen's first novel is set in downtown Hamilton, Ontario. The protagonist, a teenage girl with the unlikely name of Mutton, narrates a series of events and presents a cast of characters almost Dickensian in their vividness and eccentricity. In many ways the story is tough and gritty, but this serves to bring Mutton toward maturity and shows how the community, full of unexpectedly sympathetic characters, rallies around her and her family when tragedy strikes them. Time and again, second chances are offered to various people who seem to be mired in bad luck, and the story ends on an ultimately positive note.
November 30, 2016
I went into
Saints, Unexpected
without knowing what to expect. The premise drew me in immediately - I love coming-of-age books about teenagers - but I normally read the fluffier, YA versions of these books. And though it took a bit to get used to the writing style, like the quotation dashes, it wasn't very long at all until I was completely immersed.
I loved this book. I loved Mutton and her too-real family, loved all the secondary characters. I loved the setting, my hometown, and how it almost felt like one of the characters. The writing was sublime, and I feel like my review doesn't do the book justice. My only complaint is that I didn't have enough time to sit and devour it - definitely a book to pick up!
I loved this book. I loved Mutton and her too-real family, loved all the secondary characters. I loved the setting, my hometown, and how it almost felt like one of the characters. The writing was sublime, and I feel like my review doesn't do the book justice. My only complaint is that I didn't have enough time to sit and devour it - definitely a book to pick up!
June 13, 2016
An important element in this book is the setting. Mutton’s home town is Hamilton, Ontario and van Staaldulnen has documented the city well through her eyes. Hamilton is a unique city and Mutton’s experiences with both the positive and the negative elements of the city give the story a realistic feel to it.
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June 22, 2016
This book is hard for me to pin down. In many ways it reminds me of "The Town that Drowned" by Riel Nason. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1... Both stories have a teen-age girl with a special needs younger brother as a protagonist. Both girls have strong characters with supportive families; both hang tough in adversity. Both stories have strong ties to place and include everything a coming-of-age novel should: first love--check; mystery/suspense--check; tragedy/grief -- check; the supernatural -- check.
I especially like the idea of the niche and believe a key theme of the book is life's blessings -- how blessings present in unexpected ways.
Highly recommended as a young adult novel.
P.S. Loved Mutton's taste in books. "A Boy of Good Breeding" is one of my favourites too :)
I especially like the idea of the niche and believe a key theme of the book is life's blessings -- how blessings present in unexpected ways.
Highly recommended as a young adult novel.
P.S. Loved Mutton's taste in books. "A Boy of Good Breeding" is one of my favourites too :)
May 19, 2016
One of those books you pick up, and quickly become so engrossed in the story, that it's finished before you know where the time went.
Beautifully told, skillfully crafted, "Saints, Unexpected" tells the story of hard work, of city living, of developing love, of close-knit family, of tragic loss and of an ethereal beauty that ties it all together all based in the downtown core of Hamilton, Ontario.
I found myself grinning at times at the awkwardness of teenage years, and weeping at times due to sudden and unexpected circumstances.
Highly recommended for those who enjoy stories, and well-told stories at that!
Beautifully told, skillfully crafted, "Saints, Unexpected" tells the story of hard work, of city living, of developing love, of close-knit family, of tragic loss and of an ethereal beauty that ties it all together all based in the downtown core of Hamilton, Ontario.
I found myself grinning at times at the awkwardness of teenage years, and weeping at times due to sudden and unexpected circumstances.
Highly recommended for those who enjoy stories, and well-told stories at that!
June 16, 2016
I have been reading all the novels I can find which are set in Hamilton, and this is the latest, published in 2016. Set in the heart of downtown, in one of the old buildings facing Gore park, featuring a teen-aged girl and her brothers and her parents who she describes as hippies (although her dad became a lawyer) - if not hippies, certainly eccentric, after all, they named their three children Leich, Mutton and Wu. Great characters and a great sense of place in this book, but some of the mysteries are never fully explored... like what about the Niche?
April 12, 2016
4.25 stars. I couldn't put this novel down once I started it. Van Staalduinen has captured downtown Hamilton in a detailed microcosm, down to the smell and the particulars of the pavement. The characters were engaging; the settings were, too. There was both beauty and humour in the novel. But by the end, I had a tear in my eye. A winning first novel from a talented author.
May 20, 2016
An amazing read. This well-crafted and thought-provoking novel shows Mutton undergoing heartbreak and yet surviving in the world around her. I loved the uniqueness of the author's voice as well as the unobstructed view of life through Mutton's teenage eyes. Looking forward to reading more from this author!
July 7, 2016
Coming of age story in the Canadian tradition of Alistair MacLeod's "No Great Mischief" but closer yet to Morley Torgov's, "A Good Place to Come From". A few areas of blurring of era's but captures the tumultuous events of a teen growing up in Hamilton, Ontario. Looking forward to more!!
July 2, 2017
I loved this book. It's quirky, a wonderful coming of age book. about family & learning to figure out boys while the family deals with some dramatic events during 1 summer in Hamilton 20 years ago. There is humour and fantasy as well!
August 5, 2016
So interesting to read a coming of age story that takes place in a city I know as well as Hamilton. Having been to many of the places mentioned and used in the novel was such a unique experience - now I can't see Gore Park without thinking of Wu.
July 10, 2021
Not sure how I found this but I had to read it when I realized it took place around the corner from my office. A great family story set at King and Hughson in Hamilton with all the expected street characters and drama.
September 11, 2016
Pretty quirky (in a good way). Wish the supernatural aspect had been explored/developed more.
May 31, 2023
2.5 stars
June 7, 2017
You can read my review on the Broken Pencil website. http://www.brokenpencil.com/news/book...
September 8, 2016
Saints, Unexpected by Brent van Staalduinen is a well-received novel set in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, the city where I was born and still live. Most of the book takes place in the downtown Hamilton of 20 years ago, which was 10 years before I moved there from the suburbs up the mountain. Many specifics of place were unknown to me, but the overall picture was true. The author brings the city to life and stays faithful to its difficult character.
The narrator is a 15 year old girl, who tells her version of one tragic, formative summer. I cried for two whole chapters near the end. Most of the book falls under the section “Hamilton, Then” while the epilogue is titled “Toronto, Now”, a reflection on revisiting not only a difficult time of life, but a difficult place in life too. Hamilton is the kind of hometown people diminish or hide or forget, especially if they move to Toronto. There’s a lot of shame. Things have changed, somewhat for the better. Gentrification is in progress, for good and for bad. Part of me is grateful for the improved assortment of restaurants and shops downtown and the increased number of people like me on the streets, but another part of me is sad for the business owners and residents who are getting pushed out as a result. The bad parts of town are not getting better, and the people who need support are not in a better situation. I often tell people, “Actually, Hamilton has improved a lot in the last several years …” but there’s always this twinge inside of me that thinks, “Really? For you, maybe.” The epilogue of Saints, Unexpected reflects this difficulty, valuing the strengths of a city while remembering a time of loss and change.
(Originally published in my weekly newsletter, All This Reading, with some differences.)
The narrator is a 15 year old girl, who tells her version of one tragic, formative summer. I cried for two whole chapters near the end. Most of the book falls under the section “Hamilton, Then” while the epilogue is titled “Toronto, Now”, a reflection on revisiting not only a difficult time of life, but a difficult place in life too. Hamilton is the kind of hometown people diminish or hide or forget, especially if they move to Toronto. There’s a lot of shame. Things have changed, somewhat for the better. Gentrification is in progress, for good and for bad. Part of me is grateful for the improved assortment of restaurants and shops downtown and the increased number of people like me on the streets, but another part of me is sad for the business owners and residents who are getting pushed out as a result. The bad parts of town are not getting better, and the people who need support are not in a better situation. I often tell people, “Actually, Hamilton has improved a lot in the last several years …” but there’s always this twinge inside of me that thinks, “Really? For you, maybe.” The epilogue of Saints, Unexpected reflects this difficulty, valuing the strengths of a city while remembering a time of loss and change.
(Originally published in my weekly newsletter, All This Reading, with some differences.)
July 31, 2016
I really like the the premise for this book with the "Niche" items, the element of magic/realism and there are some very memorable characters. Mutton and her family and the events that take place over the course of one summer in their second-hand shop--It was an enjoyable read!
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews