Nothing But Life
- Subject
- Literary
- Age
- Teen
- Format
- Trade Paperback
- Pages
- 304
- Publisher
- Dundurn Press
- Size
- 12.7 cm × 20.1 cm
- ISBN
- 9781459746183
White Pine Award 2022 â Shortlisted
During a sweltering summer, Dills must come to terms with a horrific crime and the parent he loves who committed it.
Dills and his mom have returned to Hamilton, her hometown, hoping to leave the horrors of Windsor behind. But itâs impossible to escape the echoes of tragedy, and trouble always follows trouble.
When Dills hurts a new classmate, it comes out in court that he was in the Windsor High library when the shooter came in. But he wonât talk about what he saw, what he still sees whenever he closes his eyes. He canât. He definitely canât tell anyone that the Windsor Shooter is his stepfather, Jesse, that Jesse can speak into his mind from hundreds of kilometres away, and that Dills still loves him even though he committed an unspeakable crime.
During a sweltering summer, Dills must come to terms with a horrific crime and the parent he loves who committed it.
Dills and his mom have returned to Hamilton, her hometown, hoping to leave the horrors of Windsor behind. But itâs impossible to escape the echoes of tragedy, and trouble always follows trouble.
When Dills hurts a new classmate, it comes out in court that he was in the Windsor High library when the shooter came in. But he wonât talk about what he saw, what he still sees whenever he closes his eyes. He canât. He definitely canât tell anyone that the Windsor Shooter is his stepfather, Jesse, that Jesse can speak into his mind from hundreds of kilometres away, and that Dills still loves him even though he committed an unspeakable crime.
About the author
Brent van StaalduinenAuthor
Brent van Staalduinen is the author of the novel Saints, Unexpected. He is the winner of the Bristol Short Story Prize, Fiddleheadâs Best Short Fiction Award, and the Lush Triumphant Literary Award. Brent lives in Hamilton, Ontario.
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What reviewers said
... by writing with much seriousness, Brent van Staalduinen makes the reader realize that a story about a young man reclaiming his life rather than living it as the legacy of his stepdad's military PTSD or his own trauma associated with the shooting is sombre and requires thoughtfulness and compassion.
A lovely examination of how families can break and heal over time ... a great read.
Itâs no surprise that Nothing But Life is receiving so much wellâdeserved attention. It is a mustâread, not just for its YA audience, but for any adult working with teens.
Brent van Staalduinen has once again created an unforgettable character and voice. In Dills, he brings forth our seething, hurting unpredictability along with all of our innocence, reminding us that love is that thing which complicates us and yet also, ultimately, makes us who we are. Nothing but Life is a gentle and yet razor-sharp look into what hurts and heals us, filled with a wisdom that permeates every sentence.
As Dills tells his story and shares the worst and weirdest summer of his life, it feels deliciously like eavesdropping. A compelling read.
In Nothing but Life, Brent van Staalduinen offers readers what the news often fails to provide in the wake of a mass shooting â what remains in the aftermath beyond sensationalism and how those affected grieve. In following a young boy and his family's journey toward healing after someone they love commits unthinkable violence, this novel sings with sorrow, yes, but also with great empathy and love.
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