Revenant.

Matthew Singleton is a librarian working at a law firm in Toronto.  He has worked in education, the bicycle industry, and for the Toronto Public Library.

He holds a Masters of Library and Information Science program from the University of Western Ontario.

Revenant reminds me of Seinfeld: it’s a book about nothing. Or, rather: it’s a book about death and change, which is handled in such a mundane way that it might as well be about nothing. The book opens with the reunion of three friends who reflect on the life of their friend Del, who died when she was a child. Little explanation is given to the trio’s lives since leaving the Welsh village of Penmaenmawr: Ricky left for school; Steph ran away after Del died and had not returned since; and Neil never left, becoming the village bartender. They wander the town and remember their childhood, what led to the death of their friend, and ultimately the demise of their friendship.

Neil, Ricky, and Steph take turns narrating their reunion and retelling their past from each of their unique points of view. Through this, you get a true feeling for how the past is warped by our perceptions. Tristan Hughes, a Canadian raised in Wales, uses the reunion as a basis for exploring friendships, how children interact, and the experiences of growing up in small-town Wales.

The book is full of vivid descriptions and wonderful insights into each of the main characters, but lacks a well-developed plot. The reader is taken on a wandering, rambling journey through their memories, jumping between past and present, but not feeling quite at home in either. Tristan Hughes can weave a wonderful sentence, however, and gives each of the main characters their own unique voice and worldview. Each has a past, which has affected how they’ve grown up, and as the reader learns this history, they gain a better understanding of why the characters behave the way they do. The secondary characters, though, feel somewhat one-dimensional and stereotypical, and the dramatic conclusion is basically telegraphed from the first chapter.

Revenant is full of stunning descriptions, and the language truly is a lyrical jaunt into traumatic childhood memories. This makes for an interesting juxtaposition, but unfortunately, a fancy way with words can’t save this “llyfr” from an underdeveloped plot.