A con man adopts a one-handed orphan.

Brutal honesty time: this is by far the least satisfying book I've read in the past few years.

I'm trying to think of good things to say about it, and I'm coming up short. I liked how Ren's friends, Brom and Ichy, were obviously named from "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow," and that's really about it. The more I think about this book, the less I like it, and that's made this review rather difficult to write. I'll try not to rip into it too much, since I'm sure the author doesn't deserve that, but I've gotta stay honest here. It didn't work for me, and here's why:

I disliked Ren right from the get-go. I can see how Tinti was trying to make him sympathetic, but it just didn't fly for me. He treats his friends terribly throughout the entire book. He lies and cheats and steals, not because he needs to but because he wants to hurt others. Tinti tells us he feels bad about it, sure, but I never bought it.

The rest of the characters aren't much better. Benjamin didn't do much for me one way or the other. Tom was just sort of there. Ditto for Brom, Ichy and Dolly. Mrs. Sands was annoying. I can't say as I remember enough about the bad guys to even give you an opinion on them. And when you consider that I finished the book on a Friday and wrote this review early on a Sunday evening, that's saying something.

I constantly felt like Tinti was telling me one thing and showing me another. She told me Ren was an okay kid; she showed me he was a little stinker. She told me Benjamin was charismatic and mysterious; she showed me he was nothing too special. She told me Brom and Ichy were Ren's true and loyal friends; she showed me that the lot of them could barely stand one another. She told me that all these people meant a great deal to one another; she showed me that they were just kind of moving in the same direction for a little while. I couldn't believe in the connections between them. I couldn't care about anything that happened to them.

The con jobs might have saved the book for me if they'd been any good, but there's nothing particularly clever here; it's the same old snake oil salesmen, moving from town to town and picking up the odd game on the side. I mean, this is evidently one of those books in which the plot is just a backdrop against which the characters can play out all the interpersonal stuff --but again, we run into that pesky old characterization problem. I couldn't care about the characters, so the plot was it for me. And the plot let me down.

I also found the historical setting a little iffy. Tinti does very little to develop the atmosphere. The place doesn't feel modern, but I couldn't really believe I was in nineteenth century New England. A studio lot, maybe, with an artfully painted backdrop and a full-sized mousetrap factory, but not the century itself.

And then there's the resolution. I saw it coming a mile off, and I actually felt that the ending would've been a lot stronger if Tinti had handled things somewhat differently. She falls back on cliche. Once again, this would've been fine if I'd been invested in the characters, but since I wasn't... well. You get the picture. I didn't get the sense that everything had finally clicked into place; instead, I felt as though Tinti had once again told me one thing and shown me another. It bothered me a hell of a lot.

So that's it, basically. The characters didn't work for me. I couldn't believe in or care about what passed between them. I thought the plotting was weak. The setting didn't feel authentic. The resolution let me down.

I can't recommend this, but please keep in mind that I'm part of a very small minority here. If you do decide to try it for yourself, I'd suggest borrowing it from the library rather than buying it.

(A slightly different version of this review--which, I might add, originally sported a higher star rating; I've had some time to reconsider my position in the months since I've read this--originally appeared on my blog, Stella Matutina). ( )

Reviewed by Mr. Kome
The Good Thief was an adventure story about an orphan who is adopted by a stranger who professes to be a long lost relative. Rather obviously this stranger isn't who he professes to be but the story is an exciting one with plenty of clever twists and turns. Ren befriends a good number of interesting characters including a "giant" that they dug up in a cemetery and a dwarf that sneaks down a chimney everynight. It was very similar in many ways to Neil Gaiman's The Graveyard Story which I liked as well. ( )

It seems that you either love or hate this book.
Personally, I enjoyed it.
The story was pretty well paced not perfect but good.
The minor characters are outstanding.
The protagonist Ren is young orphan who has a fierce loyalty that is admirable.
At one point I was wondering where the Author was taking us.
However, I was not disappointed in the end. ( )

slow story. Not bad but struggled to hold my interest. I put it down to read more interesting books in between. ( )

This is a terrific book that will appeal to those who like fairy tales and adventure stories. It is a substantive book that is thought provoking on many levels. Full of interesting plot turns, it is engaging to the end. ( )

Loved this book. If you like Robert Louis Stevenson's Kidnapped and Treasure Island, you will enjoy this novel which I think is the author's debut (other than short stories). The characters really come alive in this book and I think it would also translate into a great movie because of that. It can be macabre, but the author is soooo good at it ! Also some kind of dark sense of humor that surprised me - I was laughing in some parts that I was also grimacing at ! Have fun with this one and can't wait for the next. ( )

haunting, fairytale-like, excellent book. Simplistic in style but with vivid grostesque characters and situations and a strain of magica realism that cloaks the action. ( )

"The Good Thief weaves a story that reads like a classic coming of age tale with all the devices, characters and plot twists that make it a tangible and entertaining experience. I kept thinking to myself, what will happen next, oh, no ... not that! I can't believe it! Whew! *Wipes brow.* *Sighs with relief.*

A wonderful, stalwart protagonist (Ren), his unforgettable companions and each and every one of the other quirky, clever characters will come to life in your mind, fully realized.

You may be borne along, as I was, on an author-crafted vessel navigating a challenging imaginary river of action and emotional rapids. This, of course, leads to learning and experiencing many things that teach and strengthen him/Rem on his journey to knowing himself. He is what I describe as a sturdy soul.

I recommend this book to any reader who enjoys old-fashioned adventure and suspense stories. One of the best of this type I've ever read. I'm eager for Ms. Tinti's next book already." ( )

This story takes place in the New England of the 19th century. Ren, abandoned at Saint Anthony's Orphanage for boys as an infant and missing one of his hands, is twelve years old when Benjamin Nab comes to the orphanage and claims to be his long lost brother. Ren leaves the orphanage with the unreliable and dishonest Benjamin, and begins a life as a reluctant thief, scam artist, and grave robber.

This is not a typical warm and fuzzy orphan tale written for children. It is a harsh story of lies, greed, brutality and murder, where Ren learns the value of friendship and loyalty as he struggles to discover who he is, who he was, and who he's going to be. This book started a little slow at first but soon grabbed and kept my interest right up to the surprising end. ( )

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The Good Thief – Book Review
Aug 1st, 2009
by Caribousmom.
[Edit]

goodthiefHe had no memory of a beginning – of a mother or father, sister or brother. His life was simply there, at Saint Anthony’s, and what he remembered began in the middle of things – the smell of boiled sheets and lye; the taste of watery oatmeal; the feel of dropping a brick onto a piece of stone, watching the red pieces split off, then using those broken shards to write on the wall of the monastery, and being slapped for this, and being forced to wash the dust away with a cold, wet rag. – from The Good Thief, page 4 -

Ren, missing a hand, has lived for eleven years at an orphanage in New England – a place where children are whipped for infractions and schooled in Catholic doctrine. His friendships are few and his questions are many. Then one day a man named Benjamin Nab arrives at Saint Anthony’s claiming to be Ren’s brother. His wild stories convince the authorities at the orphanage to let Benjamin adopt Ren – and thus begins Ren’s second life filled with grave robbery, violence, and lies. Along the way, Ren makes friends with a paid assassin, a dwarf, a landlady who has a heart of gold, a nun, and a drunkard. He also begins to uncover the mystery surrounding his birth.

The Good Thief is a fast read and filled with unexpected events and excitement. Hannah Tinti’s story is a bit Dickensonian, but with more violence. Ren’s character is likable (he is the good thief, in case you were wondering)…he wants to do good, but is forced to lie and steal to survive. The writing in the novel is clean and vivid.

But, despite these strengths, I did not really enjoy this book. At times I felt the plot was too contrived, and the violence overdone and gratuitous. The number of evil characters in the novel turned me off a bit. I found myself wanting a better life for Ren and wondering if there were any loving adults in his world. Luckily, Mrs. Sand (the landlady) ends up being someone who provides the love Ren has never known. And although Tinti redeems some of her “bad” characters, the novel overall was just too dark and depressing.

Many readers liked The Good Thief – in fact, it has won a host of awards including:

# Winner, American Library Association Alex Award.
# Winner, John Sargent Sr. First Novel Prize 2008.
# New York Times Notable Book of 2008.
# Washington Post Best Books of 2008
# San Francisco Chronicle, 50 Best Fiction & Poetry of 2008
# Kirkus, Best Fiction of 2008 list
# Nominee, 2008 Borders Original Voices AWard
# One of the Best Books of 2008, Paste Magazine.
# Indie Next list for September 2008.
# Borders Original Voices pick for September 2008.
# Featured Alternate of Book-of-the Month Club, Quality Paperback Book Club, and The Literary Guild.
# Foreign Rights to The Good Thief have been sold in thirteen countries.

When I read through that list, I wonder if I was just not in the mood for this book at the time I read it. Reader’s who like fast-paced fiction and are not overly disturbed by graphic violence, might give this one a try. ( )

This book was a powerful walk through the seedier side of the New England back woods in the 19th century. Ren is a one handed orphan, without hope of finding an adoptive family because of his disability - and with a short military future to look forward to. But all that changes when someone claiming to be his long lost brother - Benjamin Nabb, comes to claim him.

The themes of the book are strongly reminiscent of an American Dickens, even if the writing is much more modern. This book is a very good read, and draws the reader in to the mystery of what once happened to Ren, who he is and how he got to be where he was.

This is a story that draws you in and keeps you reading until you turn the last page, and put it down with a satisfied sigh. ( )

This is the story of Ren, who grew up an orphan and was suddenly, despite missing a hand, taken in by a man named Benjamin, a thief who had a lie for every occasion. Tom, a former schoolteacher and Benjamin's friend, is his partner in crime as they determine to use Ren to fleece others. The descriptive prose moves the story along as you get to know Ren, Benjamin, and a rich group of secondary characters. The plot suddenly starts moving about 2/3 into the book, making it a little uneven but it's overall a solid historical fiction read set in New England.

I think if I had been in a different mood I would have enjoyed it more. Ren, Benjamin and Tom were likable characters in a lovable rogue kind of way, though there's less action at the beginning. There's graveyard escapades (bodies for dissection), a landlady who yells everything because she can't hear, and a conspiracy in a small New Hampshire mining town. I'm not sure why, but though I enjoyed it I always felt like I was hovering above the story, never quite sinking down into it and enjoying it thoroughly. ( )

I'm torn by this book. It was a fun read, but good heavens, I expected more. Sadly, I think the over-the-top praise by such luminaries as Junot Diaz and Dan Chaon do the book no favors. They simply raise the reader's expectations beyond the novel's capacity.

Here's the problem: the narrative is entertaining--(a bit Dickens, a bit Robert Louis Stevenson, although in flavor only, the quality does not withstand comparison)--but the ending is far too contrived and tidy, too neat by far for there to be any real resonance; and the characters are too predictable and even, dare I say, stereotypical. I understand this sort of thing worked nicely for Mr. Dickens, but times have changed and frankly, it feels imitative and unsatisfying here, at least to this reader.

As well, the writing needed a good editor...for example, the prose is bogged down by far too many connecting verbs: "....and a tin that was labeled Molasses." "The small man chose a jar that was yellowish orange." These two examples are in consecutive sentences on a page I picked at random. Couldn't any decent editor have changed these to "...a tin labeled Molasses." and "The small man chose a yellowish orange jar." This sort of sloppy writing kept snapping me out of the story. Similarly, one character shouts all her dialogue and we are ever-reminded of this because every word she utters IS RENDERED IN CAPS. It become tiresome quickly, as does the (only) character who speaks in phonetics, e.g. "They musta done it fah warmth, she kept saying. They musta found each othah, in tha dahk." It makes the prose sound amateurish, and really, I think Ms. Tinti is a better writer than she's exhibiting here.

For all these, perhaps overly critical nitpicks, I repeat that I found the book entertaining. The perfect novel for an afternoon in the hammock. So enjoy, by all means, and perhaps, like me, you'll look forward to seeing what Ms. Tinti does next. There's enormous potential here. ( )

Young Ren lives a somewhat Dickensian life in New England during what seems to be the nineteenth century, at first in an orphanage run by Catholic brothers who will line up their charges now and then whenever someone wishes to pay enough to take a boy away (the girl orphans disappear somewhere into the hands of Sisters who live elsewhere). Otherwise the boys are fated to a hard life, sold into the army if they are not claimed by the age of fourteen or so. Ren remains unchosen primarily because he is mysteriously missing a hand, until a man arrives, claiming to be his long-lost brother.

Benjamin Nab may or may not be related to Ren and may or may not know why Ren is missing a hand, but he's certainly no more on the up and up than Ren, who has become a good thief, practicing nicking things while at the orphanage. Benjamin is a teller of tall tales and immediately uses Ren as a way to worm his way into the sympathies of various people he can fleece or steal or beg from. Benjamin meets up with his friend Tom, a former teacher who is frequently drunk in taverns. Ren's new life involves fake (or not so fake) Elixirs, Resurrection Men, an all-powerful factory owner and his thugs, more orphans and much more.

The adventures seem bizarre and picaresque, difficult to fathom where they are going or what it all adds up to until the very end. The characters are interestingly drawn but not terribly sympathetic. This was somewhat like reading _Oliver Twist_ without most of the romanticism or an ending with a wealthy family and comfort to relieve all the depictions of the dark and dangerous life in the underworld. It perhaps is a tale more suited to our times with moral ambiguity, dysfunctional societies and families and lives, and a focus more on surviving than reflection. ( )

Twelve-year-old Ren is an orphan. He was pushed through the tiny gate at St. Anthony's on a rainy night when he was just an infant and already his life had been more difficult than most: Ren was missing his left hand.

Despite that dreadful beginning, Ren's life seems steady enough. He has a roof over his head, food in his belly, good friends - Ichy and Brom - for companionship. It's not an easy life, but it is all he has ever known. Occasionally, boys leave the orphanage; babies taken home to fill an empty cradle, older boys for cheap farm labor. One day, a man named Benjamin Nab comes to the orphanage, claiming to be Ren's brother. He tells a terrible tale of how baby Ren lost his hand in an Indian raid, and the monks see no reason to question it. Ren packs his meager belongings and sets off with Benjamin into a life of travel, adventure, danger and thievery.

This book engaged me from the very first pages and kept my avid interest all the way through. The characters are lively and boisterous, from Tom, the disgraced schoolmaster, to Mrs. Sands, the boardinghouse owner who SHOUTS ALL THE TIME because she's hard of hearing. Ren manages, with the flexibility of the very young, to take everything that gets thrown at him, to adapt over and over to his new circumstances. Ren is, at heart, a good boy. He grieves when Benjamin steals a horse, not just because they have done something wrong, but because the farmer loved the horse and treated her well, and Ren knows Benjamin will not be as kind to her. He's a clever boy and while he may have been raised in the church, he quickly learns to lie and steal when necessary.

The Good Thief managed to surprise me a bit with the ending; I'll even admit to sniffling a bit through some of the last pages. Ren is the sort of character you feel drawn to, that you can root for, and all through the book I was hoping for a good ending for him. ( )

An excellent start. It dragged at parts, but for a first time novel - the author was able to plot the story well. Finally, it was predictable in many parts and in others a bit too graphic, but overall I give it 4 stars. Paul F Mpls, MN ( )

Raised to be a good boy in a religious orphanage in post-revolutionary New
England, and adopted by a pair of thieves and con-artists, Ren is torn between what he knows to be right and what he must do to survive. Slow to get started, but the ending moves rapidly. CKL

Right from page one, I found myself drawn in and taken along on a wonderfully wild ride! The characters were well drawn and, oddly enough in some cases, likable. The situations they found themselves in were both bizarre and believable. Throughout the story, I was reminded of two recent books I’ve read and loved - the buddy elements of City of Thieves and foundling aspect of The Graveyard Book. I was captivated by the story and didn’t want to put it down. ( )

I really loved this book.. it's very much like Oliver Twist in the plot. An orphan boy, Ren, lost his hand when he was only weeks old. So when farmers and other people come to adopt children, he is easily passed by. One day, a man comes and claims that he is his long-lost nephew, but in reality he is a scoundrel, making money in the most illegal way possible. There's more to Benjamin's story though, and you grow to like him, as naughty as he is. Add in some grave-digging, multiple fights, and a woman who yells every time she talks, and you've got a book worth reading. ( )

What a great story! I'd love to see a sequel and a movie (a good one!) of this book with Johnny Depp playing Benjamin Nabb. ( )

The accolades for this book are so glowing and so many. Hannah Tinti has created a world at once familier and strange. Other reviewers have justifiably compared her to Charles Dickens and Robert Louis Stevenson. I think she is a wonderful combination of the two. Her novel has the adventure and timing of Stevenson combined with the poverty, shifty characters and dark sense of place found in Dickens. Ren, an orphan with a missing hand, longs for a family when along comes Benjamin Nab. He claims to be his long lost brother. He weaves a tale so fabulous that he convinces the orphanage to let him take Ren. But Benjamin Nab isn’t who he claims to be. Along with his friend Tom, they embark on one scheme after another to make ends meet until their luck runs out in a town called North Umbrage. Tinti knows how to combine great characters with a fabulous story. The unusual is the norm in The Good Thief. It is hard to say that thieves, drunks and murderers are endearing, but Tinti pulls off that magic. Benjamin Nab has become one of my favorite characters. In his words, the boundaries of the truth become fluid. Tinti is an amazing storyteller and the end of this book unravelled so quickly I could hardly believe it. There were some moments in the book that were wonderfully impossible and what she gives us more than anything is hope. ( )

Well written, somewhat confusing story of an orphan who has lost his left hand but does not know how. He is picked up from the orphanage by a man who claims to be his brother--but is he? ( )