Booksology When record executive Theo meets the Future Saints, they’re playing on a worn-out stage at a dive bar in their hometown, a shell of the hopeful California-rock rising stars they were ten months ago. The band has been on a downward spiral since the tragic death of their manager, and Theo has been dispatched by their record label to coax a successful album out of them – or else let them go. Known simultaneously as the ‘Fixer’ and the ‘Grim Reaper’, Theo has built a reputation for managing disasters and cutting ties with underperforming bands. But as he watches the Saints go off script with a new song – and a whole new sound – he sees a glimmer of something special underneath the band’s grief.
That glimmer turns into a spark that explodes into a wildfire as a video of impetuous lead singer Hannah Cortland pouring her heart out on stage goes viral. Suddenly the Saints have the attention and devotion of a whole new fan base, and Theo knows this could be their big break, if only he can curtail Hannah’s self-destructive behaviour. The problem is, Hannah being a trainwreck works in the band’s favour; the messier she is, the more the fans adore her. But Hannah’s descent into grief has larger consequences for the band and her inability to let go of the past puts not only their music and success in jeopardy, but her life and sanity too.
We might be devils today, but I swear we’ll be saints tomorrow.”
Riding on the success of books about troubled musicians like Daisy Jones and the Six and Songs in Ursa Major, Ashley Winstead’s The Future Saints is a heart-tugger of a story that belies its breezy, sun-bleached West Coast-inspired cover. Opening with Theo as he meets the band for the first time and is instantly – and inadvisably – captivated by Hannah, it initially plays out like the opening beats of an enemies-to-lovers romance. And it is, though the enemies part is eliminated pretty early on when the band realise that Theo isn’t a typical ‘suit’ who only sees dollar signs when he looks at them. But there’s another love story taking place parallel to the two protagonists, and that’s the love between the band and their manager, Ginny, who was also Hannah’s sister.
Hannah’s devotion to the memory of her sister is the novel’s driving force. Ginny’s absence is like a shadow hanging over the band and yet she remains a constant presence, kept alive by Hannah’s determination not to move on without her. This bottomless grief is written with an agonising realness but there’s a fury to Hannah’s sorrow too, one that captures the unfairness of life and death. Hannah’s unravelling feels disconcertingly familiar, bringing to mind Britney Spears’ public breakdown circa 2007-08. Winstead gives her character a soothing light in the darkness in the form of Theo. His carefulness is the antithesis to Hannah’s recklessness, the balm to her grief. He’s backed up by Hannah’s bandmates – musical misfits Ripper and Kenny – who might not always like their front-woman but will always love and support her.
The Future Saints is an incredibly atmospheric novel, immersing readers in the band’s tortured lows and skyrocketing success. When the Saints are performing on stage you can hear the music surging through the pages, feel the sweat dripping off their bodies. Yet it all feels so precarious, so fleeting, so easily taken away. Which is rather the crux of the story. Fame, as with life, can be lost in an instant. It’s how you move forward after loss, how you honour the memories of those you love, that matters.
You might pick up this book for its intoxicating themes of music and fame and romance but it’s the more tender, human side of the story – the raw exploration of mental health and sisterhood and memory – that leaves a lasting impression. For all the traumas the characters go through, Winstead manages to conclude their collective stories on a beautiful high note. It’s enough to convince even the worst cynic that there’s always hope at the end of heartache.
★★★★
The Future Saints was published by Aria on 22 January 2026
