Steven Amsterdam's Things We Didn't See Coming (2010) is a coming-of-age novel comprised of several different stories set over three decades. It follows the journey of a young boy into adulthood over the course of three decades. The novel begins when the boy is only a child and about to leave his family once and for all because of the poor conditions around him. To avoid capture by the authorities and stay independent, the boy goes through difficult periods. He has to beg, borrow, and steal; he also has to avoid unsavory people, bad weather conditions, a pandemic, and other particularly difficult circumstances during post-apocalyptic times. Other stories follow similar beats. One story, for instance, follows an alcoholic mother and her 17-year-old daughter who are forced to confront their demons and relational trauma. Another tells the story of a teenager who is treated like a god despite his unsavory characteristics.
As with many of Amsterdam's previous novels, Things We Didn't See Coming received very positive reviews when it was published. Justine Jordan of The Guardian opined that she was "impressed" by Amsterdam's "touching post-apocalyptic novel." Stuart Evers of The Independent favorably compared Amsterdam to Cormac McCarthy and called the stories "arresting."
