Review #243: The Gospel of Winter- Brendan Kiely

Title: The Gospel of Winter
Author: Brendan Kiely
Pages: 304
Format: Hardcover
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Summary: A fearless debut novel about the restorative power of truth and love after the trauma of abuse.
As sixteen-year-old Aidan Donovan’s fractured family disintegrates around him, he searches for solace in a few bumps of Adderall, his father’s wet bar, and the attentions of his local priest, Father Greg—the only adult who actually listens to him.
When Christmas hits, Aidan’s world collapses in a crisis of trust when he recognizes the darkness of Father Greg’s affections. He turns to a crew of new friends to help make sense of his life: Josie, the girl he just might love; Sophie, who’s a little wild; and Mark, the charismatic swim team captain whose own secret agonies converge with Aidan’s.
The Gospel of Winter maps the ways love can be used as a weapon against the innocent—but can also, in the right hands, restore hope and even faith. Brendan Kiely’s unflinching and courageous debut novel exposes the damage from the secrets we keep and proves that in truth, there is power. And real love.
Review: I received this book free from Goodreads First Reads in exchange for an honest review.
I was very interested in this book, I thought it sounded amazing. And the cover in real life is gorgeous! Unfortunately, the book didn't amaze me as much as I had wanted it to. I know it was contemporary and about a dark topic, but I just wished there had been more action. It wasn't very entertaining. It was a quick read but I just wished it had held my attention better.
I didn't really like any of the characters. They were all selfish and self absorbed. The adults were the worst. None of them were ever around and if they were, they were too busy not caring about their kids to know what was going on. Aidan had my head spinning because he was dealing with so much.
This was an okay coming of age story that deals with all kinds of dark content. If that's what you like to read about then this is the book for you.

About this author

Brendan Kiely received an MFA in creative writing from The City College of New York. His writing has appeared in Fiction, Guernica, The AWP Writer’s Chronicle, and other publications. Originally from the Boston area, he now teaches at an independent high school and lives with his wife in Greenwich Village.