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emilyb_chicago's review
3.0
This book was told from the spinning mind of a confused boy trying to figure things out. It felt similar to the stream of conscious that I remember from Catcher in the Rye (which I read a very long time ago). It was a tough read for me both because of the topic and because of the style. The poor main character has been abused in many ways that all were portrayed very believably. Only he seems like a fully fleshed out character, but that could have been intentional - as it's told from the perspective of someone who felt removed from life possibly he just wouldn't see people around him in 3 dimensions. The book unfortunately comes to a very pat ending which acknowledges only some of the abuse he's suffered, as if the author just couldn't see the poor kid suffer anymore and wanted to make it better before he ended the book.
rachelwrites007's review against another edition
Intense…is the word I would use to describe this one. It takes place in 2001, right after 9/11, about a sixteen year old boy named Aidan, who has been sexually abused by his local priest. This is not an easy topic to read about or write about, and it is not written about *enough*, so I really applaud Brendan for writing tGoW.
blackerbird's review against another edition
4.0
This is a difficult story, but one that needs to be told. Aidan is being abused by his priest, but doesn't have a strong family support system. Aidan struggles to find the truth about himself and finally learns to trust himself and others. Very dark, but powerful book.
maddy_eich's review against another edition
3.0
One Line Review: Extremely powerful, without excessive sadness
This book was, in all honesty, tough to get through. Though that had nothing to do with the book itself, but rather facing the harsh reality of the types of depraved things that people do in our world. We first meet Aiden at his mother's annual Christmas party, full of fake smiles and expensive liquor. Aiden almost immediately resorts to snorting Adderall and raiding his father's stash of expensive alcohol just to get through the night. I myself have been fortunate enough to have never had the need to take comfort in drugs, so I can't personally relate to Aiden's state of mind. But Kiely manages to give a perfect glimpse into the mind of a tortured boy, and I could quite literally feel Aiden's desperation and confusion.
At this party, Aiden teams up with two girls, Josie and Sophie, and the captain of their prep-school swim team, Mark. Aiden had always been a bit of a loner, content to stay at home with books and pills for company, but finds himself fitting in with the odd little group. The first part of novel focuses on Aiden's need to feel normal despite his parents' marriage falling apart and his conflicting feelings about his priest, Father Greg. This, in my opinion is one of the most powerful aspects of the book. For the majority of the story, Aiden doesn't want to expose his church of start to heal. He desperately wants to forget all of his pain and be a normal teenager for once. I think teens of all backgrounds can appreciate and relate to that feeling, no matter where the pressures in their lives come from.
When the details of what had really been happening in their church start to be slowly unearthed from Aiden's mind, this is where the book truly is difficult to continue. Aiden at first feels betrayal that Father Greg has shifted his affections to a younger boy. His inner monologue in and of itself was difficult to read. That first hand feeling of Stockholm Syndrome is extremely unsettling, and yet very difficult to break away from. Though it was fascinating and painful, Aiden's thoughts were somewhat distracting. His thoughts are much more sophisticated than the average sophomore, and the intricate prose can be a bit jarring at times.
Full Review at http://tinyurl.com/lkafoza
This book was, in all honesty, tough to get through. Though that had nothing to do with the book itself, but rather facing the harsh reality of the types of depraved things that people do in our world. We first meet Aiden at his mother's annual Christmas party, full of fake smiles and expensive liquor. Aiden almost immediately resorts to snorting Adderall and raiding his father's stash of expensive alcohol just to get through the night. I myself have been fortunate enough to have never had the need to take comfort in drugs, so I can't personally relate to Aiden's state of mind. But Kiely manages to give a perfect glimpse into the mind of a tortured boy, and I could quite literally feel Aiden's desperation and confusion.
At this party, Aiden teams up with two girls, Josie and Sophie, and the captain of their prep-school swim team, Mark. Aiden had always been a bit of a loner, content to stay at home with books and pills for company, but finds himself fitting in with the odd little group. The first part of novel focuses on Aiden's need to feel normal despite his parents' marriage falling apart and his conflicting feelings about his priest, Father Greg. This, in my opinion is one of the most powerful aspects of the book. For the majority of the story, Aiden doesn't want to expose his church of start to heal. He desperately wants to forget all of his pain and be a normal teenager for once. I think teens of all backgrounds can appreciate and relate to that feeling, no matter where the pressures in their lives come from.
When the details of what had really been happening in their church start to be slowly unearthed from Aiden's mind, this is where the book truly is difficult to continue. Aiden at first feels betrayal that Father Greg has shifted his affections to a younger boy. His inner monologue in and of itself was difficult to read. That first hand feeling of Stockholm Syndrome is extremely unsettling, and yet very difficult to break away from. Though it was fascinating and painful, Aiden's thoughts were somewhat distracting. His thoughts are much more sophisticated than the average sophomore, and the intricate prose can be a bit jarring at times.
Full Review at http://tinyurl.com/lkafoza
greenvillemelissa's review against another edition
3.0
Book #100 Read in 2014
The Gospel of Winter by Brendan Kiely
The first 50 pages of this book sucked me right in...I knew there was something horrible that happened to Aidan and he wasn't dealing with it and I wanted to know how it would work out in the end. Then the majority of the rest of the book left me pissed off that the parents were so clueless. These boys were showing obvious signs of something traumatic happening to them, but no adult seemed to noticed...or if they did, they definitely weren't trying to address the issue. I'm sure that is how it is in real life more often than not, but it pissed me off nonetheless. I found the ending a bit abrupt; I would have liked to see more resolution. That being said, I had to finish the book because I needed to know what happened to Aidan. Due to subject matter, I would say certain high school students could handle this book.
http://melissasbookpicks.blogspot.com
The Gospel of Winter by Brendan Kiely
The first 50 pages of this book sucked me right in...I knew there was something horrible that happened to Aidan and he wasn't dealing with it and I wanted to know how it would work out in the end. Then the majority of the rest of the book left me pissed off that the parents were so clueless. These boys were showing obvious signs of something traumatic happening to them, but no adult seemed to noticed...or if they did, they definitely weren't trying to address the issue. I'm sure that is how it is in real life more often than not, but it pissed me off nonetheless. I found the ending a bit abrupt; I would have liked to see more resolution. That being said, I had to finish the book because I needed to know what happened to Aidan. Due to subject matter, I would say certain high school students could handle this book.
http://melissasbookpicks.blogspot.com
readingwithhippos's review against another edition
4.0
The Gospel of Winter is narrated by a teenage boy, Aidan, who is confused about his sexuality. His issues stem from abuse he suffered at the hands of a priest. Aidan is now trying to deal with his past by drowning it in drugs and alcohol, to which he has easy access thanks to his wealthy and inattentive parents. The book is a detailed exploration of tactics employed by abusers to manipulate victims, justifications that enablers use to ease their consciences, and the emotional wreckage that results in the victims' lives. Because of his experiences with Father Greg, Aidan isn't sure what a normal, healthy relationship looks like, and at times finds himself seeking out the role of abuser so that he can avoid feeling powerless. This cycle, though in some ways counter-intuitive, is absolutely real, and Kiely has sensitively portrayed it so that it makes sense to those of us who haven't been in abusive situations.
The inadequate, callous way some characters respond when Aidan finally speaks up about what happened to him made me viscerally angry, mostly because I know those things have all been said to victims in real life. However, the way Aidan's girlfriend Josie maintains boundaries, sticks up for herself, and encourages Aidan to tell the truth made me want to stand up and cheer. Kiely doesn't shy away from strong female characters.
For the full text of this recommendation and many others, please visit www.readingwithhippos.com
The inadequate, callous way some characters respond when Aidan finally speaks up about what happened to him made me viscerally angry, mostly because I know those things have all been said to victims in real life. However, the way Aidan's girlfriend Josie maintains boundaries, sticks up for herself, and encourages Aidan to tell the truth made me want to stand up and cheer. Kiely doesn't shy away from strong female characters.
For the full text of this recommendation and many others, please visit www.readingwithhippos.com
melissapalmer404's review against another edition
3.0
Book #100 Read in 2014
The Gospel of Winter by Brendan Kiely
The first 50 pages of this book sucked me right in...I knew there was something horrible that happened to Aidan and he wasn't dealing with it and I wanted to know how it would work out in the end. Then the majority of the rest of the book left me pissed off that the parents were so clueless. These boys were showing obvious signs of something traumatic happening to them, but no adult seemed to noticed...or if they did, they definitely weren't trying to address the issue. I'm sure that is how it is in real life more often than not, but it pissed me off nonetheless. I found the ending a bit abrupt; I would have liked to see more resolution. That being said, I had to finish the book because I needed to know what happened to Aidan. Due to subject matter, I would say certain high school students could handle this book.
http://melissasbookpicks.blogspot.com
The Gospel of Winter by Brendan Kiely
The first 50 pages of this book sucked me right in...I knew there was something horrible that happened to Aidan and he wasn't dealing with it and I wanted to know how it would work out in the end. Then the majority of the rest of the book left me pissed off that the parents were so clueless. These boys were showing obvious signs of something traumatic happening to them, but no adult seemed to noticed...or if they did, they definitely weren't trying to address the issue. I'm sure that is how it is in real life more often than not, but it pissed me off nonetheless. I found the ending a bit abrupt; I would have liked to see more resolution. That being said, I had to finish the book because I needed to know what happened to Aidan. Due to subject matter, I would say certain high school students could handle this book.
http://melissasbookpicks.blogspot.com
ktrusty416's review against another edition
4.0
Heartbreaking, infuriating and beautifully written. When adults turn their noses up at YA fiction, they miss (sometimes) a work that can hang with literary adult work (and yeah, I stole that from a review by the incredible Colum McCann, who loved this book. And so did AM Homes, another great). A potent reminder of just how badly (and on so many levels) we can fail kids.
ashtheowl's review against another edition
5.0
The Gospel of Winter is a beatifully written novel that is at once moving, utterly heart-breaking and wonderfully profound. Certainly the most emotionally-charged book I've read in a very long time, I was literally unable to put this book down--staying up late at night and hiding the book under the edge of my desk in class to find out what happens next. Brendan Kiely was able to tastefully handle a very dark subject matter, while crafting relatable characters and expressing himself through effortlessly poetic prose.
The novel tells the story of Aidan, a teenager living in post-9/11 America from an affluent yet broken home--an absent father, a struggling mother and a deeply religious nanny. Never having fit in with his peers, Aidan has a unique perspective of the world around him and offers a wry and cynical narration. He bands together with a misfit group of friends, each with their own set of troubles, and they navigate the holiday season with the help of pot, pills and alcohol. All the while, Aidan navigates the dark shadows of the Church, the perverted attentions of Father Greg, and his own desperation to find meaning in a life where love, sex and religion are hopelessly intertwined.
While the subject matter was disturbing to say the least, I found it to be handled delicately without the need for gratuitous description. I found myself absolutely engrossed in Aidan's narration and I related, as most of us can, to the way he questioned the world and its motives. The author depicted the mentality of a victim of sexual abuse as accurately as I could imagine, and while that made Aidan's actions at times angering, I never strayed far enough from him as a character to lose his perspective.
Each and every character had distinct motivation for their actions, and their flaws contrasted nicely. Aidan's best friend, Mark, offered an interesting perspective on sexuality and I thought the dynamic between the two was especially fascinating. The way romance blossomed in the novel also reflected the darkness of sexual abuse, and how that can permeate into different aspects of life. Without giving away spoilers, Kiely wrote a conclusion that was satisfying given the circumstances.
The Gospel of Winter quickly shot up to claim one of the top spots on my "Favorite Books" list, and I would recommend it in a heartbeat to anyone looking for a meaningful read. As I've said, the subject matter is handled very delicately and without very much graphic description. In my opinion, those who have read books such as The Perks of Being a Wallflower will not have a problem reading this book. I very eagerly await Brendan Kiely's next book!
The novel tells the story of Aidan, a teenager living in post-9/11 America from an affluent yet broken home--an absent father, a struggling mother and a deeply religious nanny. Never having fit in with his peers, Aidan has a unique perspective of the world around him and offers a wry and cynical narration. He bands together with a misfit group of friends, each with their own set of troubles, and they navigate the holiday season with the help of pot, pills and alcohol. All the while, Aidan navigates the dark shadows of the Church, the perverted attentions of Father Greg, and his own desperation to find meaning in a life where love, sex and religion are hopelessly intertwined.
While the subject matter was disturbing to say the least, I found it to be handled delicately without the need for gratuitous description. I found myself absolutely engrossed in Aidan's narration and I related, as most of us can, to the way he questioned the world and its motives. The author depicted the mentality of a victim of sexual abuse as accurately as I could imagine, and while that made Aidan's actions at times angering, I never strayed far enough from him as a character to lose his perspective.
Each and every character had distinct motivation for their actions, and their flaws contrasted nicely. Aidan's best friend, Mark, offered an interesting perspective on sexuality and I thought the dynamic between the two was especially fascinating. The way romance blossomed in the novel also reflected the darkness of sexual abuse, and how that can permeate into different aspects of life. Without giving away spoilers, Kiely wrote a conclusion that was satisfying given the circumstances.
The Gospel of Winter quickly shot up to claim one of the top spots on my "Favorite Books" list, and I would recommend it in a heartbeat to anyone looking for a meaningful read. As I've said, the subject matter is handled very delicately and without very much graphic description. In my opinion, those who have read books such as The Perks of Being a Wallflower will not have a problem reading this book. I very eagerly await Brendan Kiely's next book!