The Gospel of Winter Revew

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TITLE: The Gospel of Winter

AUTHOR: Brendan Kiely

PUBLISHER: Margaret K. McElderry Books

PUBLICATION DATE: 1/21/2014

PAGES: 304

MY RATING:

INSIDE COVER SUMMARY: 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.

OVERALL IMPRESSION: This book is more about the aftereffects rather than the incidents themselves. I think most people don't image all the ways someone can be affected by something like this and just how extensive the damage can be, even for someone's future. I'm having a hard time getting my thoughts down about this book because the subject matter is just so heartbreaking. This isn't a happy book, so be prepared if you choose to read it.

CHARACTERS: I feel disconnect from the characters. I don't know anything about anybody so that makes it hard to get into the story because I don't have strong feelings towards any of the characters.

COVER: I am obsessed with the cover. The actual hard cover of the book has a silhouette of a teenage boy on it. The dust jacket has bright red words on it and a pretty gray design that looks like a stained glass window, but it is all printed on vellum so when the dust jacket is on the book, you can see the silhouette through it.

**I received a finished copy of this book from Amazon Vine for my honest review.

The Pledge by Kimberly Derting Review

TITLE: The Pledge

AUTHOR: Kimberly Derting

PUBLISHER: Margaret K. McElderry (Simon & Schuster)

PUBLICATION DATE: 11/15/2011

PAGES: 323

MY RATING:

INSIDE COVER SUMMARY: In the violent country of Ludania, the classes are strictly divided by the language they speak. The smallest transgression, like looking a member of a in the class in the eye while they are speaking in their native tongue, results in immediate execution. Seventeen-year-old Charlaina has always been able to understand the languages of all classes, and she's spent her life trying to hide her secret. The only place she can really be free is the drug-fueled underground clubs, where people go to shake off the oppressive rules of the world they live in. It's there that she meets a beautiful and mysterious boy named Max, who speaks a language she's never heard before...and her secret is almost exposed.

Charlie is intensely attracted to Max, even though she can't be sure where his real loyalties lie. As the emergency drills become real emergencies and the violence escalates, it becomes clear that Charlie is the key to something much bigger: her country's only chance for freedom from the terrible power of a deadly regime.

OVERALL IMPRESSION: This was a pretty good book. It does not make my top list of favorites, but I did enjoy reading it. The twist in the middle of the story was pretty predictable, but I still enjoyed reading everything as the details were revealed. I have a slight problem with the love story in this book. I don't know if everything happened too quickly or what, but I just feel like the love between Max and Charlie is too forced. It doesn't feel natural.

CHARACTERS: I am so jealous of Charlie's ability. I think it would be amazing to automatically understand any language. It would be so helpful in communicating with people, and I just think it would be fun. My favorite character in this book was Angelina. She was so cute and sweet and I just wanted to pick her up and protect her from everything.

COVER:  I like the cover a lot. I love the faded word 'PLEDGE' with the design. and I like the dark and mysterious vibe it gives off.

*I received this from Amazon Vine for Review