This book and series face an intense issue that is common in the Catholic Church. Tackles it head on in fact, and for that the author should be praised. Not always the easiest read, this is still an important one and would recommend to those interested in the inner dynamics of the Catholic Church and its priests.
This is a must to read. I have read it many times and bought it to share with others. Having not been raised Catholic but had friends who did I was always curious and felt that Priests were put on a pedestal but in time learned they are human. This would be a great movie.
Randy, the acolyte, is bright, earnest, honest, talented, and very naive. With a deep sense of vocation to the priesthood, he learns that being gay is just one of many challenges to be met. Bullies, teen suicide, betrayal, family dysfunction, and having to fend for himself bring out his sterling qualities and his shadows as well. But nothing tests him quite so sharply as learning the truth about Michael, his first deep love. This coming-of-age story is Brown at his finest.
I have four friends that want to read it. I’m not much of a reader guy, but I can’t put this book down!!! I’m extremely impressed with all of it. I cannot wait to read The Acolyte.
In this religious fiction sequel, a gay teen tries to navigate faith, tumultuous family secrets, and first love. Fifteen-year-old Randy Carter lives in Las Vegas and loves skateboarding barefoot, spending time with his best friend, Keisha, and being an acolyte to his caring priest and mentor, Father Sean. In many ways, Randy would seem to be the typical, self-proclaimed “skater boy,” but two things set him apart: He hopes to one day become a priest, and he is gay. Just as Father Sean is helping Randy to understand how his religion and his sexuality do not have to be contradictions,…
That line in your blurb about Bishop Sean Foley facing an accuser who was “judge, jury, and executioner” made me stop mid-scroll like, “Alright, who brought courtroom thunder into the Vatican?” The tension between Foley and Cardinal Nwadike reads like someone took faith, politics, secrets, and emotional landmines, mixed them together, and said, “Good luck, reader.” I could practically hear the walls of Rome whispering.
A Well-written, Effective Story A gay Roman Catholic clergyman faces the sharp scrutiny of a homophobic dignitary in Brown’s novel, the fourth in a series. A Well-written, Effective Story A gay Roman Catholic clergyman faces the sharp scrutiny of a homophobic dignitary in Brown’s novel, the fourth in a series.