by Chris Lynch
First published 2006
The narrator relies on his two closest friends: Skitz Fitzsimmons, who acts completely crazy, and Hector Fossas, a tough guy who seems more righteous than most saints. Together they form an unbreakable bond in their tight-knit community. But their parish operates under the iron rule of three very different priests known as Fathers Blarney, Mullarkey, and Shenanigan. One priest talks endlessly without saying much, another has a cruel streak, and the third seems genuinely cool and approachable. The narrator thought he understood how things worked until he realized the priests make up the rules as they please. These men decide what counts as right and wrong for everyone in the parish. Now the three friends have seen something or spoken up about something that threatens the established order. The priests want to split them apart to silence them. The narrator faces a terrible choice about loyalty and truth when his tight group starts to fracture under pressure.
Genres: fiction, coming-of-age, mystery, contemporary
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, unreliable-narrator
Setting: Parish
Period: Contemporary
240 pages · Library Binding · HarperTeen
Content warnings: abuse