Gun Church
*Starred Review* Kip Weiler achieves dizzying success in the writing world of 1980s New York, then squanders it with an equally dizzying display of addictions. Dropped by his publisher, Kip banishes himself to a teaching position at Brixton County Community College. There he safely avoids most of his addictions but seems to have lost his word magic. From nowhere, a gun-wielding student takes the class hostage, and Kip shocks everyone by pouncing on the gun and freeing his students. Among those students is the leader of a secretive group that worships the power of the gun, and his gratitude nets Kip an introduction to a creepily exhilarating religious experience. He soon begins chasing another high, learning to shoot so that he can survive the church’s rituals. With his adrenaline pumping, Kip is writing better than ever, using the church as creative inspiration to reclaim his former life. Unfortunately, he doesn’t understand that, even with his book finished, he won’t just be allowed to leave the gun church. Coleman skillfully places the reader on the narrator’s shoulder as he self-destructs, and we bite our lips against warning screams. Kip’s incessant wallowing doesn’t make for an instantly appealing character, but readers will respond to the atmospheric, shrewdly crafted story. (And, honestly, who doesn’t love a bit of schadenfruede?) An ultradark exploration of the union of narcissism and group psychology, recommended especially to those who loved Erin Kelly’s The Poison Tree (2011). --Christine Tran--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.