Book Review: ‘Godspeed’ Is One Of The Best Character Driven Novels Of The Summer By Nickolas Butler

Cole, Bart and Teddy are best friends and all three own their construction business called True Triangle Construction in Wyoming. They’re just getting by with the jobs they have and then they get a call about a mansion on a plot of land outside of Jackson Hole, for a wealthy woman named Gretchen, with demands. The house has already been started but the crew working on it has quit or was fired. She wants this house finished by Christmas, which means they have four months to do this job. It is a lot of money and she’s offered bonuses of $450,000 as well to get it done on time. Cole pushes for the job as Bart and Teddy are worried about getting it done on time. They decide to do it and work around the clock to finish. As the days go by things for the three take bad turns. Bart has an accident and is heavy into drugs. Cole tries to pick up the slack and soon finds himself in serious trouble. Teddy is the level headed one and tries to keep everything together. And we learn who Gretchen is and why she’s so determined to get this house done. She has a shocking secret we soon learn about. And for Cole, Bart and Teddy their lives will never be the same by the time this is all done.

This is one of the best character-written novels of the year. You follow these three friends and really want them to succeed against the odds of getting this done. The added twists of friendship, family, drugs and shocking events keep the reader invested in the novel right from the beginning to the reveals by the end of the book.

You can pick up Godspeed in stores on Tuesday, July 27th from Putnam.