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Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell, The

Dugoni, Robert

  16 Reviews

Sam Hill's devout mother is convinced he is going to have an extraordinary life. 'Devil boy' to his Catholic school classmates, Sam has a genetic abnormality and is set apart by his unusual eyes. It may be 'God's will', but there are obstacles aplenty for anyone who is different.

Poignant and heart-warming, Sam's examination of his life decades later is a compelling journey of self-discovery, of faith, friends and foe, and accepting one's true self.

Pages
428
Year
2018

Reviews

CHCH 478
07-08-2023
Well-written, provoked great discussion. Enjoyed by everyone and many topics discussed.
HAMIL 029
14-11-2022
We all enjoyed this book and the writer's style of writing. Dugoni deals with an interesting subject - who knew that ocular albinism existed - and has an unusual reason for discrimination and school bullying as well as the usual prejudices. The structure of the book is a bit sprawling, but the story comes to a satisfying end.
PUKEKO 001
02-06-2022
An easy and enjoyable read. While some of the characters were well developed we felt that others were not convincing. Some readers felt that the storyline was a bit too tidy but overall we enjoyed it.
GORE 001
02-03-2022
A very interesting read, touching on many issues - acceptance, marginalisation, racism, inclusion, forgiveness, religion, bigotry and bullying. Some aspects felt a little superfluous, eg. the relationship and tragic death of Eva, the loss of Sam's virginity, added nothing to the main themes. But overall, a satisfying read, leading to thoughtful discussion.
WHAKA 019
28-02-2022
Everyone in the group really enjoyed this book. Well-written and a good read.
TEPUK 003
30-11-2021
Everyone absolutely loved the book. Great discussions with the questions. Lots of discussion on school bullying, mentoring etc. Every book club needs to read this.
ASHB 027
01-11-2021
This book generated a lot of discussion about the various characters. Many of our members felt the end of the book let it down; too neat and in contrast to the slow build up of the beginning. Some of the characters were very stereotypical and the relationships forced, but overall we enjoyed it and the discussion generated by it.
FEILD 004
20-10-2021
Best book this year. Everyone enjoyed it. Liked the short chapters, not too many characters. A couple thought the ending was a bit rushed. It was realistic and relatable. Gave a great insight into the Catholic faith. Enjoyed the loyalty and family dynamics.
ASHH 001
18-10-2021
Mixed reactions to this book. Some felt the redemptive tone of the ending wasn't a good contrast with the more acerbic observations earlier. A good discussion regarding childhood bullying formed a significant part of our evening!
WHITIAN 001
27-08-2021
All enjoyed the book.
TAUR 049
14-05-2021
Interesting content enjoyed by most of the group.
MAST 005
15-03-2021
"A good read, page turner, interesting plot". Some members thought the characters were very stereotypical - and because we could all relate to them easily we all wanted a happy ending. We were not disappointed.
DUNED 036
15-03-2021
An easy read, but did not captivate the group.
ASHB 004
09-12-2020
We all enjoyed the story of Sam Hell's struggles and survival through ocular albinism. Very readable, some interesting characters and a strong story of a mother's love and fight for her son. Some disturbing insights into the terrible lingering effects of bullying. However we all had the same reaction to the ending. Without giving away spoilers, we thought it detracted from the book...
CHCH 312
25-11-2020
Those who read this book enjoyed it - the short chapters were great. The characters and story were interesting. This was a well-written story.
QUEEN 009
30-09-2020
We all liked the book and found the topic of red eyes fascinating. A lot of us could relate to the attitude of the mother. We didn't like the ending, and felt it was too convenient and "nicely" rounded up so all the loose ends fitted together. It raised some discussion around being different, and how this could alienate you from "normal" society.