As my elementary aged kids say, this whole novel was just "cringey." Full to the brim with preposterous and stupid plot lines and stereotypically written characters. And I'd love to see Matt Damon play Matt Lemore but it's probably too small a role for an actor of his standing.

THE EXTRAORDINARY LIFE OF SAM HELL | Kirkus Reviews

This book brought out so many feelings in me and I'll be thinking about it for a very long time. It's such a different book from Dugoni's other books, which I enjoy and I enjoyed this one too, despite how different it is from his usual books. After I finished the book, the author tells us what led him to write this book and I appreciated getting to read his reasons, also. Don’t ever think of yourself as being something less than the person you are because of your eyes, Sam. If you do, people will take advantage of it, and you’ll find yourself doing things you don’t want to do.“ I recently reviewed “Her Deadly Game”, a legal thriller very different from this book, and mentioned that it had been my first book by Dugoni. Goodreads friends (thank you! 🥰) immediately suggested in the comment section that I add this to my TBR., and I am so glad that I did. I’m lowering mine just briefly enough to write out my thoughts on "The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell." While my sins were being too skinny, too pale, too meek and too much or too little of whatever my tormenters deemed acceptable at any given moment, Sam Hill had only one: he had ocular albinism. This was how my father found us when he waded through the crowd for a closer inspection and looked me in the eyes for the first time.Given the title of the book, The Extraordinary life of Sam Hell, did you think Sam led an extraordinary life? And what does an extraordinary life entail? Sam's mother was determined that her son live life with great gusto, and not be discouraged by those who treat him badly or try to keep him from the opportunities given to every other child. Sam becomes the target of a trio of school bullies who wish to do him harm because of his eyes. But while his mother believes that events in Sam's life are determined by God's will, Sam isn't quite so sure that God would want him to suffer in fear and loneliness. This is a coming-of-age story that speaks to everyone. We may not all have such distinct differences, but everyone has things about themselves whether real or not that they perceive as unworthy of acceptance by others. The way Sam dealt with his insecurities - thanks in no small part to his Mother - and also his father to a lesser extent - -was remarkable. Another solid book by Dugoni! This is a well written account of one man's life. I thought the ending was a little much. I think Dugoni is accustomed to writing his Tracy Crosswhite series and leaving readers waiting for the next book, so in this book, perhaps he tried a little too hard to tie everything up.

Reviews | NetGalley Member Reviews | NetGalley

Dubbed “the devil boy” by his classmates at Our Lady of Mercy, the Catholic school his mother, Madeline, fights to get him into, he faces loneliness, alienation, and daily ridicule, especially from David Freemon, a merciless bully who keeps finding new ways to torment him, and Sister Beatrice, the school’s principal … What happens in the extraordinary life of Sam Hell? Dugoni explored themes of coming of age, honor, dignity, love, bullying, faith, in simple yet lively manner which made it a riveting read for me. And then, Bateman kills himself and his wife and Sam believes he is responsible. He is the cause. The story is about Sam wanting to believe. Wanting to believe that God gave him extraordinary eyes because he was going to lead an extraordinary life, but there are so many obstacles in that path, and Bateman is a very large one. This is another instance where Sam decides he no longer believes. Robert Dugoni: I loved Pat Conroy's ability to tell a personal story. I also love Stephen King's more recent stuff like The Green Mile and The Shawshank Redemption. But I read everything. Every genre and all kinds of authors. I'm asked to blurb a lot of novels and I do my best, so that takes up a lot of my reading time. The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell is a literary-fiction novel that showcases Dugoni's versatility as an author — a gentle coming-of-age story that our book club loved reading this month. We also had the pleasure of hosting Robert Dugoni for an exclusive Ask Me Anything during which he reflected on his writing career, told us about his latest work, and shared invaluable writing advice for new writers.Sam has so much, parents who love him unconditionally, two true life long friends, the will and ability to excel in his studies, but he was born with eyes that were different and that sets him apart from "normal" kids. He has to endure bullies, prejudices, the fear of those who can't deal with those who are different, while having a mom who knows he will be and is extraordinary. Sam Hill was born with ocular albinism, which gave him the appearance of having red eyes. Bullied throughout his life by both his peers and some adults, Sam's convictions and strength were buoyed by his mother's faith, his father's advice, and his small group of friends. Robert Dugoni: I write just about every day. Now that I'm older, I do try to take time to enjoy my wife and my kids and I've taken up golf, which is an obsession I'm finding, but I do write at least 5 days a week and if I'm on a roll, I write every day. I love what I do and I'm blessed to be able to do it every day.

In Conversation with Robert Dugoni | What Should I Read Next? In Conversation with Robert Dugoni | What Should I Read Next?

This was such a special read for me, and from an author who usually writes a very good mystery series. We follow these young people as they grow, see the kind of people they turn out to be. How their lives turn out and how the wethered the circumstances of their early lives. Such a touching book, one where you embrace the characters, want only good things for them. There is also humor, sadness, grief and an unbelievable friendship. Noun: A painter who uses light and shade rather than colour to create the illusion of volume. Categories There were medical errors that made me cringe. Occular Albinism is not merely a case of having red eyes. There would have been multiple other complications affecting Sam's sight and life. Also, Sam leaves the surgery for a child's detached retina for a few weeks. This is an injury that is treated by immediate surgery. Delaying surgery is both dangerous and negligent.He is not married, he’s divorced, he is not involved in his children’s life because he is trying to work his way up the FSB. There needed to be this contrast between the two characters. What is an extraordinary life? He is the winner of the Nancy Pearl Award for fiction, a two-time nominee for the Harper Lee Award for Legal Fiction, A two-time nominee for the Mystery Writer’s of America Edgar Award and a two-time nominee for the International Thriller of the year. His non-fiction expose, The Cyanide Canary, was a 2004 Best Book of the Year. He is published in more than 30 countries and two dozen languages. Robert Dugoni: That's hard, especially the more you write in a story. I think your stories need to develop over time. So your character needs to age. His or her colleagues need to age. His or her spouse and children need to age. It is that process that opens the door to new issues and problems. Let me just say that this was a lot of fun and I hope to see you all at conferences again soon. I was invited to conferences In India, Paris, and Italy as well as all over the United States and they were cancelled. I hope you all remain safe and healthy and we can get through this time in history soon. My best to you all.