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serendipitysbooks's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
What a wonderful heart-warming read The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell was. Born with ocular albinism which gave his eyes a reddish tinge Sam attracted more than his fair share of unwanted attention and bullying over the years. But this was balanced by the love and support of his mother, father and a couple of close friends. His quiet coming of age story reminded me in some ways of A Prayer for Owen Meany, although the religious faith motif did not grate on me the way it did in that book. I enjoyed the way the story unfolded with adult Sam looking back on his life to date. I loved the book’s key theme - what truly makes an extraordinary life - embodied in the quote below. It’s a message I think we need to hear more often.
“…while we tend to remember the dramatic incidents that change history…we live for the quiet, intimate moments that mark not our calendars but our hearts: The day we marry. The days our children are born….And when our children grow, we remember those moments with a touch of melancholy:the day they get their driver’s license,…the day they marry, and the day they have their children….We realize it is in those quiet moments that each of us has the ability to make our lives extraordinary.”
“…while we tend to remember the dramatic incidents that change history…we live for the quiet, intimate moments that mark not our calendars but our hearts: The day we marry. The days our children are born….And when our children grow, we remember those moments with a touch of melancholy:the day they get their driver’s license,…the day they marry, and the day they have their children….We realize it is in those quiet moments that each of us has the ability to make our lives extraordinary.”
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, and Violence
Moderate: Domestic abuse and Racism
cocoa1277's review
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Racism
thebookwormkatie's review
challenging
emotional
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying and Violence
Moderate: Child abuse
Minor: Suicide