Reviews tagging 'Racism'

The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell by Robert Dugoni

15 reviews

marioosa517's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Cursing, Death of parent, Racism, Child abuse, Bullying, Physical abuse, Terminal illness, Sexual content, Medical content, Cancer, Religious bigotry, Infidelity, Death, Blood, and Racial slurs

Moderate: Police brutality, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Suicide, Gun violence, Fatphobia, Addiction, Grief, Murder, and Mental illness

Minor: Infertility, Transphobia, Animal death, Excrement, Sexual harassment, Homophobia, Adult/minor relationship, and Abandonment

shelf_devoted's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense 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

5.0

This story instantly gave me Forrest Gump vibes, right there was a win. I related to the fierce love of his Mother and admired her faith. She often reminded me of my own mother who very often says “it’s Gods will”. Sam's life unfolds as he goes to Catholic School, gets bullied, and ends up making a couple of lifelong friends along the way. This story has a lot to unpack an extraordinary must read story!

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Bullying

Minor: Sexual content and Racism

revolvingreads's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse and Violence

Moderate: Racism and Sexism

tnociti's review against another edition

dark emotional funny inspiring reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Police brutality and Bullying

Moderate: Racism, Racial slurs, and Ableism

apereira's review against another edition

emotional inspiring

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Racism, Racial slurs, and Bullying

afriendwithfiction's review against another edition

emotional inspiring 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Bullying, Religious bigotry, and Racism

Moderate: Toxic relationship and Police brutality

mkhumphrey's review against another edition

emotional inspiring reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Wonderful, inspiring story; one all should read.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Racial slurs, Violence, and Domestic abuse

Minor: Sexual content

goshurcute3's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Minor: Child abuse, Chronic illness, Alcoholism, Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Physical abuse, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Murder, Racism, Stalking, and Suicide

ocean_the_reader's review against another edition

challenging tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? N/A
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

This was an okay story. Was too religious cor my personal liking. Also the n-word (hard ER) was used and I didn't see anything that said the author was black. Which made me feel weird, especially as I read this via audio and it is narrated by the author.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Death of parent, Racial slurs, Racism, and Violence

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.” 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, and Violence

Moderate: Domestic abuse and Racism