A review by jencunn2024
The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell by Robert Dugoni

2.0

This is a great feel-good, uplifting book about faith and love. I think it starts out strong in the first half and deflates more and more rapidly to a 2-star read. I eventually felt myself wanting to rush and skim just to get to the parts I was seeking outcomes for. The writing throughout was simplistic and tropey. I really wanted to like it and kept reading it with hope that it would have a strong ending but it didn’t. Unfortunately, the characters are 1-dimensional and never change or grow. The plot has interesting bits that turn out less than extraordinary. The best character was the devout Catholic mother but even she is stale, albeit heroine. I think this novel has definitely been overrated although I’d be the first to admit I was suckered by the description. It’s been in my want-to-read list for a long time so I was sad that I wasn’t thrilled by it. Just because I landed at a 2 here I had to go downgrade Arthur Truluv which I originally rated a 3-star but definitely was more disappointed in than this one. I personally have related to and would recommend by far The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot over this or Truluv. Still have to get to Owen Meany to see where That one falls for me. I would still recommend for faith, feel-good or enjoying a popular Catholic fiction.