This is one book that YOU MUST READ! Sam is born with Ocular Albinism, his eyes are red! As a child, he is called the red eyed devil at the Catholic school he attends. He is bullied and physically beat by his bully. He has two friends and a desire to do good. Throughout his life, he always tried to remain good and just. Yet his bully finds him in adulthood and beats on him.
Throughout the book, you cheer for Sam. You cry for him. Yet you remain constantly confidant that he will be ok.
I loved this book and I think everyone should read it!

When I heard that Robert Dugoni, one of my favorite thriller authors, had a different sort of book coming out, I had to have a look at it, too. The rich characterizations in his plot-driven thrillers have kept me enthralled for many an hour. I figured he could pull off a more character-driven story. He does.

I give this story four stars, which on Goodreads.com is supposed to mean "I really liked it" (on my personal scale it means "I would recommend it"). I ultimately did like it. As expected, the characters and settings are richly drawn. The prose is crisp and clear. The dialog and action are realistic. On the other hand, Mr. Dugoni is never kind to his characters and in this character-driven story he's positively brutal. Saying too much about that would ruin the story. Suffice to say that anyone who had to deal with elementary school bullying will be squirming during the early chapters.

As the saying goes, it gets better. Sam and his few friends grow up and cope. Life continues to throw hardship at them and they deal with it. They don't always make the best choices. But they keep going. They wrestle with meaning and faith and love. They have extraordinarily ordinary lives. I do recommend this book.

Spoilers ahead! I really loved this book! While there may be many books on the victim's side of bullying, I feel that this book has a unique perspective, dealing with a physical deformity as well as seeing how Sam's friends may also be bullied but work to find themselves over time. Most of the characters in this book are well developed (though I may say, the women could do for a little more complexity and depth.) My only complaint would be the direction the book went in at the end. I felt that it got a little cliche. However, this is not always a bad thing as it can be tough to end a story wrapped in a bow. I just fear that this specific ending may push away readers who are not the most religious (as earlier parts in the book may specifically pull them in.) I found it hard to believe that Sam and MIckie would not have ended up together until such a late age. With how close they were and how outspoken Mickey is, I am surprised this didn't come up sooner. Either way, this is a book and not real life and I fully enjoyed the ride. I also LOVE short chapters in a book, allowing me to read until the absolute last minute before I have to go to bed or go somewhere. When chapters are too long, I find myself staying up too late or ending prematurely as I want to put the book down at the end of a chapter. I really enjoyed the writing style and would definitely recommend this book.

A feel good book. Some times life throws curve balls and it takes strong people to deal with them. Sam Hill and his family and friends dealt with the many challenges that came their way in a realistic way. Life is hard at times but with faith and determination good things can happen. This book is an example of that . It deals with looking different , discrimination, dysfunctional families, abuse on many levels, strong faith , hard work , humor and love . Thanks Netgalley. Recommend it.

"Everyone has a plan, until they get punched in the mouth." (Mike Tyson)

Action steps on the toes of re-action. You never fully realize what you're capable of until backed into that corner or running out of rungs on the ladder of life.

Samuel Hill is the only son of an only son. While that may be rare in itself, Sam has been born with ocular albinism. While the lyrics of "Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue" seem strange, stranger still is the fact that Sam's eyes have a pink/red tone. Kids will find the tiniest thing in one's physicality to make fun of........but this was a field day for the little darlings at Our Lady of Mercy elementary school in Burlingame, California in the 1960's. "Show No Mercy" was their marching song.

Robert Dugoni opens the ornate door on the hellish beginnings of Sam's early childhood. "Devil Boy" rolled off the lips of all the kids and Sam Hill took on the new moniker of Sam Hell. This dungeon life on the playground was monitored by fellow classmate, David Freemon, who held court in the bathrooms and under the bleechers to dole out physical punishment on a daily basis. Sam's excuses of falling off his bike were beginning to wear thin. Sam was no squealer.

Ernie Cantwell comes into Sam's life at a time when Sam can barely pick himself up off the ground. Ernie, the only African American child at OLM, becomes Sam's best friend and his truly lifelong one at that. Their families become close and stay that way over the years.

But it is Sam's mother, Madeline, who holds this storyline rigid and in control. "She wasn't interested in just rocking this boat. She intended to capsize it." And she certainly does behind the wheel of that sleek Falcon convertible.

Dugoni fast-forwards in alternating chapters to the present time of 1989 in Burlingame as Sam reaches adulthood and becomes an ophthalmologist in his private practice. But it is in this profession that Sam will meet up with the ghosts of his past. You can't outrun the phantoms that lurk in the dark shadows........phantoms that have the capability to suffocate the very spirit that dwells inside of you. And these phantoms now have the long bony reach that may grip others in a deadlock.

Robert Dugoni has a special gift for lighting the candle of the human spirit. We've seen it in his other offerings as well. But this one has a unique touch of slowly unwinding the thread of childhood secured deftly by the spool of motherhood. You'll see it portrayed by the women in this story. And, to be sure, read Dugoni's Acknowledgements at the end. 'Tis a tinge of sweetness to be savored.

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to Lake Union and to the very talented Robert Dugoni for the opportunity.

Same Hill touched my heart. His "condition" was something he latched on through out his childhood to adolescence and also to him adult hood. Being raised into a religion family, Sam kept wanting to believe what his mom said that its God's will to have him be extraordinary. He had obstacles to overcome and it led him to question his faith.
    I felt everything he Felt. Sam Hill became real to me and I ended up crying from the story. It also made me reflect about my beliefs of God. For me, this book captivated the realism of how people suffer but still maintain a good heart. Sam Hill questioned his belief of God for all the hardships he has to endure because of his eyes. He has a way to explain what he experienced. I would definitely recommend this novel to everyone. It was heart warming and heart breaking.

This book was well thought out, well written and wonderful! Great cover art too! Good book for older kids.

Wow. Absolutely incredible book.probably the best I’ve read in some time. Great characters, great writing style, great story. Loved everything about this.

For quite a while, I have been a huge fan of Robert Dugoni's series about Seattle police detective Tracy Crosswhite, and recently I started reading his earlier series about the defense lawyer David Sloane, which is also brilliant. Both of these bestselling series are thus in the action/thriller genre, and I was therefore quite interested in seeing how Dugoni would do in a drama such as this book.
Well, Dugoni is one hell (no pun intended!) of a writer, and although it gets a little sirupy sweet and heal-the-world'ish at times, this is one of his very best books. His technique of going back and forth between now and then works really well here, and the way he uses small hints and childish observations is simply brilliant.
The story is really touching and funny - and yes, also a little a little cheasy at times, but if you're in the mood for a book that makes you laugh and cry in a good and comfortable way, this book would be one of my top choices.

I am a fan of Robert Dugoni's Tracy Crosswhite series and recommend it to fans of Lisa Gardner and Harlen Coben. Unfortunately, I am not a fan of Dugoni's latest work, THE EXTRAORDINARY LIFE OF SAM HELL. It was a pleasant enough read about a boy faced with an immutable characteristic that makes other shun and tease him, but this topic has been explored by other authors with more finesse and authenticity. A PRAYER FOR OWEN MEANY comes to mind. Dugoni's work was predictable and the writing a bit pedestrian.. But I look forward to reading many more of Dugoni's mysteries, which I thoroughly enjoy.

I loved this book!! The title is perfect. Both for his fiery red eyes as well as the hell he was put through just for being different. Kudos to the ones who stood up for him and became his friends. Kudos to his parents for always believing in him, and kudos to this author who evoked such strong emotions in me when I read this book.

A beautiful first person telling of the life of one unique boy and his faith. Born with ocular albinoism to a very religious mother, Sam deals with a childhood full of discrimination and bullying. His mom is his ardent supporter and he finds two similarly suffering friends who have his back. We follow Sam, focusing on his relationships with his parents and friends as well as his faith which is threatened by his life experience. Though faith is a central theme, the book is not preachy. Anyone who has struggled with the meaning of hardship will appreciate Sam's journey. The characters are rich and relatable. A very good read.

Sam Hill has red eyes - hence Sam Hell. And through those eyes, we saw a world not only from the perspective of a man who faced his own variations of hell but also the conflict of accepting a religion that seemingly didn't save him from those hells. The life of Sam Hill was indeed extraordinary because his abnormality gave us a commentary on the abnormalities of the human condition.

I should mention a trigger warning for murder, suicide and, verbal and physical abuse.

The cast of characters, more specifically Sam, his parents and his best friends Ernie and Mickie show a us that there are all types of misfits and discrimination but there are also advocates willing to love and support them. With the overarching theme of faith, literally with Catholicism at the heart of the story and the faith they had to have in each other, this book is a life story that shows us how much people fear to be different.



The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell isn't extraordinary because of he had many feats but rather because of the lessons he's learned through the struggles he's faced, and the man he realized that he could be despite it all. Whether we are different or same, we are all extraordinary because we are individuals and how we live as such is what makes life interesting.

Dugoni takes a break from his mystery series to write both a coming of age story that evolves into an adult’s look back at the choices he made. Born with red pupils, Sam has been teased mercilessly all his life. He makes do, but it’s not until another misfit, Ernie Cantwell, the only black kid in school, shows up, that Sam finally finds a friend. That friendship is sorely tested when a girl enters the picture, making Sam question himself, Ernie and the feelings that have risen up like a tidal wave inside him. Four decades later, Sam is an eye doctor, trying to help others, trying to atone for his past. I have a real fondness for coming of age stories, and Dugoni captures both the pettiness and ignorance of small towns, but also the closeness and love that are found there as well