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Odd Man Out
The Black Mountain Camp for Boys. Summer of ’89. It is a time for splashing in the lake and exploring the wilderness, for nine teenagers to bond together and create friendships that could last the rest of their lives.
But among this group there is a young man with a secret — a secret that, in this time and place, is unthinkable to his peers.
When the others discover the truth, it will change each of them forever. They will all have blood on their hands.
ODD MAN OUT is a heart-wrenching tale of bullies and bigotry, a story that explores what happens when good people don’t stand up for what’s right. It is a tale of how far we have come … and how far we still have left to go.
But among this group there is a young man with a secret — a secret that, in this time and place, is unthinkable to his peers.
When the others discover the truth, it will change each of them forever. They will all have blood on their hands.
ODD MAN OUT is a heart-wrenching tale of bullies and bigotry, a story that explores what happens when good people don’t stand up for what’s right. It is a tale of how far we have come … and how far we still have left to go.
152 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 185 reviews
August 30, 2023
A Must Read For Everyone!
I am still shaken after just finishing this book. This is a disturbing and horrific, heartrendering story that should be read by all. I actually cried while reading and wanted to stop, but was compelled to continue the journey through to the end. This book while fiction tells a woeful story about events that are happening in our world right now and how some people can turn a blind eye to the injustice when it doesn't involve someone they know.
James Newman has written a brilliant and cautionary story that captures your interest from the very first page. The book has some light moments and a lot of teenage vulgarity but is so fitting within the context of the well played out story. I believe Mr. Newman wrote a genuinely powerful story of someone who has encountered or experienced what took place in this book. That is how relevant and believable this book is.
I highly recommend this book to everyone! After reading this book, it may help some people have a different view of the world we live in and especially teaching our young people the consequences when they choose the wrong behavior and make poor decisions as well as hurtful statements.
5 Horrific And Heartbreaking Stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟!!
I am still shaken after just finishing this book. This is a disturbing and horrific, heartrendering story that should be read by all. I actually cried while reading and wanted to stop, but was compelled to continue the journey through to the end. This book while fiction tells a woeful story about events that are happening in our world right now and how some people can turn a blind eye to the injustice when it doesn't involve someone they know.
James Newman has written a brilliant and cautionary story that captures your interest from the very first page. The book has some light moments and a lot of teenage vulgarity but is so fitting within the context of the well played out story. I believe Mr. Newman wrote a genuinely powerful story of someone who has encountered or experienced what took place in this book. That is how relevant and believable this book is.
I highly recommend this book to everyone! After reading this book, it may help some people have a different view of the world we live in and especially teaching our young people the consequences when they choose the wrong behavior and make poor decisions as well as hurtful statements.
5 Horrific And Heartbreaking Stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟!!
December 2, 2019
I'm sad...
This is not a review where I'm going to make any jokes or try to get a laugh - it would be disrespectful.
Ignorance, fear and anger...
It is just so much easier to hate something you don't know or understand.
I read somewhere about an interview a journalist had with somebody after witnessing a stoning. The question was asked whether the person truly believed what they were doing was right. The answer had incredible depth - and I can't quote it verbatim, but this is what I remember.
When you are in a crowd and you have to stone somebody, you will stand in front, take the biggest stone you can find and throw it as hard as you can, especially if you don't believe in it. You will be angry at that person, whether you believe their sins or not, because they are making you do this. And you will scream at them and convince yourself that you actually hate them, because, deep down, you are thankful that it is not you getting stoned.
I had a discussion with somebody many years ago about THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS. This person told me that those kind of books are so popular because people - mostly subconsciously - admired the total lack of control of the bad guys. Because most people can't imagine themselves doing such bad things to others, there is a small part that envied the freedom of those actions.
I had to think about it for a few minutes, but I finally replied that I don't agree with that assessment. Whenever I read one of those books, I look at the actions of the 'good guys' and I often ask myself if I would have the courage to do the things that those people had to do, in other words, did I have the courage of my convictions.
I honestly hope that I will never have to find out.
I haven't sought out fame in my life, it is not important to me, but the best I can hope for is when my time in this life is over, I can be remembered as a good person.
This story brought all these thoughts into my head because I had to ask myself if I would have done things differently if I was Dennis. Honestly, at that time in my life, when I was that age, I don't think so.
And that makes me truly sad.
This is not a review where I'm going to make any jokes or try to get a laugh - it would be disrespectful.
Ignorance, fear and anger...
It is just so much easier to hate something you don't know or understand.
I read somewhere about an interview a journalist had with somebody after witnessing a stoning. The question was asked whether the person truly believed what they were doing was right. The answer had incredible depth - and I can't quote it verbatim, but this is what I remember.
When you are in a crowd and you have to stone somebody, you will stand in front, take the biggest stone you can find and throw it as hard as you can, especially if you don't believe in it. You will be angry at that person, whether you believe their sins or not, because they are making you do this. And you will scream at them and convince yourself that you actually hate them, because, deep down, you are thankful that it is not you getting stoned.
I had a discussion with somebody many years ago about THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS. This person told me that those kind of books are so popular because people - mostly subconsciously - admired the total lack of control of the bad guys. Because most people can't imagine themselves doing such bad things to others, there is a small part that envied the freedom of those actions.
I had to think about it for a few minutes, but I finally replied that I don't agree with that assessment. Whenever I read one of those books, I look at the actions of the 'good guys' and I often ask myself if I would have the courage to do the things that those people had to do, in other words, did I have the courage of my convictions.
I honestly hope that I will never have to find out.
I haven't sought out fame in my life, it is not important to me, but the best I can hope for is when my time in this life is over, I can be remembered as a good person.
This story brought all these thoughts into my head because I had to ask myself if I would have done things differently if I was Dennis. Honestly, at that time in my life, when I was that age, I don't think so.
And that makes me truly sad.
December 10, 2022
Great coming of age tale. What happens in Black Summer Camp for Boys? Dennis remembers the darkest moments of his youth. His friend Wesley is assumed to be gay. From then on the horror begins... moving, fast paced, a novella with a clear message. This might happen if tolerance is forgotten and some boys will be boys myths are glorified. Sad and brilliant real life horror story that gets under your skin. Highly recommended!
September 9, 2024
This was an unexpectedly powerful story. To pull a few very strong statements from the book, "Hate doesn't always start out as hate. If is often born of ignorance." The story itself demonstrates some very standard situations that I think most people of past generations have been involved in. In grade school and high school, you saw bullying, racism, discrimination, and homophobia, but were mostly too afraid to get involved. Whether it was due to what consequences it would bring upon you at home or by the school, or even by your peers, it was often easier to just turn a shoulder and become passive. I'm not saying it was the right thing for any of us to do, but there was sometimes too much fear that overshadowed certain ambitions. And bad things happened to people that didn't deserve it, all due to ignorance, displaced aggression, and untreated mental health issues. I saw all of this as someone who was bullied by peers, adults, teachers, religious leaders, and my own family, and also observed it happening to those around me. And it was petrifying each and every time. So I understood why Dennis made certain decisions in this story, as did the other boys. Being called 'gay' or a 'pussy' were two of the most damaging remarks that could have been put across at that age. And again, while I am not homosexual and support that community 100%, I was often called those terms plenty in school, due to my high grades, disinterest in sports, and not wanting to date the girls in my school. And it was always done by the most unstable and ignorant people that I had the misfortune of being exposed to. And that's really what was at the heart of this story, which was very poignantly addressed in the afterword. People hating and hurting each other for no good reason. All to hold up this notion of everyone needing to be 'from the same mold' and having no sense of individuality. Whether someone was overweight, homosexual, had a unique hairdo, or wore clothes that didn't fit a particular trend, they were condemned for it. And for what reason? There is no reason for it. And it's horrible that it still happens in this day and age. The whole 'boys will be boys' motto is a disgusting demonstration of being willingly blind to wrongdoings. Now this story did have a lot of fun callbacks to my childhood in the 80s, and wasn't all gloom and doom, but it demonstrated an extreme situation in a very accurate manner. This was an extremely different and very appreciated experience from James Newman. Sometimes in horror, we don't need monsters and such to show how scary actual things can be. Real world horror can be just as traumatizing. And James Newman knocked this one of the park.
July 9, 2017
Peer pressure has never held an uglier connotation than it does here. It was the proverbial perfect storm. Nine boys, ages 15-17, assigned to an isolated camp with woefully inadequate supervision. Bullying shifts into maximum overdrive. Full of bravado and burgeoning testosterone, they zero in on the weakest link.
Hard to read, but the writing is top-shelf. Hear the message, loud and clear.
Hard to read, but the writing is top-shelf. Hear the message, loud and clear.
December 6, 2016
It is with tears in my eyes that I finish this novella.
As an important church vote looms, Dennis suddenly remembers with clarity an incident from his childhood. All of a sudden, the reader is transported to the Black Mountain Camp for Boys.
During this one week summer camp, an atrocity is committed. One that will haunt Dennis, the other boys, and this reader. I doubt I will ever be able to forget Dennis or his former best friend, Wesley. Maybe I am not meant to. You're not meant to forget it either.
"We build walls to keep us separate, and when those walls eventually crumble and fall we blame the other for chipping away at the foundations. We point fingers right up until the moment we are crushed beneath the weight of our own intolerance. Everyone loses. In the end we all bleed red."
Timely quote there, isn't it?
Odd Man Out gets my highest recommendation. You should read it.
You can buy your copy here: Odd Man Out
As an important church vote looms, Dennis suddenly remembers with clarity an incident from his childhood. All of a sudden, the reader is transported to the Black Mountain Camp for Boys.
During this one week summer camp, an atrocity is committed. One that will haunt Dennis, the other boys, and this reader. I doubt I will ever be able to forget Dennis or his former best friend, Wesley. Maybe I am not meant to. You're not meant to forget it either.
"We build walls to keep us separate, and when those walls eventually crumble and fall we blame the other for chipping away at the foundations. We point fingers right up until the moment we are crushed beneath the weight of our own intolerance. Everyone loses. In the end we all bleed red."
Timely quote there, isn't it?
Odd Man Out gets my highest recommendation. You should read it.
You can buy your copy here: Odd Man Out
July 11, 2017
GOOD LORD!
Dennis Munce revisits a haunting memory of his youth in this absolutely gut-wrenching...heart-breaking short story of hatred and violence.
1989 - Black Mountain Camp for boys turns to horror in a hurry after an incident and accident leave nine teens with virtually no responsible adult supervision....no help against the ignorant bullying types....and no one strong enough to prevent harm to the innocent.
Whew! Well done tough read and harsh reminder that we still have a long way to go.
December 5, 2016
Reading this book put a knot in stomach. The grisly violence that occurs as a result of fear, anger, insecurity and peer pressure asks the reader to look deep inside. If you were caught in a similar situation, what would you do? The rage and threats of the ignorant are a powerful deterrent to compassion. We can only hope that we would be courageous enough to make the right choices.
July 23, 2016
James Newman's book "Odd Man Out" is the coming of age story of a fifteen year old boy and the events that occurred during several weeks at a summer camp named "The Black Mountain Camp For Boys" during the summer of 1989. This is not your average "How I Spent My Summer Vacation" story
The age of 15 can be and usually is an awkward time for boys, and when a group of eleven or twelve are gathered together, and the supervision becomes lax, bad things can happen.
Mr. Newman has written a powerful book that explores the painful and life altering events that changed lives during what should have been a fun time. He has captured in delicate and at times not so delicate hands how the power of hate changes people and displays how easily the unwary can be consumed by it's out of control power.
This is definitely a story for our present times and high praise should be accorded to Mr. Newman's sensitivity and creativity in recounting this story.
This book is copy 14 of 52 signed and numbered leather bound editions signed by James Newman.
The age of 15 can be and usually is an awkward time for boys, and when a group of eleven or twelve are gathered together, and the supervision becomes lax, bad things can happen.
Mr. Newman has written a powerful book that explores the painful and life altering events that changed lives during what should have been a fun time. He has captured in delicate and at times not so delicate hands how the power of hate changes people and displays how easily the unwary can be consumed by it's out of control power.
This is definitely a story for our present times and high praise should be accorded to Mr. Newman's sensitivity and creativity in recounting this story.
This book is copy 14 of 52 signed and numbered leather bound editions signed by James Newman.
September 3, 2016
ODD MAN OUT, by James Newman is a book that takes a look at the ignorance and intolerance of society, and how little it takes to turn those feelings into an uncontrollable hatred. Under the right circumstances, a sort of "group mentality" can come across even younger people, left unsupervised, and bring about horrific results.
We start out with a group of @ 15-year-olds, sent on a trial of The Black Mountain Camp for Boys. When you have nine boys--coming of age--at a camp, with a self-centered "supervisor" more concerned with his own interests, you have a recipe for disaster. Intolerance of those "different" than ourselves can manifest in all kinds of ways. Maybe at first, just nasty looks and words--but even those can deeply wound.
". . . Words cut in a different way. They leave scars all the same."
James Newman takes this tale, and shows us unflinchingly what can happen when ignorance and fear gain power in numbers and morph into pure hatred and violence.
". . . meanness festers. . . the more it consumes, the hungrier it gets."
This is a powerful, emotional read that sadly mimics the truth around us in so many ways. The choices we make--or do NOT make--can be based on more than just our personal beliefs. Other factors including "wanting to fit in", "peer pressure", and going along with something because it's easier than speaking out against it. These are the things we, and our children, face every day. If nothing else, this book may make you think upon things a little more when those "hate crimes" show up in the local news stories.
A truly remarkable read--highly recommended!
We start out with a group of @ 15-year-olds, sent on a trial of The Black Mountain Camp for Boys. When you have nine boys--coming of age--at a camp, with a self-centered "supervisor" more concerned with his own interests, you have a recipe for disaster. Intolerance of those "different" than ourselves can manifest in all kinds of ways. Maybe at first, just nasty looks and words--but even those can deeply wound.
". . . Words cut in a different way. They leave scars all the same."
James Newman takes this tale, and shows us unflinchingly what can happen when ignorance and fear gain power in numbers and morph into pure hatred and violence.
". . . meanness festers. . . the more it consumes, the hungrier it gets."
This is a powerful, emotional read that sadly mimics the truth around us in so many ways. The choices we make--or do NOT make--can be based on more than just our personal beliefs. Other factors including "wanting to fit in", "peer pressure", and going along with something because it's easier than speaking out against it. These are the things we, and our children, face every day. If nothing else, this book may make you think upon things a little more when those "hate crimes" show up in the local news stories.
A truly remarkable read--highly recommended!
June 6, 2020
Seven days spent at summer camp. Seven days remembered for a lifetime, but not for the right reasons. Some things cannot be forgotten, or ever erased. It’s impossible to read this story without feeling overwhelmed with emotion.
March 2, 2023
Before reading Odd Man Out; Please see below alarm bells;
•This is not an easy book to read. It can cause severe contempt and discomfort.
•If you are easily offended by dark writings and brutal depiction of human wickedness, I suggest you tread lightly.
•Trigger warnings include bullying, torture, sexual abuse, physical assault.
•This could probably make a grown man cry—this could get ugly.
If you can overlook the above warnings like I did, proceed.
Why the 2 stars? Well, I've read a LOT of disturbing books ever written, so, I'm totally impervious to any level of gore or the bloody stuff.
Still, this is an OK book to read if you're up for it.
•This is not an easy book to read. It can cause severe contempt and discomfort.
•If you are easily offended by dark writings and brutal depiction of human wickedness, I suggest you tread lightly.
•Trigger warnings include bullying, torture, sexual abuse, physical assault.
•This could probably make a grown man cry—this could get ugly.
If you can overlook the above warnings like I did, proceed.
Why the 2 stars? Well, I've read a LOT of disturbing books ever written, so, I'm totally impervious to any level of gore or the bloody stuff.
Still, this is an OK book to read if you're up for it.
December 5, 2016
We've all been there as a kid. You,me, all of us. Chances are we weren't the bully, but we were around when the bully picked his next victim - and we breathed a sigh of relief that it wasn't us. Maybe the victims was the new kid. Maybe they dressed different or talked different. Maybe they stuttered or had Coke bottle glasses. Maybe they came from the wrong side of the tracks. It really didn't matter what the reason was that the bully (or bullies) decided to make them a target. That's how bullies operate. And when the bullying starts, they tend to demand that everyone join in with them against the poor bastard or take the chance of having their wrath fall upon you. Peer pressure. Nobody wants to be the victim and their mantra is "if you ain't with us, than you're against us". So, many a kid was sucked into the trap of aiding in the bullying when they really didn't want to. This is the dilemma Dennis finds himself in during summer camp when an old, boyhood friend of his, Wes, is found out that he's gay by the bullies in the group. And what they do Wes, on that lonely summer night in 1989 will chill your blood to ice and send a shiver down your spine.
Odd Man Out is an incredibly realistic tale told by Newman. I mean he absolutely nails it when describing the life of teenage boys in 1989. This story could've had me cast as Dennis, the unwilling participant that felt he had no other choice but to go through with their heinous act. I have a feeling that many of you will feel that you could've been Dennis too. And that's what makes Odd Man Out so effective. It touches a raw nerve because we all could've been unwilling participants in a bullying gone so wrong. An absolute perfect story that you won't be able to put down.
5 bloody hammers out of 5
You can also follow my reviews at the following links:
https://kenmckinley.wordpress.com
http://intothemacabre.booklikes.com
https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/5...
Odd Man Out is an incredibly realistic tale told by Newman. I mean he absolutely nails it when describing the life of teenage boys in 1989. This story could've had me cast as Dennis, the unwilling participant that felt he had no other choice but to go through with their heinous act. I have a feeling that many of you will feel that you could've been Dennis too. And that's what makes Odd Man Out so effective. It touches a raw nerve because we all could've been unwilling participants in a bullying gone so wrong. An absolute perfect story that you won't be able to put down.
5 bloody hammers out of 5
You can also follow my reviews at the following links:
https://kenmckinley.wordpress.com
http://intothemacabre.booklikes.com
https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/5...
November 10, 2016
James Newman's new novella shares similar themes to his acclaimed novel
Animosity
, themes like mob mentality, the nature of hate, and the way that hate is contagious. Eight teenage boys are spending a summer at the brand new Black Mountain Camp for Boys, kayaking, swimming, and playing baseball. But when a secret of one of the boys is revealed and the campers are left without much responsible supervision, normal teasing and shit-talking turns into something much more horrifying.
I didn't fully buy into the descent to hardcore violence that happened in Animosity, but I didn't have that problem here, partially because it involved unsupervised high school boys, with whom anything is possible. Newman doesn't pussy-foot around the subject of bigotry and the ugliness in the way kids treat each other and it was sometimes a difficult but powerful read. With me, it felt like Newman was preaching to the choir, but there are many people out there that need to read this book and understand the depths to where intolerance can take you. I'll even go as far to say that this probably should be assigned reading in some high school classes. A strong look at the dark side of human nature.
I didn't fully buy into the descent to hardcore violence that happened in Animosity, but I didn't have that problem here, partially because it involved unsupervised high school boys, with whom anything is possible. Newman doesn't pussy-foot around the subject of bigotry and the ugliness in the way kids treat each other and it was sometimes a difficult but powerful read. With me, it felt like Newman was preaching to the choir, but there are many people out there that need to read this book and understand the depths to where intolerance can take you. I'll even go as far to say that this probably should be assigned reading in some high school classes. A strong look at the dark side of human nature.
March 5, 2017
I never got around to reviewing this one. I was contemplating a 12 page essay on all the ways I can relate to the story (minus the super horrifying stuff) but I'll spare you my rant and keep it short -
If you were looking for something happy and uplifting, and you picked this, you fucked up.
If you were looking for something happy and uplifting, and you picked this, you fucked up.
November 24, 2016
"…meanness festers. Like malignant cells eating away at bone marrow. And the more it consumes, the hungrier it gets."
A very difficult and emotional read. I could see the events unfolding and felt powerless as they played out before me. Intolerance, hate and bullying are difficult subjects to tackle. Kudos to James for taking this on and doing so with such skill and sensitivity despite the heavy subject matter.
*Be good to each other, people. Life's too short to live it full of hate. It will eat you alive. Or worse, it will grow inside you.*
A very difficult and emotional read. I could see the events unfolding and felt powerless as they played out before me. Intolerance, hate and bullying are difficult subjects to tackle. Kudos to James for taking this on and doing so with such skill and sensitivity despite the heavy subject matter.
*Be good to each other, people. Life's too short to live it full of hate. It will eat you alive. Or worse, it will grow inside you.*
November 23, 2018
Ever read a book that made you angry? Odd Man Out by James Newman pissed me right off. It forces you to take part in something you don’t want to be a part of. You must see it through, but you feel bad for being there. Things happen in this world that shouldn’t. People hate for no reason. Innocent people suffer and shouldn’t. I felt horrible at the end of this book, but I’m glad I read it. We need to talk about this kind of stuff in order for it to stop. Enough with the bullying, enough with the hate when you don’t understand, enough with close mindedness. Let’s start speaking up when we see something that’s not right. We should have evolved beyond homophobia, racism, sexism, and the like. Speak up when you see something is not right or when someone is being bullied!
November 25, 2020
Heart-wrenching and brutal, Odd Man Out by James Newman is a real-life horror story about hatred. This lesson in empathy echoes those of Jack Ketchum, introducing innocence to our cold and hungry world. Recommended.
Check out my full video review HERE.
Thank you, Bloodshot Books, for sending me a copy of Odd Man Out in exchange for an honest review.
Check out my full video review HERE.
Thank you, Bloodshot Books, for sending me a copy of Odd Man Out in exchange for an honest review.
June 19, 2022
The Black Mountain Camp for Boys is a way for young guys to come together in nature and make memories they'll never forget together. Nine boys with different backgrounds all alone in the wilderness, but one of them is not like the other. He is not only different, he seems to be hiding an unacceptable secret that has the potential to bring out the absolute worst in all of them. A nice summer vacation might just end with showers of blood.
The story has a simple premise and a very fast pace, but it delivers a brutal message with some really dark themes and heavy-hitting dialogue that really cut into your emotions. Odd Man Out doesn't take the route the premise would have you believe. In fact, it takes a much more tragic and humanistic turn. It's not a generic summer camp slasher, it's a psychological thriller about bigotry and persecution causing even the best of people to do some very horrific things to people that really don't deserve it and how they rationalize it in their minds as being acceptable.
Sad and dark. It reminds me of Jack Ketchum's The Girl Next Door but with a more modern and impactful end message.
***
If you're looking for dark ambient music that's perfect for reading horror, thrillers, dark fantasy and other books like this one, then be sure to check out my YouTube Channel called Nightmarish Compositions: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPPs...
The story has a simple premise and a very fast pace, but it delivers a brutal message with some really dark themes and heavy-hitting dialogue that really cut into your emotions. Odd Man Out doesn't take the route the premise would have you believe. In fact, it takes a much more tragic and humanistic turn. It's not a generic summer camp slasher, it's a psychological thriller about bigotry and persecution causing even the best of people to do some very horrific things to people that really don't deserve it and how they rationalize it in their minds as being acceptable.
Sad and dark. It reminds me of Jack Ketchum's The Girl Next Door but with a more modern and impactful end message.
***
If you're looking for dark ambient music that's perfect for reading horror, thrillers, dark fantasy and other books like this one, then be sure to check out my YouTube Channel called Nightmarish Compositions: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPPs...
December 22, 2016
There are certain moments in life where you see a tragedy or accident taking place and are unable to do more than watch as it unfolds in all of its horrific magnificence. Time slows down, seconds lasting minutes and minutes hours, and a deep-seated part of you, the part that makes you human, continues to question why you aren't doing something to prevent it even though your rational mind keeps tittering that you have no control or could offer no support. You're stuck on the sidelines, relegated to the role of witness, and the stomach churning despair and overwhelming sense of remorse and dread will stay with you long after the collision occurs. Because despite being on the sidelines, you're also a part of the problem. The two-seconds of hesitation, the mind-numbing rationalizations, they take you from a mere observer into the role of an unwilling conspirator, adding to the chaos and heartbreak and misery by your inability to act, to shout out, to stop the tragedy that's unfolding.
This is what reading Odd Man Out by James Newman is like.
The brilliance of this short novella isn't just its relevance or the themes it touches on, but the role it casts the reader into. Because we're there for the whole thing. And we don't stop it.
A frighteningly introspective story about a boy's camp that goes horribly wrong, this is a story I can't recommend highly enough. Everyone should read this and reflect on what it says about our society in general, as well as ourselves, because ultimately we each have to make that decision each and every day. Are we standing on the sidelines watching hatred destroy the world around us or are we willing to stand up for the things we believe in, damn the consequences. A definite 5-star read.
This is what reading Odd Man Out by James Newman is like.
The brilliance of this short novella isn't just its relevance or the themes it touches on, but the role it casts the reader into. Because we're there for the whole thing. And we don't stop it.
A frighteningly introspective story about a boy's camp that goes horribly wrong, this is a story I can't recommend highly enough. Everyone should read this and reflect on what it says about our society in general, as well as ourselves, because ultimately we each have to make that decision each and every day. Are we standing on the sidelines watching hatred destroy the world around us or are we willing to stand up for the things we believe in, damn the consequences. A definite 5-star read.
December 18, 2016
It begins with a simple vote inside a church to determine if a local Boy Scout troop, in the wake of the Boy Scouts of America's decision to no longer ban youths based on sexual orientation. When the church agrees to ban the Scouts from using their building in the name of good, old fashioned, religiously sanctioned discrimination, Dennis is reminded of a horrifying incident from his childhood in the summer of 1989. Then, at the Black Mountain Camp for Boys, Dennis and his friend Wesley were confronted with an all-too human evil and gut-wrenching violence.
Odd Man Out is a wickedly powerful novella, and author James Newman does a masterful job of slowly developing his story, building toward a deeply unsettling finale. Throughout, readers are asked to consider why we hate and to understand how pathetically easy it is for us to be manipulated and bullied into doing evil. Late in the story, Newman writes:
To say that this book is timely is probably the understatement of the century. As I was reading this book, our president-elect was busy insulting China on Twitter, apparently taking a break from stocking his cabinet with more anti-LGBTQ advocates and white supremacists, but I'll be damned if Newman's words didn't loudly echo the current state of affairs writ large all over the USA. To say that people are uneasy about what is ahead of us for the next four years is a gross understatement, and half the country is wondering how in the hell we got into the predicament now facing us. Odd Man Out is all the more powerful given our recent election, and the platform of unadulterated hate and nationalism our president-elect ran on, and the continual assault upon equal rights through BS double-speak legislation like the Religious Freedom bills seeking to make discrimination the law of the land.
You want to know how hate wins? Well, sometimes it begins with a simple vote. After that, all we can do is resist and fight to beat back the hate.
Odd Man Out is a wickedly powerful novella, and author James Newman does a masterful job of slowly developing his story, building toward a deeply unsettling finale. Throughout, readers are asked to consider why we hate and to understand how pathetically easy it is for us to be manipulated and bullied into doing evil. Late in the story, Newman writes:
Hate doesn’t always start out as hate. It is often born of ignorance. We discriminate against those who are different from us, under the guise of upholding tradition or protecting one group while denying rights to others. We build walls to keep us separate, and when those walls eventually crumble and fall we blame the other for chipping away at the foundations. We point fingers right up until the moment we are crushed beneath the weight of our own intolerance. Everyone loses.
To say that this book is timely is probably the understatement of the century. As I was reading this book, our president-elect was busy insulting China on Twitter, apparently taking a break from stocking his cabinet with more anti-LGBTQ advocates and white supremacists, but I'll be damned if Newman's words didn't loudly echo the current state of affairs writ large all over the USA. To say that people are uneasy about what is ahead of us for the next four years is a gross understatement, and half the country is wondering how in the hell we got into the predicament now facing us. Odd Man Out is all the more powerful given our recent election, and the platform of unadulterated hate and nationalism our president-elect ran on, and the continual assault upon equal rights through BS double-speak legislation like the Religious Freedom bills seeking to make discrimination the law of the land.
You want to know how hate wins? Well, sometimes it begins with a simple vote. After that, all we can do is resist and fight to beat back the hate.
April 16, 2018
Great coming-of-age horror story that was painful and gut-wrenching to read sometimes, but impossible to put down as well. Newman has terrific voice and is a masterful story teller.
August 8, 2016
In this novella from Thunderstorm Books, Newman delves into very dark and brutal territory, raw and visceral and emotional. Several teens part of a focus group at the Black Mountain Camp for Boys one summer...and when it becomes apparent one of them might be gay, things quickly spiral into madness and violence. To say this story is disturbing is an understatement, but it's message is extremely important. And Newman deftly and honestly puts it all out there, examining how truly monstrous hatred and ignorance can be.
Highly recommended!
Highly recommended!
April 3, 2020
Again a great heartbreaking sad story from James Newman. A must read for all in this time because of the subject matter. It was written powerful and makes you think about what hatred can do. This could happen every day of the year. Same as peer pressure, that is becoming more and more a headline in the newspaper.
February 22, 2022
Most heartbreaking and impactful story I think I've ever read. Although the subject matter was violent and visceral at times, I feel that it would be an insult to label this novella as "extreme horror". This should instead be viewed as a guide on how not to treat other humans beings and how to stand up for what you believe is right, no matter what consequences you might face.
Everything about this was just phenomenal.
Everything about this was just phenomenal.
November 19, 2016
Review copy
Odd Man Out was originally released as a signed Limited edition from Thunderstorm Books, but this truly is a book everyone should get to read and so now it's deservedly getting the wide release treatment from Bloodshot Books.
It's been a few years since The Boy Scouts of America changed their policy to allow gay members. In Newman's Odd Man Out a conservative Christian Church is struggling with allowing the scouts to continue using their building as a meeting place.
There's a vote that does not go in the scouts favor and this brings back memories Dennis Munce has managed to block out for nearly three decades.
What follows is the story of of what happened during a trial run of the Black Mountain Camp for Boys in the Summer of 1989.
James Newman is a gifted storyteller with an eye for detail. Alongside the tables sat about thirty beige metal folding chairs, like the ones my favorite wrestlers were always hitting each other over the head with on WCW Saturday Morning. It's not like I'm reading an account of events, but more like I've been transported to the actual place and time.
The banter among the teenage boys was much like what I heard from my cruder friends growing up. Although the campers in Odd Man Out were wonderfully diverse, there was one in their midst who was decidedly different. Wesley Westmore.
When you're young there is no greater sense of relief than when the bullies' sights are no longer turned on you.
By now, I think you might have a pretty good sense of where Newman's tale is headed. There are monsters in Odd Man Out, but they are not the monsters of fiction. Here the monsters are real. Just as real as you and I.
It's as if the writer anticipated the fallout from the recent Presidential election. True, these behaviors have existed for a long time, but this story could not be more relevant. It's a tale that had a profound effect on me. If you're willing to keep your mind open and experience the true horror of this novella you might just be in for a mind-altering read.
I give Odd Man Out my highest recommendation.
James Newman's Odd Man Out will be available from Bloodshot Books on November 21, 2016,for the Kindle, and in paperback soon after. If you subscribe to Kindle Unlimited you can read it at no additional charge. Also, if you are an Amazon Prime member you can read it for FREE using the Kindle Owners Lending Library.
From the author's bio - James Newman lives in North Carolina with his wife and their two sons. His published works include The Wicked, Animosity, and Ugly As Sin, and the collection People Are Strange.
Odd Man Out was originally released as a signed Limited edition from Thunderstorm Books, but this truly is a book everyone should get to read and so now it's deservedly getting the wide release treatment from Bloodshot Books.
It's been a few years since The Boy Scouts of America changed their policy to allow gay members. In Newman's Odd Man Out a conservative Christian Church is struggling with allowing the scouts to continue using their building as a meeting place.
There's a vote that does not go in the scouts favor and this brings back memories Dennis Munce has managed to block out for nearly three decades.
What follows is the story of of what happened during a trial run of the Black Mountain Camp for Boys in the Summer of 1989.
James Newman is a gifted storyteller with an eye for detail. Alongside the tables sat about thirty beige metal folding chairs, like the ones my favorite wrestlers were always hitting each other over the head with on WCW Saturday Morning. It's not like I'm reading an account of events, but more like I've been transported to the actual place and time.
The banter among the teenage boys was much like what I heard from my cruder friends growing up. Although the campers in Odd Man Out were wonderfully diverse, there was one in their midst who was decidedly different. Wesley Westmore.
When you're young there is no greater sense of relief than when the bullies' sights are no longer turned on you.
By now, I think you might have a pretty good sense of where Newman's tale is headed. There are monsters in Odd Man Out, but they are not the monsters of fiction. Here the monsters are real. Just as real as you and I.
It's as if the writer anticipated the fallout from the recent Presidential election. True, these behaviors have existed for a long time, but this story could not be more relevant. It's a tale that had a profound effect on me. If you're willing to keep your mind open and experience the true horror of this novella you might just be in for a mind-altering read.
I give Odd Man Out my highest recommendation.
James Newman's Odd Man Out will be available from Bloodshot Books on November 21, 2016,for the Kindle, and in paperback soon after. If you subscribe to Kindle Unlimited you can read it at no additional charge. Also, if you are an Amazon Prime member you can read it for FREE using the Kindle Owners Lending Library.
From the author's bio - James Newman lives in North Carolina with his wife and their two sons. His published works include The Wicked, Animosity, and Ugly As Sin, and the collection People Are Strange.
September 11, 2018
4.5 stars.
One of the most heart-wrenching books I have read since The Girl Next Door by Jack Ketchum. Absolutely, positively sad story about hate and bullying and broken human beings. However, just like Jack Ketchum, James Newman navigates these horrific waters with care. He makes your think. What if it was me? What would I do? While I was reading I was kicking myself for times I've failed the Odd Man Out, and smiling with joy when I remembered times that I stood my ground for others. I love this book. I love what it exposes in us all. I love a book that makes you think and want to be a better person. But don't go in blind, this book will make you want to scream, cry, and rage. But, it is worth it. Newman wraps it perfectly with a ribbon of challenge and love. I'm going to purchase and read everything this man writes. I suggest you do the same because etc., etc. Just go do it! It's better than listening to me.
One of the most heart-wrenching books I have read since The Girl Next Door by Jack Ketchum. Absolutely, positively sad story about hate and bullying and broken human beings. However, just like Jack Ketchum, James Newman navigates these horrific waters with care. He makes your think. What if it was me? What would I do? While I was reading I was kicking myself for times I've failed the Odd Man Out, and smiling with joy when I remembered times that I stood my ground for others. I love this book. I love what it exposes in us all. I love a book that makes you think and want to be a better person. But don't go in blind, this book will make you want to scream, cry, and rage. But, it is worth it. Newman wraps it perfectly with a ribbon of challenge and love. I'm going to purchase and read everything this man writes. I suggest you do the same because etc., etc. Just go do it! It's better than listening to me.
March 8, 2017
Hell is for children, and this monumental coming of age tale transports the reader into that darkest of places.
Newman writes with empathy and compassion, yet never flinches from sharing the pain that is the bane of childhood. He takes us down paths we remember, the ones we no longer wish to travel, but must for the sake of our humanity.
An emotional powerhouse of a novella, one that drew tears from this jaded old recluse...tears that needed to be shed for the scars we all share.
A powerful work by a young master.
Highest possible recommendation.
Newman writes with empathy and compassion, yet never flinches from sharing the pain that is the bane of childhood. He takes us down paths we remember, the ones we no longer wish to travel, but must for the sake of our humanity.
An emotional powerhouse of a novella, one that drew tears from this jaded old recluse...tears that needed to be shed for the scars we all share.
A powerful work by a young master.
Highest possible recommendation.
August 16, 2017
This was one powerful, disturbing, all-too-real and incredibly well-written story. 5 stars, easy.
December 30, 2019
My 122nd book of the year and the last one of 2019!
Even if I didn't plan on finishing the year with such an unsettling and disturbing book, it definitely deserves 5 stars.
Even if I didn't plan on finishing the year with such an unsettling and disturbing book, it definitely deserves 5 stars.
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