By: Gilly MacMillan
ISBN: 0062697838
Publisher: William Morrow
Publication Date: 10/3/2017
Format: Hardcover
My Rating: 4 Stars How well do you know the people you love…? Best friends Noah Sadler and Abdi Mahad have always been inseparable. But when Noah is found floating unconscious in Bristol’s Feeder Canal, Abdi can’t–or won’t–tell anyone what happened.
Just back from a mandatory leave following his last case, Detective Jim Clemo is now assigned to look into this unfortunate accident. But tragedy strikes and what looked like the simple case of a prank gone wrong soon ignites into a public battle. Noah is British. Abdi is a Somali refugee. And social tensions have been rising rapidly in Bristol. Against this background of fear and fury two families fight for their sons and for the truth. Neither of them know how far they will have to go, what demons they will have to face, what pain they will have to suffer.
Because the truth hurts.
My Review
Gilly Macmillan returns following What She Knew and The Perfect Girl with her latest, ODD CHILD OUT —her third highly-charged compelling psychological (literary fiction) suspense. Set in Bristol, meet two teen boys from different backgrounds: Noah Sadler— a native-born British boy, and Abdi Mahad —refugee from Somalia. An opening scene. One boy jumps near a canal at the edge of the water . . . He lands, gets up and begins running. One pleading with the other. A suicide attempt? What happened? Did someone fall? Foul play involved? Two friends. As thick as thieves. They made friends of the first day and became inseparable at the college. One boy winds up in the hospital. An accident? Detective Jim Clemo (we met in Book #1) returns and is assigned to the case with colleague DC Justin Woodley. Things become complicated. Social tensions arise of fear and fury. Both parents want to learn the truth. Noah is dying. Cancer. Terminally ill. He has a bucket list. Thirteen items. His #1 item. “Don’t tell anybody else I’m dying. Not even Abdi.” They need Abdi to speak. A photo exhibit. Images from war and disaster zones. A racially motivated attack? Neither boy can provide a version of what happened. Noah is in a coma and Adbi remains mute. Emma, a reporter stirs up emotions. Both Noah’s and Abdi’s families are forced to confront emotions and secrets. Covering the course of 5 days of the investigation and the day after, the author covers media frenzy and social tensions, as well as emotions of diverse families, in this highly-charged third book. A story of family, love, loss, illness, and friendship. A realistic and timely storyline, with similar critical issues we are faced with today in our own society. A special thank you to LibraryThing Early Reviewers and Harper Collins for an early reading copy.
Review Links:
Advance Praise
[An] engrossing novel... The action builds to a shattering conclusion.
Publishers Weekly
With characters who are sympathetic and believable, Macmillan’s latest will keep readers in suspense to the very end. Highly recommended.
Library Journal (starred review)
…[a] gripping look at grief, friendship, and class divides. Macmillan excels at getting into the minds of terrified, brokenhearted parents… this mix of police procedural and thriller will satisfy fans of the author’s previous work as well as those looking for something after Tana French.
Booklist
A hugely satisfying and thrilling read. Highly recommended.
Shari Lapena, New York Times and Sunday Times bestselling author of The Couple Next Door
This is a fascinating book... Macmillan changes the course of direction of the story several times, which makes for interesting reading. The characterizations are vivid and come alive on the page.
RT Book Reviews
About the Author
Gilly Macmillan grew up in Swindon, Wiltshire and also lived in Northern California in her late teens. She studied History of Art at Bristol University and then at the Courtauld Institute of Art in London.
She worked at The Burlington Magazine and the Hayward Gallery before starting a family, and since then has done some lecturing in ‘A’ Level photography.
Gilly lives in Bristol, UK with her husband and three children and now writes full time. She’s currently working on her fourth novel. Read More
