Quinton Skinner

Odd One Out by Quinton Skinner was a story of a family going through a divorce and the outcome ten years later. The story shows the affects from multiple families’ point of view over two different time periods.

I’m from Minnesota and still live in Minnesota. I actually live two small towns over from where the author lives. I bought this book in Barnes & Nobles at the Maplewood Mall in Maplewood, MN. It was on the shelf designated for staff picks. I like MN based books and thought it was great that a staff member had recommended it. Unfortunately the book being MN based was really the only good thing I have to say about the book. I liked the first half of the book when they were kids. But the second half of the book I honestly disliked.

This book really doesn’t have anything happy about it. Not even the ending. The first half of the book was entertaining and comical. The second half of the book was like an airplane trying to land and missing its landing gear every time. There’s no real resolution for every issue the family member has and there’s no real point to the book. You find out in the end, why the beginning events of the book happened. But all the rest in the middle is pretty much pointless. Just a bunch of events written to fill gaps. Was very disappointed.

★ Wouldn’t recommend.… (mehr)

Local author (Mpls.) takes on Minnesota's long, sometimes horrible, winters (or at least the way they used to be) , as well as a seemingly normal family and their dysfunctional ways and weaves the two into a relatively short, fascinating study of how human nature and nature itself are not that much different from each other. Despite a few oversights such how does one inject so much morphine into a dying woman and get away with it, this book is a must-read for anyone trying to outlast the months between fall and spring.… (mehr)