IntoTheMacabre

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

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