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A Devil on Both Shoulders
Warriors can’t retire. Ice hockey tough guy Ollie Brooks – better known as the Ogre – understands this better than anyone. He’s been the enforcer for his team, the man whose job it is to upset and brutalise his opponents, for years now and has been terrifyingly effective in that role. But as he finishes his final season on the ice, the Ogre is faced with a dilemma – how does he adjust to a new life where you can’t just settle all of your disagreements with a vicious left hook? And what are the consequences for the people around him going to be if he can’t find a way?
294 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 25, 2018
2 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
July 15, 2018
As with his previous two novels, John addresses the harder subjects in life that are often left hidden in the shadows. Male mental health is featured heavily in all 3 novels by John McKinstry, this time with a hard look at the impact of retirement on the sports industry. The drop can be rough, as we find out through the characters of A Devil on Both Shoulders.
A Devil on Both Shoulders takes you into the life of enforcer Ollie "Ogre" Brooks, his difficult childhood moulding him into a deadly enforcer, and how he mentally overcomes the conditioning of his father to become a better player, a better man, than his father ever was. Heed the warnings, there are exceptionally dark themes throughout the novel, and the blows keep coming, mentally and physically. There is also moments of true joy, of the community and spirit all hockey fans will know. This book is emotional, and not to be missed.
A Devil on Both Shoulders takes you into the life of enforcer Ollie "Ogre" Brooks, his difficult childhood moulding him into a deadly enforcer, and how he mentally overcomes the conditioning of his father to become a better player, a better man, than his father ever was. Heed the warnings, there are exceptionally dark themes throughout the novel, and the blows keep coming, mentally and physically. There is also moments of true joy, of the community and spirit all hockey fans will know. This book is emotional, and not to be missed.
October 5, 2018
When all you think you have is fear, let there be hope
Ollie Brooks is someone most players fear. He's big, he's physical and he knows when to fight for what he believes in. Most people know him as 'The Ogre' - toughest enforcer in the league, but that isn't all he is. John McKinstry once again brings to the table a complete character. One who, time and time again you find yourself fighting for. A Devil on Both Shoulders is a story that shows, no matter your past, the lessons we learn along the way and what we do with them, shape who we are and Ollie Brooks is a man who learns his lessons and uses them well.
Ollie Brooks is someone most players fear. He's big, he's physical and he knows when to fight for what he believes in. Most people know him as 'The Ogre' - toughest enforcer in the league, but that isn't all he is. John McKinstry once again brings to the table a complete character. One who, time and time again you find yourself fighting for. A Devil on Both Shoulders is a story that shows, no matter your past, the lessons we learn along the way and what we do with them, shape who we are and Ollie Brooks is a man who learns his lessons and uses them well.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews