Odd Man Out

by Sarah Ellis

When Kip arrives for a summer visit with his grandmother and five cousins in British Columbia, he learns that her ramshackle house is to be demolished. This means unfettered fun for Kip and his cousins as they explore every inch of the place. There, Kip finds something unexpected — an old binder kept by his dead father as a boy. It’s a strange scrapbook filled with puzzling lists, newspaper clippings, business cards, hair samples, and intricate drawings — all accompanying a confidential report written by a mysterious young operative with a secret plan to infect teenagers with a cell-altering virus. Kip is both intrigued and alarmed as the fantastic tale offers a window into his father's unsettling imagination. When his cousins start making plans for Talent Night, Kip panics — then remembers the story in the binder. Can he handle what it will reveal about his father? This highly praised novel has Sarah Ellis' trademark quirkiness, humor, and insight. As well as exploring the themes of family, Odd Man Out features intriguing notions about memory and stories, how writers get their ideas, how real and imaginary lives are interwoven, and how the writing life can provide both escape and ballast.

Genres: Middle Grade, Childrens, Canada, Contemporary, Young Adult

168 pages, Paperback

First published July 31, 2006

About the author

Writer, columnist, and librarian Sarah Ellis has become one of the best-known authors for young adults in her native Canada with titles such as The Baby Project, Pick-Up Sticks, and Back of Beyond: Stories of the Supernatural. In addition to young adult novels, Ellis has also written for younger children and has authored several books about the craft of writing. Praised by Booklist contributor Hazel Rochman as "one of the best children's literature critics," Ellis "writes without condescension or pedantry. . . . Her prose is a delight: plain, witty, practical, wise."

Ellis was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, in 1952, the youngest of three children in her family. As she once noted, "[My] joy in embroidering the truth probably comes from my own childhood. My father was a rich mine of anecdotes and jokes. He knew more variations on the 'once there were three men in a rowboat' joke than anyone I've encountered since.

Reviews

[Kari · Rating 4 out of 5]

Told in third person, the protagonist, Kip, is on an airplaine, headed to an island where his grandmother lives. At the island will be his five girl cousins. The house on the island has been sold and will be torn down - their last trip to this place. Grandmother allows writing on walls and demolition, as long as it doesn't compromise the basic structure and bring the roof down on their heads. Kip chooses to stay in the attic where he finds something that belonged to his father, now deceased, and it sends his imagination on a journey. I loved the five girl characters and the no-rules grandmother - well, no rules accept that she only cooks once a day and you don't want to know what happens if you leave dirty dishes in the sink. Nice imaginative, specific details and characterization.

[Heidi · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book cover is pretty unfortunate as is the name of this book. But the story is excellent. The title refers to the main character, Kip, who is the only male cousin staying with his grandmother for the summer. All the other grandchildren are girls. Kip chooses as his room for the summer, the attic in his grandmother's house which used to be his father's room. In the room, he discovers a hidden binder filled with stories his father had written. Kip's father died when he was three, so he is intrigued to read things his dad wrote when he was younger. The binder reveals hidden secrets to his father that the boy never imagined. This is a well written story about family, loss and self-discovery.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

12 year old Kip is spending the summer with his somewhat eccentric grandmother and his five female cousins while his mother honeymoons in Hawaii with her new husband. In the attic that serves as his bedroom, Kip discovers an old journal of his father's and is delighted to see that his father is as imaginative as he himself is - until he discovers that his father suffered from delusions and paranoia and was writing what he thought was the truth.
Good story about a boy finding his way in life. Some sad stuff, but basically upbeat. Recommended for grades 5-8.

[Lori · Rating 3 out of 5]

As an adult reviewing a children's book:

Kip is visiting his Grandmother in British Columbia while his mother is off on her honeymoon. The days with his grandmother and five female cousins will leave a definite impact of Kip's live, from revelations about his father, to living with a houseful of females on an island of eccentric neighbors.

I really enjoyed the idea of the story, but wanted more (don't forget, adult reader here). There was potential for a more well-rounded, informative story here, but I ended thinking, but what about ...

[Jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this was a very good book!

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating book, and extremely well written as well as enjoyable to read. Deals tastefully with a mental illness (of a character offstage).

Writing craft or great craft things to study in this book: group of characters (girl cousins) are well done--both as group character and as individual; mystery and memory and past and present is layered perfectly--wow!, offstage character.

[Katie Day · Rating 3 out of 5]

A teenage boy goes to spend a summer with his paternal grandmother and girl cousins -- whom he doesn't know very well -- as his father died years earlier in a car accident. What he discovers, by inhabiting his father's boyhood bedroom, is a fantasy spy story his father wrote -- and unfortunately lived. It emerges that his father had had a paranoid schizophrenic period in his youth.

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this one -- a touch of A Beautiful Mind with many other layers carefully woven through it. Every element is part of the story, nothing extraneous, making it a tight little web of a book.

[Skylar · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was forced to read this for class and it's not something I would read on my own, but I guess I enjoyed it. I found the stories about the Operative very confusing though. Some parts just did not make sense.

[Jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was good, I would have liked even more about the cousins and less about his dad, but I guess that was the drama in the book.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reviewed for VOYA

[Sylvia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Boy's schizophrenic dad leaves fascinating notebook at grandmother's house.

[Kate · Rating 2 out of 5]

I basically forced myself to read this for class. Not my cup of tea. I really couldn't find a meaning for this book. I was waiting for the climax, but nothing happened. The book was quite boring.

[Zoe · Rating 4 out of 5]

ar book level 4.4

[Kellaura · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very engaging little book.

[Joelle Anthony · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really, really loved this book. That's all. You should read it.