9780062791764
Play Sample

Odd Child Out audiobook

(8123 ratings)
33% Cheaper than Audible
Get for $0.00
  • $9.99 per book vs $14.95 at Audible
    Good for any title to download and keep
  • Listen at up to 4.5x speed
    Good for any title to download and keep
  • Fall asleep to your favorite books
    Set a sleep timer while you listen
  • Unlimited listening to our Classics.
    Listen to thousands of classics for no extra cost. Ever
Loading ...
Regular Price: 27.99 USD

Odd Child Out Audiobook Summary

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.

Other Top Audiobooks

Odd Child Out Audiobook Narrator

Peter Noble is the narrator of Odd Child Out audiobook that was written by Gilly Macmillan

Gilly Macmillan is the internationally bestselling author of What She Knew, The Perfect Girl, Odd Child Out, I Know You Know, The Nanny, and To Tell You the Truth. She resides in Bristol, England.

About the Author(s) of Odd Child Out

Gilly Macmillan is the author of Odd Child Out

Odd Child Out Full Details

Narrator Peter Noble
Length 9 hours 52 minutes
Author Gilly Macmillan
Category
Publisher HarperAudio
Release date October 03, 2017
ISBN 9780062791764

Subjects

The publisher of the Odd Child Out is HarperAudio. includes the following subjects: The BISAC Subject Code is Fiction, General, Mystery & Detective

Additional info

The publisher of the Odd Child Out is HarperAudio. The imprint is HarperAudio. It is supplied by HarperAudio. The ISBN-13 is 9780062791764.

Global Availability

This book is only available in the United States.

Goodreads Reviews

Julie

October 14, 2017

Odd Child Out by Gilly McMillian is a 2017 William Morrow publication. Deeply absorbing literary suspense.Inspector Jim Clemo is back at work, after having completed his requisite counseling. His first assignment, on the surface, is a low priority case, a probable accident. However, the circumstances are murky and the incident did leave a terminally ill boy in a coma and another boy so traumatized he can’t – or won’t- speak. The question Clemo and his partner much determine is if foul play was involved, or if it was a horrible accident. But, the situation is much more complicated than anyone would have imagined. Noah, a teenager dying of terminal cancer, lies in a hospital bed, comatose, but the reader is privy to his thoughts, as he narrates the events of that fateful night.Meanwhile, Noah’s best friend, Abdi, a Somalian refugee, hasn’t uttered a word since that night, but there may be more troubling him than his friend’s condition. Still, suspicion hangs over him, which complicates matters even more, especially when Jim’s former lover, a woman who has taken a job as a journalist decides to fan the flames of social tension surrounding Somalian refugees.This author has a unique writing style, employing both first and third person narratives. Noah and Jim speak to us directly, while the other characters converse in third person. Switching narratives may be met with skepticism, but in my opinion, it complimented the flow of the story and truly made sense, in this case. This story is a traditional police procedural, but it is also augmented with the deeply absorbing and heartbreaking backstory of both sets of parents. As such, the book could also easily pass as a work of contemporary fiction. The story does not unfold in the same way many other mysteries do, with a slow pace, and much more emphasis on character and deliberately shakes out strong emotions. Abdi’s family endured extreme cruelty in their lives, and carry deeply embeded scars, while Noah’s family has dealt with his cancer diagnosis for nearly half of his life and now must face his eminent death. The author also delves into Jim’s personal life, adding yet another thought provoking element to the story, and once again touching upon key social issues.While the suspense builds at an unorthodox pace, once it reached its pinnacle, I was utterly still, holding my breath, completely riveted as unexpected events began to unfold. The characters are unique, conflicted, flawed, and completely human, some of them more likeable than others, but all very well drawn. The story is very well crafted, written in such splendid prose, with incredibly profound elements that made me think about all the many layers of humanity and the very strong bonds of family and friendship. The ending is very stirring and I admit I may have swallowed down a lump in my throat, which is not something that happens much when I'm reading a dark and moody procedural. This story goes much deeper than the usual mystery novel, dealing with very grim topics, but has so much added depth and emotion, that I could easily recommend it to anyone who enjoys good fiction. 4.5 stars

*TANYA*

December 20, 2017

I absolutely enjoyed this book. I read the first book in this series and it was “okay” but the author completely redeemed herself with this book. FANTASTIC!!

Elizabeth of Silver's Reviews

October 04, 2017

Best friends sometimes do unexpected things. Abdi and Noah were best friends and did something that no one would expect.The unexpected incident obviously brought the police in along with the two silent friends. Noah was put into a coma because of his injuries, and Abdi wasn't talking.ODD CHILD OUT was definitely a study of personalities and human emotions. Each character seemed to not fit with each other, and I thought it was odd that they were family members as well as friends. I did like the "bucket list" that Noah and his father compiled, but one part of the bucket list is what caused a problem the night of the incident.ODD CHILD OUT has us following along with the police in their investigation after Noah is found in the canal and an eye witness says she saw the best friends arguing. When Noah who is terminally ill with cancer is found floating in the canal and Abdi, his best friend, had been with him, no one knows what to think. It is difficult to imagine these boys doing anything out of the ordinary because they were star pupils.We also follow the story being told by Abdi and Noah about what really happened as the friends silently re-live it in their minds.The descriptions and the character development are very good and help you visualize the scenes and totally experience the emotions of each character which were mostly fear, loss, and questioning. You also feel the weight of lies and silence, truths untold, and prejudices.ODD CHILD OUT is an emotional, tense book that will make you think and question. Another excellent read by Gilly MacMillan. 4/5This book was given to me free of charge and without compensation by the publisher in return for an honest review.

Ann Marie (Lit·Wit·Wine·Dine)

October 26, 2017

Enter the giveaway and check out all of my reviews at Lit·Wit·Wine·Dine. Giveaway ends 10/31/17 11:59pm EST. This is another book that first caught my attention at Book Expo 2017. Though I hadn’t read What She Knew, the first DI Jim Clemo book, I had absolutely no problem at all reading this book as a stand-alone.Odd Child Out drew me in straightaway. It is a very steady page-turner. There are several reasons for this but the first is that this is the “smartest” mystery/thriller I’ve read in a very long time. Are you one of those bookworms that professes to read only literary fiction? Well then, this book is for you. Gilly Macmillan has written the perfect crossover for fans of literary and contemporary fiction who who are ready to take a step toward the dark side!Odd Child out is also very uniquely plot and character driven. It’s really very well-balanced in that regard which I find unusual; especially in this genre. The story mattered more because I became very invested in the characters. What started out at as a typical who dunnit quickly developed into a gut-wrenching NEED to know.The story is told in the first and third person points of view of multiple characters. I very much enjoyed this approach as it made each chapter feel fresh.With regard to the characters, it would be impossible for me to choose a favorite. Of course, I loved Noah and Abdi. But I also loved the way the author rendered Abdi’s mother and sister, Sofia and Maryam. I loved that they were all realistic and flawed and I was very impressed by the way Gilly Macmillan depicted their relationships. There were so many subtle nuances that really made a difference in terms of my ability to relate and connect to them. In fact, I believe the relationships mattered more than the individual characters in many ways.I must admit that I did shed a few tears at the end of this book. I do hope that DI Jim Clemo will make a return in the future. I would also be among the first in line to read anything else written by Gilly Macmillan.4.5/5 starsMany thanks to William Morrow and TLC Book Tours for providing me a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Kristy

October 24, 2017

The second book in Gilly Macmillan's excellent DI Jim Clemo series finds Jim back in similar circumstances from the first--working against time to save a child. Jim has returned from leave after the Ben Finch case, and he's ready to redeem himself in the eyes DCI Fraser and his peers. He's assigned what looks to be a terrible accident: best pals Noah Sadler and Abdi Mahad are out late one evening when teenage Noah falls into a local canal, rendering him unconscious. Abdi refuses to speak about what happened, leaving the families (and police) to ponder what really occurred that evening. Complicating matters is the fact that Noah is already ill from cancer; plus Noah is British, while Abdi and his family are Somalian refugees, so Jim fears how this case will be presented in the press. By most accounts, Noah and Abdi are best friends, so what truly went down night? This is another gorgeous gem of a novel by Macmillan, who offers yet one more beautifully-written mystery combined with lovely, perfectly drawn characters. This book touched me in so many ways, and I just cannot keep raving enough about how well this author writes, or how she so excellently embodies her characters. Again, this is no straightforward mystery, or simple fiction, but a wonderful combination of the two. For me, this book really hit from home the beginning, as Jim mentions how an anti-immigration march by a neo-Nazi group has rocked Bristol, wrecking havoc on the police force, as well as emotions in the area. It's clear that racial tensions are high. As someone who was born in Charlottesville, VA, and lived in the suburbs of the area for the last nearly ten years, I felt this in my heart all too well. The backdrop of race stretches across the fabric of Macmillan's entire novel, and it's quite well done, in my opinion. On one end, we have the Sadler family--well-off and British: Noah attends a posh private school, Fiona manages Noah and Noah's illness, and Ed is a photographer--often of refugees. In fact, we learn that he's even photographed the very camp where Abdi's parents and sister lived. The Sadler's life, however, is clouded by the tragedy of Noah's cancer, which has basically formed each family member into who they are today. As for the Mahads, we see how their past experiences has created them, as well. One of the strengths of this book is that we get small portions of narration from all of characters: the Sadlers, the Mahads, and Jim. The bits and pieces you learn of the Mahad's origins--my goodness: it will break your heart. Macmillan captures the fear of the family because they are different due to the color of their skin and the country of their origin, yet you see their strength and pride shine across as well. The main storyline of ODD CHILD OUT revolves around figuring out exactly what happened between the boys and how Noah ended up in the water. As mentioned, you get snippets from each character, as we slowly work up to that point of no return. We also get flashbacks to various pieces of earlier parts of their lives, and we start to realize that something has spooked the Mahad family--something is not as it seems. It's not your conventional mystery, per se, but it's compelling and certainly intriguing. At its core, this is a heartbreaking book whose strength lies in its characters. It's a wonderful exploration on race and immigration and how difficult it is to be deemed "different" by our society. What I loved about this book, though, is that you could also wonder: is either family truly all that different at its core? Every parent will go to any length to protect their child, after all. I highly recommend picking this one up. It can be read as a stand-alone, but if you want more insight into Jim and his mindset, you should definitely read the first book, What She Knew, which is also excellent (my review here). I can't wait to see what Macmillan comes up with next! 4+ stars. In a perfect swirl of ARC goodness, I received a copy of this novel from both Librarything and Edelweiss. A huge thanks to them and the publisher for a copy in return for an unbiased review. The book is available for purchase everywhere. Blog ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Google+ ~ Instagram

DJ

October 19, 2017

Favorite Quotes:I felt like a mongrel dog, compared to them. Unwanted, strange-looking, and kicked so many times I didn’t know how to do anything apart from cower.Noah’s Bucket List Item No. 12: Be cremated. I can’t stand the thought of being buried. I want to be turned into smoke and air so I can be everywhere all at once.My Review:Odd Child Out was my first experience with both the complex and guarded DI Jim Clemo and his talented creator Gilly Macmillan, I want to make a habit of this pair. Besides being topical and relevant, the storyline was well-crafted and of the stealthy variety as it developed slowly yet steadily in intriguing increments that I eagerly gathered like breadcrumbs. There was a wide array of intriguing and mysterious characters as well as a vast assortment of oddly shaped puzzle pieces to make sense of, yet and none of them seemed to match up. The characters were slowly fleshed out with several being ultimately revealed to be less than admirable than I had first assumed, as well as the opposite. My interest was snagged quickly and my attention never flagged as I unwound this delicately complicated plot that occurred over the period of a week, yet went several layers deep and across fifteen years and a different continent to expose a fiercely guarded and devastating secret.

Judy

September 25, 2018

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 — a 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? Was foul play involved?Two friends. As thick as thieves. They made friends on 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 from 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 five 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 society.A special thank you to LibraryThing Early Reviewers and Harper Collins for an early reading copy. JDCMustReadBooks

Dale

March 31, 2019

Four and a half stars.Noah Sadler and Abdi Mahal have been best friends ever since they met at school. Noah has had cancer ever since Abdi has known him. Abdi, who is from Somalia, does his best to try and support Noah. But then a horrific incident occurs. DI Jim Clemo is back after and enforced leave of absence. At first he wonders why he has been assigned to what appears to be an accident but as the truth emerges a lot more details from that night, as well as from the past, are brought to light. It takes a while though as one of the boys is in a coma and the other refuses to talk to anyone. The city of Bristol is a city where racial tensions are running high especially after a recent protest incident. This current incident only adds fuel to the flames. The situation is not helped by the media and the extent some journalists will resort to for a story.I’m not sure I would call thinks a thrilling read as such but it did have my interest throughout. I liked all the information about life and conditions in Somalia. The characters are particularly well drawn and it is easy to get caught up into their individual traits, motivations and stories. It shows a great understanding of people. The story is told from more than one viewpoint and that helps to get inside some of the characters. It’s very much a character driven plot. This adds another layer and stops it from just being a police procedural. The pace is steady throughout but the tension is certainly ramped up towards the end. I liked the way all the pieces of the puzzle were revealed over time and how they fitted together like a jigsaw. I highly recommend this book. The great cover and the fact that this was written by Gilly Macmillan were enough to convince me to bring this book home. This is the third book I have read by this author. They have all been engrossing and thought provoking reads. You can just bet I will be looking out for the next book by this author

Elaine

October 30, 2017

I would like to thank Netgalley and Little, Brown Book Group Uk for a review copy of Odd Child Out, the second novel to feature Bristol based DI Jim Clemo.Jim returns to CID after some time out of the frontline for stress. His first case is seen as an easy return with him being asked to investigate an incident at the canal where one boy fell in and is now in a coma and the other is unable to talk but it turns out to be anything but.What an amazing read. Ms MacMillan covers so much from such a simple premise and it had me gripped from start to finish. The main narrative thread is DI Jim Clemo's first person account of his investigation, interspersed with Noah's thoughts as he lies in his coma and the actions and reactions of various members of both families. This could have resulted in a choppy read but such is the tension and mystery created that any information the reader can glean is welcome and it flows really well.It is difficult to decide which child is the odd one out. White, middle class, relatively wealthy Noah is dying with the cancer he has suffered since childhood so it is hard for him to make friends as he misses so much school. Somalian refugee Abdi is a black scholarship child in a white environment. Abdi is the much more appealing character but Noah's plight is moving. This ambiguity pervades the novel from Noah's mum Fiona's motives and actions to Abdi's parents' secrets, even Noah's dad Ed's photographs of refugee camps are questioned - are they exploitative or telling a story that needs telling? It is a very thought provoking read.I really liked the procedural elements to the novel as well. Jim Clemo is another oddball but he (mostly) plays by the rules and shows a sensitivity not often present in fictional crime novels. He seems very natural and realistic as does the police force and its workings. It is interesting to see them work within the confines of a modern police force and a voracious press with which Ms MacMillan has a field day - if it wasn't so close to the mark it would be funny.Odd Child Out is one of the best novels I have read this year and have no hesitation in recommending it as an excellent read.

Frequently asked questions

Listening to audiobooks not only easy, it is also very convenient. You can listen to audiobooks on almost every device. From your laptop to your smart phone or even a smart speaker like Apple HomePod or even Alexa. Here’s how you can get started listening to audiobooks.

  • 1. Download your favorite audiobook app such as Speechify.
  • 2. Sign up for an account.
  • 3. Browse the library for the best audiobooks and select the first one for free
  • 4. Download the audiobook file to your device
  • 5. Open the Speechify audiobook app and select the audiobook you want to listen to.
  • 6. Adjust the playback speed and other settings to your preference.
  • 7. Press play and enjoy!

While you can listen to the bestsellers on almost any device, and preferences may vary, generally smart phones are offer the most convenience factor. You could be working out, grocery shopping, or even watching your dog in the dog park on a Saturday morning.
However, most audiobook apps work across multiple devices so you can pick up that riveting new Stephen King book you started at the dog park, back on your laptop when you get back home.

Speechify is one of the best apps for audiobooks. The pricing structure is the most competitive in the market and the app is easy to use. It features the best sellers and award winning authors. Listen to your favorite books or discover new ones and listen to real voice actors read to you. Getting started is easy, the first book is free.

Research showcasing the brain health benefits of reading on a regular basis is wide-ranging and undeniable. However, research comparing the benefits of reading vs listening is much more sparse. According to professor of psychology and author Dr. Kristen Willeumier, though, there is good reason to believe that the reading experience provided by audiobooks offers many of the same brain benefits as reading a physical book.

Audiobooks are recordings of books that are read aloud by a professional voice actor. The recordings are typically available for purchase and download in digital formats such as MP3, WMA, or AAC. They can also be streamed from online services like Speechify, Audible, AppleBooks, or Spotify.
You simply download the app onto your smart phone, create your account, and in Speechify, you can choose your first book, from our vast library of best-sellers and classics, to read for free.

Audiobooks, like real books can add up over time. Here’s where you can listen to audiobooks for free. Speechify let’s you read your first best seller for free. Apart from that, we have a vast selection of free audiobooks that you can enjoy. Get the same rich experience no matter if the book was free or not.

It depends. Yes, there are free audiobooks and paid audiobooks. Speechify offers a blend of both!

It varies. The easiest way depends on a few things. The app and service you use, which device, and platform. Speechify is the easiest way to listen to audiobooks. Downloading the app is quick. It is not a large app and does not eat up space on your iPhone or Android device.
Listening to audiobooks on your smart phone, with Speechify, is the easiest way to listen to audiobooks.

footer-waves