What do you think?
Three Minutes More
Michael's already troubled young life has taken a sudden, dramatic turn. Severely injured, he will need a miracle if he is to survive the night. Reflecting on the evening's horrific events, wondering if could have altered them in any way, his thoughts begin to drift. Soon he is contemplating his life, his family, and the possibility that he may have to answer for his life to God. In recalling some of the most amusing, bizarre, distressing and disturbing times of his life, he comes to understand "the monster you know is easier to deal with than the monster you don't." Will he get the miracle he needs, and make it until morning? If he does make it, will he finally find peace? His life a seemingly endless paradox, Mike has been hardened by suffering many unsettling experiences, yet still views the world through the eyes of an innocent eleven year old. Laugh. Cry. Get angry. Cheer. Reflect.
- GenresFiction
166 pages, Paperback
First published March 14, 2010
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
April 30, 2010
This was a hard book to read, in that the content was disturbing, but it was also compelling and honest. I read this in two sittings, and enjoyed the writing and the story immensely. I highly recommend this to anyone.
April 21, 2010
AMAZING-
This is how you should feel after reading a book. I can't shake the imagery from my mind or the feeling of what I wanted to do to that mother each time she beat her kids.
Edward O'Dell manages to write a fiction story with a memoir emotion. This book punches you in the stomach and leaves you gasping for air long after you finish reading it. It's perfect, appalling, heart-breaking, disgusting and raw. If I could I would give this author a standing ovation.
While this is a fiction work, the author has managed to make this personal for each person that comes across it. His writing, through the eyes of one of the children, is written from the POV of a child. He nailed this. Out of the park. The words used, the chapter lengths, the perception of events...I loved it.
I have to have this book at my store.
This is how you should feel after reading a book. I can't shake the imagery from my mind or the feeling of what I wanted to do to that mother each time she beat her kids.
Edward O'Dell manages to write a fiction story with a memoir emotion. This book punches you in the stomach and leaves you gasping for air long after you finish reading it. It's perfect, appalling, heart-breaking, disgusting and raw. If I could I would give this author a standing ovation.
While this is a fiction work, the author has managed to make this personal for each person that comes across it. His writing, through the eyes of one of the children, is written from the POV of a child. He nailed this. Out of the park. The words used, the chapter lengths, the perception of events...I loved it.
I have to have this book at my store.
August 26, 2010
This book is actually not a fiction book. It is based on Edward R. O'Dell's brother's real life story. For those of you who think it is brutal ... it is... welcome to some people's reality. It is a very well written book!
July 19, 2010
This was a brutal brutal book.
April 15, 2025
Did not enjoy
Thank goodness this is a short story because it is so dark, vulgar and absolutely depressing. I didn’t find that any of the characters have any redeeming qualities and the outcome leaves much to be desired.
Thank goodness this is a short story because it is so dark, vulgar and absolutely depressing. I didn’t find that any of the characters have any redeeming qualities and the outcome leaves much to be desired.
November 12, 2020
Heartbreaking
A heartbreaking tale of horrific child abuse the author and his brothers suffered. I read the entire book in one sitting.
A heartbreaking tale of horrific child abuse the author and his brothers suffered. I read the entire book in one sitting.
June 21, 2011
This book was disturbing. But what a read. And it didn't take me long to get through it, either.
Reviews I had read about this book were mixed. Some people really hated it. Some people really liked it. I was a bit in the middle. It was good enough where I had a hard time putting it down. On the other hand, there were parts of this book that made me a little squeamish. It has a lot to it and a lot to digest.
Three Minutes More, is a story about young Michael, who tells readers about living and growing up with abusive parents, crazy siblings and relatives, who turn a blind eye to everything. It's set in the 70s and his family is extremely poor and he grows up in a household with many siblings in a two-bedroom shack, which has no electricity and no indoor plumbing.
To be fair to future readers -- you can't have a weak stomach with this book. There is a lot of abuse for the kids, ranging from physical and mental to sexual. It's horrific at times and it's best to be warned, in case you can't get through books like that.
Alas, with how O'Dell develops the storyline and the characters, this is an excellent read with an ending that I didn't see coming. It was a head-scratcher when I finished, but quite well done. I applaud O'Dell for this book and how he wrote it. He has an excellent style and an interesting way to weave a story.
Now for my thoughts...
THE GOOD
I've had some luck recently in having page-turners. This was another.
I compare my page-turning on this one to a train wreck or a car wreck on the highway. As much as you might not want to look or as much as you try not to look, you can't help yourself.
Michael is a character that the reader can really understand and feel for. He's not hated by any means. Some of his brothers are good side-characters and show Michael's strong side. I liked how O'Dell took the family and made the "good guys" and the "bad guys." There's an obvious line. Though a couple of the characters, at times, walked the line between good and evil, but for the most part the lines were drawn in well.
There were some graphic parts in this book. Some of it made me squirm. Some of it made me drop my jaw. Some of it choked me up, but in the end, I realized how needed it all was. If O'Dell skated around these things, the book wouldn't have had nearly the same amount of impact.
THE BAD
I didn't think there were major things bad with the book. That being said, some things really made me wonder. The little things -- some details. Such as the ages of the kid when the book started. And as they grew. About midway through, you get a grasp of ages, which is good. There are a few other things with little details that made me think for a moment and try to connect things or try and realize where things seemed to be going etc.
Truthfully, there weren't many bad things, in my eyes. Others might disagree with some of the graphic detail, but I think it was needed for where this book went.
OVERALL THOUGHTS
What I really loved about this book is how the beginning and the end connect. You are left wondering about some things early in the book, but then it all makes sense at the end. That being said, let the ending and this book settle in after you finish it. When I finished it, I thought "that's it?" Though the ending was jarring to me, it didn't make me feel like the ending made sense. But as I thought about it and everything in the book, it all came together. Well done.
This is one of those books I would highly recommend to someone. But I also would warn that people need to be ready for a graphic book that will make the reader angry, sad, and at times, happy. O'Dell really does a good job at pulling at the emotions of the reader.
I got this book a long time back because it looked good. Then I just let it sit on my "Kindle bookshelf" until I was looking for something recently to read. Noting that I had actually paid for this one (it's only a $2.99 Kindle book!), I decided to read it and am glad I did.
This book isn't for someone who might not be able to deal with some really tender subjects and graphic details about those subjects, but O'Dell really paints an interesting picture of this situation. But this book will make you think, which I think makes a book even better.
Reviews I had read about this book were mixed. Some people really hated it. Some people really liked it. I was a bit in the middle. It was good enough where I had a hard time putting it down. On the other hand, there were parts of this book that made me a little squeamish. It has a lot to it and a lot to digest.
Three Minutes More, is a story about young Michael, who tells readers about living and growing up with abusive parents, crazy siblings and relatives, who turn a blind eye to everything. It's set in the 70s and his family is extremely poor and he grows up in a household with many siblings in a two-bedroom shack, which has no electricity and no indoor plumbing.
To be fair to future readers -- you can't have a weak stomach with this book. There is a lot of abuse for the kids, ranging from physical and mental to sexual. It's horrific at times and it's best to be warned, in case you can't get through books like that.
Alas, with how O'Dell develops the storyline and the characters, this is an excellent read with an ending that I didn't see coming. It was a head-scratcher when I finished, but quite well done. I applaud O'Dell for this book and how he wrote it. He has an excellent style and an interesting way to weave a story.
Now for my thoughts...
THE GOOD
I've had some luck recently in having page-turners. This was another.
I compare my page-turning on this one to a train wreck or a car wreck on the highway. As much as you might not want to look or as much as you try not to look, you can't help yourself.
Michael is a character that the reader can really understand and feel for. He's not hated by any means. Some of his brothers are good side-characters and show Michael's strong side. I liked how O'Dell took the family and made the "good guys" and the "bad guys." There's an obvious line. Though a couple of the characters, at times, walked the line between good and evil, but for the most part the lines were drawn in well.
There were some graphic parts in this book. Some of it made me squirm. Some of it made me drop my jaw. Some of it choked me up, but in the end, I realized how needed it all was. If O'Dell skated around these things, the book wouldn't have had nearly the same amount of impact.
THE BAD
I didn't think there were major things bad with the book. That being said, some things really made me wonder. The little things -- some details. Such as the ages of the kid when the book started. And as they grew. About midway through, you get a grasp of ages, which is good. There are a few other things with little details that made me think for a moment and try to connect things or try and realize where things seemed to be going etc.
Truthfully, there weren't many bad things, in my eyes. Others might disagree with some of the graphic detail, but I think it was needed for where this book went.
OVERALL THOUGHTS
What I really loved about this book is how the beginning and the end connect. You are left wondering about some things early in the book, but then it all makes sense at the end. That being said, let the ending and this book settle in after you finish it. When I finished it, I thought "that's it?" Though the ending was jarring to me, it didn't make me feel like the ending made sense. But as I thought about it and everything in the book, it all came together. Well done.
This is one of those books I would highly recommend to someone. But I also would warn that people need to be ready for a graphic book that will make the reader angry, sad, and at times, happy. O'Dell really does a good job at pulling at the emotions of the reader.
I got this book a long time back because it looked good. Then I just let it sit on my "Kindle bookshelf" until I was looking for something recently to read. Noting that I had actually paid for this one (it's only a $2.99 Kindle book!), I decided to read it and am glad I did.
This book isn't for someone who might not be able to deal with some really tender subjects and graphic details about those subjects, but O'Dell really paints an interesting picture of this situation. But this book will make you think, which I think makes a book even better.
February 23, 2011
Wow. I downloaded and read this book based solely on it's title; having no clue of the subject matter. The story of Michael (Mike) and his brothers in small town West Virginia is riveting, gut wrenching and disturbing. The author is an incredible writer, though until the end of the book I didn't understand how well he had tied every "snippet" back to the title. Reading this left an unimaginable realness to everyday life -- you never know what is going on behind closed doors. This is a raw, intense, horrific account of one family's experience with poverty, abuse and suffering. Almost unbearable to get through, though well worth the read. Prayers for this family; it's a true story and from what I've read in other reviews and comments, the whole community that lived through these experiences stand behind the author's account. Tragic and unsettling, though the love and bond between the brothers and the amazing strength they have is beyond words.
October 29, 2010
I was disappoited by this book. As all the reviews on Amazon say, the description of this book was totally off base. I expected the beginning to start out with the main character getting hurt and him reflecting on his life trying to get through the injury. This was not how the book was at all. It was just a bunch of different situations in the kid's life put together. I guess it seems like it was in chronological order but there wasn't a concrete story line. Also the ending, you finally find out what happens to him but it's so sudden that you don't even realize it before the book is completely over. I enjoyed the book when I first started it but once it progressed I enjoyed it less and less. I would not read this again.
November 17, 2010
This book was hard to read,so many emotions rage,laughter,sadness.The end is a shocker so much so that I had to reread it again to make sure I didn`t miss anything.I didn`t know I was reading a true story when I found out I had to look up the author.This story is about brutal child abuse told through the voice of a 11 year old boy.I don`t want to say more it will ruin it but the love the brothers had for each other all for different reasons is what helped some of them to get through this ordeal.Don`t start this if you have things to do because this is a can`t put it down until done book.I read it on my kindle which you can download for free also for your PC.LOVE my kindle lots of books under 3 dollars.Lots of new writers I would have missed without it.
January 25, 2016
This book is not for the faint of heart. I totally fell in love with the narrator of this book (an 11 year old boy) and am still pretty much in shock over this book. When I finished, the first words out of my mouth were, "Holy Mary, Mother of God" (I hardly ever say things like that).
That being said, I believe that people who believe that social programs should be cut should read this book. Children don't ask to be born, and if their parents are not able to take care of them, there should be safe alternatives.
I believe that Mike's father did feel love and protection for his children, but did not know how to handle the overwhelming task of the family that faced him. For sure, this book is deeply moving and disturbing. It will be with me for a long time.
That being said, I believe that people who believe that social programs should be cut should read this book. Children don't ask to be born, and if their parents are not able to take care of them, there should be safe alternatives.
I believe that Mike's father did feel love and protection for his children, but did not know how to handle the overwhelming task of the family that faced him. For sure, this book is deeply moving and disturbing. It will be with me for a long time.
January 26, 2011
Very depressing. The story does an amazing job gripping you in the beginning and never letting you go. The events in the book are nothing short of traumatizing, but the relationship between the brothers help to balance the book out.
December 15, 2011
My review is based strictly on personal taste, and not the skill of the writer. The book was well written, but it was so depressing that I can't shake the feeling. That is why I did not like it. It is a subject that needs to be addressed, for sure...but it was too painful to read about it.
January 5, 2011
I just finished this and am still trying to figure out how I feel. Is that a good thing?
February 2, 2011
A sad, horrific, heart-breaking account of childhood abuse that will put you through the range of emotions and leave you raw at the end.
February 6, 2011
An unbelievably sad account of childhood abuse. The story will put you through a range of emotions and the ending will leave you wanting the story to go on.
February 7, 2011
Not a big fan. Depressing and hated the ending.
February 8, 2013
I had so much hope for this poor boy. Went through so much ion so little time. I wanted him to have a better life despite the odd.
February 10, 2014
The plot makes sense, but the characters are not well-developed. There was too much secual descriptions for my tastes.
April 18, 2014
I loved and hated this book. But without doubt it makes an impact. This book has stayed with me for years; it's just that painful. But it is delivered well. It's a great book, but holy ouch.
Want to Read
July 11, 2010This one is from Smashwords. Find it in Kindle under "Chapter 1: What is Heaven"
Want to Read
March 27, 2012Recommended by people who've read The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews