The Otto Digmore Difference

By: Brent Hartinger

Narrated by: Michael Crouch

“Road trip!”

Otto Digmore is a 26-year-old gay guy with dreams of being a successful actor, and he's finally getting some attention as a result of his supporting role on a struggling sitcom. But he's also a burn survivor with scars on half his face, and all indications are that he's just too different to ever find real Hollywood success.

Now he's up for an amazing new role that could change everything. Problem is, he and his best friend Russel Middlebrook have to drive all the way across the country in order to get to the audition on time.

It's hard to say which is worse: the fact that so many things go wrong, or that Russel, an aspiring screenwriter, keeps comparing their experiences to some kind of road trip movie.

There's also the fact that Otto and Russel were once boyfriends, and Otto is starting to realize that he might still have romantic feelings for his best friend.

Just how far will Otto go to get the role, and maybe the guy, of his dreams?

Author Brent Hartinger first introduced the character of Otto Digmore in 2005, in his Lambda Award-winning books about Russel Middlebrook. Back then, Otto was something pretty unusual for YA literature: a disabled gay character.

Now, more than a decade later, Otto is grown up and finally stepping into the spotlight on his own. The Otto Digmore Difference, the first book in a new stand-alone series for adults, is about much more than the challenges of being "different." It's also about the unexpected nature of all of life's journeys, and the heavy price that must be paid for Hollywood fame.

But more than anything, it's a different kind of love story, about the frustrating and fantastic power of the love between two friends.

Praise for Brent Hartinger:

“Hits the narrative sweet spot." (NPR's All Things Considered)

"Downright refreshing." (USA Today)

"Touching and realistic...hilarious." (Kirkus Reviews)

©2017 Brent Hartinger (P)2019 Audible, Inc.

Exceptional

I’ve just finished my first reading/ listening. I’ll go back through it again as I always do with something I like. Characters, dialogue and
narration was superb.

Slightly Disappointed

I have read all the books except for one in the Russell Middlebrook series and I loved all the books. The only problem I had with this one was the scene with the black truck; it was the typical narrative of a straight person trying to gay bash. The overall storyline, to me was about breaking stereotypes, but this part was just another stereotype and did not seem to fit in with the rest of the story. Other scenarios depicted did not turn out in a stereotypical way, why did this one? I just found it to be disappointing.

Otherwise, this is a good listen and the narrator is excellent.

Great Story, Great Listen

I purchased this title blindly without giving much thought to the description. It wasn't until I was a few chapters in that I realized the characters had carried over from a previous Hartinger novel.
This was a great story and not your typical gay romance novel. I could have done without the final romance twist but obviously that wasn't the focus of the book.

The best compliment I can give to gay fiction is, this book would still have been a good read if the characters weren't gay. Harder to identify with but still a good book.

Oh yes!

Loved it. Definitely will make you re-think and evaluate options and priorities in you life.

Better than expected..

The story was so much more than I was expecting. I expected it to fizzle out within the first couple of chapters but it didn’t. No hot sex but a good story line… one that allowed me to see the world through someone else’s eyes from a perspective that I had never considered. Very sobering..

Surprisingly Good!

I didn’t know this book was so deep. It makes you take a look at yourself and where do you see your future going. Especially with the path chosen and how you treat the people you cross. It is a love story but not a lovers story so there is no heat. But you don’t really need it for the plots. Good for all ages.

An unexpected gem!

A beautiful and poignant emotional journey. Excellently narrated. A treat for movie geeks as well.

good listen

easy to follow, some very memorable quotes. nice closing, but I wanted more. some good ideas.

wonderful story

you truly caught me in this. although I'm not a burn surviver I am a surviver of the now ill fated NAMBA an was a child rased in that life. I know the pain an suffering an the pain it has given my life. Otto is me an my life. although I never got to merry my male soulmate as Russ an Kevin did I did grow up abused an hurt as Otto did. this story brought it all back to me an all I can say is thank you an 💓💓 your stories have made me want to write my story. I just wish I could. but keep writing stories of this nature an I will keep listening. I truly appreciate an love every one of them. thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Jim Arrowsmith
[e-mail]

Otto

This was a very thoughtful tale with lots of intrigue. I was thinking during the latter part of the story about how Otto was feeling sorry for himself and how the life of others brought him out of that state. The ending pulled everything together and has a nice ending.