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imstephtacular's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Bullying, Transphobia, Grief, Mental illness, Hate crime, Homophobia, and Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Biphobia, Cursing, Gun violence, Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Death, Dysphoria, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, and Alcohol
Minor: Vomit, Suicide, Classism, Cursing, Gaslighting, Physical abuse, and Stalking
howlinglibraries's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
Not only did the dialogue and characters feel stilted and flat much of the time, but the romance struck me as entirely unnecessary. I love a romantic subplot and it's very rare that I wish a book had skipped it altogether, but Sam and Shep didn't have any romantic chemistry and the formation of their relationship felt rushed and one-dimensional. The friendships between Sam and the other side characters were also difficult to connect to, with the only real exception being the surprising level of warmth I felt towards the unlikely closeness between Sam and Aiden.
I feel terrible for complaining so much, but while we're at it, while the mystery did keep me engaged, the killer reveal was predictable and their motive was anti-climactic. A slight spoiler here:
All of the negatives aside, there were a few things I loved, and the greatest of these was, without a doubt, Junius Sylvester. Sam's dad is an absolute shining beacon of wonderful parenting in a world of books full of lackluster or terrible fathers, and the fact that he was also ace/aro and a Black man (who occasionally touched on topics important to him specifically, such as the eggshells he walks on in his daily life to avoid being seen as a "problem") was an added bonus on top of his unconditional love for Sam and his delightful dad jokes. Honestly, 5 stars for Junius alone.
Altogether, The Many Half-Lived Lives of Sam Sylvester is a book that I had high hopes for, but it fell short on almost every front. While I'll still recommend it heartily to anyone looking for great nonbinary, autistic, and asexual rep (as Sam themself is also ace!), I wouldn't go into it looking for a fully cohesive story or a thrilling mystery.
✨ Representation: Sam is nonbinary, autistic, ace, and uses they/them pronouns, and Sam stims (including self-harm stims); Shep is Latinx and bi; Junius (Sam's dad) is Black, ace, and aro; multiple side characters are queer and/or BIPOC
Graphic: Ableism and Transphobia
Moderate: Murder, Self harm, Homophobia, and Biphobia
Minor: Racism, Alcoholism, Grief, and Emotional abuse
benediction's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Ableism, Death, Suicidal thoughts, Hate crime, Transphobia, and Homophobia
Moderate: Cursing, Emotional abuse, Grief, Stalking, Toxic friendship, Violence, Biphobia, Alcoholism, Bullying, Child death, Mental illness, Dysphoria, Outing, and Self harm
Minor: Deadnaming, Domestic abuse, Lesbophobia, Misogyny, Blood, Kidnapping, Medical content, Police brutality, Racism, and Religious bigotry
melaniereadsbooks's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
After a nearly life-ending attack when Sam lived in Montana, they move to Astoria, Oregon with their adoptive father to try and start over. But what Sam's dad doesn't know is that they think they won't make it to their 19th birthday and join the book full of other teenagers who died too young--including the one that died in their very house.
I loved this mystery/thriller so so much! I was completely absorbed throughout the entire book and really consumed it quickly. Sam is such an amazing character and I loved the many aspects to their identity. They actually remind me a bit of one of my students and it made me a little weepy. Also their dad, Junius, is probably the best adult to ever exist in a YA book ever? Like...I love him so much. He's aroace and so supportive and loving and absolutely there for Sam and takes in Sam's new friends like they are his own. I just really am here for a supportive father!
All of the side characters were also amazing. I loved all of them. Shep is an adorable and wonderful love interest and I just want to give her a hug and tell her everything will be okay! I also loved Sky and Aidan and the supportive teachers and other friends that they had throughout the book.
I highly highly recommend this one!
Graphic: Biphobia, Violence, Bullying, Transphobia, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, and Hate crime
Moderate: Gaslighting, Medical content, Toxic friendship, and Murder
Minor: Ableism and Self harm
ghostreadin's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Graphic: Murder, Toxic friendship, Violence, Suicidal thoughts, Self harm, Transphobia, and Hate crime
Moderate: Biphobia, Mental illness, Ableism, and Homophobia
aquariusqueen's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Transphobia and Homophobia
Moderate: Biphobia, Self harm, Death, and Murder
ceciii's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
The characters are everything and they are so diverse!! I loved Sam so much and they are a great main character. I also love how I could see a little of the world through their eyes and understand more the way autistic people feel and think.
And also the side characters are amazing! Sam's relationships with their friends and their Dad were so wholesome. They completely stole my heart!
The plot is really good. Even though the book starts very introductory, it doesn't feel slow. I actually liked seeing Sam adapting into their new school.
But the real thing here is the murder mystery. The author really had me making theories on who the murderer was and my mind was so full of questions all the time. This book has a lot of minor plotwists (and a couple big ones), and they kept me reading without being able to stop!
I really recommend this book!! It's very well paced, and the chapters aren't long! The characters are very loveable and it has a lot of LGBTQIA+ representation, which I loved!!!
Graphic: Transphobia, Death, and Bullying
Moderate: Death, Biphobia, Panic attacks/disorders, and Murder
littlesmaug's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
FULL REVIEW HERE:
https://littlesmaug.wordpress.com/2022/02/17/arc-review-the-many-half-lived-lives-of-sam-sylvester-by-maya-macgregor/
Explicit depictions of:
– attempted murder (twice), homophobia, transphobia, panic attacks, anaphylactic shock, violence, guns, (assumed) stalking, hate crimes
Moderate depictions of:
– biphobia, (past) murder, abusive relationships, toxic friendships, death of a grandparent, gaslighting, alcholism
Mild depictions of:
– racism, alcohol, suicide, survivor’s guilt, foster care
Graphic: Gun violence, Violence, Homophobia, Bullying, and Transphobia
Moderate: Ableism, Death, Murder, and Biphobia
Minor: Alcohol, Suicide, and Racism
bookstarbri's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Nearly every character in this is amazing. Sam, Junius, Shep, Sky, Aiden, Margie, and even clueless Dylan are such strong characters. Even those who are minor and don't serve much to the plot are nice side characters. I also think that Junius Sylvester deserves the distinction of best parent in YA ever. He was an AMAZING father and such a stunning character. The bond between him and Sam was so clear from page one and it truly felt like he would do anything to make sure his child was safe. Onto Sam: when I think about my favorite book characters, I think Sam Sylvester will always have a spot on that list. They were a character that made me so indescribably happy. I wanted to fight for them and I wanted them to be joyful experience everything they deserved. They were so carefully developed and I just love Sam so much and the romance they ended up having in this story was sweet. And I always love good ace rep and this was GOOD ace rep!
My minor complaint was that sometimes I got a bit confused with the details of the case. Sometimes we were given facts all at once so it was a lot to keep up with at one time. I also wish we could've had a bit more regarding the threatening notes and who was responsible for them. We got a sentence at the end for who did it, but I wish we could've gotten a more developed why. And I also wish we could've gotten maybe just one more scene with Sam, Shep, Sky, and Aiden all together because I love their friendship so much. Overall, this book is wonderful and so necessary. I adore it and it has a special place in my heart.
Thank you to Maya MacGregor, Astra, and NetGalley for providing an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!
Graphic: Bullying and Stalking
Moderate: Biphobia, Death, Injury/Injury detail, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Cancer
pheromonecvlt's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Okay so the premise of this book is great. Non binary teen, queer representation, autistic rep, a healthy family unit that supports that LGBTQ Autistic teen. A mysterious death that the band of teenagers try and solve?
Like yes. Awesome. Exactly what my teenage self needed.
Sam Sylvester and their dad, Junius, have recently moved into their new home, in a new town, and Sam is looking forward to the chance to restart their life, along with the hopeful prospects of making new LGBT friends at school. But when they realise that their new bedroom has a dark history, it will take more than just their book of "half lived lives" (a file of people who historically died before the age of 19) - it will also take friendship.
Okay so I actually liked this book. There isn't a lot of non binary rep in literature in general so I think it's really awesome that this book does have that.
BUT! as much as I wanted to love it, and as much as I did love some parts, the plot felt forced at some times, and the ending was anticlimactic. I thought that characters were great - but we didn't get enough of them, while we got a lot of vague references to the paranormal and repetition over previous events.
That said, it's a good read, and one with a lot of really great representation.
Graphic: Biphobia and Physical abuse