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ankonyx's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- 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
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Biphobia, Hate crime, Homophobia, Self harm, and Transphobia
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders and Toxic relationship
Minor: Child death and Suicidal thoughts
sarah984's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.5
I feel terrible giving this book such a low rating but I didn't like it at all.
I will say first off that I really liked Sam's relationship with their dad, and the way that emotions are described being interpreted through facial expressions and the general autistic point of view.
Every character that wasn't Sam or their dad was pretty one-note, though. I kept forgetting about Sky even though he was part of the core friend group, and it took me like half the book to realize Aidan and Dylan were two different guys. There were two different characters whose entire personality was "mean girl". The slang is really embarrassing (stop saying emoji!) and the constant brand name and meme references are already dated.
The mystery was also just really bad. The perpetrator is pretty easy to guessbecause it's the one adult with zero redeeming qualities. The author also seems to want to write a book where true crime sleuths save the day while acknowledging how damaging and ghoulish true crime superfans can be and that did not work for me. The way everything worked out comes across as "digging at old wounds and invading peoples' privacy is bad unless I do it."
I will say first off that I really liked Sam's relationship with their dad, and the way that emotions are described being interpreted through facial expressions and the general autistic point of view.
Every character that wasn't Sam or their dad was pretty one-note, though. I kept forgetting about Sky even though he was part of the core friend group, and it took me like half the book to realize Aidan and Dylan were two different guys. There were two different characters whose entire personality was "mean girl". The slang is really embarrassing (stop saying emoji!) and the constant brand name and meme references are already dated.
The mystery was also just really bad. The perpetrator is pretty easy to guess
Content Warnings
Graphic: Hate crime and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Ableism, Biphobia, Bullying, Child death, Death, Homophobia, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Transphobia, Medical content, Stalking, Murder, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Cancer, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Cursing, Racism, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Police brutality, Death of parent, and Toxic friendship
lettuce_read's review against another edition
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Biphobia, Bullying, and Homophobia
Minor: Self harm
imstephtacular's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- 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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Hate crime, Homophobia, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Transphobia, and Grief
Moderate: Alcoholism, Biphobia, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Murder, Alcohol, and Dysphoria
Minor: Cursing, Physical abuse, Suicide, Vomit, Stalking, Gaslighting, and Classism
howlinglibraries's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- 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
I really wanted to love this, especially because there's so little nonbinary and/or autistic representation in books (especially from authors who are nonbinary and autistic, too!), but unfortunately even the amount of love I held for the diversity in these characters couldn't redeem this story from how much the narrative voice and writing dragged it down.
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:based on the reoccurring theme of hate crimes, I fully anticipated the killer's motive to be rooted in that same plot, yet it wasn't, and for some reason it left me feeling like the entire book had carried out all of this trauma for a half-formed purpose in the end.
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
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism and Transphobia
Moderate: Biphobia, Homophobia, Self harm, and Murder
Minor: Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Racism, and Grief
benediction's review against another edition
dark
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- 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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Death, Hate crime, Homophobia, Suicidal thoughts, Transphobia, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Alcoholism, Biphobia, Bullying, Child death, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Self harm, Violence, Grief, Stalking, Outing, Toxic friendship, and Dysphoria
Minor: Deadnaming, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Racism, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Kidnapping, Religious bigotry, and Lesbophobia
melaniereadsbooks's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- 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
Thank you to Astra Publishing and Netgalley for an arc of this book.
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!
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!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Biphobia, Bullying, Death, Hate crime, Panic attacks/disorders, Transphobia, and Violence
Moderate: Medical content, Murder, Gaslighting, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Ableism and Self harm
ghostreadin's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- 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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Hate crime, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Transphobia, Violence, Murder, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Ableism, Biphobia, Homophobia, and Mental illness
aquariusqueen's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- 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
The Many Half-Lived Lives of Sam Sylvester was a story I didn’t know I needed. With an interesting mystery, a sweet romance, a cool cast of characters, and how intensely raw it is, I was drawn in from the first page.
Sam was an extremely relatable character for me and was an incredibly well-written autistic character. The casual mention of stimming, using a binder, and use of pronouns was so nice. You rarely get to read about autistic teens and Sam was refreshing.
The mystery was interesting and kept me on my toes. I had a difficult time piecing it together, until the end when it clicked.
While the mystery is definitely an integral part of the story, I feel the main message of the story is about life and how trauma can change your view of it. While this story was fluffy and funny, it wasn’t afraid to touch on heavy topics.
And this also has some pop culture references. I didn’t find them too terrible, but not everyone will like them.
Overall, I deeply love this story and Sam. As a queer non-binary autistic teen, this is exactly the story I and other queer autistic kids need.
TW: Bullying, biphobia, homophobia, transphobia, self-harm, death, murder, attempted murder
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia and Transphobia
Moderate: Biphobia, Death, Self harm, and Murder
ceciii's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- 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
This book was so good I don't even know where to start!!
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!!!
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!!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Death, and Transphobia
Moderate: Biphobia, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, and Murder