Scan barcode
sophiepellegrini's review against another edition
4.0
I really loved this book--I got so absorbed in Sam and her world and felt connected to her. I loved the way Allegra wrote about girlhood and relational trauma. I can understand why the writing style wouldn't work for everyone but it worked for me, especially the progression of complexity as Sam aged.
ainsleym's review
5.0
This was so good!!! It was so emotional without being overwrought or pushing anything too intensely. I loved how the writing style changed slowly as Sam grew up and how it fit her interest in climbing and geology. The inclusion of ecology fit so well and I loved seeing that theme after reading and loving The Other Side of the Island growing up. Very excited to read her other books.
annalikesthings's review against another edition
emotional
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
4.0
enne_deali's review
5.0
dude i loved this book.
it was literally perfect idek.
i think i liked it so much because there were happy parts and there were sad parts and it wasnt fake.
it felt like a true story, like how life actually works.
life isnt some fun party where everyone ends up happy in the end and romance ends well and people dont die and blah blah blah.
life is messy. SO FRICKING MESSY.
and so was sam's life, or the parts that this book talked about.
they were happy, then sad, then messed-up, then confusing.
and it was just so refreshing to read a book that actually felt real. it felt possible.
and i loved that!!
i hope you give this a shot <3
bye babes!!
it was literally perfect idek.
i think i liked it so much because there were happy parts and there were sad parts and it wasnt fake.
it felt like a true story, like how life actually works.
life isnt some fun party where everyone ends up happy in the end and romance ends well and people dont die and blah blah blah.
life is messy. SO FRICKING MESSY.
and so was sam's life, or the parts that this book talked about.
they were happy, then sad, then messed-up, then confusing.
and it was just so refreshing to read a book that actually felt real. it felt possible.
and i loved that!!
i hope you give this a shot <3
bye babes!!
literarycrushes's review
3.0
Sam by Allegra Goodman is a charming coming-of-age novel that centers around Sam as she grapples with her changing identity from seven to nineteen. The narration adapts and changes as she ages, and the sparse, declarative storytelling matures alongside her, as the child’s play-by-play transitions into a young woman’s quietly poetic exploration of herself.
Sam lives a frill-less life in Massachusetts, with an overworked mother who loves her but is barely getting by and can’t always give Sam what she wants. (One thing I loved about this novel was the duality of perception – as an adult reader, you sympathize with the mom who can’t do certain things and who really DOES have her best interests at heart but remember the blind misunderstanding of a child being told NO). Sam’s father loves her too, but he’s busy struggling with his own demons, and drops in and out of her life in a way that makes Sam idolize him as a child, but distrust him as a teenager. I really enjoyed reading about Sam’s unwavering passion for climbing (and the parallel metaphor of her own climb through life).
Overall, it’s a quick read that toes the line between young adult and adult fiction both in its tone and plot, which isn’t my favorite genre but left me with a soft spot for such a beautiful character. My other only critique was that I really kept wishing Sam was going to realize she was gay… but maybe that’s just me.
Sam lives a frill-less life in Massachusetts, with an overworked mother who loves her but is barely getting by and can’t always give Sam what she wants. (One thing I loved about this novel was the duality of perception – as an adult reader, you sympathize with the mom who can’t do certain things and who really DOES have her best interests at heart but remember the blind misunderstanding of a child being told NO). Sam’s father loves her too, but he’s busy struggling with his own demons, and drops in and out of her life in a way that makes Sam idolize him as a child, but distrust him as a teenager. I really enjoyed reading about Sam’s unwavering passion for climbing (and the parallel metaphor of her own climb through life).
Overall, it’s a quick read that toes the line between young adult and adult fiction both in its tone and plot, which isn’t my favorite genre but left me with a soft spot for such a beautiful character. My other only critique was that I really kept wishing Sam was going to realize she was gay… but maybe that’s just me.
shareen17's review
4.0
A story of a girl with many troubles - family, economic, school, social - who keeps working and moving forward as she moves from childhood to adulthood.
bookfaerie_98's review against another edition
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
crivamonte's review
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
4.0