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A review by bookish_burrow
The Many Half-Lived Lives of Sam Sylvester by Maya MacGregor
dark
emotional
funny
inspiring
mysterious
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? It's complicated
5.0
Thank you to Astra Publishing House and Netgalley for this eARC in exchange for an honest review. This book will be published on May 3, 2022!
First off, WOW! It is has been quite a while since a book sucked me in so much that I NEEDED to finish it in one sitting! This book has it all; a diverse cast of characters, a mysterious small town brimming with secrets, ghostly happenings, a loveable friend group, and INCREDIBLE representation.
I loved Sam, they were such a loveable character and it was great to see an autistic and nonbinary character represented in literature! I will be honest I didn't realize how little I had read things in fictional literature regarding autism, nonbinary representation, pronoun introductions or usage, or even happily single dad representation. I loved seeing bisexual representation as well as discussion of bi-erasure and asexuality and aromanticism. Like some other reviewers have commented on, however, there was a specific sentence in the book that included the two as one identity when they are two separate identities. I felt this could add some confusion to young readers who may be exploring these identities. That being said, literature like this is something I wish had been available when I was growing up as a teenager but I am so happy that teens now can.
MacGregor's writing is stunning, it was so well-balanced between character description, ambiance building, and dialogue. I really loved how we learned about Sam's story in gradualness as the mystery of the town unraveled. I was a bit worried that the book would feel weighed down because of the numerous plot lines that all intertwined into the core plot but I didn't actually feel that way at all! By the end, I had come up with about 10 endings I thought would happen and none of them did and I absolutely love that. This book was one that definitely kept me on my toes!!
My other comment does not affect my overall rating of this title as it was more of a personal thing because it was the one thing that took me out of my reading. To preface, I am an adult reader and I know for a fact my 15-year self had been reading this she wouldn't have even blinked an eye because she created very long acronyms in text and in spoken conversation. Within the book, Sam at times will respond to what someone is saying by stating an emoji that might be used in a text conversation in spoken conversation. It was something minute, in all honesty, and doesn't take anything off my rating it was just something I cringed a little at while reading.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I would highly recommend it but I would want to caution some readers as some content in this book may be triggering to individuals. Thank you again to Astra Publishing House, Netgalley, and to MacGregor for such an incredible book brimming with lots of important content.
First off, WOW! It is has been quite a while since a book sucked me in so much that I NEEDED to finish it in one sitting! This book has it all; a diverse cast of characters, a mysterious small town brimming with secrets, ghostly happenings, a loveable friend group, and INCREDIBLE representation.
I loved Sam, they were such a loveable character and it was great to see an autistic and nonbinary character represented in literature! I will be honest I didn't realize how little I had read things in fictional literature regarding autism, nonbinary representation, pronoun introductions or usage, or even happily single dad representation. I loved seeing bisexual representation as well as discussion of bi-erasure and asexuality and aromanticism. Like some other reviewers have commented on, however, there was a specific sentence in the book that included the two as one identity when they are two separate identities. I felt this could add some confusion to young readers who may be exploring these identities. That being said, literature like this is something I wish had been available when I was growing up as a teenager but I am so happy that teens now can.
MacGregor's writing is stunning, it was so well-balanced between character description, ambiance building, and dialogue. I really loved how we learned about Sam's story in gradualness as the mystery of the town unraveled. I was a bit worried that the book would feel weighed down because of the numerous plot lines that all intertwined into the core plot but I didn't actually feel that way at all! By the end, I had come up with about 10 endings I thought would happen and none of them did and I absolutely love that. This book was one that definitely kept me on my toes!!
My other comment does not affect my overall rating of this title as it was more of a personal thing because it was the one thing that took me out of my reading. To preface, I am an adult reader and I know for a fact my 15-year self had been reading this she wouldn't have even blinked an eye because she created very long acronyms in text and in spoken conversation. Within the book, Sam at times will respond to what someone is saying by stating an emoji that might be used in a text conversation in spoken conversation. It was something minute, in all honesty, and doesn't take anything off my rating it was just something I cringed a little at while reading.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I would highly recommend it but I would want to caution some readers as some content in this book may be triggering to individuals. Thank you again to Astra Publishing House, Netgalley, and to MacGregor for such an incredible book brimming with lots of important content.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Biphobia, Bullying, Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Stalking, and Transphobia
Moderate: Death, Grief, Murder, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, and Outing