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A review by literarycrushes
Sam by Allegra Goodman
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.