A review by bookstarbri
The Many Half-Lived Lives of Sam Sylvester by Maya MacGregor

emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective 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

4.5

This story centers around a 30-year-old mystery in the small town, Astoria. The mystery has a bit of a supernatural pull on our main character, Sam Sylvester, whose perspective we stay in for the entirety of the book. This mystery is such a blight on the town that it has led to those avoiding even discussing the person who died in the so-called "accident." This story is a mystery through and through. The theme of presences and ghosts and psychic feelings kind of add to this mysterious and mystical feel that's present throughout. I think this book is a bit of a lesson on how slow pacing can be effective. It moves pretty slowly for most of the story, but the mystery and the unease grows throughout. We're constantly having questions answered while new ones spring up. For me, the mystery was so interesting and I was desperately trying to figure out who the culprit of it all was. I will say that I wasn't entirely surprised who the culprit ended up being! I actually thought the side aspects to the case were more surprising, but I didn't mind that!

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!
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