Welcome to Litsy!

Character-driven, coming of age novel, audiobook expertly narrated by Rebecca Lowman! Readers meet Sam, a millennial (I think?), celebrating her 8th birthday with her sweet but troubled father at a pizza place. He tells her to remember the moment, which she revisits at the end of the novel at 20. Her life isn‘t easy: she and her brother are raised by their single mom. Rock climbing keeps her grounded throughout all the ups and downs of life.

We go through the most formative years of Sam‘s life and hit many milestones. I enjoy a coming-of-age story but this one didn‘t have enough for me to recommend as a pick.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
This book starts put with 7 yr old Sam who loves her father. Then we follow her throughout until her late teens. This is more of a character driven book and didn't really have any twists or big things happening which I'm fine with...it did have me rooting for Sam to have things finally go her way.

This piqued my interest when it was picked as a Read With Jenna book club pick for January.

Sam is a young girl living with her single mom and younger brother. Her dad sometimes visits regularly and sometimes doesn't come around for months.

One constant in her life is rock climbing. She loves solving the problem of a climb and the rush of excitement when she reaches the top.

I rooted for Sam from start to finish and loved her story ❤️

4⭐️/5⭐️

Loved!!! I love the way this book is written. It feels like a story being told. I love the message and the themes. The elements of rock climbing were super interesting.

Book 9 of 100.

I was looking for some Rebecca Lowman narration, and I chose this character study of a young girl. Not sure if it‘s YA or adult, but I liked how Goodman used the lens of rock climbing to tell the story of Sam‘s relationships as she matures from 7 to 19.

At 7, Sam excels at a county fair climbing wall. Her dad, who is in and out of her life, takes her to a gym where she joins a team. What she learns from climbing helps her deal with life.

🎧 “There is a girl, and her name is Sam.” So begins Allegra Goodman‘s moving and wise new novel.
Sam is seven years old and living in Beverley, Massachusetts. She adores her father, though he isn‘t around much.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ read in one day!

#NetGalley #NewRelease

Sam is a coming-of-age tale that starts when the main character is 7 and follows her through various ups and downs until she's 19.

I appreciate the exploration of family, relationships, and identity that Goodman presents, but for me, something just didn't connect. Parts I enjoyed, other parts bored me, and overall it felt a bit underwhelming.

This was an interesting if frustrating read, but it was frustrating because I was invested in Sam, not because of poor writing. I liked tracking how the style of her thoughts changed as she got older, and it was fascinating to track the details of her life that were present yet never verbalized. #literaryfiction

This is a sweet, but an often bittersweet, poignant novel about Sam—who goes from ages 7-20 during the course of this coming-of-age book. Heartbreaks, disappointments, and achievements all affect her outlook as she begins rock climbing and must deal with both parents and friends as she navigates this life that can be both exhilarating and exhausting!