I loved this one so much!!!

The Many Half-Lived Lives of Sam Sylvester is a YA thriller about teenage Sam who is nonbinary (they/them pronouns). Sam is recovering from trauma and with their dad has moved to a new school that will hopefully be more understanding of Sam's gender and their autism. Sam ends up meeting some kids from the Queer club and makes a couple friends. But as they settle into their new house, they found out someone was murdered in it before they bought it.

Sam is intrigued and has to know more. With their new friends in tow, the three of them begin to investigate the murder. But things are getting weird, Sam finds threatening notes and sinister shadows the more they dig into the case. Are they onto something or are the notes unrelated?

Y'all I loved this book with my whole being. I need more books with neurodivergent and nonbinary MCs. The feeling of being seen like Sam made me feel is indescribable. I love them so much and I want to protect them and their dad at all costs.

I really loved the mystery part of this as well. It doesn't really ramp up until past 25% or so since Sam is busy trying to fit into school and get used to a new town. But I loved the investigation once it started. It was so gripping and I loved how I was kept guessing until the end.

There's also a little bit of romance in this book and it was so so sweet. I absolutely loved the relationship that developed!

Rep: white Autistic panromantic asexual nonbinary MC, adopted by an aroace Black dad, Latina sapphic female side character, various other queer side characters.

CWs: Bullying, panic attacks, biphobia/bimisia, homophobia/homomisia, transphobia/transmisia, grief, stalking, death, mental illness (anxiety), attempted murder. Moderate: murder, alcoholism (side character), cursing, violence, toxic friendship, suicidal thoughts. Minor: Cancer, domestic abuse, self harm, gaslighting, outing.

Thank you so much Maya MacGregor and NetGalley for this eARC!

If you love a wide variety of representation in books like me, this one's for you!! Even though "The Many Half-Lived Lives of Sam Sylvester" sounds like it has a very cliché whodunnit plot, it brings much more than a mystery to the table. Not only do the communities this book represents need rep in "cliché" plots, but this book also intertwines problems within the community to the mystery.

Sam Sylvester is the non-binary autistic MAIN CHARACTER we all needed, and their father is a gem too. Yes, you will be slapped across the face with MANY hurthful truths and scenes, but that's why I loved this book. It doesn't sugar coat the VERY bad situation that happens to Sam and, unfortunately, still happens to many LGBTQIA+ teens to this day. The only thing I wanted to deep dive into a little more was the autistic side of Sam (and I'm using the term used by Sam/the author in the book to refer to ASD) - but it was okay that I didn't get to though, because it made sense that the reader wouldn't be someone Sam would share something so deep and personal upfront. This was only my personal curiosity, it still is very well presented and I loved it. <3

Great for nostalgic 80's lovers - though it doesn't focus that much on this topic -, this book gives me 80's movie vibes, with many loving and interesting characters in this newcomer to town setting. It reminded me a lot of Back To The Future 1 for some reason (but it has nothing to do with it). It also felt very real, not only due to the raw scenes and situations, but because of the small things that happen that can hurt you the most, small details or even situations that come alongside mundane things.

I found some things to be unlikely, even if this mystery isn't an "epic" one, like Agatha Christie's. But considering the absurd things that can happen to LGBTQIA+ people - and the repertoire of very bad crimes that happen to anyone who is not a cis-het white man in my country - it was plausible enough.

I REALLY think everyone should give this a shot. Whether you're an adult or teenager, whether you're LGBTQIA+ or not, this book is revolutionary. This book taught me a lot!

When I finished it, I felt happy that someone chose this book to come out of a publishing house and made it possible that we have another beautiful and respectful story with great representation of these minorities, I cried a lot. Relief washed through me and I also felt like Sam was a new friend I could count on.

MY RATING 4/5 STARS

“I’m not a girl. I’m an experience.”

This was a really cool and interesting book. One of my favorite aspects was all the representation the book had. We have Sam the main character who is non-binary and autistic and a ton of LGBTQ+ side characters.

There is also some amazing representation for adoption, and I really loved to see the amazing between Sam and their dad. Their relationship was so great, and I absolutely loved how supportive he was through the entire book, and never made Sam feel less than because of their identities.

It was also great to see Sam being so easily accepted into the queer club at school and making new friends after having struggled so much at the last school to put it mildly. Shep and Sky (and later Aidan) were amazing as well and I loved to see how their friendships evolved.

The beginning of Sam and Shep’s relationship was really lovely as well! I really liked the fact that neither of them would pressure the other at all. Even though one of them might not be ready to talk about something, we saw how the other never took offence and accepted it without question.

Even though I don’t normally read mystery books I thought the mystery aspect of the book was really interesting and kept me really invested in the story to see what was going to happen next. I really enjoyed seeing Sam and their friends trying to solve this old murder that everyone kept saying was an accident.

This book is an absolutely wild ride. At the jump I was hesitant because I wasn’t sure what this story wanted to be- was it a coming out story? A supernatural story? A murder mystery? I could t quite figure out where the story was taking me- but the characters were compelling and I found myself wanting to know what would happen to Sam, would they figure out their place in the world, and would they be able to heal from their oat trauma?

There is a lot going on in this book and I’m happy to report that once all the pieces start coming together the story really clicks. I’m actually a bit surprised that it all worked out as smoothly as it did… but it did. In the end it seems that this book can be a bit of everything and it can all make sense. This was a good read and I really enjoyed how it took a hard look at some serious topics and wove them into a story that kept me engaged.

Thank you so much, NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review of this book.

The Many Half Lived Lives of Sam Sylvester provided so much wonderful queer(ace spec/bi/enby) and ASD representation. It was a super quick read and I absolutely loved it. I thought that it could have been a bit longer but it was still really great as it is. The characters were extremely loveable and it was so easy to care about them.

'My name is Sam Sylvester, and I've got a whole life to live.' — The Many Half-lived lives of Sam Sylvester, Maya McGregor.

The Many half-lived lives of Sam Sylvester may be one of my last reads of 2022 but, you know what, I'm glad it is. This novel follows the story of Sam Sylvester, an eighteen-year-old non-binary and autistic teenager, who starts a new life with their father, Junius Sylvester, in Astoria. With them, Sam doesn't come empty-handed: they have a very special book called the Book of half-lived lives, in which are gathered the stories of teenagers who haven't passed the age of nineteen. Among these teens, Billy Clement caught the attention of Sam, for the one and good reason that Sam and Junius just moved into Billy's house—a house which the neighbourhood thought haunted after the 'tragic accident' that they believe happened to Billy, thirty years ago. Sam knows Billy's story and doesn't believe that it was only a 'tragic accident': Who would willingly eat something with peanuts in it when they know they are allergic to them? For Sam and others, like their friend Shep or that anonymous blogger who kept an active blog on Billy for thirty years to uncover the truth, what happened was murder. And Sam is determined to prove it.

I've found this book so special, not only because it tackles themes that are very important in nowadays society, but also because every character seemed so authentic and representative of people readers might know in their reality. I dare to speak for everyone when I say that we've all known a Blaise in high school, or a Dylan that had good intentions but was very clumsy in his way to express them. We've also all had our Shep, this close friend whom we couldn't imagine our life without, or that Aidan, stuck between two worlds—the one he is forced to live in and the one he wants to enter. Perhaps the only character that is rarer is Sam because they are so original on their own and so true to themselves, the kind of person like we don't often encounter today. I really appreciated them and enjoyed following their development.

Apart from them, I think it is important to mention the originality of the plot itself. Finding what happened to Billy was fascinating because moving from past to present and present to past really brought into light the things that Sam had to understand to move on in their own life. Also, I liked that the whole story wasn't centred on Sam's traumas, but also on Shep's and Sky's and Aidan's. It provided the readers with many experiences in which to recognise themselves—just like Maya McGregor mentions in their acknowledgements.

What I wasn't fond of was the pacing of the book. Sometimes, it felt a bit too long, and I found myself skipping some bits here and there because I didn't think they were bringing something particular to the story (although I can understand the writer's choice to balance the story with actions and more light-hearted scenes, if I may call them so). So, on the whole, I'd say this was a very enjoyable read. I would definitely recommend it as I thought that the diverse representations were super nice, just like the plot, and I'm sure a lot of readers I know would LOVE the story.

Thank you so much Netgalley and Astra Publishing house for the opportunity to review the eARC.

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.

From the moment I started this book, I knew it would be my favorite. I love the non-binary and queer rep and it made me feel seen.

One of the many things I like is the plot, it was unpredictable and with every new twist I couldn’t put it down. Another thing is the relationship between Sam and their dad, Their bond is so amazing and proves that family isn’t blood.

The writing (especially the description) is fabulous and I’m super excited to read future books Maya MacGregor will write.

I highly recommend this book.

Thank you Netgalley for giving me a digital ARC!
This book has everything! LGBTQ+ rep, mystery, great plot and character etc. I really liked this book and I would recommend it to everyone!

Thanks to the publisher for providing an eARC of The Many Half-Lived Lives of Sam Sylvester.

While I'm stoked to read whatever Maya MacGergor writes next and definitely fell for Sam as a protagonist, I do think this suffers from a little bit too many "debut pacing issues" for me to consider it a new favourite. It's still really great and both non-binary & autistic rep are seldom seen in non-contemporary YA so I'd definitely recommend giving this one a shot.

Sam Sylvester is an 18 year old non-binary teen with autism that takes a special interest in kids that have died before they turn 19. Sam encounters a bit of a ghost story when they move into the house of a teen boy who died when he was 16, in the very room that Sam occupies. Throughout the story, Sam finds friends that are just as interested in the case of the 30-year mystery that has haunting the town of Astoria. When they try to uncover the secrets of the teens passing, they might find things that they weren’t ready for.
One of the first things that caught my eye about this book was the fact that the main character was queer, non-binary, and autistic. Not only does the author do an amazing job with the representation, I was also pleasantly surprised to see that the book acknowledges a lot of the experiences of gender identity and anxiety in a non-romanticized way, in a way that more writers need to include. The author also includes the mentions of biphobia and bisexual erasure, something that is still a serious problem in today’s society.
The writing style was really easy to follow and very laid back, something that I find really enjoyable in YA novels. The pace starts off a bit slow at the beginning of the book, but it’s all made up for throughout the story. Sometimes it’s good to have a slow start, because you don’t want to rush unnecessary details, which the author worked out wonderfully. I really enjoyed the relationships and friendships throughout the book. Sam and Shep’s relationship was really interesting to read to me, because as a young adults, it’s refreshing to see two teenagers that are doing things awkwardly because of the sole fact that they’re teenagers!! It was refreshing to see that they didn’t always know what they were doing, but they still made it work anyways.

I honestly enjoyed this book much more that I thought I was going to, and for that I have to thank the amazing author for!! The book was beautifully written and I cannot wait to have a copy of this up on my shelves to show off to my peers.

★ ★ ★ ★ & recommended!

Content Warnings: panic attacks, bullying, biphobia, murder, cursing, self-harm (not c*tting), shitty parents, shitty friend

YA is typically Not My Thing, but I disregarded that sentiment completely after reading the summary for this book.

Sam Sylvester is an 18 year old non-binary kid with autism who moves into an infamous house in a small town after some heavy shit happened at their last school. Told from their perspective, we learn that Sam has always felt connected to kids who died too soon- who had half-lived lives, and this house brings one of those half-lived lives to the forefront. The story follows Sam and the new friends they make as they dig into this 30-year old mystery to find out what happened to the kid who died in Sam’s house all those years ago.

So within our main character we have non-binary, pansexual, autistic, adopted representation. What!? And our author is queer and autistic as well. We love to see it.

I found the writing really chill and easy to follow. Sam’s narration didn’t feel juvenile like some YAs do (which is why i avoid the genre because i’m old now), so it made this really likable for even a cranky adult person like me! It did take me a bit to get into the story as the pace starts slow and then ramps up around 40% and keeps going from there. It’s a supernatural mystery- the supernatural elements were done pretty well. I was worried I’d find them tedious and hand-wavey, but I think that was handled well! The characters are all wonderful. I wasn’t queer in high school (if you know, you know) but I think if we aged down my queer friend group and our one straight friend, it would be a lot like this.

Honorable character mention is Junius Sylvester, Sam’s black adoptive father who is basically dad of the year. He’s here with the passive aro ace rep that we love to see! I’ve also decided that he’s a dilf.

So yeah, loved this. I’ll probably buy a copy once it actually comes out because the cover is neat and I just want to support a story this good and queer.

The Many Half-Lived Lives of Sam Sylvester is a deeply fascinating and engaging story about a non-binary autistic person who goes on a journey to learn about others, but really ends up learning about themself and what it means to be alive. This story is a mystery, but it also deals with a lot of personal issues as well.

First off, I just want to say that I really enjoyed this novel. I’d read a couple of reviews before beginning that said they weren’t really interested in the mystery, and while the representation was cool, they just couldn’t get into it. I’m pleased to report that I had the opposite reaction! I thought the mystery was so intriguing and interesting, and I was completely invested in the characters in this story. I will agree, however, that I loved the representation. Not only does this book feature a non-binary autistic character (which there are many non-binary autistic people out there, so this was so cool to see represented), but the author is also non-binary and autistic. Sam’s character is also one I was able to connect to almost immediately. I’m so happy to see more neurodivergent representation that’s different than the average white male who likes trains (of course there are actually people like this, but it’s a huge spectrum, and the fact that only a very small minority of it has been represented up until this point is just so sad). I can’t tell you how much it means to me and to tons of others out there to see more representation like this.

As for the book itself, I absolutely loved the family dynamic. Sam’s father adopted them when they were young and has been helping them to survive in a world that is so against them. Their bond was loving, sweet, and positive, and it warmed my heart during their scenes. Something else that I thought was so cool is the fact that Sam’s dad is a single Black man uninterested in marriage, so he decided to adopt. We rarely get to see anything like this (and if we do, it’s not a minority group adopting), so this was another aspect of representation that I greatly appreciated.

The friend groups in The Many Half-Lived Lives of Sam Sylvester were also really well done. Before moving to Astoria, Sam had only had negative experiences with friends, so having a group that was loyal and respectful meant the world to them. I enjoyed watching the group grow closer and more tight-knit as the story went on, and I thought they all complimented each other really well.

Additionally, the mystery aspect of the book was so suspenseful. I spent the entire book suspicious of every single person, and towards the end, I was on the edge of my seat as we were slowly figuring out what had happened. There was a big twist at the end that I honestly did not see coming, and at first I thought it wasn’t super believable, but as I reflected on the book, I realized that there had in fact been little hints placed here and there. Going in I thought that the mystery would take a backseat and Sam’s personal struggles would be the main focus, but I was so impressed with how the author intertwined these two plot points. They went together seamlessly, and while the mystery was being solved, Sam was simultaneously going through a journey of self-discovery and growth. It was so well done.

Really, the only main issue I had with the book was the fact that Sam was on the ace spectrum, but it wasn’t mentioned until 3/4 of the way through the book, and when it was, it was only mentioned once, and not even to their friends or girlfriend. I wish it had been expanded upon in more detail, because I would have loved having more really meaningful ace rep.

While the relationship between Sam and Shep was sweet, I didn’t feel a whole lot of chemistry between them, but honestly I didn’t mind. It was obvious they liked each other, and their interactions were endearing, so it wasn’t really an issue, it was just something I noted.

The Many Half-Lived Lives of Sam Sylvester is one book that I don’t think I’ll forget any time soon. It deals with several different topics including trauma and how difficult it is to process, and they were all handled with so much care.

I cannot tell you glad I am that I was able to read this book. It really spoke to me, and I was so engaged the entire time. There were points that I simply could not bring myself to put it down.

I honestly really loved this book. The writing style flowed nicely and the plot was engaging. The fact that Sam's heart was not on their sleeve was such a difference from other books. A much needed difference. overall the book made it easy to fall in love with the character and I genuinely fell in love with Sam. The tension and intrigue is on point. the book is past paced and action packed. It combines a heart warming queer romance and a breathtaking paranormal murder mystery - what else could you want?? I loved it!

Thank you Netgalley and Astra Publishing House for providing me this eARC!

Thank you so much, NetGalley, Astra Publishing House, Astra Young Readers, for the chance to read and review one of my most anticipated reads in 2022!

TW: PTDS, trauma, bullying, death, aggression

Sam hopes their recent move to the small town of Astoria will be a beginning of a new and safe life, but after a traumatic experience in their last home, in the rural Midwest, they are not so confident. Soon enough, though, they meet new friends and a potential love interest in Shep, the neighbour. But Sam is attracted to what mysteriously happened to a boy who died in their new bedroom, in 1980s Astoria and they, with the help of Shep, start to investigate, drawn to his death, considered by everyone a "tragic accident". Sam, Shep and others are conviced he was murdered and they start to investigate and it's soon clear, when threatening notes arrive, that someone doesn't want them to know the truth. What will Sam decide to do?

I LOVED reading The Many half-lived lives of Sam Sylvester. The story is brilliant and intriguing and Sam is a wonderful, complex and relatable main character. Sam is nonbinary, they are autistic and they are drawn to teenagers' death, people who died before their time. When they move in the same bedroom where one of them died, Sam feels attracted to this boy and starts an investigation to understand and avenge his mysterious death.
Between feelings and intuitions, Sam starts to understand, researching and collecting pieces. I love how Sam starts to feel safe and at home in Astoria, making friends and allies, finding their place, building relationships, while battling with their past traumas, PTSD and feelings with what happened in their past. It was painful reading how they suffer and remember, but, also, satisfying, seeing Sam creating a new life there and trying to move on. Sam's past, traumas and memories are interwoven with their investigation and their trying to solve a 30-years-old "accident", while going to school, making friends and so much more.
I adore the investigation, helped by Sam's intuitions and feelings and how they look at the world, it was so intriguing and captivating trying to piece every puzzle's pieces, between revelations, discoveries and mysteries, notes and threats.

The characterization is brilliant and wonderfully well made and I saw myself so much in Sam with their coping mechanisms, their stimming and (some) reactions to events. It was so wonderful and moving seeing them supported and loved by school and friends, even battling against some bullies and the relationships between characters are really well rounded.
Sam and Shep are amazing and I loved their building relationship and how they grow to talk, care, respect each other's wishes and spaces and it was really empowering and sweet. I love Sky and Aidan, too.
Mostly I love the relationship between Sam and their father, how they understand, love and support one other, how they get, respect and be there for each other, it was so brilliant and good to read. I think it's one of the most powerful relationship in this book and I absolutely love the love between them, how they talk, understand and would do anything for one other.

It's also really interesting and it hit close to home for me, how Sam saw their birthday and the time in general, how they perceived the passing time and how they saw the people who died before a certain year, how that specific time was pregnant with intensity, scare and finality.

This book is truly a masterpiece and I loved everything! I can't recommend it enough and I can't wait to have a physical copy!

This book is fantastic, and a must read for anyone who has ever felt different… which is basically everyone.

Sam moved from Montana to Oregon with their father after betrayal from a best friend made them a victim of a hate crime. This was supposed to be a fresh start, but a murder mystery threatens even as it brings Sam together with a new group of friends.

With excellent representation in LGBTQIA+, BIPOC, and an autistic main character, this book very poignantly discusses the external desires and fears surrounding acceptance. It discusses mental health surrounding and independent of that acceptance. However, it also focuses on friendship, and, of course the murder mystery.

All this these topics are discussed without being preachy. Instead, they’re delivered artfully with just the right balance of seriousness and levity. There are also statements about the assumptions we make, the people who surprise you, and the acknowledgment that things are not always as they seem.

While I’d recommend this for any age, it is certainly a thought-provoking book that would open up great discussion in a high school classroom!

Thank you Netgalley and Astra Publishing House for providing me this eARC!

The Many Half-Lived Lives of Sam Sylvester had me consumed from the start to the very end. The characters where absolutely very well written, and I simply wanted more of them.

This books follows Sam Sylvester, a non-binary teenager who is also autistic. Their story had me HOOKED! I loved the dynamics shown within their relationship with their dad and the other characters as well...especially Shep. Sam meets Shep at school and they find out that they are living in the house a boy by the name of Billy Clemet died in. Shep already knew this of course, and does not think that Billy's death was an accident, but rather a murder. I absolutely adored Sam's father and his relationship with Sam.

This book was so raw, and showed so many emotions in it. Good, bad, hurt, you name it honestly. The author did a great job portraying their characters and their emotions. The only thing that I had troubles with was I kind of expected some things to happened due to the fact it was predictable at times. Other than that, I literally fell in love with this book. This book is perfect for those who love a good mystery that is really well paced. I would definitely recommend reading The Many Half-Lived of Sam Sylvester when it debuts in May 2022!

Firstly loved seeing a nonbinary character as a main lead and done so well , Sam was an amazing character.
The plot of the book was amazing and i always love thrillers, unfortunately the pacing and writing style wasn't really what i like hence the 3 star review. It was still a very enjoyable book and i would recommend it to everyone if they want something fun and thrilling.



Thank you netgalley for providing me with the arc of this book . Will post the review on all my socials closer to the release date

This is unfortunately a DNF for me. I like the plot, and the premise of the book, but the writing style isn’t for me. I can see others really enjoying this book and writing style but it is not for me.

This book was such a wonderful mystical experience. I loved our main character and to see another non-binary character put front and center. I loved their relationships and the mystery aspect in this.