3 Stars.

This is my first Allegra Goodman book. In the preface, she says that this is just a story about a girl growing up, there's no frills or plot twists. This intrigued me, but after finishing, I'm feeling a bit underwhelmed.

Sam's growing up in Beverly, MA. Her mom got pregnant during college and dropped out. She also has a little brother who has a different father. You're taken through the struggles of growing up poor. The only thing Sam really enjoys is climbing and spending time with her father, when he's around.

Honestly, I hate giving less than stellar reviews, but this book just didn't spark anything in me. It made me sad/depressed to live through Sam's eyes. The ending was a bit of an uptick, but I expected more from Sam.

A special thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group - Random House, and Allegra Goodman for providing me with an ARC.

Did not finish. Did not find the characters or the premise interesting. Characters and plot were not engaging and did not hold my interest.