Things that are a thumbs up for this book:
1. I love a good coming of age story and we see Sam grow through time.
2. I thought the pacing was good - fit the development of the character (Sam)
3. I liked the development of the side characters in the book - they had good stories!

Things that are a thumbs down for me with this book:
1. I struggled with the short choppy writing style.
2. I thought the plot could have been stronger.
3. The ending seemed contrived.

I am a fan of Allegra Goodman and will continue to be excited for anything new that she writes!!

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group, The Dial Press and NetGalley for providing an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. The book will be published on January 3rd, 2023

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

My Selling Pitch:
This book is yet another love letter to angry sad girls, and if that’s your genre, then you need to read this. No plot, just heartbreaking character development. Bonus points if you’re a Massachusetts girlie.

Pre-reading:
I’m a narcissist. This was inevitable. Slap my name in hot pink over Walmart Bella Hadid and I'm in.

Thick of it:
The author’s note is lovely. Also New England superiority. Massachusetts superiority at that.

The Topsfield fair!

Oh my god, I’m gonna cry.

This is how you write a young character without making the book insufferable.

The poem/lyrical text…Oh my god, this book it’s gonna make me sob.

This book is so good.

I love a little Scorpio. Also hello I’m a horrible person, but every Scorpio is a biter. 😂

This book is so good.

Whoops, crying. Can’t read a book with my name k thanks bye.

The narrative voice changing so subtly as she ages is so gorgeous.

I hate money.

Shut up, Cherry Hill is my favorite ice cream in New England.

Wordly wise just unlocked a memory, holy shit.

Sam, please. You’re. God, physically painful. A pointed detail. I get it. But ugh, pet peeve.

I feel like many angry sad girls will see themselves in this book.

It won’t be. Group projects are horrible.

BRB ugly crying.

I hate this man.

Little side of religious trauma.

Courtney is doing her best. 💜

I would pinpoint it here. (From the author’s note.)

College students should not touch 15 year olds. Fuck this guy.

Fuck. This. Guy.

Get him, Courtney.

Horse girls and daddy issues. Tale old as time.

Fuck the umbrella call back. BRB absolutely sobbing.

Sam’s a good sister.

Don’t make me like a fedora man. (Fuck me, but she did.)

What a love letter to your daughter, but also it’s weird to then put a sex scene haha.

I love Ann. If (when) she dies I’m gonna be pissed. (Never been so happy to be wrong.)

I cannot read this book at work. Holy fuck, I’m on the edge of tears constantly. This. Book. Is. So. Good.

I love Ann.

The callbacks in this book. 11/10

Why do all the best books have such shitty endings? (They’re not actually that bad. I just don’t want them to end.)

Going back through my quote pulls and the Black Beauty one gutted me considering what happens, holy fuck.

Post-reading:
Fuck everyone, absolutely everyone not giving this book 5 stars. If I hadn’t read Corinne this year, this would be my new favorite book and my best book of the year. Corinne is an unfair book to be compared to, and this nearly topped it.

This book is economical. It does so much with so little. It’ll probably piss off the religious, but they can get fucked because nothing in this is hateful towards religion. It just spits facts. I don’t know what to say really other than I adore this. It tackles weighty issues responsibly and with such pointed insight. The way the narrative style changes to coincide with the main character’s age and perspective is fabulous. It has small, clever, gut-wrenching callbacks woven throughout it, and I’m sure I’ll spot more when I reread it. Everyone feels real. There’s not a character in this book who doesn’t feel intimately familiar.

I think the book’s only weakness is that it’s not going to be universally enjoyed. If you’re a plot whore, leave the chat. “Nothing’s going to happen,” besides character development. If, like me, you think angst is candy, you’re in for a treat. You’re gonna have to pretty much be a white girl with some emotional/religious trauma to truly get the most out of this book. (But that’s a big fucking audience, so dear lord, please give me more.) Also that it’s not longer. I would read so many more pages.

The goddamn book made me like a man in a fedora. Pigs’ll fly.

Who should read this:
Angry sad girls
Bittersweet romance lovers
New England girlies
Anyone who loves character development

Do I want to reread this:
Holy fuck, yes. If not immediately.

Similar books:
* Normal People by Sally Rooney-bittersweet love story with emotional trauma
* Corinne by Rebecca Morrow-realistic, bittersweet romance with religious trauma
* My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh-a love letter to New York angry sad girls
* Anxious People by Fredrik Backman-bouncy narrative and character development
* In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado-romantic abuse explored through writing tropes
* Nice Try, Jane Sinner by Lianne Oelke-troubled girl tries to make something of herself
* My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell-inappropriate relationship with a teacher

I received this ARC from NetGalley for an honest review. This story, plot and characters make the book feel like it would appeal to teens instead of adults and should be a YA book. The story starts with 7 year old Sam going to the Topsfield Fair with her father. Sam’s 2 year old brother, Noah, has emotional problems. Sam’s parents are divorced and her father , an addict, comes in and out of her life. Sam’s mother , Courtney, is struggling with two jobs and trying to raise her children alone and pay her bills. This coming of age book follows Sam from 7 years old until 19 when she gets accepted to U .Mass , Amherst. Sam has a difficult childhood with many emotional ups and downs and many disappointments. When she discovers rock climbing, a whole new world opens for her. There were no exciting or interesting plots to hold my interest. Much of the narrative was conversation. . I did enjoy reading about places on the north shore of Massachusetts since that’s where I grew up.

The setting: "...portrait of coming-of-age offers a powerful reflection on class, addiction, parenthood, longing, and ambition." Sam, the protagonist, called monkey by her largely absent father, Mitchell, lives with her mom, Courtney, and her younger brother Noah. Courtney is an overworked, financially struggling [basically single] mom, in an on-again-off-again abusive relationship with her second husband, Jack, who's Noah's father. Noah has MANY issues.

Sam is a misfit [Noah too], has few friends, and finds happiness in rock climbing. The novel follows Sam chronologically from age seven to nineteen. She struggles--they all do; life is not easy for any of them. A novel of teen angst and more. Often depressing, but ultimately...

Mostly, especially the first half+ of the book, is written in short, declarative sentences, which make it an easy fast read [but felt flat]. Not deep--though a lot to digest in the dysfunctional family world.

Climbing is likely a metaphor for determination and achievement.

I struggled and really didn't connect until almost 3/4 through when I though the book hit its stride [and the style of writing/my interest changed!].

I wondered if it would have a pat ending or one that was open ended. No spoiler, but BOTH.

Many peripheral characters--I loved Ann who did not enter til near the end.

Read the author's note!

Solid 3. NB: I did not like the cover.

Sam is a coming of age story about a young girl, starting at age 7 following her until she’s 19. She lives with her mom and her half brother. Her dad is more absent than present and he struggles with addiction. He introduces her to climbing when she’s 7.
Told from Sam’s perspective, the writing starts off very basic, simplistic, to match her age. But as the book goes on, the writing style matures along with her and the themes get deeper.
My heart went out to Sam. She is not a happy soul. Her father’s undependability weighs on her. She doesn’t make friends easily. As she enters her teen years, she has a crush on her climbing teacher. Her mom struggles to pay the bills and there’s never any extra money.
This is a book that grew on me. The longer it went on, the more engaged I was with Sam as she tried to find her way. It’s a struggle between what brings her joy and what she thinks she should do. It’s also about her being willing to risk her heart after it’s been broken by her dad and her instructor. I also fell in love with Ann; someone who had seen enough of life to press Sam to take chances. In fact, the strength of the book is its realism. All the characters were so well formed, each with their own difficulties but trying to plow ahead.
My thanks to Netgalley and Random House for an advance copy of this book.

This book is an account of a young girls' coming of age while in a difficult situation because of poverty and absent father. I believe it would appeal to young adults

Sam is a young girl with a deep passion for rock climbing. This hobby provides stability and an outlet as she grows up in a poor and sometimes unstable home. This is a coming-of-age story with wonderful and well developed supporting characters. I really enjoyed Sam and following her journey - and found the book really hard to put down. I was drawn in by the unique point of view and the writing style as well. Thank you to Net Galley for the digital ARC to review.

Sam is a coming of age story, whose main character Sam is from a broken home, where the father is not around much but idolizes by Sam. Her mother is always trying to get Sam to study to be able to have a good career and not end up like her, working two jobs to make ends meet.
Sam does not like school or most of the people there except for one good friend, who has the same interest in something Sam loves to do, which is to climb, a place where she can feel free.
It is an interesting story as you watch her grow up and face her fears, crushes, feelings about family and friends and learning to finally see what her future could hold.
I would like to thank NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group – Random House for a copy of this book.

This book was really good and not what I expected. Great job. Thank you so much for the gifted arc. I really appreciate it.

A coming-of-age, young adult story with the overarching theme being love. The main character does not have a great life but her mother’s love for her is relentless and truly makes a positive impact on her future. Her father demonstrates love too but it is difficult for a young child to appreciate his contribution until the end. While I usually don’t appreciate coming-of-age or YA, I did enjoy this one. Her passion for climbing is very interesting and something of which I had very little knowledge prior to reading this. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

First I want to thank the publisher and Netgalley for allowing me to read this title in exchange for my honest review.

Sam is supposed to be a coming of age story. She lives with her mother, who as a single mom is having a very hard time both in life and love. She just barely scrapes by. Her little brother Noah has emotional problems, and her absentee father has addiction issues. At the age of seven she finds an activity that forces her to push her limits. Climbing.

The outline for this story is a good one. It is not overly original but still it should provide a good foundation for the story. However, I found it not well executed. This is the type of story where your emotions should be engaged, you should be able to connect to the character and feel what she feels as events happen in her life. I never truly connected to Sam. The beginning of the story I did like the the writing style I thought it fit very well with how a seven year old's mind might work and process things, but it barely changes and matures as the years go by.

Speaking of time passing I didn't particularly enjoy the flow of the book, but we do cover a lot of time in a short book so I can see why we needed to speed it up.

I do feel this author has talent and if the story could be fleshed out more I think it could be really good. Maybe more research on how children who have absentee parents, addiction issues, etc and how that changes their relationships within the family. Having siblings who have mental health issues and how that effects the family more.

I think if she read more of those stories and added some of that to Sam and her family, we could hear that inner monologue and see the battles better. This might add some emotional depth.

Sam is a classic bildungsroman following a young girl through some of the most formative years of her life. Sam comes alive on the page at seven years old and takes the reader through the bumpiness of navigating your tweens and teens when it feels like the world is against you.

Sam lives with her mom, who is struggling to make ends meet, be a caring and present mom, and find her own happiness. Sam's dad's presence in her life is erratic and often chaotic, but their love is fierce. He understands her in a way that feels unique from her mom's well meaning, exhausted support. Just as Sam begins to establish equilibrium, her young life is turned upside down, hurling her into an identity crisis that shapes the next decade.

This is the first Allegra Goodman novel I've read, and I can see why she has a devoted following. Sam's voice is consuming, truly gripping the reader's attention for all thirteen years of her life. Her choices and the shifts in her life they caused are subtle and believable while culminating in changes strong enough to drive the plot. Goodman's ability to age Sam's voice all but imperceptibly mirrors adolescence with tenderness.

As an adult reading this, I absolutely itched to reach out to Sam, but that's what age and distance and experience does to us, doesn't it? Pushes us to intervene? To guide? At the very least, to reflect? I'm sure I would've really taken to this if I were the age of the target YA market, but I still found plenty to enjoy within Sam's experiences.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC.

Hmmm. This book was a chore to get through. I don't even know what to say about the writing style. Allegra Goodman's prose was so choppy and stilted. I couldn't stand the short paragraphs and awkward transitions. I love coming-of-age stories but this one was just too weird for me. I didn't like the third person narrative, and the abrupt age changes of our main protagonist, Sam. I really wanted to like this, but in the end, this was very forgettable.

Thank you, Netgalley and Random House for the digital ARC.

Allegra Goodman’s Sam is a touching coming of age story. Between her tumultuous parents, Sam is left with little space for herself to grow and come into her own. She’s dragged down with situational and life issues.

There were parts of this book that I did enjoy, Sam’s physical feats of strength that were displayed through her climbing prowess. The motivational wall that she continued to conquer.
While other parts left me wanting, the emotional strife between her parents, especially her father.

All in all, Goodman’s debut is a solid entry into the comfortable genre of finding your place in the mainstream world.

Thank you to Net Galley and Random House for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I received an Advanced Reader copy from Netgalley for my honest review. I was caught up immediately by Sam and her climbing antics. Climbing plays a major part of her life through grade school and through High School, even as she is in college, climbing is her outlet. Her brother Noah has a “special” need which is never identified by name. Sam helps to care from him while her mother is working. There are lots of family dynamic! Sam and Noah have different fathers. Both struggle with addictions and how money affects their relationships. Sam doesn’t quite fit into the mold and has limited friendships. Sex, money, needs and wants, family, friends, addictions, divorce, school and education are a few topics addressed. One of my favorite characters is great grandma Ann! She says what she thinks and doesn’t take any flack. The story spans Sam’s life from 7-20 yrs. I was cheering for Sam to follow her heart! This is my first novel by Allegra Goodman. There is so much happening in this story that I wanted Sam to realize her choices many times.

Though low key and middlebrow, this novel is rather affecting. Goodman is a capable and unpredictable plotter, avoiding obvious traps and expectations, dodging sentimentality. The coming of age of her central character isn’t, in the end, such a surprise, but it comes with heartwarming charm and a dash of sincerity. A success.

This story is one which touches our heart. It’s beautifully written about Sam who is an ordinary girl trying to make it through hardships in her life.

It starts when she is 7 years old, the beginning of making goals for herself. She lives with her mother, Courtney, and brother, Noah, who is 5 years younger. They have different fathers who show up from time to time. Sam’s father, Mitchell, talks about the challenge of climbing walls. He told her when she turns 15 or 16, she could climb Red Rocks. She makes this her goal which is much like her life. She wanted to be the best trying to find her footings; racing to the top with competitions.

This book represents aspects of growing up independently, creating challenges, overcoming depressing moments and feeling good about accomplishments. The dialogue keeps the story moving at a fast pace with lots of distractions: car trouble, money trouble, and hair-raising relationships with fathers. Every character is believable and easy to visualize. I felt like I was in the audience cheering for her to get to the top of the wall all along. I didn’t want this book to end.

My thanks to Allegra Goodman, The Dial Press and NetGalley for allowing me to read this advanced copy with the expected release date of January 3, 2023.

I really enjoyed Sam. It basically is the story of a young girl growing up in a dysfunctional family. Yes, it is a sad story that does not have much hope, but the story really does reach out and take hold. Overall, I found the main character not very likable, but I still hoped she would find some sustained happiness. I needed to know what happened to Sam. I will admit it is not an exciting book, actually not much really happens except growing up, climbing, and being unhappy. However, it is emotional and you will continue reading it just to find out where it is going. This is my first book by this author and her writing style is a bit odd, but I kind of liked it.

Sam is a coming of age story of one young woman. We see the struggles she endures with family and life.
The writing was not as fully developed as it could be for me. It felt to drag a bit.
Thanks!

Allegra Goodman's new novel is titled SAM - a deceptively simple name depicting one small girl. We meet Sam when she is 7 and experience the divorce of her parents in short choppy sentences, much like a young child's thoughts. Sam searches for meaning and love throughout the book, as she matures, so do the sentences. Goodman adds in the afternotes that this novel was inspired by her own daughter - a child who just could not sit still. Sam evolves as a beautiful story of a girl living a contemporary life, a snapshot of the times. If you are an Allegra Goodman fan this novel is for you! #RandomHouse #TheDialPress. #AllegraGoodman