Certainly not a happy story, nor did I find it to be great. But it was good. I might be too old and/or the wrong gender to appreciate this as much as others. Regardless, it is a nice read overall.

Thanks very much for the free ARC for review!!

Book: Sam
Author: Allegra Goodman
Rating: 3 Out of 5 Stars

I would like to thank the publisher, Dial Press, for providing me with ARC.

Sam is a coming-of-age story. We follow our main character, Sam, from the time she is seven until she is about nineteen or twenty. She loves climbing, isn’t good at school, and wants to be with her dad. She comes across as a normal child. We see her interactions with her family and the world around her. She and her brother have different fathers. We get to see how this affects the household and the difficulties that come with that. The book also deals with addiction, disabilities, and a single-mother household.

I’m going to start by saying that I did enjoy this one. However, I felt that it was missing something to make it great. I enjoyed how the world matured as Sam did. You could see this very clearly in the writing. I was expecting there to be something more. Sam’s world is full of sadness and no hope. When her mother got pregnant with her, she had to drop out of university and longs to go back, but can’t. Sam’s brother is autistic-forgive me if I’m wrong, but that’s what it sounded like in the book. Sam’s father is in and out of the picture, but she doesn’t know why until she is older. Jack, her brother’s dad, is mean. Sam struggles in school and doesn’t relate anymore. The only thing she has is climbing. This is the kind of set-up that I enjoy in books. It should have gotten a much higher rating from me.

My issue is I kept waiting for something big to happen. Don’t get me wrong, some things happen in Sam’s life. We see her grow and mature, but I wanted something more. The ending does give us hope for Sam. She is, after all, that person who was not supposed to make it; this is shown repeatedly. The point wasn’t driven home strong enough for my liking. Some parts felt like the author was just going through the motions of writing that sequence. The climbing parts were good and well thought out. I felt like the other parts were lacking. There were times that I felt there wasn’t enough of a reason for me to keep going.

The only reason I kept going was because of Sam. I enjoyed her voice and seeing the world from her point of view. We see her being forced into a path that she did not want or pick. She handles these situations with grace and maturity. She has had to live a life where she has had to grow up fast. While the author does do a good job of making her seem her age, you can tell that she is very mature. Again, she has had. I liked the relationship between her and her mother. Oftentimes, books will paint this relationship as being great and how we have to stick together. This is not the case here. We see how rocky things are and just how tough they can be. It isn’t sugarcoated and, as a result, feels very real.
Overall, I didn’t love this book, but I didn’t hate it. It just needed something more to make me give it a little bit of a higher rating.

This book comes out on January 3, 2023.

This is a coming of age story that involves a lot of heartache and sadness. But it is an important story to tell. I really empathized with Sam and understood her relationships.

I think this book will do well.

This is a coming of age novel about a girl named Sam. It deals with her mother, father, stepparents, lots of heartache and addiction. Poor character development. And sadly I didn’t care what happened to Sam and her family. A big disappointment.

I cannot remember why I requested this book, but I’m glad I did! Watching Sam come of age amidst a messy series of events was real and frustrating and understandable. Really made me want to take up rock climbing.

This book is not what I expected. It opens up to Sam at age 7 and it is immediately clear that she is not a happy child. Her mom’s boyfriend, Jack comes and goes and causes tension in the family. Unfortunately he remains in their life as mom Courtney and Jack have a son together. Sam seems detached from the rest of the family and just lives for the days when her dad comes to see her. He is not reliable and as Sam gets older she starts to resent him. The only thing she likes to do is climb. But even then, she is so competitive that it really doesn’t make her happy. This was a hard book to read but it represents a large population of families just trying to get through life with limited resources. Addiction, domestic violence, poverty. I wish the writer would have put a little more happiness into this book. Just because your family is struggling, doesn’t mean you can’t have a good laugh. Bleak.
I received this DRC from NetGalley and Dial Press in exchange for an honest review.

TW: This novel has instances of substance abuse, addiction and suicide.

Sometimes it is difficult to write a review. The raves and the bashings are easy. But when a book is in the middle of the road it gets a bit more difficult. Unfortunately, that’s where this novel lies.

The coming-of-age story focuses on Sam. Sam lives with her mom, Courtney, and her little brother, Noah. The book runs from age 7 to about 20. It is told in the third person. It is also divided into several parts. As Sam matures, so does the writing style of the book. Although this was frustrating in the beginning, it is an interesting device - one I haven’t seen before. It’s the main way we can see Sam's point of view, because she is an extremely emotionally detached young woman. Mostly Sam has abandonment issues, chiefly because Marshall, her addict dad, is in and out of her life.

Sam’s only emotional outlet is climbing, It starts with just climbing the walls in the house (much to Courtney’s dismay) and graduates to full on rock climbing. There is a point where Sam even climbs competitively.

Courtney is a single mom, and has to work two jobs. As most mothers do, she wants better for Sam than the life she currently possesses. But Sam isn’t really interested. She’s not interested in anything really. Noah is also a struggle, having his own set of emotional issues.

If I had to describe this book in one word it would be “bleak”. I recommend that you be in a good headspace while reading. Sam’s detachment makes it difficult for the reader to relate or engage. I would say that I empathize with the characters, but I wasn’t particularly invested in their fates.

It isn’t a badly written book - in fact it is just the opposite. Perhaps I am just not the target audience for this novel. I haven't read anything else by Goodman, but I may still look at her back catalog to see if this is just a one-off. (I have the same relationship with Alice Hoffman.) I can see how younger women may find solace in these pages. I certainly hope that they do.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for access to the ARC. All opinions expressed here are mine.

I wasn't sure going into this book. The title and cover art don't give you much to go on, so I was skeptical. But I found myself really enjoying the story especially in the earlier chapters when San was a young and precocious child. My childhood and life were very different from hers and I had empathy to her struggles but was also charmed by her wayward father.

I know nothing about rock climbing and thought having Sam be focused on such an activity and then have it bleed into her love of geology was an excellent addition. It's not a sport or competition I've ever seen highlighted in a fictional world and really enjoyed that. I'm sure there are some deeper metaphors about reaching the summit I'm missing but overall I'd recommend this book.

Sam starts slowly and reads like a children's book, initially, but somehow, inperceptibly, evolves into a beautiful quiet story that will touch your heart. Allegra Goodman, I didn't see it coming!

All in all, this coming of age novel was a disappointment. The plot was superficial and there was little character development.

Wow. What a book. From the first few pages I was drawn in and while some of the topics were a bit heavy, the author made up for it in other areas with some joy and light hearted moments. I really liked the way we watched Sam grow up and starting to see her feelings change as she matured and turned into an adult. Great read, highly recommend.

This book follows a girl named Sam from when she's 7 all the way to 20 and it reminded me why I enjoy bildungsromans.

Watching Sam grow up before my eyes was captivating. I thought the pacing was great and her actions as she got older felt believable based on things that happened to her in the past. The side characters were also so well developed and I found myself rooting for them too. Sam has had a difficult life: her mom is struggling to make ends meet for her and her younger brother, Noah, even with 2 jobs, and her dad is an addict popping in and out of her life with no consistency. Even though Sam grows to resent her father over time and you as a reader gradually grow to understand how that frustration of hers was pent up over the years, I couldn't help but feel for her dad as well. I think that's what makes for good writing - when you can even empathize with characters that the main one can't.

Though there were some heavy topics discussed in the book, there were a lot of lighthearted moments too and some that made me laugh out loud. I particularly liked the little tidbits of advice her mom would give and I looked forward to their interactions. I thought this was going to center a lot more on Sam's passion for rock climbing which she starts right at the beginning, and though that was part of it, it took more of a backseat as the story went on which I liked. The rock climbing served more as a catalyst for everything else that happened to her and as an introduction to the main people in her life, and I thought it was very well done.

Overall I really liked this book and recommended it for people who appreciate good characters and coming of age stories.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Well this was a delightful reading experience. Sam (book title and protagonist) begins when Sam is seven years old, full of energy, and literally climbing the walls. She lives with her mom, Courtney, and baby brother, Noah, and adores her dad when he is around. Courtney is tired and frazzled keeping it all together, but Mitchell, Sam’s dad, strolls in with all the fun tickets. He takes her to the fair where she discovers a climbing wall, and her natural climbing talent. Rock climbing becomes her passion, something she shares with Mitchell, but the gaps in time that Mitchell is away become longer.
The book progresses through Sam’s childhood and adolescence with a lot of ups and downs. While no details are given, it becomes clear that Mitchell suffers from addiction and Sam’s love and adoration turns to unforgiving anger. Her talent and passion for rock climbing are central and metaphorical - lots of falling and getting back up.
It has been a long time since I have felt so connected to a character. I wanted so much for Sam, and all the Sams with fierce potential and the cards seemingly stacked against them.
This one comes out at the beginning of 2023 and I highly recommend it. Thanks NetGalley for the arc of this book.

Reading SAM by Allegra Goodman is a little like an Anne Tyler novel that slowly draws you into the story. The book opens when Sam is seven and living with her younger brother and her mother who is barely able to support them with financial help. Her father lives separate and although he loves Sam, he disappears for long periods of time. The story tells how Sam grows up from age seven until she is in college.

This is a story about determination, grit and finding your passion in life. It took a while for me to adjust to the book’s pace and at first, I wanted it to speed up. I was reading more slowly the final chapters because I did not want this story to end.

I took a while to grow into the narrative. It didn't immediately resonate with me, and the style was deceptively simply. When it clicked together (and it did), it worked. I thoroughly enjoyed this tale, at times depressing, at times sweetly joyful.

I found myself thinking about the book when I wasn't reading it, which to me is high praise. I absolutely recommend SAM.

I received a complimentary copy of the book from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thrilled to have been given the opportunity to review this book by Allegra Goodman. I really enjoyed the character development of a young Sam into the young woman she becomes including the "climb" in getting there.
Sam loves her Dad who hasn't always been present in her life because of his addiction. She struggles with the times he does show up, fearing he will just disappoint her all over again. There is a wonderful dynamic with Courtney, Sam's mother as Sam begins to realize the struggles and sacrifices Courtney made for Sam and her brother for a sense of normalcy in their lives. I enjoyed Sam's determination to succeed as a student and climber ultimately having the confidence to pursue her goals.

A great coming of age tale. Sam is the story of one young girl's transformation to adulthood. Touching and real.

A story about a young girl who sinks into despondency and manages to (literally) claw herself up through rock climbing, her perseverance and stubbornness when faced with impossible climbing challenges mirroring the way she finally finds a path that works for her. The six parts of the novel take us from seven to eighteen — dealing with a beloved father who, fighting addiction, disappears for long periods of time; a (temporary) step father with no fondness for her and a somewhat violent temperament; a (most of the time) single mother pushing her children to not miss the opportunities she herself had missed; a half brother who needs constant management to get even the smallest thing done; and many others on varying sides of (my) moral boundaries.

The writing is good and I appreciated the thoughtful characterizations. While she finds her way at the end, I found reading the book to be a little depressing. While there were many good characters, I found myself wishing that people had just made better choices up front. It’s always painful for me to think about how many screwed up people there are and how their mistakes cause such pain for others.I’m aware that I’m completely missing the actual point of the story which is about how someone overcomes the problems of their childhood, but I find myself unhappy that they ever had to face those problems to begin with.

I generally read mysteries and thrillers with an occasional piece of Chick Lit thrown in. This was none of those. It is the beautiful story of a little girl (SAM) who grows into womanhood and adulthood through her climbing of walls, rocks and boulders. With each climb she has to deal with falling back down and attempting to climb again. Metaphorically she does this with her family, schooling and the males in her life. She is often alone, but never without her consent. The plot is simple and terribly complex at the same time. It is well worth reading and thoroughly enjoyable. Thanks to Net Galley and The Dial Press (Random House) for an ARC for an honest review.

While I haven't read anything by Allegra Goodman before, I will now be keeping my eye out for their name because I really enjoyed this book. Once I began reading, I knew I would be finishing this story within a couple of days- I didn't want to put it down. I found Sam's internal dialogue to be quite candid but not in a way that dulls the story. Seeing everything through Sam's perspective made it more engaging to me as a reader, since sometimes Sam sees or hears things and doesn't always understand the situation, especially when she's young, which left me either sympathizing with her or trying to make sense of what's happening.
Seeing Sam grow from a child to a young adult may sound mundane, but the way Goodman has written Sam's story creates an attachment to her character that left me saddened when the story ended. If I had any comments, I would have liked to see Sam's journey through university and her life away from her mom and brother, as they are always in the background of her narrative.