Two sisters examine what they owe each other and what they would sacrifice to make their dreams come true. A beautiful portrait of sisters, love and ambition.

I feel as though this would've intrigued me more if it had been told in first person. Third person made it difficult for me to follow. In addition, I didn't feel as though I related to anyone, which is sad because I was quite excited for book. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the arc

Give me a soccer story any day! Especially if it is about a girl going after her national team dreams. Especially if this dream repeats itself for one generation after another. Especially if the first generation was so close, but she had to raise the next gen. Especially if the enthusiasm of the previous generation wasn't curbed by the curveballs but made it stronger, like we are going to see the final game in Paris even if we have to sleep in dingy hostels stronger...

I love it when sections of the book references something hidden in the story. Opportunity, Momomyth, Legacy. Momomyth is the hero's journey through the struggle. Cricket had the perfect opportunity, but the road to that moment was paved with large rocks, thorns, pins, needles, nails, and everything else that could hurt her. When Oliver told her these 3 things, you could understand what would be her decision at the end. She was going to be an Olympic gold medalist, but the legacy following her after that would be different than what everyone expected.

Who doubts Sloane and Cricket? In any context! They were hate loving and love hating each other all the time. They were each other's biggest supporter and rival. They were in it for themselves and for each other. In soccer and in life

I’m so glad this book found me when it did.

A story of family and fear and love and overcoming.

The kind of book that sneak attacks and draws you in. Before you know it, you’re still reading and it’s 1am. The best type of book.

Spectacular Things explores a sister relationship pushed to the limit. Mia spent most of her life devoted to helping get her sister, Cricket, to the top of the soccer world. We learn in the first chapter that now Mia needs Cricket to sacrifice for her. The story has some beautiful moments of a loving albeit unusual family of 3. But it also has a lot of information about soccer. Luckily I had a sporty daughter so it didn’t bother me much but I could see many readers skimming through the soccer chapters. The love stories for both sisters are believable and relatable. But I could not wait to get back to Crickets sacrifice and learn what she decided. Sometimes life decisions are not black and white. I loved seeing both sisters thought processes from beginning to end.

I really loved the familial drama between the sisters at the heart of this story. The Olympic soccer element was really intriguing to me as a big women's soccer fan so I wish we had gotten more of that.

Spectacular Things is a moving story of sisterhood, sacrifice, and the fierce legacy of women who refuse to quit. Mia was her mom and dad's gift to each other, and her little sister Cricket was their present to Mia. The story begins as Cricket is playing for the US Women's soccer Olympic team. Older sister Mia is giving birth at the exact time and watching Cricket play from the hospital. A health emergency occurs. Then the narrative jumps back to their mother Liz Lowe as she is a high school senior who has signed and committed to play for UCLA. It becomes apparent that Liz is pregnant with Mia and her promising soccer career ends abruptly. I felt the love angle with Cricket was forced and did not add to the story. I am not sure why authors/publishers feel the need to push these types of situations into a book especially when they don't add to the story. The book asks the central, powerful question of what sacrifices we are willing to make for the ones we love, and it doesn’t shy away from the complexity of the answers. A good concept and good writing, but the storytelling wasn’t compelling. There was something missing and the development of the story failed to capture my interest or curiosity. Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Random House

After a rather tenuous relationship with Reese’s Book Club (her picks are either slam dunks or books that I didn’t vibe with at all), things between us are looking up. Case in point: SPECTACULAR THINGS, which will 110% land on my list of the best books of 2025 come December.

If you’ve been around these parts for some time, then you might recall that FROM THE CORNER OF THE OVAL, Beck Dorey-Stein’s memoir about her career as a White House stenographer, is one of my favorite books of all-time. Let’s add SPECTACULAR THINGS to that list. This novel made me smile, tear up, want to call my sisters, and google “US Women’s Soccer tickets.”

Without spoilers, this opens with a tantalizing premise: Cricket, a professional soccer player at the height of her career, is faced with an impossible choice when her sister, Mia asks her for a massive sacrifice after a medical emergency. From there, we roll back decades to meet their mother Liz, a star soccer player whose own career ends due to an unexpected circumstance. Growing up in the soccer world makes both girls fall in love with the game, until Cricket displays an aptitude for the sport that forces Mia’s own passion to take a backseat. And as the girls navigate tragedy, it makes both of them to examine what they’re willing to give up for each other.

If you couldn’t tell from this gushing review, I ADORED this book. It’s a stunning sister novel, a book that examines ambition and sacrifice, an ode to women in sports, and one of the most engrossing stories I’ve picked up this year. I devoured this poolside in a few sittings—Trust me when I say I couldn’t tap my Kindle screen fast enough. I was THAT eager to see what happens next.

Although some of Mia and Cricket’s actions might feel frustrating, they’re such dynamic characters. Their journey through these life-changing decisions is equal parts heartwarming and heartbreaking. I loved everything about this, from the multiple POV format to the gorgeous writing and the details about women in sports.

I could go on and on and on, but alas, IG has a character limit. Thank you @thedialpress for my copy of this 5 ⭐️ read!

A huge shout to the publish company for an Arc! I really enjoyed this story in the beginning was greatly paced. The structure of the plot and family between the 2 sisters and main was very interesting. About 50% through it was clear that kinds what the underlying issue were between the siblings and whine cam e down the split I was not surprised. I also start to feel not as investing in our character and that the story began to drag for me. Overall I enjoyed it

Spectacular Things is an emotional, layered novel that explores sisterhood, sacrifice, and ambition with depth and heart. Mia and Cricket are compelling, flawed characters whose bond is tested by family history, personal choices, and the weight of their mother’s unfulfilled dreams. Beck Dorey-Stein weaves past and present seamlessly, capturing the complexities of love, resentment, and loyalty in a way that feels both intimate and sweeping.

The writing is engaging and easy to get lost in, balancing emotional intensity with moments of warmth and humor. A powerful story of family and resilience, this book is as moving as it is memorable. Fans of character-driven fiction and multi-generational drama will find much to love here.

A heartfelt look at the lives of sisters.

This kept me reading and kept me interested as I read.

I was hooked from the first page. Spectacular Things: Reese's Book Club by Beck Dorey-Stein is one of my favorite books of the year. This was beautifully written and Dorey-Stein does an excellent job creating a memorable novel where soccer is not just a universally beloved game, but almost plays as a character in this story.
Mia, Sloane and Cricket are deeply layered and believable characters that nestle their ways into your heart long after the story ends. Dorey- Stein’s writing is both lyrical and grounded and she displays the drama of growing up to a young single mother and what we would do for our dreams. I highly suggest you read Spectacular Things today and discover what a true gift of life can be.
Thank you NetGalley and Random House/Dial Press for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I can see why this is a Reese’s book club pick — it’s awesome. It is so up my alley as a fiction and women’s fiction lover. I loved the family dynamics, the plot the characters, and everything in between. I’ve been on a fiction kick lately and this just continued to fuel my fire.

As a female who grew up playing soccer, I really enjoyed this book. It was a great story about the relationship that developed between two sisters, while not always positive, it shows the value of relationship in more than one way.

In a word, spectacular! This was an unexpected joy to read. You feel the stress and strife these characters face. You feel a visceral reaction at cricket’s immaturity as a teen and how everyone focusing solely on her shapes her as an adult. You yearn for Mia to get to feel like a kid and not be weighed down by so much. My only small criticism is that time feels a bit fluid in certain areas and I wish there had been more dated entries so I could ensure I was thinking of them as the correct age. But that may have just been a me thing

I really enjoyed Spectacular Things! It’s such an engaging story about two sisters chasing their dreams while also figuring out what it means to be there for each other. The mix of family drama, sports, and emotional moments kept me hooked throughout.

Beck Dorey-Stein’s writing is easy to fall into—heartfelt without being heavy—and the characters felt real and relatable. It’s one of those books that makes you think about the bonds we share with family and the sacrifices we make along the way—definitely a good read if you like stories that balance ambition, love, and resilience.

This book didn't jump out at me from the synopsis, but I'm SO glad I read it. It was so full of heart and love. It read so fast paced almost like a thriller where you can't put it down, but it was a story of family and love and sacrifice. I loved the way it started with the future then rewinds back to the entire story of the sisters. I felt so much for mia in this. And it really does make you wonder what you would and wouldn't give up for those you love. 5⭐ all around. So glad I read this and I'll be thinking about this one for quite some time.

Wow! This book definitely took me on a ride of emotions. Although the book does surround the sport of soccer, there were so many other different parts just about life in general. As I was reading this, I started to be reminded of another book/series I love; Beartown. If you loved that series, I think you would enjoy this book, but have the tissues handy!!

Loved this book of two sisters and was a very good summer read! It really captured each sister's motivations and their drive to make each other happy.

This book is really well written and the author has a beautiful way with words. The character development was also deep and thoughtful. I felt the plot twists was authentic, and the redemptive arc had me cheering. The only downside was too many technical details on the soccer aspects.