Soccer plays a major role in the lives of the three women of Spectacular Things, but you don’t have to know anything about soccer (I don’t) to fall into the lives of sisters Mia and Cricket. By the midpoint of the novel, I was fully invested in Mia and Cricket as individuals and their bond as sisters. I admire both characters’ grit and responsibility that they exhibit in such different ways.

The story opens with a major crisis and tense conflict in 2028 and takes the reader back through the sisters’ origin stories. Reading the backstory of this family helped clarify the complexity of the intense decision that offered only life-altering consequences.

I recommend Spectacular Things to readers who like family stories, sister relationships, mother-daughter bonds, small-town Maine, and intense sports training, especially soccer.

Thank you #Netgalley for the advanced copy!

Two sisters, Mia and Cricket, grew up together with their single mother and a shared family love of women's soccer. Beginning with their mother's dream of playing professionally to getting pregnant then carrying on that dream for her children. However, plans changes and tragedies occur and we see how each situation affects the girls. They each have to shift focus numerous times to better themselves or each other at times.

An Inspirational story about doing your best. There is a saying in the story by Steve Prefontaine, " To Give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift." which is what the story is all about and I love it. It's about doing your best no matter what happens and learning how it takes sacrifice to be the best. I loved how much love the characters have for one another, and how much they are willing to sacrifice to do the right thing. I loved how Mia does the hardest thing in her life, so that Cricket can become the best soccer player ever. The sacrifices Mia give to Cricket ends up being the strength she needs when life throws some pretty tough stuff at her and she is able to press on.
There is no sugar coating in this story and all the characters have integrity and grit and a love not only for the sport they play but for each other and the love of their lives. This is one of the most uplifting story I've read this year, It made me realize that we all have high and lows in life and if we have people behind us that care and love us, we can do great things.

I want to thank Random House Publishing Group - Random House | The Dial Press and NetGalley for an advance copy of a story tenacity and grit.

I really loved this book! While I am not the biggest soccer fan in the world, the importance of the sport in the narrative increased not only my knowledge, but also my appreciation of it. The story of two sisters who are competitors, best friends, co-dependent on each other while still searching for their own fulfilling lives, is extremely well-written and fascinating. Their upbringing is told in flashback form, and it works as the filling between the present day and future of the girls. It was so good I read it in one day! Thanks to NetGalley, Dial Press/Random House, and the author for the eARC and the opportunity to read and review this novel. Highly recommend.

• and it was spectacular •
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This book is probably going to stay with me for a while, as my soul recovers from how raw, real, and heartbreaking this read was.
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Mia & Cricket grow up with a single mom and share the dream and sacrifices that go along with Cricket becoming a professional soccer player. The story begins with some tough news and then catapolts you back in time to help you understand the gravity and meaning of what the two sisters are faced with.
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Be ready to cry and genuinely root for these characters to make it through tough times. Beck Dorey-Stein did an incredible job capturing the struggle of a single parent leaning on the eldest to support the family, and all the self sacrifice is required to help support making a dream come true; as well, the unconditional love Mia and Cricket had for each other is told in a way that is undeniable. I saw myself in this book, and I have a feeling many others will too.
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Page & Pour Rating: 4.5✨️
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Thank you to @randomhouse for an advanced copy of Spectacular Things. It's available today, July 1, 2025, and I highly recommend you add to your TBR.

This book is about sisters, sports, love, & grief. It was a fun summer read. I found myself invested in what choices Cricket was going to make.

ARC REVIEW: Spectacular Things by Beck Dorey-Stein ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and The Dial Press for the opportunity to read this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Spectacular Things is a complex story of motherhood, sisterhood, loyalty, ambition and following your dreams. The story follows Mia and Cricket Lowe, who are raised by a young single mom who dreams that her girls will be professional soccer stars. As life throws twists and turns in the sisters’ paths, they are forced to examine their duty to themselves and their loyalty to one another.

This is a heart wrenching book for anyone who has had to readjust their own dreams for the sake of someone else’s. It’s heavy but also full of hope in a resilient way. I would recommend this book for anyone with a sister that they love or anyone who had to grow up too fast, it’ll hit you in the feels for sure.

Spectacular Things released July 1st 2025!

The publisher reached out to me suggesting I might enjoy this book and offered me an advance reader copy on NetGalley. If you’re a fan of Taylor Jenkins Reid, Ann Napolitano, or Jean Hanff Korelitz, this one should definitely be on your list—I highly recommend it.

Spectacular Things tells the story of the Lowe women, who grow up in a family where soccer isn’t just a sport, it’s a legacy.

As a child, Liz’s parents were distant and emotionally cold—until others began to recognize her talent and she emerged as a rising soccer star. But everything changed when, just as she was preparing for university, Liz got pregnant. Her parents abruptly disengaged from her life and took off to Europe, leaving her to navigate young motherhood alone. She relocated to Maine, where her first daughter, Mia, was born. For a brief time, Mia’s father was involved, even living with them—until he left, not long after Liz became pregnant with her second daughter.

The story moves between multiple timelines and perspectives, allowing the reader to gradually piece together the family’s history and emotional landscape.

Both Liz and Mia make significant sacrifices for Cricket’s future in soccer. At one point, it even seems Mia may have a shot at a soccer career herself.

There’s fantastic character development throughout, with each woman’s inner world richly drawn and emotionally resonant. At times the story is heartbreaking as it follows the challenges faced by Liz, Mia, and Cricket—but their strength, resilience, and unwavering bond are powerful and moving. I found myself deeply connected to these characters and rooting for them every step of the way.

This is my favourite summer read so far—moving, hopeful, and beautifully written.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. A very moving story about the enduring bond between sisters and what they are willing to give up for one another. I also enjoyed the look into the world of women's professional soccer.

I loved this book!!! It was surprising and heartfelt. The Lowe girls are forces to be reckoned with. Few books can bring me to tears and this did it. 4.5/5!


Thank you so much NetGalley & Random House Publishing for the chance to read this book and give my opinion!

I really enjoyed this one—it’s sharp, funny, and unexpectedly moving. Beck Dorey-Stein has a way of capturing the messiness of ambition, friendship, and love with such honesty that it feels both relatable and refreshing. The writing is clever without trying too hard, and the characters felt real—flawed, complicated, but easy to root for. It’s the kind of book that sneaks up on you emotionally while keeping you thoroughly entertained. A great mix of heart and wit—definitely worth the read.
Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group/Dial Press for this ARC.

Mia and Cricket were raised to be elite soccer players by a single mom in Maine. After Mia is forced to stop playing soccer in high school, her life is devoted to helping Cricket realize their mom's dream. This book is about so much more than just soccer, so even if you have little or no interest in soccer, this book is worth reading. This was exactly the right book at the right time for me - I didn't want it to end.

3.5 - inspiring and heartwarming story about sisters. I enjoyed this book, but took me awhile to get into. Once I hit 60% ish, I was hooked

Fans of Taylor Jenkins Reid and Lessons in Chemistry will love this emotionally complex story about sisterhood, soccer, and sacrifice.

Our story kicks off with two sisters and two high stakes, adrenaline-laced events- older sister Mia is giving birth and her baby sister Cricket is taking the net in an Olympic soccer game. When Mia’s birth turns difficult with severe consequences for Mia, she needs a kidney donor. Cricket is the obvious solution, but she’s just led her team to victory in the Olympics and isn’t immediately willing to make such a sacrifice for her sister.

After this energetic and stressful introduction, the novel goes all the way back to their mother’s soccer career and its swift end when Liz Lowe gets pregnant with Mia. Liz transfers her dream to her daughter, who shows promise, but not as much promise as Cricket does at a very young age. As it becomes clear that Cricket could go “all the way,” Liz devotes all her energy to supporting her younger daughter’s dream, and she insists that Mia do the same. Mia gives up playing soccer herself to manage the household as a teenager, then continues to make big sacrifices for Cricket as the novel progresses. But when she needs something big in return, will Cricket step up?

The synopsis of this book hints at a big secret their mother was keeping, but that plot point is much less dramatic or interesting than implied. And while the Lowe family certainly has their struggles and tragedies, this is basically one of those books where you know everything will turn out fine. The progression of each character’s journey felt somewhat predictable, as did the conclusion. However, I found myself very emotionally invested in the fates of Mia and Cricket, who were a pair of protagonists it was easy to root for despite their flaws.

Thank you to NetGalley and The Dial Press for the opportunity to be an early reader of this title, which is published today (7/1/25)!

Thank you to NetGalley for inviting me to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I knew I was going to cry at the end of this book and cry I did!

I absolutely loved this. Every second of it. It was completely up by alley.

It is such a human story. It is raw and wholesome and heart-aching and special! Every moment felt so intense with emotion, even the mundane things. Whether I was happy or sad, I felt it all!

Give me a book about sports and siblings and I will eat it up!

It wasn’t a fast paced story, but it was written so well. It felt like you were living the lives of Mia and Cricket along side of them.

Eldest daughters go through so much. I felt for Mia most of the time! The fact that she had to sacrifice so much and Cricket couldn’t sacrifice the same for her in a lot of moments made me so upset. I know a little bit of that was to build up the drama, but still! Cricket making a certain choice was so evil to me. I can understand her POV to a certain extent, but it would be a no brainer to me if I was ever presented that conundrum.

Maybe because I’m an older sibling myself (though I didn’t sacrifice anything like Mia had to) I was rooting for Mia 100% of the way! Cricket frustrated me at times because she didn’t know how good she had it. Some of the decisions she made were so heartless or at least selfish, that it made me angry. I didn’t dislike her, but I didn’t care for her like I did for Mia. There were a lot of moments I felt for Cricket though, and got angry for her, so I definitely cared a lot about her. Mia totally had my heart though.

I was so invested in Mia and Oliver’s love story. It wasn’t anything epic, but it was so beautiful and the build up to it was incredible. You could see the love between them. Oliver was such a great man and addition to the story. He really was there for them in so many ways.

I loved Liz. Even though she didn’t always make great choices, she was an amazing mother. She wasn’t perfect, but she was a great person at the end of the day.

How I felt about Sloane was so complicated. One minute I’m glad her and Cricket were friends, and the next I couldn’t stand her. Maybe that’s because I was feeling how Cricket felt in those moments, but overall I thought she was good for her. I definitely didn’t dislike her either, but she sure wasn’t perfect.

There were lots of little twists I didn’t expect. I liked how it revealed things as the book went on.

I called Cricket’s love life from the beginning! That part I was so happy about. I was saying to myself she needed to be with someone who gets it or feels the same way she does.

This is an absolute must read. I cannot stress it enough! I wish I had the words to describe how much I love this book. You’ll just have to trust me that it is nothing short of a masterpiece.

I will be reading more by this author!

Absolute magic. Truly.

If you have a sister, this is a must-read. As an oldest daughter with a younger sister who grew up a soccer star herself, this book hit me right in my heart. The characters, the storytelling, every single moment was executed flawlessly. A top 10 read of 2025 without a doubt in my mind. I can’t recommend this enough - Beck Dorey-Stein has created something special here.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dial Press Marketing for this eARC!

This was heartwarming, sad, and felt so nostalgic. Mia and Cricket’s bond was beautiful, and the themes of family, grief, and following your dreams were so well done.

"She is thirty-seven years old but still feels seventeen, still feels like her life is just beginning, and it is because she believes this to be true."

Boy, do I feel this. As a 37 year old, I can fully appreciate this sentiment - especially having spent time in Maine regularly during my childhood, where much of this book takes place. I found myself relating to Mia a lot, like when its said that she "prefers reliable outcomes. She believes a surprise is called an upset for a reason: that a sudden change in expectations is indeed upsetting."

I really enjoyed how the book started in the future, and then went back to their beginning for the "origin story". It was easy to form some snap judgements knowing so very little in the first chapters, and then be humbled to understand the reason why characters behaved as they did. I was so engrossed with the middle of the story that I almost forgot that it was telling us the background for the beginning and end portions. What a journey!

Soccer isn't my favorite sport, but it was interesting to see a lifestyle different from mine, and be empowered by strong females leads (I absolutely adored Liz). The romance is all closed door and tastefully done, and I feel like anything more would have detracted from the heart and focus of the storyline. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and kept comparing Beck Dorey-Stein's writing to Jodi Picoult's in my head.

Thank you to Random House/The Dial Press and NetGalley for the e-ARC of this book!

Spectacular Things is about two sisters who are navigating life's tragedy and success, together and apart. They both believe that sacrifice is love and love is sacrifice but just how far will they go for each other?

There was a lot of things I really loved about this book. As someone who is the oldest of 4 girls I really resonated with Mia and her relationship with her younger sister. There are lines that I will carry with me for the rest of my life that describes being an older sister to a T! I am not a huge soccer fan but tend to love books about sports and the dedication the athletes have for the sport. It also shows a great amount of research on the authors part! I will be thinking about these characters for a long time coming. I really enjoyed the character driven plot. It held my attention and I was excited to go back and read it. The characters were maddening at times but I think that was emotion the author was trying to provoke.

There was a couple of things that felt completely disjointed to me. I didn't understand why they were so mad at Cricket (the youngest sister) right off the bat! I understand this is Mia's life but come. on. Give the girl a chance to give a definitive answer!
The book felt mildly predictable.
I did not like that they put their mother on such a high pedestal after what Liz put Mia through. That could be on purpose though. The mother/daughter relationship can be complicated like that.
I saw another reviewer say that we didn't actually get to know the characters, just their trials and I'd have to agree to certain degree about that.

Overall I'd recommend this book to some people that love a character driven book.

Thank you @NetGalley and @RandomHouse for reaching out and suggesting this gem of a book!

I absolutely loved "Spectacular Things"! Beck Dorey-Stein crafted a beautiful and authentic novel that delves into the complexities of sisterhood, motherhood, and the sacrifices we make for those we love most.

Mia and Cricket grew up with a passion for soccer. However, when Cricket begins to show remarkable talent and promise in the sport, their determined single mother, Liz, asks Mia to make some sacrifices to help Cricket become the best player she can be.

This book is definitely among my top five reads of the year, and I look forward to exploring more works by Beck Dorey-Stein!