This book explores the nuanced dynamics of a family- the women and their relationships. This book also explores themes of ambition, loyalty, and sacrifice. I was hooked from the beginning, with a semi cliff hanging intro to the main characters. Loved the way the author laid out their backgrounds and the history of the Lowe family (and others) in reverse chronological order, walking us all the way back to the present. While the book felt a little long, with some of the characters lacking depth, the story kept me captivated.

Beck Dorey-Stein, I will be reading more of your books!

Thank you to NetGalley and The Dial Press for providing me with early access to this book in exchange for my honest review.

"Spectacular Things" follows Liz, who once had dreams of playing soccer at UCLA but faced an unexpected pregnancy that changed her path. Devoted to raising her two daughters, Mia and Cricket, Liz hopes they will pursue the dreams she had to set aside. As the sisters grow up, Mia makes sacrifices to support Cricket's ambitions of becoming a soccer star. However, the dynamic shifts when Mia finds herself needing Cricket's support.

As a girl with two sisters, I found this story relatable and raw. The balance of love, sacrifice, and support in sisterly relationships resonated with me. Sisters have their moments; we argue and say things we don’t mean, but at the end of the day, it’s all out of love. This novel effectively conveys the emotional weight of selflessness and how one sister’s choices impact the other.

I won’t admit how many times I cried or screamed "holy shit" while reading this book, but through it all, I connected deeply with the characters and reflected on my relationships with my sisters. This book is definitely among my top reads of the year, and I will be thinking about it for a long time.

QUOTES I LOVED
"To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift."

"If something bad happens to someone you love, you check in. It doesn't matter if you're in a fight, you set aside your ego and you fucking check in."

I'm grateful to Beck Dorey-Stein, Dial Press, and NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review of SPECTACULAR THINGS.

I was very much pulled into the story by a strong opening that successfully made me question how the characters had arrived at that point. Overall, I found the writing more upmarket/women's fiction than literary and I think it will be quite successful in that niche. The characters and settings are well defined and differentiated, and the pacing is quite good in that it moves along without significant lulls in the action. The downside of that is that this family seems to experience disaster after disaster on the page, which may strain credulity for some readers. I personally had some trouble with the fact that first Liz, the mother, first gave up her college education and soccer career to have her child but was never able to resume even her education. She was portrayed as having no ambivalent feelings about it. Then, when her older daughter--also a talented soccer player who'd already sacrificed her sport, also had to give up her Yale education again in favor of younger sister Cricket's soccer career, her feelings are portrayed as largely free of anger, struggle, frustration, resentment. Essentially, one of the major themes of the novel, the sacrifices one makes for love and family loyalty, seem almost too psychologically easy. Until they're not, once, for Cricket--who is the one who's never sacrificed before. But her initial reaction of "this is too much to ask," seems entirely normal to me.

There's a lot of melodrama in this novel and the ending is definitely very much is "happily ever after" tied up in a red bow ending. Many readers will love this and I suspect the book will be a hit. My criticisms aside, I did enjoy reading it, and I thought the author's take on the world of women's professional soccer was a bonus, and very, beautifully accomplished.

This book will be one of my favorites for 2025 and no doubt a book that I recommend to fellow bookworm friends this year. The character development made me feel as if I knew each one of the characters personally. The author has a way with words that made me feel like I was right there with the sisters throughout their journeys into adulthood and beyond. I use a kindle to read, and I highlighted more words of wisdom and phrases in this book than I have in a long time! Blood really is thicking than water they say, and this storyline speaks to the true depth and meaning of family through all the ups and downs.

Spectacular Things is an emotionally resonant novel centered around two sisters, Mia and Cricket, who grow up on the coast of Maine under the shadow of their mother Liz’s lost soccer dreams. After Liz gives up her athletic future due to an unexpected pregnancy, she pours her ambitions into her daughters—especially Cricket, a gifted soccer player. Mia, the elder, sacrifices much of her own life to support Cricket’s rise in the sport, until a crisis forces Cricket to reevaluate what she owes in return.

The novel delves into themes of familial sacrifice, love, loyalty, and identity, with many readers praising the authentic portrayal of sisterhood and emotional complexity. While some found the story predictable or overly dramatic at times, most agreed that the characters’ growth and the exploration of generational dynamics were compelling. Soccer plays a prominent but accessible role, serving as both a literal and metaphorical backdrop to the sisters’ journeys.

Overall, Spectacular Things is described as heartfelt, tender, and thought-provoking—a moving family drama that asks what we’re willing to give up for the people we love. Recommended for fans of character-driven stories with strong emotional depth and literary exploration of family ties.

I first of all want to thank Netgalley and Random House Publishing for this arc in exchange for a honest review.
I’ve honestly sat for a few hours deciding exactly how to rate and describe this book. In the beginning, I would have told you we were looking at 3 stars tops. Building the background. Getting to know the characters. It all took time and wasn’t enjoyable for me to read; however things picked up in the middle of the book. I finally started to understand the sisters. Understood Mia’s loyalty and selflessness. I resonated with just wanting the best for your sibling and wanting to see them succeed. I also learned to fall in love with Cricket. There were parts where I wanted to slap her and shake her just like many older siblings want to do with their younger ones, but her growth throughout this book is second to none. She overcomes real life obstacles and choices that are predictable yet so relatable to many people.
In the end, it’s a true story of love and dedication among family and how showing up for each other at all times is really most important. Even though there were times I was pissed off and annoyed, I found myself wanting to pick up the book more and more. Also, if a book is making me feel emotions even if it’s mad isn’t that a good sign it’s doing what it was designed to do. All that being said it’s a solid 4 star read that I would recommend to all my friends.

I was asked to read and review “Spectacular Things” by Beck Dorey-Stein.

I love stories that focus on sisterhood, so the description of this novel caught my immediate attention. Liz was committed to play soccer at UCLA when an unexpected pregnancy derails her plans. She gives birth to Mia, and then, Cricket, who grow up together on the Maine coast. While Liz wishes for her girls to follow in her own footsteps, Mia has to make sacrifices so that her sister can become a soccer star. Yet, when Mia needs her sister, will Cricket be willing to make the same sacrifices her sister did?

The novel focuses heavily on soccer, which isn’t my jam, but admittedly, it’s an important part of the story and helps shape all three women. However, I enjoyed the exploration of the dynamics between the two sisters. While parts of the novel are predictable, I appreciated the growth of the Mia and Cricket in particular.

Three and a half out of five stars.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House/Dial Press for the ARC.

Loved!

Their stories (Mia, Cricket, and Liz) felt very real, while bad things kept happening it wasn’t a glamorized trauma-dump but instead reminiscence of the cycle of mothers, daughters, and sisters. Familial sacrifice is thus a very pivotal theme.

There was a wonderful balance between plot and characterization as well as just enough sports talk for me. Soccer is pivotal to the sisters and their mother, Liz, but it’s not overwhelmingly technical which adds to its literary value here.

While it was fairly predictable at times I don’t think that takes away from any part of the story. Sometimes the circumstances of reality are predictable.

A wonderful read for anyone, not just those interested in women’s sports, I really recommended picking this one up once it releases!

4/5

Beck Dorey-Stein’s Spectacular Things is an emotionally charged novel about two sisters, Mia and Cricket, whose lives are shaped by love, sacrifice, and unspoken bonds. Growing up in a small town on the Maine coast, the sisters’ relationship is a delicate balance—Mia, the responsible, selfless one, quietly supports Cricket’s ambitious soccer dreams, often at the cost of her own happiness. Cricket’s fierce drive for success leads her to push away the people who love her, particularly Mia. The tension between them, filled with tenderness and quiet heartache, forms the heart of this beautifully written story.

At its core, Spectacular Things explores how far we are willing to go for the people we love—and what happens when giving too much begins to chip away at who we are. Dorey-Stein deftly navigates love in all its forms—family, romance, and sacrifice—showing how it can both heal and hurt. The book is not just a story of sisterhood, but of personal growth, self-realization, and the quiet power of loyalty.

Set against the vivid backdrop of Maine, the novel’s world-building adds depth to the characters’ lives, with soccer playing a key role in Cricket’s journey. By the end, you’ll find yourself deeply invested in Mia and Cricket’s futures, their complicated relationship, and the choices that define them.

Spectacular Things is a deeply moving and thought-provoking read that will stay with you long after you’ve finished. Highly recommend for anyone who loves stories about family dynamics, sacrifice, and the complexity of love.

Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for the ARC!

The Lowe’s—Liz, Mia, and Cricket— have a love of and ability for soccer. This book is about love of the game but more importantly dealing with adversity and love of family. It’s best to go into this novel blind. Dorey-Stein begins the story at the end and then gives the backstories of the three women. It’s aptly titled Spectacular Things because this is a spectacular book. I predict it will rank among the best of the year and people will be talking about it from summer into the fall. I highly recommend it and I thank NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Spectacular Things by Beck Dorey-Stein is an absolute gem—insightful, heartfelt, and beautifully written. Her voice is sharp, honest, and refreshingly real, pulling you into every moment with ease. Whether she's exploring ambition, relationships, or self-discovery, Dorey-Stein does it with wit and emotional depth. I laughed, I teared up, and I walked away feeling inspired. A must-read!

A fairly enjoyable book. If you're a soccer fan, I expect there's a lot about this book that you would enjoy. I did get a bit frustrated with feeling "what else can go wrong" for these sisters and with Mia's treatment of Cricket when/after she asked for her kidney. I would never be mad at someone for not giving me one of their organs!

This novel is a quiet powerhouse—an emotionally rich, beautifully rendered story about two sisters bound by love, loyalty, and the complex web of a shared past. At its core, it’s about what it means to grow up in the shadow of both promise and pain and how our childhood roles can follow us well into adulthood.

Mia and Cricket—the “Lowe girls”—are unforgettable. Their dynamic is layered and real: Mia, the stoic and self-sacrificing older sister, is forced to grow up too fast, while Cricket, all fire, and talent, hurtles toward a future built on fragile foundations. The author shows how love can sustain and strain, especially when so much of it is wrapped up in duty and unspoken expectations.

What do we owe the people we love? At what point does loyalty stop being noble and start being dangerous? And how do you move forward when the past still whispers in your ear? As the sisters confront their mother’s hidden history and their own diverging paths, the narrative unfolds with a quiet urgency that makes it hard to look away.

The publisher provided ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

You know, I really enjoyed this one. I have a friend thats major into soccer and I think she’d get all the nuance and the grind of playing at a high level, but this one was so…tender. It was the perfect blend of story and coming into your own, past and present, and I ever so much loved the sisters relationship. As a woman who is a motherless mother, the storyline of loss and parenting really hit home for me and it felt so authentic- this one will definitely be on my gifting shelf for years to come.

This book was saccharine sweet but heartfelt and an enjoyable read. I found the writing and plot development a little simple, but I don't typically read books that are this lighthearted. I would recommend this book to my nieces in high school.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

The cover of Spectacular Things is absolutely beautiful and screams new Summer read. I thoroughly enjoyed the medium reading pace of this book. The character growth throughout is realistic and most all characters stories are well developed. Throughout the storyline, we really understand the hardships that the characters are enduring. However, the plot is predictable and at times melodramatic. Themes of this book include sisterhood, resilience, mother/daughter bonds, sports, grief, romance, and family bonds.

#NetGalley #MyHonestReview #SpectacularThings

While Spectacular Things had moments that drew me in, my biggest issue with the book was how overly melodramatic and, at times, implausible the plot felt. The characters seem to endure one hardship after another, but they bounce back so quickly and neatly that it started to feel more like a soap opera than a grounded story.

One moment that really pulled me out of the narrative was when Liz leaves town with $5,000 and, within months, is buying a house. Not to mention, her parents vanish from the storyline completely, as if she were dropped into a vacuum. Then there’s four-year-old Mia, whose conversations with her mother feel far too mature for her age—more like a mini therapist than a toddler.
There were glimpses of compelling themes—resilience, mother-daughter bonds, reinvention—but they were buried under layers of contrivance that made it hard for me to fully connect.

Thank you for this ARC! I loved The Corner of the Oval and I was excited to receive this book. Unfortunately, I did not love it. The story tried to do a lot of things, too many things, that none of them were fully developed. I wasn't attached to the characters, and the emotional pull of the story was just not there for me. I did like the behind the scenes of the soccer world, it is clear that area of the book was well- researched.

First of all, thank you to Net Galley and Dial Press for allowing me to read an early copy of this book. Next, I have to apologize for what may be an unfair review. How likely is it to read two sports/lesbian love story books in a row? That's what happened here. I had just finished reading A Sharp and Endless Need by Marisa Crane when I was offered Spectacular Things by the publisher. Several similarities between the novels made me wonder of both writers had been in the same writers' conference. This was particularly strange as both Dorey-Stein and Crane had their star athletes use a hairband on a wrist to snap when they needed to focus. (Is that a thing?)

Spectacular Things was well-written and interesting. But two sports-centered themes in a row? And both having gay love at their core. Several other things bothered me about this book. One was the long pause between Mia's childbirth and the sisters' reunion at the end. Another was the endless visualizations, training, sweating and soccer insider descriptions. Again, that is just a personal lack of interest in the sport subject. i admit to knowing nothing about the game. And I wondered why Liz's parents never again contacted her after she left home.

If you like sports, love stories, grief stories, medical tragedies and a fast-paced narrative, this novel may be for you.

I feel torn about this one. It follows two sisters - one academically gifted and the other a natural athlete. The story starts in the present and then flips back to the past. This is about sister dynamics, what we would give up for the people we love, how to learn to live after loss, and whether we’re living our own lives, or the lives people we love want us to lead. They’re all big topics and I tend to love a relationship-driven story, and I did enjoy my reading experience with this for the most part. My issues were that the plot (as it were) felt contrived and also quite telegraphed and the writing was a bit…melodramatic at times. These girls go through tough time after tough time and just keep bouncing back and I just wanted them to have a break from so much drama. I’ll probably be in the minority with this opinion, though! The book has a lot to say about family obligation, processing trauma, and what’s worth sacrificing in a life.