An absolutely wonderful story of two sisters, Mia and Cricket, and their single mom, Liz in a small coastal Maine town. They are strong, loving, hard-working, fierce, and loyal. I loved these characters as individuals and when all three are together on the page, it's just fantastic.

Women's soccer is the theme that links the past with the future and the characters to the timeline. The way the various soccer matches and practices were described, I felt like I was there watching and rooting. The ending made me so happy and a little misty.

A final observation: Maine is really punching above its weight this summer: Maine Characters, Hazel Says No, and now Spectacular Things. All five-stars. Highly recommend all three.

Thank you Random House Publishing Group - Random House | The Dial Press and NetGalley for the advance reader copy. #SpectacularThings #NetGalley

I was invited by the publisher to read and review this novel months ago, but due to a too-long to-read list, I pushed it aside and forgot about it until publication week. WHAT A MISTAKE THAT WAS. I predict this will be on my top list or 2025 reads: I could not put it down (I read this in less than 24 hours!). This is the kind of propulsive, character-driven novel I love the most.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

4.5

Such a beautiful story!
A story of mothers and daughters, and sisters.. mostly the sisters.
Sisters who come from a family of soccer stars, and face many challenges after a huge loss.
Heartwarming story.., wonderful characters.. a big part of the story will give you insight into women’s soccer..
just loved it!

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House/Dial Press for the Arc!

Wow - what a beautiful book about two sisters, resiliency, and the power of love. Starting in the future, this book goes back in time and tells the full story of two sisters, Mia and Cricket, and then ultimately catches up (and continues from) where it started.

The writing was excellent and vivid, especially capturing the allure and glow of professional women’s soccer. It also had deeply emotional moments and moments that made you think - what would I do.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

4.25⭐️ Thank you to the publisher & NetGalley for the e-ARC! 🤍
rep: chronic kidney disease
I really liked this book and would absolutely recommend it to anyone! I had such a great time reading this - I’m not a soccer fan in any way but the story still sucked me in. I loved the structure of the story in that we start out with a present tense POV and then go backwards throughout the rest of the book until getting back to the present at the end. This was done so well and added so much to the story! Spectacular Things is ultimately a beautiful book about friendship and family 🫶🏻

I flew through this book! I was drawn in from just the first few pages and could barely put it down. If you’re a soccer fan I’m sure you will love this book, but even though I’m not really into the sport I still adored this story. One of the best I’ve read in a while!

“Spectacular Things” is a tale of two sisters and their test of loyalty. This soccer themed read displays a very strong sibling dynamic that brings the reader on a journey as Cricket and Mia experience pain, loss, and love.

This fast-paced book is full of heart, sacrifice, family, soccer and determination. I loved the structure of the chapters and sections. I felt inspired by the lengths each woman in the story was willing to go to achieve their dreams and support one another.

This story does contain some thematic elements that may trigger readers, and I encourage you to do your research before diving in.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC!

This book was one of my favorites ever. It was the sweetest, most heartbreaking story of two sisters. We get to watch them grow over the years while living very different lives. I can’t recommend it enough. The characters were all so perfect. There were moments that felt devastating and other moments that felt like a warm hug.

Reese Book Club - July '25 pick. 5 stars!

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced reading copy in exchange for an honest review.

4.25⭐️ This was a beautifully written story about grief, sacrifice, love and sisterhood. It took me a little while to get through this, but not because I was uninterested. I think this book was worth savouring and I’m actually going to miss being immersed into these characters’ lives. This was my first book by this author and I fell in love with her writing and the character development. I was rooting for everyone in this story and felt as though I knew them. I look forward to reading more by this author! Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for an ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Two sisters who have been focused on one thing are faced with a life-altering decision. After their mothers' deaths, the Lowe sisters are all they have. Their whole lives have been devoted to Cricket's soccer career until Mia receives devastating news. We follow the sacrifice, work, and strength that each sister goes through and how they deal with the aftermath of a big decision.

I really enjoyed this story about two sisters- Mia and Cricket and follows their life in coastal Maine. The bond between the sisters felt so real—messy, loving, complicated. This is a story of coming to understand ones self and those we are close to, and how to reach our dreams and also consider those our dreams impact. Some parts dragged a little, but overall it was an emotional and thoughtful read that stuck with me.

This is going to be one of those books that sits with me for a very long time.

This book somehow feels both like a brilliant lit fit, and a season of a reality TV show. The things these women experience and the plot twists were wild and kept me so invested. But it is taken with seriousness, is incredibly well-written, and deals with many heavy topics in a very responsible and profound way.

There are so many good quotes in this book, and endless wisdom. Also- I don't know much about soccer, but you can tell as a reader (and confirmed in the author's note) that is it incredibly well-researched.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Dial Press for the ARC! I am so grateful I got to read this book, and will be anxiously keeping my eye out for more from this author!!

4.5 stars!! I have to start out by saying wow, what a beautiful story that was! The love, the loss, the laughter; the emotions that this book evokes all lead back to wow. This book made me think about and appreciate the life I have. It made the victories seem so much greater and it really shined a light on the importance of relationships. It really hit home for me with how close my sister and I are, yet how different our personalities and goals can be from one another, just like the sisters, Mia and Cricket, exhibited. If you are a soccer fan, this book is also perfect for you, with so many references throughout and with the book starting at the 2028 Olympic Games! I didn’t know much about soccer going into the book, but it was such a fun aspect that pushed the story forward! Beck Dorey-Stein did a wonderful job of constructing flawed, yet lovable characters that have you cheering for until the end! She also kept the novel interesting with the timeline starting in 2028 and then jumping all the way back to 1989 to move forward from the beginning! In my opinion, it was a great decision and made the story that much deeper! Overall, do yourself a favor and pick up this book!

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Random House for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

spectacular things is a well-written, fast-paced read that i am still fuming about. and i mean that as a compliment to the author, sort of. the writing is smooth and absorbing, but the story left me infuriated in a way that felt personal. if you've ever been the mia in your family - the one who gives, sacrifices, and puts your own life on hold for people who take without thinking - you may want to throw this book across the room.

the premise follows two sisters, mia and cricket, as they grow up under the weight of their mother's expectations, secrets, and absence. even after their mother dies (not a spoiler), her influence haunts every decision, especially mia's. she's the responsible one, the default caretaker, the girl who's been raising her sister and running the household since childhood while her mother worked overtime to pay for cricket's soccer dreams. the imbalance is staggering. cricket is praised, adored, centered. mia is useful. invisible.

and that's the part that gutted me, how accurate it is. this book captures the kind of quiet exploitation that happens inside families all the time. the kind where children are robbed of childhood in the name of "character-building" or "teamwork" or "family." no. it's not character-building. it's neglect and it's abuse. and the rage that builds from being treated like a backup adult never really goes away. i hated reading it because it felt too real.

there's also a pointed critique here about competitive athletics and class. cricket's rival sloane can afford everything like elite coaches, travel, gear while cricket's success requires her entire working-class family to bend over backwards. it's a sharp observation about how even talent can't level the playing field when wealth is involved. unfortunately, that nuance kind of disappears beneath the overwhelming martyrdom mia is forced into.

i truly couldn't stomach their mother. forcing mia to give up her youth, her autonomy, her dreams so her sister could chase soccer glory? unforgivable. and when mia finally does one thing for herself and starts dating cricket's coach, cricket throws a tantrum and demands she stop. the whole book is like that. mia endlessly giving, cricket endlessly trying to take.

then, when mia suffers a traumatic childbirth and needs a kidney, cricket, fresh off her world cup debut, just… leaves. she literally goes off to play her lil ball game instead of helping the sister who gave up everything for her. and yet, we get a soft, tied-up ending, just what you would expect out of a reese book club pick. no consequences. no real accountability. just a fictional happy ending that does a disservice to everyone in mia's position.

also, while it may be realistic that cricket is both queer and an elite athlete, i resent that the main visibly queer character is selfish and emotionally monstrous.

i don't know who this book is for. someone will love it. but if you've lived a life of being second to someone else's needs, this book might hit too hard and not in a cathartic way. it just made me mad.

i am giving this book three stars. this is an extremely well-written book that i would recommend to most readers. i didn't like the ending and i think that's a pretty common reading experience here. it is a good book for someone else.

Sisters and soccer prodigies, Mia and Cricket, were raised by their sassy single mother, Liz, who was also a promising athlete before she became pregnant as a teen. As Liz says to her parents when she moves out: 'The soccer dream isn't over, I've just moved the goalposts'. She preaches a can-do attitude to both her girls and instills a winning attitude as she teaches them how to play soccer. Before every game, she ties a red ribbon around their ponytail. Her words guide both girls through the challenges that present during their young lives. The story follows the sisters into adulthood, as Mia navigates motherhood while Cricket plays professional soccer. You don't need to be interested in soccer to enjoy Spectacular Things--there's plenty of family and relationship drama to keep things interesting!

This book is a cozy little story of family, Sisterhood, love, and finding each other. It is a cute story & I enjoyed reading it.

📚: Spectacular Things by Beck Dorey-Stein
⭐️: 4.5/5 (rounding up on #goodreads)

A story about motherhood, sisterhood, and identity, Spectacular Things is set in the world of women’s soccer. The story asks, what does someone need to sacrifice to realize their dreams? What do those around them need to sacrifice as well?

This book was truly incredible, start to finish. It’s heart wrenching, touching, devastating, and hopeful. (And I’m not even a soccer fan.)

Not a full five star (but rounding up) for a late third act plot point that felt a little out of nowhere and a little saccharine.

Big thanks to Random House via @netgalley for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. Spectacular Things is out now.

This is such a beautiful story about relationships and sacrifice. It’ made me think about what I’m willing to work for, and what I would be willing to give up for those I love. This was a solid five star read for me.

Liz is a soccer phenom who ends up getting pregnant her senior year of high school. Baby Mia becomes her life and her dreams. She teaches Mia to love and play soccer. Then baby Cricket comes along. Cricket is even more incredible at soccer! Over time Mia ends up having to sacrifice so much for her mom and sister. Then when Mia needs her sister most…well…read the book!

There’s a loooot of soccer in this book. It’s got some Taylor Jenkins vibes a la Atmosphere and Carrie Soto, the women’s relationship is supposed to take center stage but I think it was a bit upstaged by the soccer but I still enjoyed the ride, though probably works have gotten pissed off way sooner than Mia.