Sam
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- Create Date：2023-01-04 02:21:29
- Update Date：2025-09-14
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- Author：Allegra Goodman
- ISBN：0593447816
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Summary
What happens to a girl’s exuberance and wonder as she becomes a woman？ This unforgettable portrait of coming-of-age offers a powerful reflection on class， addiction， parenthood， longing， and ambition。
There is a girl， and her name is Sam。 She adores her father， though he isn’t around much。 Her mother， Courtney， struggles to make ends meet， and never fails to remind her daughter that her life should be different。 Sam doesn’t fit in at school， where the other girls have the right shade of blue jeans and don’t question the rules。 Sam doesn’t care about jeans or rules。 She just loves to climb--trees， fences， walls， the side of a building。 When she’s climbing， she discovers a place she belongs: she can turn off her brain， pain has a purpose， and it’s okay if you want to win。
As Sam grows into her teens， she grapples with self-doubt and insecurity。 She yearns for her climbing coach to notice her， but his attention crosses boundaries she doesn't know how to resist。 She wishes her father would leave for good， instead of always coming and going， but once he’s gone， she realizes how much she’s lost。 She rages against her mother’s constant pressure to plan for a more secure future。 Wrestling with who she wants to be in the face of what she’s expected to do， Sam comes to understand that she alone can make her dreams come true。
Allegra Goodman’s beautiful and wise novel Sam is deceptively simple: it is about a girl who becomes a woman。 But underneath its straightforward chronology and spare sentences lie layers of extraordinary depth， sensitivity， and tenderness。 This unforgettable ode to girlhood asks， What happens to a child's sense of joy and belonging--her belief in herself--as she grows up？ The answer will break your heart， but will also leave you full of hope。
There is a girl， and her name is Sam。 She adores her father， though he isn’t around much。 Her mother， Courtney， struggles to make ends meet， and never fails to remind her daughter that her life should be different。 Sam doesn’t fit in at school， where the other girls have the right shade of blue jeans and don’t question the rules。 Sam doesn’t care about jeans or rules。 She just loves to climb--trees， fences， walls， the side of a building。 When she’s climbing， she discovers a place she belongs: she can turn off her brain， pain has a purpose， and it’s okay if you want to win。
As Sam grows into her teens， she grapples with self-doubt and insecurity。 She yearns for her climbing coach to notice her， but his attention crosses boundaries she doesn't know how to resist。 She wishes her father would leave for good， instead of always coming and going， but once he’s gone， she realizes how much she’s lost。 She rages against her mother’s constant pressure to plan for a more secure future。 Wrestling with who she wants to be in the face of what she’s expected to do， Sam comes to understand that she alone can make her dreams come true。
Allegra Goodman’s beautiful and wise novel Sam is deceptively simple: it is about a girl who becomes a woman。 But underneath its straightforward chronology and spare sentences lie layers of extraordinary depth， sensitivity， and tenderness。 This unforgettable ode to girlhood asks， What happens to a child's sense of joy and belonging--her belief in herself--as she grows up？ The answer will break your heart， but will also leave you full of hope。
Reviews
David Strom
，
In this novel by Allegra Goodman， we follow the life of Sam during 15 or so years of her young life as she grows up in a dysfunctional family with a special-needs younger brother and her single mother who is trying to make ends meet working two low-end jobs。 Sam is a talented rock climber: the story takes place on Boston's North Shore and we see her grow into some prowess as she develops her climbing abilities and strength。 Sam is an interesting character: nothing comes without a lot of pain and In this novel by Allegra Goodman， we follow the life of Sam during 15 or so years of her young life as she grows up in a dysfunctional family with a special-needs younger brother and her single mother who is trying to make ends meet working two low-end jobs。 Sam is a talented rock climber: the story takes place on Boston's North Shore and we see her grow into some prowess as she develops her climbing abilities and strength。 Sam is an interesting character: nothing comes without a lot of pain and hard work， which makes her accomplishments all that more satisfying， both to her and to the reader。 The family dynamics: the kids have two different but deadbeat dads that come in and out of the narrative。 I really enjoyed the plot， characters， and situations as Sam grows up， finds love and adventure。 Highly recommended。 。。。more
Anca
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Although some of my favorite authors rate this book highly， I thought the writing level is below par。 At least for a seasoned author。 I did enjoy Sam’s story， and that is the only reason I powered through this book。 The writing is that basic。 Maybe the author’s intended audience is elementary school children， I don't know。 I think even young adults will find the writing bad。 That being said， I did learn a few things about climbing， which I found pretty interesting。 Also， Sam’s determination is a Although some of my favorite authors rate this book highly， I thought the writing level is below par。 At least for a seasoned author。 I did enjoy Sam’s story， and that is the only reason I powered through this book。 The writing is that basic。 Maybe the author’s intended audience is elementary school children， I don't know。 I think even young adults will find the writing bad。 That being said， I did learn a few things about climbing， which I found pretty interesting。 Also， Sam’s determination is a positive part of this book。 But that's about it。 Sorry， but I will not recommend this book to anyone。 。。。more
Andy Krahling
，
I took a while to grow into the narrative。 It didn't immediately resonate with me， and the style was deceptively simple。 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。 I took a while to grow into the narrative。 It didn't immediately resonate with me， and the style was deceptively simple。 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。 。。。more
Riann
，
I loved this coming of age story！ Sam is a strong， determined， and courageous character。 I really enjoyed seeing how she changed as she matured。 The cover really drew me in as well because it made me want to know more about Sam。 This novel is very well done。
Crystal Rees
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A heart wrenching coming of age story about a fierce young girl trying to navigate a chaotic home life。 She climbs and gets tangled up with her coach and her emotions。 Hard to read but in the end it’s exactly what happens in this world and must be talked about。 Thank you NetGalley for this arc
Sally
，
Found this title in a Random House e-mail and was hooked by the author's letter to the reader:Dear Reader，I am the mother of three bookish and well-behaved sons。 When my boys were small， if I turned my back for a minute， they’d always be where I’d left them。 Then I had a little girl。 Miranda was never where I left her。 In a house full of readers， Miranda despised quiet and sitting around。 When she was six and I couldn’t get a babysitter， I brought Miranda to a talk I was giving。 “I hate books！” Found this title in a Random House e-mail and was hooked by the author's letter to the reader:Dear Reader，I am the mother of three bookish and well-behaved sons。 When my boys were small， if I turned my back for a minute， they’d always be where I’d left them。 Then I had a little girl。 Miranda was never where I left her。 In a house full of readers， Miranda despised quiet and sitting around。 When she was six and I couldn’t get a babysitter， I brought Miranda to a talk I was giving。 “I hate books！” my daughter told the president of PEN New England。What Miranda enjoyed was rearranging furniture。 Cutting her own hair。 （“I’m sorry，” her teacher told me。 “She grabbed the scissors from the art table。”） Miranda literally climbed the walls， wedging herself up doorframes。 It was this energy that inspired me to write Sam， a novel about a girl climbing， falling， and striving。When children are little， they run everywhere。 I wanted to write about what happens to that eagerness—particularly in girls。 What happens to the girl who wants to climb？ I started with this question and a seven-year-old named Sam。 But who was Sam？ My daughter had inspired me， but characters develop their own lives。I thought about how to tell her story。 Should I use a third-person narrator？ Should I write from the point of view of several characters？ As so often happens when writing fiction， the voice chose me。 I adopted Sam’s point of view and wrote from her consciousness， starting with the first line: “There is a girl， and her name is Sam。”In the Jewish tradition， it’s said that to save a life is to save the entire world。 I would add that to write one life is to create an entire world。 This was what I felt when I was writing Sam， and what I hope readers will feel。Allegra Goodman 。。。more
Katie Mac
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I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review。3。5。 I had a tough time getting into the writing style at the beginning of the book--lots of short， declarative sentences--but it suits seven-year-old Sam and will probably resonate with YA readers。 The subtle shift in Allegra Goodman's prose reflects Sam's transition into her teen years well， but I still felt like I， as the reader， was being kept at arm's length from the plot and Sam's experience， I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review。3。5。 I had a tough time getting into the writing style at the beginning of the book--lots of short， declarative sentences--but it suits seven-year-old Sam and will probably resonate with YA readers。 The subtle shift in Allegra Goodman's prose reflects Sam's transition into her teen years well， but I still felt like I， as the reader， was being kept at arm's length from the plot and Sam's experience， though maybe that reflects Sam's coping mechanism。 While I wasn't able to warm up to or fully appreciate Sam， I do think the reflections on domestic abuse and dysfunction are spot-on and poignant。 。。。more
Ron Charles
，
In “The Writer，” one of my favorite Richard Wilbur poems， the speaker pauses on the stairs and listens to his daughter working in her room:Young as she is， the stuffOf her life is a great cargo， and some of it heavy:I wish her a lucky passage。In her new novel， “Sam，” Allegra Goodman offers a similarly sympathetic reflection on the struggles of a girl’s life。 We meet Sam at the start of her voyage when she’s a sweet， energetic 7-year-old living in Massachusetts。 Her parents are divorced， but her In “The Writer，” one of my favorite Richard Wilbur poems， the speaker pauses on the stairs and listens to his daughter working in her room:Young as she is， the stuffOf her life is a great cargo， and some of it heavy:I wish her a lucky passage。In her new novel， “Sam，” Allegra Goodman offers a similarly sympathetic reflection on the struggles of a girl’s life。 We meet Sam at the start of her voyage when she’s a sweet， energetic 7-year-old living in Massachusetts。 Her parents are divorced， but her handsome father， a small-time entertainer， is still “sort of around， sort of not。” Having abandoned his domestic responsibilities， he’s free to drop in unpredictably and dazzle Sam。 “He can run faster than anybody，” she thinks。 “He plays every instrument and the harmonica。 He can read your palm and， also， he knows magic。”That achingly sincere voice is the heart and soul of “Sam。” And anyone who has ever been the focus of a child’s impossibly inflated regard will feel alternately charmed and gutted by Sam’s devotion。 Although Goodman writes in the third person， she never strays from the girl’s table-high view， an angle that shrouds adults’ thoughts but illuminates the child’s realm of rules and wonders。“You have to learn about blue whales，” Goodman writes with perfect fidelity to what Sam sees and hears。 “They are the size of three school buses， but they have no teeth， just baleen， and they suck up tiny krill。 Did you know people hunted them until they were almost extinct？ They are still endangered。 Think about that。 Do your work。 Put everything away。 You’re in second grade， not Pre-K。 Line up。 Walk quietly to Art。 No running no shouting no fighting。”Still， despite that guileless perspective， readers will sense dangers ahead without knowing exactly what they are。 This is， after all， a story of disillusionment， which is to say， this is a story of growing up。 And so one ventures across these pages like a winter skater lured by fragile beauty onto thin ice。 To read the rest of this review， go to The Washington Post:https://www。washingtonpost。com/books/。。。 。。。more
The Reading Raccoon
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Book Review: Sam by Allegra Goodman Sam is a contemporary coming of age novel about a young girl growing up in Massachusetts。 When the book begins Sam is seven and living with her mother （Courtney）， little brother （Noah） and Courtney’s off and on boyfriend （Jack）。 Sam sees her charismatic performer father （Mitchell） only occasionally and although she loves to climb things she doesn’t enjoy school。 Courtney tries to build ambition into her daughter in hopes that she won’t drop out of college and Book Review: Sam by Allegra Goodman Sam is a contemporary coming of age novel about a young girl growing up in Massachusetts。 When the book begins Sam is seven and living with her mother （Courtney）， little brother （Noah） and Courtney’s off and on boyfriend （Jack）。 Sam sees her charismatic performer father （Mitchell） only occasionally and although she loves to climb things she doesn’t enjoy school。 Courtney tries to build ambition into her daughter in hopes that she won’t drop out of college and juggle two jobs like she does。 Sam finds that she enjoys rock and boulder climbing and as Michell pops in and out of her life it’s something she shares with him。 We follow Sam for more than a decade as she struggles with successes in rock climbing， relationships， family and her future。 Despite the fact that this is mostly a character driven novel the pace and Sam herself keep the reader invested and looking forward to what will happen next。 Sam is relatable to anyone that struggled with a parent that wanted more for them， a parent that was inconsistent in their lives or anyone that found it hard to fit in with their peers。 Overall， I really enjoyed this novel and character and I recommend Sam to readers that like coming of age novels with relatable young women finding their way through life。 4 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 。。。more
Deborah
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Allegra Goodman’s novel Sam hooked me in the first chapter then slowly lost me。 I say that because at times it felt very repetitive。 The central focus in this is the coming-of age family story is Sam， beginning at age seven following her until she’s 19。 You see her grow from sadness， and discouragement to determination。I feel this book could have been better suited as a Young Adult novel and would make a very good book club book。 Thank you #netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange Allegra Goodman’s novel Sam hooked me in the first chapter then slowly lost me。 I say that because at times it felt very repetitive。 The central focus in this is the coming-of age family story is Sam， beginning at age seven following her until she’s 19。 You see her grow from sadness， and discouragement to determination。I feel this book could have been better suited as a Young Adult novel and would make a very good book club book。 Thank you #netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Liz Hein
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3。5 stars
Carol
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What a great start to my 2023 reading journey！ You should enter the Goodreads giveaway if it's open in your area - only 2 days left！SAM is a coming-of-age story which follows a young girl named Sam from ages 7 to 19。 She lives in Massachusetts with her divorced mom and younger half-brother Noah and from a very young age she loves to climb。 Her father struggles with addiction and is not a constant or reliable presence in her life。Sometimes this book is classified as Young Adult and other times it What a great start to my 2023 reading journey！ You should enter the Goodreads giveaway if it's open in your area - only 2 days left！SAM is a coming-of-age story which follows a young girl named Sam from ages 7 to 19。 She lives in Massachusetts with her divorced mom and younger half-brother Noah and from a very young age she loves to climb。 Her father struggles with addiction and is not a constant or reliable presence in her life。Sometimes this book is classified as Young Adult and other times it's not。 Although I think young adults would enjoy the book I'm pretty sure a lot of older people would too。 I know I did。 I was very hesitant to take advantage of Netgalley's offer to Read Now for the first 200 people or whatever it was but I'm so glad I decided to take the plunge。 I really liked the characters， especially Sam， and the writing is very unpretentious which made it easy to read。 I felt it was totally believable and realistic of a young girl's thoughts as she gradually matures。 Sam is a tough cookie and doesn't give up easily but is often torn between what she wants and what others expect of her。 Towards the end there's a lot of geology facts which I probably won't remember an hour from now but it's interesting。 Same for accounting except I'm a little more familiar with that topic。 You'll need to read the book to find out what role those subjects play！ I'm giving the book 4。5 stars rounded up because I was totally absorbed in the book from beginning to end。Huge thanks to Penguin Random House Canada and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this excellent novel。 All opinions expressed are my own。Publication Date: January 3， 2023 。。。more
Cathe Fein Olson
，
Sam's passion for climbing began by chance at a carnival with her Dad。 She's not good at school or fitting in， but she is good at climbing。 There are complications of course--her father's addiction， her coach's inappropriate attention， her mother's struggle to make ends meet， relationships。 This was an engrossing coming-of-age story that rang true with all of life's gray areas， complicated emotions and hard choices。 Sam's passion for climbing began by chance at a carnival with her Dad。 She's not good at school or fitting in， but she is good at climbing。 There are complications of course--her father's addiction， her coach's inappropriate attention， her mother's struggle to make ends meet， relationships。 This was an engrossing coming-of-age story that rang true with all of life's gray areas， complicated emotions and hard choices。 。。。more
Andee
，
Thank you， NetGalley， for this ARC in exchange for review。 I have not read any of Allegra Goodman's books before。 But if they are all like "Sam"， then I want to read them all。We meet Sam when she's in elementary school， climbing in the doorjam。 Sam's story， written in third person， brings us into every thought and emotion dealing with her mom， her half-brother， and her dad who is sometimes around and sometimes not。 At first， I thought this story would be great for the middle school library。 But Thank you， NetGalley， for this ARC in exchange for review。 I have not read any of Allegra Goodman's books before。 But if they are all like "Sam"， then I want to read them all。We meet Sam when she's in elementary school， climbing in the doorjam。 Sam's story， written in third person， brings us into every thought and emotion dealing with her mom， her half-brother， and her dad who is sometimes around and sometimes not。 At first， I thought this story would be great for the middle school library。 But as I got hooked， and Sam grew older， it is apparent is is very much a YA novel。 The detail of Sam's thoughts bring readers so much into the story， we feel what Sam's feeling。 The end of the book had me feeling a part of her。 The detail of climbing as a sport was spot on。 Who knew I'd be captivated by this sport I previously had no interest in？But the best thing about this book are the characters。 They are SO real。 Each one。 They are a mess。。。like the rest of us。 But they get by with each other。 Like the rest of us。 I'll even go so far to say Sam helped me understand my own daughter a little more。 It is not a spoiler to say the metaphor of climbing is life。 One of my favorite quotes， "The outside of the rock is smooth， the underside is tricky。 You have to navigate that dark place and pull up from below"。 Reading that as an adult brings up all kinds of memories of my own life， and surely relates to Sam。 I don't give 5 stars often。 But this is one of those books that became a part of me。 Recommend for grades 9 and up。 。。。more
ramsey
，
I recieved an ARC from my employer， all opinions in this review are my own。3。5/5 ⭐️I tend to stay away from stories about girlhood， for whatever reason， but when I read the synopsis for Sam at my employer， I decided to give it a chance。 From the beginning， I was drawn to Allegra Goodman's writing style。 It is in third person but it felt like I was reading from Sam's subconscious or memories。 Sam herself is an interesting character， someone I can relate to a lot when it comes to wanting to make e I recieved an ARC from my employer， all opinions in this review are my own。3。5/5 ⭐️I tend to stay away from stories about girlhood， for whatever reason， but when I read the synopsis for Sam at my employer， I decided to give it a chance。 From the beginning， I was drawn to Allegra Goodman's writing style。 It is in third person but it felt like I was reading from Sam's subconscious or memories。 Sam herself is an interesting character， someone I can relate to a lot when it comes to wanting to make everyone around me happy。 I connected to her feeling of just going through the motions in life， stumbling to figure out what it is you exactly want out of life。 There are a few age gap romances involving Sam when she is a minor， and as someone who usually frowns upon reading them， I can understand why they were used as plot devices。 I know these relationships and power dynamics are more common in real life than we could hope。 I would love to see an epilogue of Sam in the future。 I wonder where she is now， what she is doing with her life and who she is with。 I saw myself in her quite a bit and maybe that's why i enjoyed reading Sam as much as I did。 。。。more
Anya Leonard
，
A wonderful and touching story of a young woman， talented at climbing， but dealing with serious home-life issues。 A brother with learning and behavioral differences， a mother without much education and not much money， and an alcoholic father make life more complicated for Sam。 However， her story was beautiful and relatable， and I was engaged by the stunning writing despite the somewhat monotony of just a story of a life。 The writing was wonderful， the plotline was interesting and engaging， and S A wonderful and touching story of a young woman， talented at climbing， but dealing with serious home-life issues。 A brother with learning and behavioral differences， a mother without much education and not much money， and an alcoholic father make life more complicated for Sam。 However， her story was beautiful and relatable， and I was engaged by the stunning writing despite the somewhat monotony of just a story of a life。 The writing was wonderful， the plotline was interesting and engaging， and Sam was someone we all know， or possibly even someone we are in some ways。 I would recommend this book for someone looking for a book that is interesting， but not frightening， something that is relatable， but not horribly depressing， and something that will give you hope。 This ebook was provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
BookBagDC
，
This is a story about learning， and accepting， who you really are。 We first meet Sam when she is seven years old。 She is enthralled by her father — who is a magician， a musician， and a poet but not always the most reliable parent。 She lives with her mother， Courtney， and her half-brother。 Courtney must work all the time to support her family and is constantly reminding Sam that with an education， Sam can get a reliable job and achieve the steady and secure life that eluded Courtney。 But Sam is n This is a story about learning， and accepting， who you really are。 We first meet Sam when she is seven years old。 She is enthralled by her father — who is a magician， a musician， and a poet but not always the most reliable parent。 She lives with her mother， Courtney， and her half-brother。 Courtney must work all the time to support her family and is constantly reminding Sam that with an education， Sam can get a reliable job and achieve the steady and secure life that eluded Courtney。 But Sam is not keen on what it would take to follow that easy path — she is not interested in school or typical activities。 Instead she is focused on climbing， which she has an almost preternatural talent for。 But with a mother whose schedule makes it difficult to get to the gym to train， an unreliable father， and a climbing instructor whose attention is complicated， even what is supposed to be Sam’s refuge becomes more complex as she struggles with what it means to grow up and make her own way in the world。 I thoroughly enjoyed this story。 I found myself fully immersed in Sam’s world。 The author deftly captures what it feels like for a girl who， at the various stages of her life， feels like she does not fit in — with her peers， society’s expectations， and even her own family。 Her relationship with her parents， and her evolving perspectiveson the respective challenges each faces， felt layered and highly realistic， as Sam rebelled against and gradually grew to accept their flaws。 And I really appreciated how the book explores the found families that along the way play critical roles in Sam’s life， even as they， like her own family， also disappoint her。 Within the context of this highly personal story， the author explores interesting and timely questions reality to class， wealth， addiction， and family。 Strongly recommended！ 。。。more
Samantha P
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SAM chronicles the story of a young girl through to early adulthood。 It's a coming of age story that tackles topics of love， friendship， abandonment & insecurities。 I really struggled to connect with this book。 The writing style was very choppy and didn't allow for the story to flow。 While some characters seem to have really great development， other's lacked depth。 Definitely a lot of potential but not the book for me。Thank you to Penguin Random House & NetGalley for the ARC。 SAM chronicles the story of a young girl through to early adulthood。 It's a coming of age story that tackles topics of love， friendship， abandonment & insecurities。 I really struggled to connect with this book。 The writing style was very choppy and didn't allow for the story to flow。 While some characters seem to have really great development， other's lacked depth。 Definitely a lot of potential but not the book for me。Thank you to Penguin Random House & NetGalley for the ARC。 。。。more
Ali Do Is Read
，
4。5 😭 This was depressing but chill at the same time and I ate it up。
Susan
，
Sam is a coming of age story about a young girl as she grows into a young woman of 19 years。 Allegra Goodman crafts the story of Sam and her family so neatly， and it was unputdownable。 This would be a great book for a book club as it has several themes which would be interesting to discuss。 Thank you to Penguin Random House Canada， The Dial Press for the advance reader copy in exchange for my honest opinion。
Laurie
，
Thanks NetGalley for the ARC of Sam by Allegra GoodmanI really enjoyed this novel， I wasn't sure when I first started as it's narrated by a 7 yr old， but as the story progresses the writting gets more mature， I thought it was very well done and a great technique。 As I got into the story it didn't take long to be hooked。 The story became more involved and mature as the main character grew up， and we continue to see things from her perspective。 I didn't want to put the book down。 This is story abo Thanks NetGalley for the ARC of Sam by Allegra GoodmanI really enjoyed this novel， I wasn't sure when I first started as it's narrated by a 7 yr old， but as the story progresses the writting gets more mature， I thought it was very well done and a great technique。 As I got into the story it didn't take long to be hooked。 The story became more involved and mature as the main character grew up， and we continue to see things from her perspective。 I didn't want to put the book down。 This is story about a young girl， from the age of 7， dealing with all life throws at her， from parents， her brother， friends， and school， love。 There is so much that the reader can relate to in their own lives。The story starts with Sam as a young girl， living with her mom and half brother， she sees her biological dad sometimes， they have a good relationship， although he has some struggles and isn't always in the picture。 Sam's mom Courtney works hard to make ends meet， sometimes with 2 jobs。 She has a boyfriend that's not always nice to Sam when she is young， I liked how Sam would stand up to him。 Sam grows up as the story progresses and ends when she is 19。 When Sam was young， her father introduced her to climbing， a passion they share together。 Sam also plays a huge role in helping her mom look after her brother。 We see in Sam her determination， relationship with her family， friends， boyfriends， how she deals with life and makes choices and how she deals with emotions。 This novel is really well written and allows the reader to interpret so much of what's going on in their own way and relate it to their own life at different stages growing up。 I recommend this novel and author。 She developed great characters and storyline。 I got a direct and to the point feeling from reading the story， meaning it didn't have a lot of extra adjectives and description， it was just full of story and I wanted to read every word。 This was a first novel Ive read by this author and I would absolutely read more。 。。。more
Devin Mainville
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I am a sucker for a good coming-of-age story and this is one of the greats。 The novel follows Sam from age 7 to 19 as she tries to her place in the world and within her family。 Her mercurial dad and exhausted single mother are as much antagonists as they are foundational and the simple tenderness and brutal emotional honesty broke my heart in the most exquisite way。 Only a few days into 2023 and we have our first contender for best of the year！Read if you like: rocks， remembering adolescence thr I am a sucker for a good coming-of-age story and this is one of the greats。 The novel follows Sam from age 7 to 19 as she tries to her place in the world and within her family。 Her mercurial dad and exhausted single mother are as much antagonists as they are foundational and the simple tenderness and brutal emotional honesty broke my heart in the most exquisite way。 Only a few days into 2023 and we have our first contender for best of the year！Read if you like: rocks， remembering adolescence through rose-colored glasses， Aftersun 。。。more
Pamela
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Sam， Allegra Goodman （Publish Date: 1/3/23）I wasn't sure exactly what to expect when I started to read Sam as I don't usually read books where children and/or young adults are the main protagonists， but the book turned out to be such a compelling read that I finished it in one sitting ignoring several household tasks in the process。 As a reader you will spend the whole book cheering for Sam and hoping she will overcome the tremendous life obstacles that are thrown her way。The book starts with 7 Sam， Allegra Goodman （Publish Date: 1/3/23）I wasn't sure exactly what to expect when I started to read Sam as I don't usually read books where children and/or young adults are the main protagonists， but the book turned out to be such a compelling read that I finished it in one sitting ignoring several household tasks in the process。 As a reader you will spend the whole book cheering for Sam and hoping she will overcome the tremendous life obstacles that are thrown her way。The book starts with 7 year old Sam who loves to climb， wants to be a rock climber， but is having trouble with school。 Sam lives with her struggling Mother and has a mostly absent father who sometimes works as traveling magician， an abusive step-father and troubled younger brother。 The book follows Sam's lives as she continues to young adulthood and attempts to follow her rock climbing dreams with dealing with the ongoing challenges of the mostly absent adults in her life as well as poverty。 Sam is a must read coming of age novel for anyone that enjoys that genre！ 。。。more
Richard Dow
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In this coming of age story， Sam is in a lot of ways a typical girl， child， then teenager and then your adult， without a clear path forward， or role models。 I think the key to this story is that every person has something they are good at， whether they know what that thing is？ Sam is a from a broken home， her dad is has a problem with stability， with alcohol and maybe drugs as well。 He has been so much a part of Sam's life until he isn't。 I loved the characters， though not the mom's ex-boyfriend In this coming of age story， Sam is in a lot of ways a typical girl， child， then teenager and then your adult， without a clear path forward， or role models。 I think the key to this story is that every person has something they are good at， whether they know what that thing is？ Sam is a from a broken home， her dad is has a problem with stability， with alcohol and maybe drugs as well。 He has been so much a part of Sam's life until he isn't。 I loved the characters， though not the mom's ex-boyfriends。 Sam finds where she belongs， though not quite believing that she can pursue her dreams。 I could not put this book down！ 。。。more
Annarella
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I loved this book because I loved how the style of writing evolved as Sam grew up。 It's a story of coming of age， of feeling different and lonely。 It's the story of a girl， Sam， and how she became a young woman。Poignant， compelling， and well written。 The author did an excellent job in developing intriguing and fleshed out characters and telling a story that never fail to keep the attention alive。Highly recommended。Many thanks to the publisher for this arc， all opinions are mine I loved this book because I loved how the style of writing evolved as Sam grew up。 It's a story of coming of age， of feeling different and lonely。 It's the story of a girl， Sam， and how she became a young woman。Poignant， compelling， and well written。 The author did an excellent job in developing intriguing and fleshed out characters and telling a story that never fail to keep the attention alive。Highly recommended。Many thanks to the publisher for this arc， all opinions are mine 。。。more
Sharon Latkovich Valente
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Raised by a single mother， Sam finds release through climbing。 But through climbing， she connects with her father， forms a friendship， deals with her father's disappearing， deals with her friend going to a different school， How Sam adapts to these different life events is the circuitous plot line of this novel。 Raised by a single mother， Sam finds release through climbing。 But through climbing， she connects with her father， forms a friendship， deals with her father's disappearing， deals with her friend going to a different school， How Sam adapts to these different life events is the circuitous plot line of this novel。 。。。more
Cassie
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The blurb for Sam calls it "deceptively simple，" and that couldn't be more true。 On the surface， this book is easy to describe: We meet a girl named Sam as a child at age 7， and we follow her through adolescence and her teenage years until age 19。 The timeline is chronological， and the storytelling is straightforward and matter-of-fact， with spare， simplistic sentences。 It is， simply， a story about a girl becoming a woman。 But beneath the surface， Allegra Goodman is doing so much more。Sam is a d The blurb for Sam calls it "deceptively simple，" and that couldn't be more true。 On the surface， this book is easy to describe: We meet a girl named Sam as a child at age 7， and we follow her through adolescence and her teenage years until age 19。 The timeline is chronological， and the storytelling is straightforward and matter-of-fact， with spare， simplistic sentences。 It is， simply， a story about a girl becoming a woman。 But beneath the surface， Allegra Goodman is doing so much more。Sam is a deeply intimate， layered character study that explores， in ways both subtle and overt， what happens to a young girl's wonder and innocence as she comes of age and is increasingly at the mercy of her circumstances。 Sam is a character that will get under your skin。 She loves her father， but struggles with the fact that he is so undependable。 She loves her mother， but is frustrated by her mother's constant pressure and insistence that Sam plan for a secure future。 She loves climbing， but doesn't understand until it's too late that there are boundaries she shouldn't cross。 She is stubborn and willful， headstrong and determined， but there is a tender vulnerability at her core。 As she grows up， her choices and actions feel authentic based on the events that happen in her life。 As Sam ages， writing that felt simplistic at first gradually deepens and matures along with the book's themes。 Goodman does this so subtly that you can't pinpoint the exact moment that it happens -- it just suddenly does。 Just like you can't pinpoint the exact moment a girl becomes a woman -- she just suddenly does。 Sam is powerful and richly-realized， with thoughtful reflections about addiction， parenthood， class， and ambition。 Most of all， it's a book about the indomitable determination of one girl who， literally and figuratively， refuses to stop climbing。 。。。more
Kathleen Gray
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A thoughtful coming of age story told by Sam who grows from a child to a young woman over the course of the novel。 Her life is always slightly on the edge- her father is mostly absent and completely unreliable due to his addition， her brother Noah is neurodiverse， and her mom Courtney is trying to keep all the balls in the air while her partner， father of Noah is abusive and obnoxious。 Rock climbing becomes Sam's touchstone- and yes the metaphor works。 Unlike some novels with this scenario， this A thoughtful coming of age story told by Sam who grows from a child to a young woman over the course of the novel。 Her life is always slightly on the edge- her father is mostly absent and completely unreliable due to his addition， her brother Noah is neurodiverse， and her mom Courtney is trying to keep all the balls in the air while her partner， father of Noah is abusive and obnoxious。 Rock climbing becomes Sam's touchstone- and yes the metaphor works。 Unlike some novels with this scenario， this never gets too grim and there's always a bit， I think of hope。 The writing might feel simplistic at first but know that it expands as Sam's voice grows。 While it felt very different from Goodman's usual， it's a worthy read and Sam's a character I suspect many will identify with， Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC。 Excellent read。 。。。more
Di
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Sam is a young girl， the reader follows her life from age 7 to age 20。 Sam is not a happy girl， there is a lot in her life that makes her sad and unhappy。 Her biggest sadness is her absent father， who is an alcoholic and a promise breaker。 The only thing that makes Sam a little bit happy is climbing。 She always has problems “fitting in”。 I keep hoping that something will make Sam at peace with herself and her life。While this is not an uplifting book， I couldn't stop reading it。 The writing style Sam is a young girl， the reader follows her life from age 7 to age 20。 Sam is not a happy girl， there is a lot in her life that makes her sad and unhappy。 Her biggest sadness is her absent father， who is an alcoholic and a promise breaker。 The only thing that makes Sam a little bit happy is climbing。 She always has problems “fitting in”。 I keep hoping that something will make Sam at peace with herself and her life。While this is not an uplifting book， I couldn't stop reading it。 The writing style is different……short and easy sentences while Sam is young。 As Sam matures， so does the writing style。 But sometimes the writing seems choppy。 There are many non-sequiturs which I don’t see the reason for。 This book is an eye opener about the art of rock climbing。 It is a subject that I knew very little about。 It is a sport that requires a lot of determination， concentration， and strategy and has psychological aspects。 Usually， I am a huge fan of coming-of-age stories。 I love to see the world through the eyes of a young person discovering the world。 This book did not creep into my heart like others。 I think I was hoping for something a little more uplifting。 While Sam's character was well defined and developed， I wasn't able to warm up to her as much as I had hoped。 Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the Advance Readers Copy。 。。。more
Jill
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Disappointed， I found Sam to be just a mediocre read。 It is a coming of age story for Sam， whom we meet first as a 7-year-old， joyful in childhood yet always yearning for the presence of her often-absent father and see her life struggles until she is 19。 Her dad introduces her to the life of climbing at a young age which metaphorically， shows how she can focus through the pain to reach for her dreams。 Living with her mother， her younger brother， in her mother’s boyfriend’s house， Sam struggles t Disappointed， I found Sam to be just a mediocre read。 It is a coming of age story for Sam， whom we meet first as a 7-year-old， joyful in childhood yet always yearning for the presence of her often-absent father and see her life struggles until she is 19。 Her dad introduces her to the life of climbing at a young age which metaphorically， shows how she can focus through the pain to reach for her dreams。 Living with her mother， her younger brother， in her mother’s boyfriend’s house， Sam struggles to belong in this dysfunctional family and in the world as she yearns for the American Dream。 Climbing becomes her saving grace and her escape。 Character driven， it holds your attention as you come to understand Sam through her narrative， but unfortunately it didn’t hold my attention for long。 Just okay。Many thanks to #netgalley #sam #randomhouse for the opportunity to read and review this book。 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Sam
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Sam&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Sam&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0