This is a coming of age novel about a girl growing up with a single mom and sometimes-present dad. She develops an interest in climbing, which is first an activity that connects her to her father but is then something she does on her own, growing her social life and sense of self. I can see why some readers might view this as a YA story because Sam is only 19 by the end, but I didn't find this to have the same sense of hope and joy that is a hallmark of YA novels. I appreciated the author's note that there aren't any huge plot points, and it really is a sort of "slice-of-life" book that reminded me a lot of Richard Linklater's "Boyhood." I just didn't feel great while I was reading it--maybe it was a little too lifelike.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a coming of age story of Sam, a young girl at the beginning, and spans the next 10 years of her life. Sam 's mother became pregnant with her in high school and presently lives with the father of Sam's half brother. Sam's dad is an addict and a part-time dad, that is not consistently in her life. He does introduce Sam to climbing, which becomes an escape for Sam from her dysfunctional family or lack thereof.

The story is told via a third party narrator which leaves the reader feeling a bit cold in my opinion. It was hard to emotionally connect to Sam and the other characters when viewing them through a distant lense.

I did like Sam and seeing how she takes care of herself, mentally and physically, through her climbing. She is definitely a victim of poor circumstances. However, we see her through many ups and downs to find her way to a better life.

Overall a good read!

Sam by Allegra Goodman is my first read by this Author and I was pleasantly surprised how well I enjoyed the story of Sam. A coming of age novel, that was well written with characters I enjoyed getting to know better.
The writing is skillful, the story is special; it is a good read.

“I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”

Random House/The Dial Press,
Thank You for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

I received this Random House Group book though an email from one of their marketing representatives. It came with this introduction:

“I'm so glad you enjoyed Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid. Because of this, I thought you might be interested in reading SAM by Allegra Goodman.”

Indeed, I did enjoy Malibu Rising so with that in mind and on the Random House recommendation, I jumped into Sam with both feet. After two days of reading I’ve finished the book, but not the wracking of my brain trying to figure out what it has in common with Malibu. Rising The short and long of it is nothing, absolutely nothing.

It wasn’t a bad book in any way, Sam’s story is one of overcoming many obstacles to find her way to a life she longs for. It’s nicely done, but nothing particularly memorable for me.

Thank you Net Galley and Random House.

I enjoyed this novel even though I had not read Goodman's other books. Sam is seven when the book opens and although she lives with her mother, Courtney and younger brother, Noah she sees her father sporadically as she comes to learn he is an addict and can't always control his impulses. As she grows, Sam gets into rock climbing and has both successes and failures as she always tries to "out-think" herself and must grow into self-confidence. It's a lovely and poignant coming-of-age story as she battles her emotions, her parents, and her own will-full nature. But of course with age comes wisdom and as the book ends when she is twenty, we see she has come full-circle and is a woman with goals and even though there are some regrets, we know she will have the strength to handle whatever life throws at her.
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Random House for the copy of Sam. I think I would have liked this more if it had been dual timelines because the beginning, when Sam was a kid didn’t really catch my interest. By the time Sam was a late teenager she grew on me and the writing style stopped annoying me. Sam turned out to be a great character and I admired her tenacity and dedication to climbing. I liked Mitchell and his struggles to be a good father. 3.5 stars rounded up.

Reading this book was very similar to looking back into my own past. Growing up with an addict for a father was exactly the same for me as it was for Sam and it was really special getting to read about someone who just gets it. I've never really been able to relate to anyone I know personally because it is difficult but the way Allegra Goodman portrays how addictions effects family members is just perfect. This is a book that will stick with me forever.

I received an advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review

I enjoyed this book for what it was to a degree, but it’s not early what I expected from the blurb. This is more about a girl growing up with an alcoholic dad than a girl who gets taken advantage of by her coach- that is a very very brief, non definitive part of the coming of age. Good man’s writing is solid. 3.5 rounded up.

3 stars.

The story of a young girl and the relationship with her dad is what intrigued me to request this book, but I really didn’t know what to expect when I started it.

Sam is very young at the beginning of the story which then spans the next ten years of her life. She lives with her single mother, who works hard make ends meet, and her brother with what I’m guessing is some level of autism. Sam’s dad drifts in and out of the picture as he fights his own battles, taking quite a toll on Sam.

My favorite part was how the writing changed with Sam as she grew. In the beginning the writing is the simple and easy thoughts of a child and changes gradually to be the more detailed thoughts of an adult. Sam’s childhood reminded me a lot of my own, and her friendships were similar to ones I had. It was cool to relate to those parts. I also really enjoyed the last chunk of the book when Sam is grown up and finding her purpose in life, although it takes a lot of effort for her. The rest of this story fell flat though, it didn’t suck me in or make me want more. Nothing really climactic happened. I turned the page at the end and went “oh, that’s it”. It’s just a simple story of a girl growing up, dealing with life, and realizing what’s most important to her.

Thank you NetGalley, Random House Publishing, and Allegra Goodman for the chance to read this ARC.

Beautiful coming of age story about Sam. The novel starts with her a young child and finishes as a young adult. I loved the style of writing and felt myself rooting for Sam the whole time.

I really enjoyed SAM by Allegra Goodman. It's a simple story, the quiet coming of age of a young woman growing up in Beverly, MA and slowly learning about the world through childhood passions, family disappointments, school relationships, and supporting your family. Sam is a great character to follow. She is a fun kid, headstrong and easy to like, and truly made me enjoy a book centered around her completely. I also really loved it because the town where it's set where my husband grew up, and the fact that Sam and I were in school at the same time (late 90s - early 2000s). I think this will be a big hit next year.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an ARC of this wonderful book.
I loved it. I have not heard of Allegra Goodman before but after reading this book, I will be on the lookout for her other books.
As I began reading the book, I thought that, perhaps, it was a YA book and that I would just give it a cursory read. I was quickly proved wrong. Sam is a girl, seven years old at the beginning of the book, who has a father who does not live at home and is struggling with acute alcoholism, a younger brother with a different father who doesn't like Sam, and a mother who works two jobs, is trying to hold the household together, and is bound and determined that Sam will go to college. The book takes us on a journey of Sam's growing up years until she is twenty years of age. She has no anchor in her life, no real North Star. Her father introduces her to climbing and she turns out to be very good at it. Other than her mother and brother, it is the constant in her life although it comes and goes depending on the humans connected to it at any given time.

Ms. Goodman is a wonderful writer. She pulled me in so quickly. I cared about Sam although I know I wouldn't have wanted to live with her in the same household. Through all the things that happen to her, she manages to stay fond of her mother and brother and, in her own way, accepts their inadequacies. She has relationships and does everything she can to go down a different road than heading for college. When she gets an idea in her head, she doesn't give up. She notices this in her mother but doesn't seem to recognize that she has the same trait. If she sees a rock or boulder to climb, she will figure out, how to get to the top, no matter how long it takes her. If a human disappoints her and most of them do, she punishes herself by abandoning what she loves.

I recommend this book to anyone who 1--wants a good book to read and 2--wants to read about surviving childhood from a writer who seems to understand the challenges intimately.

SAM (ARC)
Pub date: Jan 10, 2023

This is a coming of age novel about a girl named Sam. You follow her from elementary school to college. Hearing her thoughts and feeling her fears as she walks through a pretty difficult childhood.

I was heartbroken watching Sam and her dad’s relationship play out and hoped for more resolutions throughout. Nevertheless this story stayed true to what a lot of families look like today. This is the type of story that sticks with you. There wasn’t a lot of real dialogue, it felt more like a quick rundown of what happened. Sometimes it was hard to follow the perspective switches. Overall I generally enjoyed the story of Sams life.

Out January 3rd- Thank you netgalley for the advanced copy! 3.5 stars rounded up.
I really enjoyed this story about Sam growing up with her single mother and little brother. Sam is seven when the book begins and nineteen at the end- so it really just follows her as she grows up. Very heartbreaking at times but i really enjoyed the writing style and i love a family drama.

I don’t know why I couldn’t connect with this book but I really struggled with it. I put it down and picked it back up several times but it just didn’t hold my interest like I thought it would based off the synopsis. It was written well though.

Allegra Goodman is pretty high on my lift of favorite authors. Sam is not her usual style, but very interesting, all the same. Sam is very young at the start of this book, and it begins with a trip to a county fair with her father. Although only seven, she is intrigued by a climbing challenge where handholds go up a very high pole. The determined little girl struggles to achieve the top. Those struggles continue as Sam grows older and becomes interested in wall and rock climbing, which seems to be her only talent.

She struggles in school, living with a divorced hard-working single mother and a possibly autistic younger brother from another father. She grows and works very hard first helping her mother with chores and taking care of Noah, her brother. She also works to help earn money for her family. She adores her father, but he often disappears. The only constants in her life are her mother and her climbing. That, by the way, was beautifully described. You could feel Sam's pain and exhaustion and pride when she succeeded. It's a compelling story of her development.

In some ways, this book did feel like it could have been a Young Adult novel. But in the hands of a master like Goodman it draws us grown-ups in as well.

Thanks to Random House and NetGalley for providing me with this very worthwhile reading experience (less) Allegra Goodman is pretty high on my lift of favorite authors. Sam is not her usual style, but very interesting, all the same. Sam is very young at the start of this book, and it begins with a trip to a county fair with her father. Although only seven, she is intrigued by a climbing challenge where handholds go up a very high pole. The determined little girl struggles to achieve the top. Those struggles continue as Sam grows older and becomes interested in wall and rock climbing, which seems to be her only talent.

She struggles in school, living with a divorced hard-working single mother and a possibly autistic younger brother from another father. She grows and works very hard first helping her mother with chores and taking care of Noah, her brother. She also works to help earn money for her family. She adores her father, but he often disappears. The only constants in her life are her mother and her climbing. That, by the way, was beautifully described. You could feel Sam's pain and exhaustion and pride when she succeeded. It's a compelling story of her development.

In some ways, this book did feel like it could have been a Young Adult novel. But in the hands of a master like Goodman it draws us grown-ups in as well.

Thanks to Random House and NetGalley for providing me with this very worthwhile reading experience (less) Allegra Goodman is pretty high on my lift of favorite authors. Sam is not her usual style, but very interesting, all the same. Sam is very young at the start of this book, and it begins with a trip to a county fair with her father. Although only seven, she is intrigued by a climbing challenge where handholds go up a very high pole. The determined little girl struggles to achieve the top. Those struggles continue as Sam grows older and becomes interested in wall and rock climbing, which seems to be her only talent.

She struggles in school, living with a divorced hard-working single mother and a possibly autistic younger brother from another father. She grows and works very hard first helping her mother with chores and taking care of Noah, her brother. She also works to help earn money for her family. She adores her father, but he often disappears. The only constants in her life are her mother and her climbing. That, by the way, was beautifully described. You could feel Sam's pain and exhaustion and pride when she succeeded. It's a compelling story of her development.

In some ways, this book did feel like it could have been a Young Adult novel. But in the hands of a master like Goodman it draws us grown-ups in as well.

Thanks to Random House and NetGalley for providing me with this very worthwhile reading experience (less) Allegra Goodman is pretty high on my lift of favorite authors. Sam is not her usual style, but very interesting, all the same. Sam is very young at the start of this book, and it begins with a trip to a county fair with her father. Although only seven, she is intrigued by a climbing challenge where handholds go up a very high pole. The determined little girl struggles to achieve the top. Those struggles continue as Sam grows older and becomes interested in wall and rock climbing, which seems to be her only talent.

She struggles in school, living with a divorced hard-working single mother and a possibly autistic younger brother from another father. She grows and works very hard first helping her mother with chores and taking care of Noah, her brother. She also works to help earn money for her family. She adores her father, but he often disappears. The only constants in her life are her mother and her climbing. That, by the way, was beautifully described. You could feel Sam's pain and exhaustion and pride when she succeeded. It's a compelling story of her development.

In some ways, this book did feel like it could have been a Young Adult novel. But in the hands of a master like Goodman it draws us grown-ups in as well.

Thanks to Random House and NetGalley for providing me with this very worthwhile reading experience (less) Allegra Goodman is pretty high on my lift of favorite authors. Sam is not her usual style, but very interesting, all the same. Sam is very young at the start of this book, and it begins with a trip to a county fair with her father. Although only seven, she is intrigued by a climbing challenge where handholds go up a very high pole. The determined little girl struggles to achieve the top. Those struggles continue as Sam grows older and becomes interested in wall and rock climbing, which seems to be her only talent.

She struggles in school, living with a divorced hard-working single mother and a possibly autistic younger brother from another father. She grows and works very hard first helping her mother with chores and taking care of Noah, her brother. She also works to help earn money for her family. She adores her father, but he often disappears. The only constants in her life are her mother and her climbing. That, by the way, was beautifully described. You could feel Sam's pain and exhaustion and pride when she succeeded. It's a compelling story of her development.

In some ways, this book did feel like it could have been a Young Adult novel. But in the hands of a master like Goodman it draws us grown-ups in as well.

Thanks to Random House and NetGalley for providing me with this very worthwhile reading experience (less)

Sam by Allegra Goodman is well written but not really a page turner. It very predictable. It's really about the struggles of growing up poor. Sam mother' was a teen mom so it kind of shows the downfall of her mom's life on to her life. Its a decent read but nothing I would go wild about but would make a decent read for anyone who loves coming of age books.

Allegra Goodman is an author I admire, respect, adore, and look forward to reading her books.
Other novels I’ve read and loved by Allegra Goodman were:
“Intuition”, “The Cookbook Collector”, “Kaaterskill Falls”, “The Family Markowitz”, and “The Chalk Artist”.

It was a great treat to attend a book reading by Allegra years ago at Kepler’s Books store in Menlo Park.
I loved listening to her share about writing, her family, and life.
Such a doll of a person….and a skillful talented writer.

“Sam” is a ‘coming-of-age’ story. Her mother, Courtney, and her father, Mitchel are divorced…..making this a complicated family story as well ….
Mitchell lives about ten minutes away.
At the start of the book Sam is seven years of age, and Mitchel (Sam’s hero at this age) is picking her up for an afternoon together. They are going to “Topsfield”….an amusement park…..a day of rides, cotton candy, kettle corn, and a little car trouble to boot.
We feel the tension between Courtney and Mitchell right —worried how divorce is affecting Sam—who is an active monkey-moving climbing type of girl. Sitting still for too long is almost torture to Sam.
Sam also has a little two year old brother, named Noah.
Mitchell is not Noah’s father— as I said….”Sam” includes family complexities. Noah’s father is Jack. We learn of many factors in Sam’s life — at home and at school - for the possible reasons why Sam grapples with insecurities- fears - rage - sadness.

The central focus in this complex family story is the coming-of age-Sam…..from little girl, to the young teen years ….to around age nineteen.

What I admire about this novel is the inquiry, curiosity, and purpose Allegra had ‘for’ this story.
Allegra’s inspiration came from her parenting experiences.
Her three sons were content to sit still.
Allegra got a rude awakening - her youngest, a girl, hated to sit still. Makes a mother curious to notice vast differences between her children.
Allegra drew inspiration for this story from her own daughter.
Not all kids are the same. Her daughter needed to move…a lot.
I could relate —
….as a child, sitting still was as torturous for me, as it was for Sam. Interesting…I didn’t have a father around much either.
Actually, not at all. He died when I was four (as I’ve shared much too many times in book reviews)….
Climbing and constantly in motion were my survivor methods too. I wish I had turned to books as a child as so many of my friends in similar situations— but I was a very late bloomer reader. Thankfully I ‘eventually’ found reading - the comfort - a community of readers and people who helped me grow…
and ultimately I found my own voice. As Sam does too.

If I wasn’t outside playing in the creek or climbing trees or jumping off apartment buildings into sand dunes… then I was in the house standing on my head.
The point being….Allegra was interested to understand what happens to eager-active -rambunctious little girls as they age. “What happens to the girl who wants to climb?”

I was hoping to love this story more….
Unfortunately…..as it turned out, the plot felt a little weak for me — and I struggled with the narrative. I began to think the appropriate audience might be more suiting to young adult readers.

I usually love Allegra Goodman‘s novels more.
Perhaps I’m just too out of touch with parenting young daughters, teen daughters, or even college age daughters.
I know they grew up. They haven’t lived home in over twenty years.
However…..overall, the great message, I took away was….
…..little girls who like to climb….
….grow up still wanting to climb…
…….they may struggle in expressing their own voice - their own desires, passions, and goals….but they ‘are’ still climbing.

Our ‘monkey-climbing’ souls are always climbing — committed to learning, growing and being more fully who we are each year….at every age.

Thank you Random House, Netgalley, and Allegra Goodman.
This book will be published in stores in January, 2023

3 Stars.

This is my first Allegra Goodman book. In the preface, she says that this is just a story about a girl growing up, there's no frills or plot twists. This intrigued me, but after finishing, I'm feeling a bit underwhelmed.

Sam's growing up in Beverly, MA. Her mom got pregnant during college and dropped out. She also has a little brother who has a different father. You're taken through the struggles of growing up poor. The only thing Sam really enjoys is climbing and spending time with her father, when he's around.

Honestly, I hate giving less than stellar reviews, but this book just didn't spark anything in me. It made me sad/depressed to live through Sam's eyes. The ending was a bit of an uptick, but I expected more from Sam.

A special thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group - Random House, and Allegra Goodman for providing me with an ARC.

Did not finish. Did not find the characters or the premise interesting. Characters and plot were not engaging and did not hold my interest.