The Many Half-Lived Lives of Sam Sylvester

Starred review from May 30, 2022
MacGregor’s exhilarating debut follows white nonbinary 18-year-old Sam Sylvester, who is autistic, as they try to make a new life in Oregon after surviving a harrowing hate crime in their Montana hometown. Despite unwavering support from their father and burgeoning friendships at their new school, Sam can’t shake the feeling that they won’t live to be 19—which they consider the threshold between childhood and adulthood—like the dead children whose stories Sam collects and honors. Upon learning that a teenage boy named Billy supposedly died of anaphylactic shock 30 years ago in their new house, Sam and Latinx new friend Shep endeavor to prove it wasn’t an accident. But after receiving mysterious threatening notes recalling recent trauma, Sam worries that the clock is running down toward their seemingly inevitable demise. Sam’s intimate developing relationships and outwardly bright future provide respite and optimism, even as they battle internal fears for the future. Heavy themes of early death, trauma, and violence are inextricably woven into the history of both the town and various characters, exhibiting myriad paths toward healing and justice. Equal parts delicate and devastating, MacGregor’s thought-provoking prose, evocative settings, and vividly characterized cast combine to provide a hopeful look at survival and closure. Ages 12–up. Agent: Sara Megibow, KT Literary.

May 15, 2022
Grades 9-12 After a traumatic hate crime, Sam--white, nonbinary, and autistic--moved with their single Black adoptive father to the small town of Astoria, Oregon, where they're finally able to meet other queer teenagers, like Shep, their pretty neighbor who quickly becomes their closest friend. After learning of the 30-year-old unsolved murder of a teenager named Billy, Sam and Shep believe that Sam's new house might be figuratively haunted by ghosts of the past, and they become determined to prove that what happened to Billy was not accidental. This brings out the ghosts of the town, forcing Sam to decide what they're willing to pay in order for the truth. While the central mystery surrounding Billy's death makes for a page-turner with truly chilling moments, MacGregor stays focused on the characters, filling the story with a deeply lovable cast of characters and nailing the realities faced by Sam. Readers will leave this poetic book feeling that Sam and the people surrounding them are completely real, along with the ghosts of Astoria.

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Starred review from July 1, 2022

Gr 7 Up-Sam Sylvester is haunted by the stories of teens who died before turning 19. After surviving a violent hate crime in Montana, Sam, a white 18-year-old nonbinary autistic person, feels an even stronger kinship with those teens whose lives ended early. The only living person that Sam has ever trusted is their adoptive father, Junius, who is Black. When the fiercely protective Junius moves the two of them to Astoria, OR, for a fresh start, it feels like Sam might finally be able to escape their traumatic past and find a home in this inclusive community. At school, Sam meets some other queer kids and forms an immediate bond with Shep, who identifies as cisgender bisexual Latina. Aside from the spark of attraction they feel for each other, Sam and Shep are drawn together by their shared obsession with the teen who died under mysterious circumstances in Sam's house back in the 1980s and are determined to solve the cold case. However, the person who has gotten away with murder for the last three decades is equally determined to stop them, no matter what it takes. This vibrantly written debut novel masterfully blends a suspenseful and satisfying paranormal mystery with a sweet and tender love story. Nearly all the main and secondary characters identify as LGBTQIA+ and are fully developed with their own quirks and arcs. VERDICT Highly recommended for older middle school (due to some strong language) and high school readers who love a spine-tingling and romantic character-driven story.-Leighanne Law

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Starred review from March 1, 2022
A top-notch blend of contemporary fiction and mystery with a satisfying conclusion. Sam Sylvester is an 18-year-old White nonbinary autistic person who just moved with their dad to a small Oregon town after experiencing a hate crime in Montana that almost killed them. Sam, who was in foster care as a child, has never really felt a connection with anyone but their Black adoptive father before, but as soon as they move to Astoria, things start to change. They meet other queer kids, like Shep, a brown Latina who's bisexual and who quickly becomes their closest friend and biggest ally. The two have something in common other than queerness: They're both very intrigued by Sam's new house, where someone called Billy Clement died 30 years ago. The town considers it a tragic accident, but Sam and Shep are not so sure. Blending and transcending genres, the book's beautiful storytelling and the rich voice of the prose at times evoke poetry. This captivating story centers a memorable, relatable protagonist surrounded by a lovable ensemble cast. The central mystery is gripping and fast-paced, but the book never fails to give all the characters motivations and backstories, making even the tertiary characters feel lived-in enough to be believable. Most of the central characters are on the LGBTQ+ spectrum. A thrilling debut featuring lovable and well-developed characters. (Fiction. 14-18)

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