The Many Half-Lived Lives of Sam Sylvester
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- $16.99
Publisher Description
An Andre Norton Nebula Award for Middle Grade and Young Adult Fiction Nominee
“Look no further for your next favorite read, because The Many Half-Lived Lives of Sam Sylvester has it all: a gripping murder mystery that will keep you turning pages, ghosts, romance, and a treasure trove of queer characters with depth and heart. Here’s something rare—a suspenseful story that also feels like a hug.” —Sarah Glenn Marsh, author of the Reign of the Fallen series
In this queer contemporary YA mystery, a nonbinary autistic teen realizes they must not only solve a 30-year-old mystery but also face the demons lurking in their past in order to live a satisfying life.
Sam Sylvester has long collected stories of half-lived lives—of kids who died before they turned nineteen. Sam was almost one of those kids. Now, as Sam’s own nineteenth birthday approaches, their recent near-death experience haunts them. They’re certain they don’t have much time left. . . .
But Sam's life seems to be on the upswing after meeting several new friends and a potential love interest in Shep, their next-door neighbor. Yet the past keeps roaring back—in Sam’s memories and in the form of a thirty-year-old suspicious death that took place in Sam’s new home. Sam can’t resist trying to find out more about the kid who died and who now seems to guide their investigation. When Sam starts receiving threatening notes, they know they’re on the path to uncovering a murderer. But are they digging through the past or digging their own future grave?
The Many Half-Lived Lives of Sam Sylvester explores healing in the aftermath of trauma and the fullness of queer joy.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
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.
