Sam is a very quiet understated novel which follows a young girl named Sam from childhood into early adulthood. She certainly faces some problems - her father struggles with addiction and is frequently not present, her solo mother works two jobs but money is still tight, her younger brother has behavioural difficulties, one of her mother’s boyfriends can be violent, a coach initiates an inappropriate relationship with her - but overall Sam’s life is remarkably ordinary rather than drama filled. And isn’t it sad that the events she experiences are ordinary? Sam is a rock climber and the sport really showcases her strengths as well as her weaknesses. I think the author did a good job using many of the rock climbing scenes as metaphors for life in general. Her depiction of the heart, mind and voice of child Sam was heartstring tuggingly perfect. I think Sam’s story is a good illustration of how bright and confident 7 year olds have often lost some of that strength by their early 20s. It also starkly highlights the role socio-economic status plays in a child’s life and how difficult it can be to escape from the hamster wheel that is “barely getting by/only just keeping your head above water. This may be a quiet story but it is one that has staying power. I was fully invested in Sam’s story, pleased and relieved by the direction her life seemed to be taking by the novel’s end.