Spectacular Things - Large Print by Beck Dorey-Stein (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

REESE'S BOOK CLUB PICK - Two sisters examine what they owe each other and what they are willing to sacrifice to make their dreams come true in this "epic story" (Reese Witherspoon) from New York Times bestselling author Beck Dorey-Stein.

What would you give up for the person you love most? What would you expect in return?

Mia and Cricket have always been close. The gifted daughters of a young single mother, the "Lowe girls" are well-known in the small Maine town they call home. Each sister has a role to fill: The responsible and academically minded Mia assumes the position of caregiver far too young, while Cricket, a bouncing ball of energy and talent, seems born for soccer stardom. But the cost of achieving athletic greatness comes at a steep price.

As Mia and Cricket grow up, they must grapple with the legacy of their mother's secret past while navigating their own precarious future. Can Mia allow herself to fall in love at the risk of repeating a terrible history? Will Cricket's relentless chase of a lifelong goal drive her sister away? When does loyalty become self-sabotage?

A sharply observed and tender portrait of sisters, love, and ambition, Spectacular Things is a sweeping story about the impossible choices we're forced to make in pursuit of our dreams.

Review Quotes

Praise for Spectacular Things

"Kicking off July with our newest book pick! Spectacular Things by Beck Dorey-Stein follows sisters Mia and Cricket as they navigate an impossible choice that will change everything. Think sisterhood, sacrifice, and the golden age of women's soccer all wrapped into one epic story."--Reese Witherspoon (Reese's Book Club July '25 Pick)

Praise for the work of Beck Dorey-Stein

"Witty [and] heartfelt . . . Dorey-Stein spins a diverting yarn about friendship and family."--The New York Times Book Review

"Lively [and] intelligent."--People

"Whip-smart and perfectly capturing that delicate balance between your younger and adult selves."--EOnline

"Delightful, whip-smart . . . with an expansive heart."--Claire Lombardo, New York Times bestselling author of The Most Fun We Ever Had

"Sharp, irreverent, and compulsively readable--about how the best stuff in life is always what you didn't plan."--Lauren Weisberger, New York Times bestselling author of The Devil Wears Prada

"Funny and effervescent, hope-and heart-filled . . . a breath of delicious and utterly fresh air."--Paula McClain, New York Times bestselling author of The Paris Wife

"[A] warm, wonderful escape . . . with gorgeous sentences and complex, kind characters."--Amanda Eyre Ward, author of The Jetsetters

About the Author

Beck Dorey-Stein grew up in Narberth, Pennsylvania, and taught high school English for three years before serving as a White House stenographer from 2012 to 2017. She is the author of the novel Rock the Boat and the memoir From the Corner of the Oval, which was a New York Times bestseller. She now lives in Maine.