Beck Dorey-Stein returns to fiction with Spectacular Things, a stunning literary achievement that transcends the sports novel genre to deliver something far more profound: a meditation on the impossible choices families make in pursuit of dreams. Following her memoir From the Corner of the Oval and her previous novel Rock the Boat, Dorey-Stein has crafted her most emotionally resonant work yet, one that lingers in the mind long after the final page.
The novel opens with a promise that reverberates throughout: “Look, we are not unspectacular things. We’ve come this far, survived this much.” This line, borrowed from Ada Limón’s poetry, becomes the heartbeat of a story that celebrates the extraordinary nature of ordinary love, loss, and loyalty.
The Lowe Family Dynasty: A Portrait of Resilience
Spectacular Things centers on the Lowe women: Liz, a former soccer prodigy whose dreams were derailed by teenage pregnancy; Mia, the responsible eldest daughter who sacrifices her own aspirations to support her family; and Cricket, a talented goalkeeper carrying the weight of everyone’s hopes. Set primarily in Victory, Maine, the novel spans decades, weaving between past and present to reveal how one moment of tragedy can reshape entire lives.
Dorey-Stein demonstrates remarkable skill in characterization, particularly in her portrayal of the three generations of Lowe women. Liz emerges as a complex figure—simultaneously protective and reckless, wise and naive. Her relationship with her high school soccer coach, revealed through Mia’s devastating discovery in college archives, adds layers of complexity that avoid simple victim narratives. Instead, Dorey-Stein presents a nuanced exploration of power dynamics and their long-lasting consequences.
The Beautiful Burden of Sisterhood
The heart of the novel lies in the relationship between Mia and Cricket, two sisters bound by love and separated by impossible circumstances. Mia’s journey from promising student at Yale to dialysis patient is handled with unflinching honesty. Her chronic kidney disease becomes more than a medical condition—it’s a metaphor for the ways life can suddenly veer off course, demanding sacrifices no one should have to make.
Cricket’s arc from enthusiastic nine-year-old to elite goalkeeper is equally compelling. Dorey-Stein captures the brutal physical and emotional demands of professional athletics while never losing sight of the human cost. The tension between personal dreams and family loyalty reaches its crescendo when Cricket must choose between her soccer career and becoming Mia’s kidney donor.
The author’s background as a former soccer player herself shines through in her authentic portrayal of the sport. From youth league practices on Maine beaches to the electric atmosphere of the Rose Bowl, every soccer scene pulses with genuine energy and technical knowledge.
Literary Craftsmanship and Emotional Truth
Dorey-Stein’s prose style mirrors the rhythm of the sport that anchors her story—sometimes quick and staccato, other times flowing with the grace of a well-executed play. Her dialogue feels natural and lived-in, particularly the banter between the sisters that captures the easy intimacy of siblings who have weathered storms together.
The novel’s structure, jumping between time periods and perspectives, initially feels ambitious to the point of confusion. However, as the narrative progresses, this technique reveals its purpose: life doesn’t unfold in neat chronological order, and neither do the emotional truths that define us. The fragmented structure mirrors the way memory works, how trauma can make time elastic and urgent.
One of the novel’s greatest strengths is its refusal to provide easy answers. Cricket’s hesitation about donating her kidney isn’t portrayed as selfishness but as the completely human struggle between self-preservation and sacrifice. Similarly, Mia’s anger at her sister’s silence feels entirely justified, even as we understand Cricket’s perspective.
Themes That Resonate Beyond the Playing Field
While soccer provides the novel’s framework, Spectacular Things explores universal themes that extend far beyond athletics. The question of what we owe our families—and what they owe us—permeates every page. Dorey-Stein doesn’t shy away from examining the darker aspects of familial love: the guilt, resentment, and impossible expectations that can poison even the strongest bonds.
The novel also serves as a meditation on dreams deferred and the ripple effects of trauma. Liz’s teenage pregnancy doesn’t just end her soccer career; it reshapes the dreams and expectations of her daughters. This intergenerational impact of one woman’s choices creates a complex web of cause and effect that Dorey-Stein navigates with impressive skill.
Motherhood emerges as another central theme, explored through multiple lenses. Liz’s fierce protection of her daughters, Mia’s struggle to be present for her own baby Betty while battling illness, and the way maternal love can both sustain and suffocate—all receive thoughtful examination.
Character Development and Emotional Authenticity
The secondary characters in Spectacular Things feel fully realized rather than merely functional. Oliver, Mia’s husband, could have been a simple supportive spouse, but Dorey-Stein gives him depth and agency. His decision to encourage Mia to attend Cricket’s game despite their estrangement shows real understanding of his wife’s needs. Betty, though appearing primarily as an infant, represents hope and the possibility of breaking cycles of sacrifice.
Even minor characters like Ro, the dialysis nurse, feel authentic and necessary. Ro’s frank acknowledgment of Mia’s suffering—”Being a human mother trying to care for her family while fighting CKD? Are you fucking kidding me?”—provides the validation Mia desperately needs and readers will appreciate.
Areas for Consideration
Despite its many strengths, Spectacular Things isn’t without minor weaknesses. The novel’s ambitious scope occasionally leads to pacing issues, particularly in the middle section where the timeline jumps become frequent enough to disrupt narrative flow. Some readers may find the sports terminology overwhelming, though Dorey-Stein generally does well explaining technical aspects for newcomers to soccer.
The resolution, while emotionally satisfying, feels somewhat rushed given the complexity of the conflicts established throughout the novel. The reconciliation between the sisters, though beautifully written, might have benefited from more gradual development.
Additionally, while the novel’s focus on the Lowe women is intentional and effective, some of the male characters—particularly Cricket’s coaches and teammates—occasionally feel more like plot devices than fully realized individuals.
A Reflection on Contemporary Women’s Sports
Spectacular Things arrives at a moment when women’s athletics is receiving unprecedented attention and investment. Dorey-Stein captures both the excitement of this progress and the ongoing challenges female athletes face. Cricket’s journey through the professional soccer landscape feels authentic to the current moment while acknowledging the sport’s history of inequality.
The novel also addresses the physical toll of elite athletics with refreshing honesty. Cricket’s injuries and the cumulative wear on her body aren’t glossed over or romanticized. This realistic portrayal adds weight to her eventual choice about kidney donation—she’s not just risking her career but her physical well-being.
Literary Connections and Comparisons
Readers familiar with sports literature will find echoes of Chad Harbach’s The Art of Fielding in Dorey-Stein’s exploration of athletic pressure and family dynamics. However, Spectacular Things carves out its own territory by focusing specifically on women’s experiences and the particular challenges of balancing athletic ambition with family responsibilities.
The novel also shares thematic DNA with Elena Ferrante’s Neapolitan novels in its unflinching examination of female friendship and rivalry, though Dorey-Stein’s tone is ultimately more hopeful.
Recommendations for Similar Reads
For readers who enjoyed Spectacular Things, consider these compelling titles:
- The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid – Another story of sacrifice and ambition featuring strong female characters
- Commonwealth by Ann Patchett – Explores family dynamics and the lasting impact of choices made decades earlier
- The Light We Lost by Jill Santopolo – A heart-wrenching exploration of love, loss, and paths not taken
- Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng – Examines family secrets and the complex nature of maternal love
- The Midnight Library by Matt Haig – Considers alternate life paths and the weight of regret
Final Thoughts: A Novel That Scores on Every Level
Spectacular Things succeeds as both an intimate family drama and a broader meditation on the price of dreams. Dorey-Stein has created characters who feel like family members—flawed, infuriating, and deeply loved. The novel’s ending, which finds the sisters reunited on the soccer field where their mother once played, provides emotional catharsis without sacrificing the complexity that makes the story so compelling.
This is a novel that trusts its readers to grapple with difficult questions about loyalty, sacrifice, and the sometimes competing demands of personal fulfillment and family obligation. In our current moment of increased attention to mental health and work-life balance, Spectacular Things feels both timely and timeless.
Dorey-Stein has written a book that will appeal to sports fans and literary fiction readers alike. More importantly, she’s crafted a story that honors the spectacular nature of ordinary love—the kind shared between sisters who fight and forgive, who hurt each other and heal together, who discover that being family means choosing each other, again and again.
Spectacular Things confirms Dorey-Stein’s evolution as a novelist and establishes her as a voice capable of finding profound truth in the beautiful chaos of family life. This is a book to be savored, discussed, and ultimately treasured—a reminder that we are, indeed, not unspectacular things.