Spectacular Things

The novel opens with a literal and metaphorical delay: Mia , heavily pregnant, is stuck at a raised drawbridge on her way to the hospital, while her sister Cricket prepares to sit on the bench for the U.S. Women's National Team in the Olympic gold medal match. The sisters' lives are entwined with soccer and family, their mother's voice echoing in their heads: "No pain, no gain." As Mia labors, she watches Cricket's game on TV, her contractions mirroring the match's tension. The bridge, a symbol of transition, sets the tone for a story about waiting, striving, and the unpredictable intersection

Theme 1: Drawbridge Delays and Deliveries

This thread running through Spectacular Things gives the story its emotional weight. Beck Dorey-Stein weaves it into the narrative with skill, ensuring that the reader feels the stakes as deeply as the characters do.

Theme 2: Game Changers and Gold

One of the most compelling threads in Spectacular Things is the question of identity — who we are versus who we are forced to become. Beck Dorey-Stein uses character and circumstance to explore how people evolve under pressure, often surprising themselves in the process.

Theme 3: Sisterhood and Sacrifice

This thread running through Spectacular Things gives the story its emotional weight. Beck Dorey-Stein weaves it into the narrative with skill, ensuring that the reader feels the stakes as deeply as the characters do.

What Readers Say About Spectacular Things

Spectacular Things has resonated with readers for its emotional honesty and vivid storytelling. Many describe finishing it in a single sitting — drawn forward by Beck Dorey-Stein's prose and an almost desperate need to know how it ends.

A Passage Worth Sitting With

"Drawbridge Delays and Deliveries" — Beck Dorey-Stein, Spectacular Things

About the Author

Beck Dorey-Stein is the author of Spectacular Things. Known for emotionally resonant storytelling, their work has found devoted readers across the globe.