The Many Half-Lived Lives of Sam Sylvester by Maya MacGregor is a YA mystery novel with elements of magical realism. It follows Sam Sylvester, a nonbinary autistic teenager who moves to a small town in Oregon with their father, hoping for a fresh start after surviving a violent hate crime. However, Sam becomes fascinated by the unsolved death of Billy Clement, a boy who died in their new home decades earlier under suspicious circumstances. As Sam investigates, they begin to experience strange visions and uncover secrets that put them in danger. The novel explores themes of trauma, resilience, identity, found family, and the intersection of queerness and neurodivergence.