“Sam is never coming back, but somehow I keep on waiting for him.”

Book Details:
-Fiction / Magical Realism
-Explores grief

Writing
This novel is a very poetic way to explore grief. The main character walks us through many of her memories with Sam, and the way these are interwoven with the present is beautifully done. At times I did get a bit confused when we jumped into a new memory, but overall it was a great story.

Portrayal of Grief
I really appreciate the thoughtful way grief is portrayed. And that everyone is shown grieving differently (e.g., going to a funeral and honoring someones memory, needing space from ceremonies, etc). It felt clear that the author has an understanding of grief.

Overall
I would highly recommend this book if you want a unique twist on a novel that explores the grieving process

Julie has her whole future planned out. Her and her boyfriend Sam know what they are going to do once they graduate college. They have all these plans, but when he suddenly dies that all changes. Julie is now struggling with his death. One day, she calls his phone just to hear his voicemail when he picked up the phone. Now, Julie has been given a second chance to say goodbye and she is determined to hold onto it.

Picking this up, I really was expecting to cry and be absolutely heartbroken. Now, that didn't happen to me, but I also haven't dealt with grief in this way which I think could be a factor into that. But, there was something here that really didn't allow me to feel emotionally connected to the story like I was certain I would.

While it didn't leave me heartbroken, I do feel like this was a good look into grief and moving on after losing a loved one. I think Thao did an excellent job of showing just how messy it can be for some people and how others don't always grieve in the same way which could lead to arguments and that belief that people aren't grieving correctly or just aren't as upset as some think they should be.

I really loved Julie's arc. It was such a beautiful showing of how to hold on to people after they've gone, but still being able to move on and enjoy life. She struggled getting there. She was messy, but she was grieving. Struggling with a lose that she didn't know how to deal with which was only made harder by the fact that she was still getting the chance to talk to him.

The overall plot did lag a little bit as it started to get a little repetitive. Not only that, but I think the plot really gets buried under Julie's own personal growth. So much of the story is focused on Julie and her growth that the side characters don't really get their chance to shine, which with how she was grieving I do understand, but on the other hand, it would have been nice to see them shine a little bit more and add something else for me to focus on and allow this story to really take shape.

You've Reached Sam is a good debut. The writing style is beautiful and created beautiful imagery. I think this could be a book people fall in love with and I'm eager to see what else Thao writes.

When I first saw You’ve Reached Sam it was being pitched for fans of Your Name. I saw that movie with my boyfriend a while back and it such an emotional, but beautiful story. With that recommendation and the synopsis I knew I had to read this book. You’ve Reached Sam was a book I couldn’t put down once I started. This book was definitely an emotional roller coaster.

Our main character Julie loses the love of her life Sam in a tragic accident. They had their whole future planned out and then it’s just all gone. She shuts herself off from the world, doesn’t go to his funeral, throws out his stuff and hopes by doing this that the pain will go away. When things get bad she decides to call him one last time to hear his voice on his voicemail. She never expects him to pick up. Afraid of losing him again if she tells anyone about these phone calls she keeps it to herself.

When Julie talks to Sam their conversations bring Julie to different places and has her do different things. There were many emotional moments that definitely had me in tears. I can’t imagine losing the love of my life and hope to never experience it. Especially not in such a tragic way. The moments between them are beautiful, but also sad.

You’ve Reached Sam didn’t get a full five stars from me, because there were a certain things that just didn’t work for me. While I loved the whole journey of Sam talking to Julie the ending of the book seemed to go a bit fast for me. Julie shuts herself off from the world and also the others who loved Sam. Some of this gets resolved before the end of the book, but I felt this was also kind of rushed through. I know the story is more Julie and Sam, but I think in the matter of losing someone and grieving that I needed to see more of the people in her life.

All in all You’ve Reached Sam is a story about love, grief, moving on, and learning how to do that. It’s not something that just goes away and we all do this in our own way. This story definitely tugged on my heartstrings.

I'm torn with this one. It had some really incredibly touching and resonant writing that hit the emotions so perfectly, but I always felt a little disconnected. I actually like books where the main character is unlikable or detached, but sometimes you need that connection to feel the full impact of something. Julie was almost too unlikable for too long. It made it hard to keep cutting her slack and giving her excuses, but at the same time I was drawn to how unlikable she was.

Perhaps the most unforgivable thing she does is miss the funeral. I still haven't decided if I hold that against her or not, but I can't stop imagining the way it impacted his family and somehow I can't excuse her in that instance.

This won't be a hit with every reader because of Julie, but I think teens should give it a shot. It's deeply emotional and gripping.

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the advanced copy of You’ve Reached Sam by Dustin Thao!
In You’ve Reached Sam, we meet teenagers Julie and Sam who have that all consuming, young love. They’re in their senior years and looking forward to a future together with stars in their eyes. One night when Sam is on his way to pick up Julie after an argument, he is killed in a car accident. Julie is beside herself and struggling to carry on daily life, so she decides to call Sam, to hear his voice on his voicemail. Except, he answers. How long can this miraculous thing last?
You’ve Reached Sam draws the reader in from the first page and swiftly shatters their heart. To me, this story did feel like a Charlie St. Cloud for a new generation. That being said, it didn’t make me love this book any less.
Dustin Thao is a great storyteller and I’m anxious to see what else he comes up with.

Absolutely gut-wrenching and painful - my god, what a beautiful and poignant story. I do think the writing got a bit too choppy at times, but I'm very interested to see what Thao writes next!

I can't say I cried (actually, it's rare for me to do so when it comes to books), but, as many people say online. I felt all the feels! Really appreciated how it showed that each person knows how to they should deal with grief. There is no right way in doing it. Also, I felt like the protagonist was talking to me. I really felt connected to her, which means this character was well created and written. Can't exactly say the same about Sam. I think everything was too focused on the protagonist's view of him. I think this book would be a 5 star book if it included both POVs, as in if not only got what the protagonist was going through, but what if we also could see how Sam was dealing with his own death? With this temporary connection between him and Julie? I think this is what was lacking the most.

The writing is absolutely beautiful. I like how, in the end, we didn't get any answers regarding the connection these two characters had after Sam's death. Life is full of weird things that can't be explained. As many like to say, it's full of miracles. So, I'm glad that, in the end, there was no explanation. Life is like that indeed.

Can't wait to see what this authors does next. I also have to mention that this cover is a masterpiece and rightfully works as a visual synopsis of the book!

I adored You’ve Reached Sam, especially how lyrical the prose is. With Thao’s writing, you feel immersed in the world he’s created. The writing style as well as the use of flashbacks to drive parts of the story definitely made for an emotional read. Julie’s character and arc felt fleshed out — grieving is a process that never feels complete, and you really get to see her experience the messy parts of it. I would highly recommend this book.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC!

This one was a good exploration on grief, and what it would be like to talk to your lost loved one just one last time. I really liked the ending and seeing the full circle of Julia's grieving process, but it did feel a bit abrupt. She spent a lot of the book ignoring those around her and being a pretty unlikeable character and the changes she goes through were very quick, making her character seem a little underdeveloped. I really like Oliver and Mika though, and seeing how everyone goes through the lose of a friend/family member in different ways really added to the overall story. I think in the end, I didn't get the emotional impact of the story and it dampened my overall enjoyment of it.

Wow, wow, wow. This was my most anticipated book of 2021 and Dustin did NOT disappoint. This was every bit perfect and heart-wrenching as can be, it emotionally destroyed me but I thank Dustin for that. It was a beautiful story on grief and second chances that people would kill to have with their loved ones who are no longer around. I loved the mystery of how Julie was able to speak with Sam, but I need to know the ins and outs, what happened in the universe for that to have been possible!? When I reached the final page, I had built up so emotion, I honestly just burst out crying and no book has ever had me react that way until now... I couldn't recommend this book more.

I would say do not expect too much from the book. It's young adult and it deals with some heavy topics regarding death and grief. Take your time.

Well... I stopped caring about the characters and the whole thing about Sam when I reached half the book.

What went wrong?

But first, what was done right.

The writing is gripping. The characters are relatable. They are realistic. They are the age they are. The grief and the emotions felt so real. There are tears and guilt and regrets. Yes, you will feel connected to the writing, the characters and the emotions.

However, the plot kept stretching too much that the second half didn't feel that important. The story could have been much shorter. The side characters somehow felt disconnected from the main story and the main characters.

The cover is just beautiful and I am really glad it's related to the story and the main characters.

The hype couldn't live up. It's okay. The writing is good and the main characters seem real. That's the best part.

Was really interested in the concept of this book and its reflections on grief and love, however, I really couldn't get past the unlikeable main character, also the writing felt pretty simple and emotionally detached (even though the content is really emotional??) and so that kept me from enjoying it.

This morning I finished #YouveReachedSam by @thedustinthao and it was truly a lovely book. I want to quickly thank @wednesdaybooks for the egalley to review! I gave it 4/5⭐️ and it was such a beautiful exploration of first love and grief. We follow Julie who is 17 after her boyfriend (Sam) of 3 years is killed in a car accident. In the immediate aftermath her grief is so intense that the only thing that she can think to do is phone him to listen to his voicemail message…only, he actually answers the phone and she is able to talk to him again! Overall I thought this story was very well told, and shared themes that I think are quite important. Through Julie, Thao explores what it’s like to lose your first love tragically and what it takes to move on. Connection is a huge theme as Julie is reconnected with Sam through this phone line after his death, but also because many people around Julie slowly but surely build back relationships with her in mutual support & healing. What does it mean to move on and start living again while not forgetting ~ both the person themself and the impact they had on you/the world. Julie wasn’t the most likeable protagonist, especially since we meet her in the midst of a tragedy and the result is raw, messy, & real but I grew to empathize with her and appreciate her growth throughout the book. Finally, I thought the way Thao set up the timeline was quite effective in telling Sam & Julie’s story. The story starts off with a flashback of their first meeting as a prologue then transitions to right after Sam’s death, and the book goes back & forth between current time and different flashbacks. We get to know Julie through her relationship with Sam as well as through her grieving process. I feel like a lot of people will be able to relate to and appreciate this novel, but keep in mind your personal headspace given the content. Looking forward to reading more from Dustin Thao!

This book is essentially about grief. Julie loses her high school boyfriend in a car accident, and like any person, struggles to move on. When she dials his number, he answers, and they have a chance to talk, even though he’s not really there. The premise was so interesting, but the execution didn’t quite work for me. Julie apparently packed up everything Sam had ever given her and threw it out within a week of him dying. It felt unreal. Her behaviours in the past, and in the present, often came across as selfish, which meant I didn’t root for this young girl to process her grief and move on the way I probably should have. There were some touching moments in this story, but I actually wanted to tell Sam he should have picked another girlfriend,

I loved the idea of this book. While I knew it was going to be sad, I thought there would have been enough things happening to keep me interested. Sadly, for me there was not. I just felt the entire thing was just sad. Sam was to perfect and the girl, I honestly don't even remember her name was annoying. This one wasn't for me.

Julie is about to graduate high school, and she is ready to move on with her life: She’s getting out of her small Washington town to attend college in a big city, she’s going to write, and her boyfriend is coming with her. She and Sam have been inseparable for several years. But then he dies in a car crash, and she is devastated. She throws out mementos, she doesn’t attend his funeral, she skips school and avoids friends and Sam’s family. But then she just wants to hear his voice, so she calls his phone number — and he answers.

Neither one knows exactly how they have this connection, and Sam doesn’t share details about where he is. He does tell her she’ll continue to be able to reach him when she calls, but it won’t last forever. Their time is limited. He has to move on, and so does she. They’ve been given a chance to say goodbye. But Julie doesn’t think she’ll ever be ready.

She has to keep their calls secret or risk losing their connection. They do help her slowly get back to life, but she stumbles when her other plans and expectations don’t go the way she’d hoped either. And when there comes a time his family needs her, Julie comes to a crossroads.

You’ve Reached Sam is told in the present, as Julie comes to terms with heartbreak and grief just as she is at a critical time in her life, but it features flashbacks of how she and Sam met and of other moments of their time together. They have a very sweet relationship, and Sam is a good young man who has been loving and supportive of Julie. So it’s hard for the reader to know that it’s over and Julie has to look ahead to a life without him. It’s a poignant book about love, friendship, family and grief, about figuring out how to change plans when life throws curveballs (which it always does). It’s sad but satisfying.

I am SOBBING!! This book is 100% worth the hype. Dustin Thao did an excellent job!!! I will never stop recommending! Thank you so much to the publisher and to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this early in exchange for a honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, Wednesday Books, and the author, Dustin Thao, for sending me this e-arc copy of YOU'VE REACHED SAM to read and review.

TW + CW: strong grief themes, death mentioned and described on page, light bullying, car accident, racism
Rep: gay side character, numerous Asian characters (Japanese American, Vietnamese, and Thai)

YOU'VE REACHED SAM is a contemporary novel following seventeen year old Julie as she navigates her life and grief after her boyfriend, Sam, has recently died. She had everything in her future planned with Sam: attending college, spending time in Japan, and moving out of town but, his death has changed everything. Julie misses his funeral and vigils, she doesn't communicate much with those close to Sam, and tries to remove all memories of him from her life. However, she finds a note from Sam in her yearbook and decides to try calling him/listening to a voicemail again. Sam picks up. Now Julie has the opportunity to say goodbye but it's only temporary and neither know the risks they can take with the phone calls. As she continues calling Sam, Julie is witnessing how Sam's death has affected others and battling wanting to let others in on the secret but allowing them, and herself, to grieve.

I picked up YOU'VE REACHED SAM on Libby as an audiobook and dived right in without a second thought. Even though this book is about grief and learning to be on your own/grow after losing someone so important to you, I didn't cry until the last chapter. Anyways, this book hit in all of the right places. It was emotional, it was hopeful and inspiring, it was lighthearted and quick to get through,. I found myself growing attached to the characters, starting to grieve Sam, and feeling my heartache for the characters BUT it wasn't enough to get me fully emotionally attached. If it had just a little bit more of something, I think I would've been right there with the other readers that loved this. I also felt like the main female character Julie was selfish from the time during the flashbacks to current time, even with some of her character growth. She often did things on impulse without thinking about the feelings of others or the impending consequences. I can see how grief may change the choices of someone but it seemed she hadn't changed too much throughout the book. With that being said, I did enjoy reading about each of the characters grieving in their own ways and seeing them come together as they grieved.

Overall, this is a 3 star book for me. I found it very enjoyable and an emotional read, even if I didn't tear up until the last voicemail. I flew through it with hopes something positive would come out in the end and felt bits of my own grief coming to the surface.

Recommend? Yes but, only to those that feel emotionally ready to read a book with strong grief themes in it. I anticipate many readers having a hard time getting through this or crying a lot.

Back in 2020 I read "The Two Lives of Lydia Bird" by Josie Silvers and fell in love with the heartbreaking tale of communication beyond the grave and carrying on the life with a loved one who had passed. When I heard of "You've Reached Sam" I couldn't wait to dive in and what I was met with was a good story of the same nature written for the Young Adult audience, but it doesn't quite reach amazing.

"You've Reached Sam" followsd Julie, a 17 year old attempting to finish high school as she deals with the aftermath of her boyfriend, Sam's, death. In a crazy turn of events one night when she goes to call his number to hear his voicemail though, Sam actually picks up the phone. What ensues is keeping secrets from friends and family, learning how to live with Sam in this new way, and planning an almost impossible future.

If that seems a bit odd, it's because it is. Julie genuinely believes that she can continue her normal life and her future plans with Sam despite the fact he's dead. Julie spends a lot of the book on the verge of delusional (in her defense her dead boyfriend is speaking to her through the phone) but it drags on her character throughout the book and ends up making her a fairly unlikable main character.

Julie spends most of the book building a future and plans with him which ends up pushing the other characters away. All together it creates a lack of care and empathy for Julie which makes it harder to read. She's crazy and you want her to stop talking at many points in the book for what I consider to be second-hand embarassment.

The few moments that Julie actually brings care and feelings to the book is when she lets other characters talk to Sam through the phone where she has to selflessly sacrafice their connection with the danger of it potentially breaking permanentaly being present. If it weren't for this I'm not sure the book would have much redemption for her as a character.

In the moments she does redeem herself she is constantly thinking of herself only, even going so far as to break Sam's own requests from beyond the grave. The ending half of this book, while emotional and did manage to make me cry, was bittersweet with the fact Julie just can't move on.

For a book of this manner, moving on is essentially the goal. Breaking the connection at the end to appreciate this one last chance is important, but Julie throws that out the door easily. I fear that beyond this book, she would never be able to grow or move on which, as a reader, feels like the book is pointless to an extent.

Despite my grievances with Julie, this book deserves kudos. I have a hard time crying at books, but this book made me cry quite hard at the end. It is still a book dealing with death and the challanges of leaving someone important to you in a past part of your life. Dustin Thao shows that he has a lot of potential in the world of Contemporary YA and I look forward to reading what he does next.

The Verdict
Despite the main character's struggles to move on and feel like they learn anything, "You've Reached Sam" is a tear-jerking debut novel. Its bittersweet story attempts to convey a story on making amends and moving on. Thao shows a lot of potential in the YA genre and I'm looking forward to see what he does next.

Final rating: 3.5 rounded up.

Devastated. That’s the only feeling to describe what you feel after reading this one. And to read it even after people saying it’s gonna break you ? Utter stupidity , but do I regret it? Nope.. 😬