Julie and Sam are young, in love, and ready to graduate so they can start their lives after high school. Their future is so close they can almost taste it, but Sam dies leaving Julie to struggle through her grief alone. Not doing such a good job of letting him go, Julie calls Sam and to her utter amazement, he picks up the phone. What unfolds is a heart-wrenching look at grief, the ones left behind, and how "life is what happens when you're busy making other plans". I had thought I picked up a romance. Yet, there was so much more to this story. The biggest take-away is that sometimes we get so caught up in our own grief that we don't see the other people who are affected by the loss of a loved one. It's been a long time since a book made me cry. You've Reached Sam grabbed on to my heart and the tears just flowed. I loved this book. From the beautiful cover, the gorgeous prose, and the beautiful beautiful story. I cannot recommend this book enough. Thank you from the bottom of my heart NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC. It is without a doubt one of the best books I've read in 2021.

Wow. I really have no words for this book. So heart wrenching and heart breaking. This book ruined me in the best way possible. Cannot recommend this enough.

"Why were we given this second chance? Just to say good-bye?"

My heart feels like it's been scattered like a thousand cherry blossom petals in the wind. You've Reached Sam by Dustin Thao is one of the best books I have read in a while. The story follows Julie as she grapples with her life now that her boyfriend Sam has died. She is ready to get rid of everything relating to Sam to lessen the pain she feels. She calls Sam's phone to hear his voice one last time, but he picks up.

"Maybe we can just enjoy this chance for what it is. For as long as we have it."

I loved the cast of characters in this book, and I am glad they had each other. I loved seeing Sam's relationship with his younger brother James was heartwarming to read about, and I am grateful we got to see that. I also loved how the story flipped back and forth, showing us memories and then bringing us to the present day. It flowed with the storyline and gave the characters more depth.

I loved seeing that Julie had supportive people around her (Mika, Jay, Rachel, Yuki, Oliver, Tristan, Mr. Lee, and Julie's mom) even when she didn't handle things the best. If you are a writer, then Mr. Lee and Julie's mom might be your favorite. The advice they were able to provide and give Julie was so important. Especially with so much going on in Julie's life, it's okay to hear that your writing can be whatever you want it to be.

"Letting go isn't about forgetting. It's balancing moving forward with life, and looking back from time to time, remembering the people in it."

That quote right there is so important. Julie struggled with how to handle certain things when it came to Sam, and that's understandable. Changing your mind happens, and I am so glad we got to see that growth in Julie. When you lose someone, it is never an easy thing, and it impacts us. Anger, regret, grief, hopelessness, and so many more emotions can occur. Learning and balancing how to keep them in your memory while also moving past any guilt or pain you had takes time.

One thing I absolutely loved in this book was how it handled college. It was nice to see a character being okay to go to a smaller college or somewhere local, and not an ivy league one. That is not something you read a lot of in Young Adult literature, but it should be. Where you go to college is not the end of the world, and all that matters is if it fits with your life during that time and if you are happy with it.

I wish the Epilogue was slightly longer and covered more of the characters, but still a hard-hitting ending to an emotional book. 100% recommend people read it because it has so much more than meets the eye within the story. This book has it all, from great life lessons to it being a tear-jerker.

This book was beautifully written and hit so many emotions 😭. It broke me.

"It's okay to wish for those things, and even imagine him here with you. Because those moments inside our heads are just as real as anything else."

Thank you to Wednesday Books (St. Martins Press) and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Review posted on Goodreads on 6-18-21

I received a free e-ARC from the author/publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

DNF 21%

This is a book I thought I would love, but sadly just didn't work for me. I a lot of it was to do with the writing, and the way Julie and Sam's relationship was portrayed.
I felt like there was a lot of telling, rather than showing, which causes an immediate disconnect for me. And the memories from Julie and Sam's shared past didn't actually make me believe that they were even in love, so I wasn't invested in their story.
I think You've Reached Sam had a lot of potential, and will definitely appeal to the right reader. Unfortunately, that is just not me in this case.

This was such a heartbreaking book. I cried myself to sleep while reading. The writing is so beautiful and profound. I simply look forward for this author to break my heart more in the future with their future releases.

So, judging by that gorgeous cover and wonderful synopsis, I expected heartbreak, lots of tears and ugly crying, and unspeakable pain, especially since I also just lost two people very dear to me.
However, this didn't make me feel much of anything really, and I'm kind of disappointed.

I feel like I would have liked this more had the main characters been a little older and not high schoolers. I feel like they all handled their grief really poorly and I just couldn't relate to any of their decisions at all.

all i can say is wow so many tears. SO many. I can't stop crying.

This is such a tear jerking book in the worst and best of ways. The gut punch hits you early on and there's not even much you can do besides grab some tissues and settle in for the tears. Grief, loss and learning to live after both of those things are key elements of this book.

When do we decide to move on? what's a healthy time and way to do so? If we had the possibility to keep holding on would we take it?

I was so excited when I received this arc, and am so happy to see that it lived up to my expectations.

Though I feel the execution of the story could have used a bit of work, I wasn't disappointed with the direction it took. I also love Thao's writing and style, and I would definitely pick up some of his other books in the future.

I love emotional books that make me FEEL, and this did just that.

Thanks to the publisher for the arc!!

A beautifully written YA debut. I really enjoyed this story and how emotional it was. Dustin Thao is definitely an author to watch now!

You've Reached Sam by Dustin Thao is a young adult contemporary novel that shares the story of Julie, a high school senior, and her boyfriend Sam. The sad part of the story is that soon after reading the first chapters the reader realizes that Sam has died and Julie is left to cope with his death. Denial, anger, sadness --- all emotions that Julie experiences but then a surprising twist occurs when Julie is able to connect with Sam via her phone.

The story is an interesting concept -- what would life be like if we were all able to hang on to our dead loved ones with some kind of frequency after their death. Would it be healthy to continue those relationships or is it better to allow grief to occur and work through the stages?

The book was an interesting read and one that would appeal to younger audiences for sure but I found some of the plot a little slow probably because it centered mainly around Julie and her life. I enjoyed it but was not as engaged with it as some other readers have indicated .

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for providing a free copy for my honest review of this novel.

Just to make it clear. I wanted to cry. I wanted to cry my eyes out and be moved by a tale of grief, and since this was advertised as the new Your Name, one of my favourite films, this seemed perfect for me. But I think the problem lies with me.

I don’t think I’m a fan of melodramatic stories. I hated A Little Life, the book that makes everyone sad, and I don’t love the sad animes like Clannad or Anohana, because they try way too hard to make the audience cry. However, You’ve Reached Sam does a fantastic job at portraying grief and how it effects people differently, so I can’t say it’s a bad book. It’s not. It just didn’t resonate with me.

I think the main issue for me was that Sam was way too perfect. I know we’re seeing the novel through Julie’s eyes so she’s going to project an idealised version of him, but Sam didn’t feel like a real person because he felt too “manic pixie dream boy”.

Also, the rest of the characters were a bit bland. It was hard to connect at times because nothing happens much of the time. It took about 80% for the story to “get” anywhere, and by that point I was ready for the story to finish.

And that epilogue was way too short.

It didn’t work for me, but I’m emotionally constipated. The writing is good, so I would recommend giving it a chance.

As someone who doesn’t typically like contemporary or romance, this was like finding a diamond in the rough. I loved this book, and I would definitely buy a copy and read it all over again!

One of the best YA books I’ve read in a long time. Julie blames herself for her boyfriend’s accidental death and tries to cope by getting rid of everything that reminds her of him. Her grief is pretty raw, and she puts herself into some pretty risky situations. Then she discovers that she can call his cell phone – and he answers. Sam helps her (and some other friends) work through their grief and survivor’s guilt. The book is labeled for ages 12-18 but I think 12 is a little young for this. (Netgalley review)

okay. here's the thing. i was promised a romantic magical realism tearjerker that would turn me into a puddle of sobs, and that's what i got. it made me tear up right off the bat, and the emotional ending made me weep.

tragic love story between a heartbroken girl and her recently deceased boyfriend, whom she can still call on the phone? yes, of course i wanted this book to break my heart. (i actually waited to read this when my partner was around so i could get some much-needed comfort snuggles)

HOWEVER. despite the fact that it delivers on the crying front, you've reached sam is an extremely disappointing read.

🖤 here's what went wrong 🖤

‣ the writing is weak. it's all telling and no showing! the narration of our protagonist, julie, is ridiculously rambly and repetitious, which really takes away from the experience of grief that the reader is supposed to be empathizing with.

‣ for me, the book falls apart as soon as it becomes clear that all of the characters are flat. all of them. julie's friends and parents, sam's family, and the random bullies at school all feel like rough outlines of characters. none of them feel real. and even sam and julie themselves feel flat. i think sam is kind of a manic pixie dreamboy?? and again, this takes away from the emotional resonance of the story.

‣ we've got a whole lot of cheap cliches going on here. one-dimensional bullies who are mean for no realistic reason! dramatic fight with said bullies! closeted friend who we discover had a secret gay crush on sam! the trope of casually chatting with a mysterious stranger, only to find out they're a celebrity later on! julie's extreme guilt about sam's death (but for some reason that stops being a thing and is never resolved??)! thao had a lot of ideas, but they're all jumbled together, and none of it feels real.

🖤 but here are some things i did enjoy 🖤

‣ chapters about julie's current life and grief are interspersed with chapters of before, which show us romantic moments from julie and sam's relationship. some of these are cliche, but i'm a softie and i enjoyed them anyway. and these before sequences are very dreamlike and cinematic. i think this is when thao's writing is at its best, and i could definitely envision a movie version!

‣ we have a lot of asian rep! sam and his family are japanese-american, and many of julie's friends are asian, too. i especially enjoyed seeing multiple cultural perspectives on death and grief. sam's cousin, mika, talks about tradition and the need to honor those who have passed. it honestly would have been great if the book had delved deeper into this!!

‣ it's occasionally meta (aided by the fact that julie is a writer). for example, the conversation about why julie likes movies that make her cry. i think that's what thao was trying to do here: make us feel. and that passage got me primed for my cry sesh at the end of the book, which brings me to...

‣ the ending BROKE ME. (SPOILERS) julie spends most of the book in denial, holding onto sam and their love. but THE FACT THAT HE NEEDS HER TO ACTIVELY LET GO!! she has to ignore his final call in order to allow them both to move on!!! their goodbye is absolutely brutal. but the fact that he is able to leave her one last voicemail after they hang up!! he's able to give her a small piece of extra love and care for her to hold onto as she grieves!! maybe it's just because goodbye stuff hits a soft spot for me, but i fucking wept.

so. this book absolutely let me down, but it was still able to bring out the mushiest side of me. i love the themes of loss and letting go, and it's interesting to read something that takes place primarily within the denial stage of grief. terribly romantic and terribly sad. but it's disappointing that the story never really comes to life. it has such an intensely emotional premise, but much of it feels like a dream being narrated within julie's head.

if this book is on your list, my advice would be to read it, but lower your expectations first. i think thao has a lot of potential, and i hope his next book will have stronger execution!!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with a copy of this book in return for an honest review.

Perhaps this is a trope, the dead boyfriend YA stories? Sort of like the romance stories where a couple only pretends to be in love, is a trope

Whatever the premise, or the execution, I really didn't like Julie. Sheesh. I mean, yes, people dying, especially ones you love is hard to get over, but really? Not going to the funeral? Throwing all his stuff out? I mean I know she is only 17 but my gosh girl.

When I was in high school, my best friend's friend died in a car crash. The whole school was devastated, and my best friend was crushed. But you know what? She didn't go and hide, or anything, and the family started a scholarship in Leigh's name, for athletics, that is still around today.

What I am trying to say is that through this whole book, Julie talks to Sam, but she doens't progress. She keeps clinging to him, as though that would somehow bring him back. And her friends are trying to reengage her in the world, and she resists.

As one reviewer said, most of the book was padding.

We never learn why. We never never learn what.

And the author has cherry blossoms blooming in both the summer and the fricking fall. Not sure what is going on there.

If you are looking for a book to make you cry, this is not the one.



<em>Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.</em>

Normally I don’t go for contemporary books but there was was just something about the cover that made me request this book.

I’ll admit I was a bit up and down with this one. One minute I was reaching for the tissues and the next I was cringing at a little to sweet fluff moment. but I think as a whole it works.it was different a nice break from what I usually read and definitely does the grieving process justice in my opinion.

Unfortunately this was a disappointing book for me. I was anticipating this book so hard, but the concept is better than the execution.

You’ve reached Sam was heartfelt, emotional and very well written but I can’t specifically say that I loved it. It was good but not memorable enough. The characters weren’t memorable enough to have made a lasting impression. I was intrigued but it felt like that intrigue never gave way to anything more. There’s a certain repetition and stagnancy in the plot and pacing which kind of hinders the reading experience. I was never truly invested in the love story of the main characters due to which I think I was a little disappointed.

Overall, it was great in the way it portrayed grief and family and friendship, but other than that I found it quite disappointing.

You’ve Reached Sam is an emotional rollercoaster through grieving the loss of a loved one. I was approved to read the e-arc on Netgalley, and it’s incredible! The emotions were raw and heartfelt and made me cry numerous times in the process. This book emphasizes the importance of moving on while still remembering loved ones. One of my favorite quotes was “Letting go isn’t about forgetting. It’s balancing moving forward with life, and looking back from time to time, remembering the people in it.”

**Thank you NetGalley for providing me a copy of this book for review**

You reached Sam was an anticipated book for me. The synopsis sounded exactly like something that would get me right in my feels. Unfortunately it didn't really develop or flow as well as I had been hoping. I had a hard time connecting to any of the characters in this book, or with the grief that the main character was supposedly feeling. I definitely appreciated the idea and can see what was being attempted, but this one just wasn't it for me.