Julie's first love, Sam, dies on his way to pick her up. She's grieving and calls his cell phone...and he picks up. Their connection is fragile, but he talks her through mourning and how to continue living. I found the premise full of potential, but I didn't ever really like Julie as a character. This wasn't a quick read for me, and I wanted to like it more than I did.

Talk about a tear jerker. I only thing I didn’t like about it this book was I felt the main character learned new lessons on the surface, but I was hoping to have more in depth lessons. Overall pulls ar your heart strings.

It took me a long time to finish reading it, You've reached Sam, is a beautiful and sad book that accompanies Julie through the most painful stages of mourning the loss of her first love.
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It's a story that breaks hearts and does not repair them in any way. Each scene is beautifully described and the sensations they convey are so pure that I was crying for a large part of the book, wishing they were both well and the end left me with a pleasant feeling but it is sad, it is a sad and beautiful book.
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The magic element that they could both continue talking through their phones seemed like a very good thing to me but maybe it left me waiting for something else.
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Thanks to St. Martin Press and Netgalley for give me this Beautiful book to read in exchange of my honest review

This was a poignant story about grief, love, friendship, change, holding on, and letting go. I'm glad I got a chance to go along on Julie and Sam's journey, and I'll definitely recommend the book to teens and lovers of YA stories.

You've Reached Sam was easily one of my most anticipated releases this year. That being said, I was disappointed to find it pretty mediocre. The side characters were two dimensional, and the plot didn’t evoke as much emotion as I expected.

~★~ What is this book about? ~★~

Julie is left heartbroken when her boyfriend, Sam, tragically dies. She threw out his things and missed his funeral to try and forget, but desperate to hear his voice one more time, she calls him just to listen to his voicemail. And Sam picks up the phone. Julie believes this is her last chance at goodbye, but Sam’s time is limited.

~★~

It wasn’t long before I knew this book wouldn’t live up to my expectations. The first chapter was compelling with a flashback to how Julie met Sam, but from there her character grew a bit irritating. She would treat her friends pretty terribly due to the loss of her boyfriend, not realizing that they, too (Sam’s best friend and cousin) were missing him just as much, if not more. Regardless, her frustrations were understandable due to the circumstances. Sam was likeable, but I don’t think there was much depth to his character. A few memories paired with Julie’s phonecalls weren’t enough for me to feel attached to him.

In my opinion, Thao’s writing was just okay; it needed more substance to make up for what the characters lacked. Don’t get me wrong, there were certain moments that made me emotional, but to be honest, reading this synopsis led me to believe I’d ball my eyes out like many other reviewers said they had. It’s unfortunate, but You’ve Reached Sam was one big “meh” for me.

Dustin Thao's writing style is a unique experience to read. We have all had a dream where someone we know dies, and we call their cellphone hoping they will answer, and they do. This story is just that. Julie, in her senior year, loses her boyfriend, Sam. While dealing with the struggling of the loss and pushing her friends and family away, Julie calls Sams's cellphone, and to her surprise, he answers. The story goes through flashbacks that Julie has before Sam's death and deals with overcoming the overwhelming amount of grief of losing your high school boyfriend. Throughout the book, Julie calls Sam, and he helps her navigate life without him. Even after death, he is still carrying her. I really wanted to feel more emotions during the read; however, it fell just short. Some of the stories repeat themselves a lot, and it took a while for me to finish the book; I had to keep putting it down—a great story for someone in high school dealing with loss.

Thank you to netgally and St. Martin Press Wednesday Books for this advance reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

Julie and Sam are in their last year of high school. They have plans for the future, to leave their small town and build their lives, together. But that was before Sam dies in a car accident and Julie is left to figure out what happens next. In her grief, Julie dials Sam’s number desperate to hear his voice, but instead of ringing through, Sam picks up. They are reconnected. You’ve Reached Sam is a beautifully constructed YA that undertakes the process of dealing with loss.
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Chapters move between before the accident, in montages of memories, and after, and
one of the things I loved most about this book is how you are visibly taken through the different stages of Julie processing her trauma. Originally, she distances herself from all of her friends and family, closing herself off from the world, everything seems overwhelming. Sometimes words and phrases could feel repetitive, but it also worked because that is how working through emotions can be. As time moves on, she learns to talk through her grief by connecting with those who are also feeling the same pain and embracing her memories. In balancing the future she desires, with the reality she has, Julie learns that life doesn’t always work out the way you plan. Instead, you should appreciate everything and everyone you have, and live in the moment.

Yes, I cried. It was the broken promises that got me. Dustin Thao has a simple, clear writing style that makes every sentence pack a punch. His character development adds to this, including a diverse set of characters, each personality contributes to the story in individual ways, and Sam is such a loveable character, it makes the pain stronger. This is another character lead, rather than plot-based, story, but this doesn’t drag out the book. This book is worth the read, just have tissues at the ready!

How do you move forward when everything you love in on the line?

Seventeen-year-old Julie has her future all planned out--move out of her small town with her boyfriend Sam, attend college in the city, spend a summer in Japan. But then Sam dies. And everything changes. Desperate to hear his voice one more time, Julie calls Sam's cellphone just to listen to his voicemail. And Sam picks up the phone.

What would you do if you had a second chance at goodbye?

I received a copy of this from the publisher Wednesday Books, and Netgalley in turn for an honest review.

I remember seeing Dustin talkin about this book ages go on Twitter, and I knew straight away it was something I would love to read. So when it came available on Netgalley I jumped at the chance of requesting it, and was very happy to be approved.

You’ve Reached Sam is a lovely story about grief, losing someone you love, and coming to terms with moving on.

It’s something we’ve all wanted isn’t it, one last phonecall or conversation with someone we’ve loved and lost. That’s what made this book sound so interesting. I know I would jump at the chance to talk to my Grandma again, and yet it was something similar to Julie that helped me come to terms with her death quite a while later. No I didn’t talk to her on the phone, but Julie has dreams which she doesn’t realise are actually her way of making sense of things. I had a dream like that and without sounding all cliche about it, I honestly woke up and felt so much lighter.

If you love sad stories with uplifting ends then this is one for you, it had me cry a few times, and smile a lot. We watch through their lives before Sam died, and Julie’s life after. The grief is real, we see her struggle to even talk to other people, let alone be around others much. But we see a beautiful love story in the background, their day trips, the things they do to see the other one smile.

The book reminded me somewhat of The Phonebox at the Edge of The World by Laura Imai Messina, which is another amazing story about talking to loved ones after their passing. Definitely give it a go.

Thanks again to the publisher Wednesday Books, and Negalley for my advanced ebook.

if you're looking for PAIN and ANGST then this is the book for you.

I can really empathized with Julie who at first was being withdrawn from everybody after Sam's death. Some of her actions are a bit shitty, but because i know what's she thinking i can relate to her. Even though i knew how this story was gonna end (and i think all who read the blurb knew), i really enjoy the journey of Julie in reaching her closure and starting her life again.

Big thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an eARC in exchange of an honest review.

As soon as I heard about this book online I just knew I had to read it. I'm not the biggest fan of those stories that seem tailored to bring you to tears on purpose, but I have to confess this one was really well conducted. To me, it's a book about grieving, which justifies the slow rhythm of the story, as we are presented to the characters and their experiences step by step, with the memories and flashbacks making the narrative even richer.

One of the best parts are the secondary characters. While it was hard for me to get attached to the main character and her decisions, all the others were very well developed and written. From Sam to characters only appearing for one scene, they gave the plot motivation and movement.

At the end, it's a sweet, calm book, in which time seems not to even pass, not relying on sad scenes to attract and hold the reader. There are, of course, tears to be shed, but we're presented to this couple and everyone around them in such a well-put way that it seems like a hug.

2.5 stars

Thank you, Netgalley and the publisher, for providing me an arc of this book in exchange for a review.

I am immensely disappointed. When I first started "You've Reached Sam," I was hoping to break down and cry a lot. I wanted to feel something other than boredom throughout this book and shed at least one tear. Well, I did shed a tear, but it was of boredom instead of sadness.

"You've Reached Sam" didn't get interesting until (about) 80% through the book, and it wasn't even that interesting. I was forcing myself to finish this book because everyone loved it and cried, and I wanted to love it and cry too, but I obviously didn't.


Julie finds out she can talk to her dead boyfriend on the phone. That's it, that's the plot, it seemed interesting, but it wasn't. The idea of this book was interesting and seemed like it would make for a great book

The main character Julie and the pacing of this book made this book very dislikable.

"You've Reached Sam" dragged on for what feels like forever. The pacing moved slower than the speed of a snail; I was over this book when I was one chapter in.

There were also a lot of things about this book that could've been left out of the book, and nothing would change. I could have skipped so many chapters and missed nothing.

The side characters were great, but I hated the main character.

Julie was a bit annoying, which sucks since she's the main character. I understand that she lost her boyfriend (who she had no chemistry with, but whatever), but she's rude to everyone around her, even though they are grieving Sam too. She's also a bit of an asshole to her friends (Mika and Tristan, I think that's his name), who deserve better than Julie as a friend.

Sam was a nice character, but I didn't get as attached to him as I wanted to. He's a bit bland, and I'm not even sure he has a personality.

Relationships that actually have chemistry? What's that? I couldn't find one reason why Sam and Julie were a couple. Not one. They didn't have any chemistry at all, and this may be me being petty towards Julie, but Sam is too good for her. Sam and Julie would be good friends, but I honestly can't see them as a couple.

The ending was a huge disappointment. The voicemail (if you read the book, you know what this is) was the cheesiest thing I have ever read. It's supposed to be heartfelt and romantic, but instead, it felt like something a middle schooler would say. The ending didn't even make me cry instead, I was desperately waiting for this book to end.

Overall, this book had so much potential, but it fell flat. I really wish I could have liked the book, but it just wasn't for me. Some things were annoying me, and I wasn't even sad when it ended. The hype has failed me again.

You’ve Reached Sam by Dustin Thao is a contemporary YA, though with a supernatural twist. Julie is shortly before high school graduation when Sam, her boyfriend, dies in a car accident. The story follows her as she navigates her grief, and rebuilds her life after this massive upheaval. But this isn’t made easier by her being able to call Sam on her phone. Somehow, they are able to have conversations across the boundaries between life and death, and Julie gets a chance to say goodbye all over again. This is heart-wrenching – though not as emotional as I was expecting it to be. But it’s still a very solid read, even if I personally didn’t fall in love with it.

This book is beautifully written. The flashbacks were done in such a nice way (it felt like a movie!) and I'm amazed by Dustin Thao's artistic prose. Where I felt the book was lacking was almost made up for with the writing.

Then there's Julie. Her grief was overwhelming and I can't imagine how much pain she must have been in. However, she just felt so unlikeable at the beginning and it was incredibly difficult to root for an MC who kept making such frustrating decisions. I think maybe the way I felt about her impacted my ability to connect with Sam and the plot.

However, I really did grow to love some of the side characters. Firstly, I love anything bookstore-related, so everything about sweet Mr. Lee made me very happy. Mika was also super cool. Who doesn't want a friend that can easily take out your enemies? I also really enjoyed reading about Oliver and how his friendship with Julie developed.

The other thing: it's so easy for books to make me cry. Like, so easy. But many people (who don't normally cry from books) sobbed... and I didn't shed a single tear. Hm.

In summary, this book was beautiful but just not for me.

**I posted a short IG review in my saved highlight, but I will be posting my full review on Goodreads, tiktok, my blog, and twitter, closer to the release date (Nov. 2, 2021)*

“But the truth is, no one experiences grief the same way, and we all come out of it differently.”

4 stars

This heartbreaking contemporary was designed to hurt me, but I say this with love. We follow a girl who's boyfriend Sam has just died in a tragic accident. The story follows them throughout the timeline of their relationship, as Julie discovers she may have one last chance to hold onto him - through their phones. Honestly, I wasn’t a huge fan of our main character Julie at first at first. I know everyone grieves differently, but her impulse to distance herself from memories of them together is just so different from mine, I had to remind myself not to take offense. (I’m one of those people who cling to memories and memorabilia of people in order to remember/feel close to them.) Spoiler: A small part of me died when she threw out the stuff Sam had given her.

I loved Sam so much. He's the sweetest and most caring boyfriend, and I clung to their phone calls together. There were so many touching scenes in this book that shredded my emotions. Sam’s yearbook note was a knife to the heart, and there's an important song in the book that I actually listened to during a specific scene. It crushed my soul a bit.

I also really like how the flashbacks aren’t written in past tense, but the author writes them like we’re actually reliving those moments. This style was much more engaging than just “they did this” and “then they did that”. We get to see Julie struggle between her old life with Sam and the life that keep propelling her forward into a life without him.

No spoilers, but the end of Ch. 16 had me weeping. I felt Julie's pain so much in that moment. There’s a line near the end of the book that I’m pretty sure was designed just to hurt me specifically. This book ripped my heart out but it was really good. If you like sad but still a fun book, I would recommend picking this up November 2!

Trigger Warnings: death of loved one, grief

This is a book about love and lost and saying goodbye. Julie had her life planned out. She would graduate Highschool, move out of her small town with her boyfriend Sam, go to college in the city, and go to Japan with Sam during the summer. Yet one night changed all her plans and now she has to find a way to say good bye and find a way to start over. When Sam dies in a tragic accident Julie doesn't know how to handle it and blames herself and thinks everyone does as well. Wanting to hear his voice one last time she calls his cell phone but instead of getting voicemail Sam actually answers her call. She has to keep the calls a secret if she doesn't want the connection to end. This gives them a second chance to say good bye but, that is never an easy thing.

This book was beautifully written. I like how the author goes back and forth between the present moment and then goes to the past to give us a view on the relationship of Julie and Sam. I won't lie and say there where moments I was upset at Julie but, the story shows how we all handle death differently and there is no right way. Saying good bye doesn't mean we forget our loved one because they will always be a part of us. I highly recommend you read this book. It is a touching story and I look to more from this author.

Sam, only a few weeks from graduation, dies in an accident and leaves his girlfriend Julie behind. She thinks it would be easiest to just forget, and she deletes all the messages, and she throws out all the things that remind her of Sam. When she realizes what she has done, with nothing left to remember Sam by, she frantically calls Sam to hear his voicemail. To her shock, he picks up, and Julie doesn't know how to let go of Sam a second time.

A beautiful story about navigating grief, remembering loved ones, moving forward and rebuilding a life.

This book was absolutely fantastic. I've already added it to our library collection and will recommend it to students.

I’m writing my review while I just finished it like 10 minutes ago still heartbroken and crying in my bed.
This book is beautiful, rough, dealing with the lost of someone you love in a beautiful way. I wished that I had that kind of time with my love one too. It’s sharp and Julie’s acceptance and growing up without Sam is hard (not gonna lie) but necessary. It’s a long process that we did in this way. I loved it. I loved it. I have not any other words to express.
It’s beautiful. Everything. Thank you for breaking me.

I loved this book! It was such a sweet story about grief and love. It talks about knowing when to let go and about learning to enjoy life even when it doesn't go according to plan.

You’ve Reached Sam

3/5 stars

Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with a free eARC of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Julie and Sam had everything planned. Moving to a bigger city post high school and follow their dreams of becoming a writer and a musician. Then what they least expected happens, Sam dies. Now Julie’s life and plans are all falling apart. Driven by grief, Julie wants to forget him

Then the unexpected happens, he answers.

I won’t lie, I as a huge fan of the animated film Your Name the premise of the book had me hooked.

The sappy romantic in me was all for this story and the pain it did bring and now I have mixed hurt feelings at the hand of this book.

The flashbacks are cute and the relationship build up is also good. There are some scenes that I absolutely need to see as fanart, or in live action or as an animation cause they sound extremely beautiful.

It hurts to read how she lost her boyfriend and the future she wanted to have but at the same time it frustrated me that she didn't have a better support system. I wish she'd had a better support system. Her friends cared about her but when she didn't answer they didn't really check up on her.

She did have some growth with her friends and I liked that. It seemed that before she did get along with them but her life mainly revolved around Sam and I wasn't really for that.

It most likely is a me thing! I've never really understood relationships that seem to revolve around their partners and that's the impression this story gave me.

However this is a book about letting go. About loving someone so much that losing them, feels like losing yourself, but also not forgetting them.

If you like romantic stories that will break your heart, I 10/10 recommend this. (I've already tried putting this book on my roommates radar since I know she'll love it)