This book hurt so good. I balled like a baby the majority of the book, but it was so worth it. I felt Julie’s pain as she morned for Sam. I am so glad I read this because it changed my perspective and my life. It makes me hold a little tighter to my loved ones and think fondly of the ones who have already passed. EVERYONE should read this book.

Special thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest opinion.

I wasn't the biggest fan of the "If I Stay" series, but I am a fan of the anime film "Your Name". Honestly, I would say that this book is a good blend of both sources because it incorporates the contemporary and YA atmosphere from the former and the fantasy/magical realism from the latter.

The central theme of this book was grief, how Julie and those surrounding her dealt with it. You can tell that the way Julie dealt with it frustrated her friends, especially when she starts talking to Sam on the phone. It does get frustrating at times as she practically throws her life away to cling to mysterious phone calls. I did wish it didn't take Julie so long to realize what she was doing wasn't healthy, but then again people deal with grief differently, especially with her circumstances. She was blinded by the hope of these phone calls and her excuses to hide it was not helping her case. Some people around her believed that she was the cause of Sam's death and that she doesn't care that he's dead because she never really showed that she cared (i.e. attending his funeral). Eventually, when Julie comes to realization, things do wrap up quite nicely. I'm glad that she was surrounded and guided by a good group of supporting friends.

Overall, if you did enjoy the "If I Stay" series and "Your Name", I believe you will enjoy this as well.

I needed a good cry, so I figured I'd pick up You've Met Sam. And I guess it worked really well, because I'm DEVASTATED. I read the whole book in one sitting and I lost count of how many times I cried. This is such a beautifully sad book.

I can't believe I have to wait until November to own a physical copy!

Book Review for You’ve Reached Sam
Full review for this title will be posted at: @cattleboobooks on Instagram!

I don't know what to think, the synopsis seemed interesting. People compare the book with If I Stay and I liked that one, but it doesn't even come close to. But, the cover is beautiful.

I feel that something was missing in the plot development, it's told between past and present. In my opinion, the story focuses too much on the present rather than the past, and for that reason, I couldn't connect with Julie and Sam's relationship. On the other hand, if Thao's intention was to show us the feelings of loss and how hard it's to lose someone you love, he did it, the story has a sad, melancholic tone and when I finished it I felt that way.

Julie is a character who goes through the loss of someone she loves, I didn't get to connect with her, but I did understand how she felt and everything she was doing to overcome everything she was facing.

As I said before, I would have liked to see a little more of Julie and Sam's relationship in the past, if they had given me more of that, I would have given the book 4 stars.

~👑𝘚𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘞𝘦𝘥𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘥𝘢𝘺 𝘉𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘈𝘙𝘊 𝘪𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸!👑~

This didn't break me.
And I'm sad about that.

𝘙𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨: 🌟🌟🌟🌟⭐ 4.0

Being the smart, intelligent, soulless being that I am... you would THINK that I have a semblance of something in my head. You know what I have? ~static~ Ergo, why I went into this book LOOKING for a heart-rending, shattering, soul spilling story which would wake me up at dawn in reminiscence of its pain and make me bawl my eyes out.

#superhealthycopingmechanism

When I read a 'sad' story, I expect to be a sobbing mess by the end of it. Which I was. A mess that is. Sobbing, well, depends on how you take the term. There were slight traces of watery liquid which may be venom or tears (we'll never know) in my eyesperes, so of course, my nose was looking like Rudolph the Reindeer. Shout out to that guy, the first thing to make me cry. Thank you.

𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙖𝙘𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙬𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙄 𝙢𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙠 𝙤𝙛 (𝙄 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬, 𝙢𝙚. 𝙏𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜. 𝙋𝙛𝙛𝙛𝙩𝙩𝙩𝙩) 𝙖𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙚𝙖𝙠 𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙠. I never grew to deeply love any of them, so their actions didn't affect me as much as I would've expected. This is not to say that they were bad, because they weren't, however, for me to adore a book I need to at least care for the background charcaters. See, they all had personalities, and they all had their own problems, but it was such a lukewarm relationship between them, I was left aghast as to why they weren't connecting more.

𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙈𝘾 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙚𝙭𝙩𝙧𝙚𝙢𝙚𝙡𝙮 𝙞𝙣𝙛𝙪𝙧𝙞𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚𝙨. And yes, I do understand her grief, and we all have different ways of coping with it (personally, mine is food and annoyance), but even before she lost someone whom she didn't deserve (*smirk), she was extremely whiny, and frankly not a very interesting person.
There.
I said it.
She was dull.
I shall hide now.

The thing is, I really wanted to like her as a person. I wanted to feel every inch of heartbreak, alas, I felt a small portion of that same emotion that I was craving to experience (again, why am I like this). I loved how strong she was at times, but it faded into nothing once I started realizing "dang, this girl is a piece of work". Why? Well because she couldn't keep promises, was sadly naiive and obviously didn't have the brain to begin to comprehend NOT TO TURN THE DANG PHONE OFF. One scene, y'all. ONE scene. And she messed it up.

𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙢𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙚𝙙 𝙈𝙀 𝙪𝙥? 𝙎𝙖𝙢. Wow, such a smart decision from yours truly! Who would've thought that Booksy would've fallen for a dead guy.


I thought that. Because I frighten myself sometimes. I'm that idiot that falls for the guy who dies in movies. The kind of idiot that clearly smacks against the glass because she didn't see it. The kind of IDIOT that got her heart shattered at the end of this book. That was one of the few moments in this story which physically hurt me. And I don't know what to feel about that.
This guy was so utterly sweet, and emotionally gorgeous (it's a thing). The way he spoke, and acted. The amazing relationship he had with his parents, how he was the bestest friend, and especially how he tolerated the MC for three years. I could NEVER. All of those tiny things mounted together and sprinkled with slight mentions of death, all of them made me connect with him way more than the rest of the characters mentioned in this book. I wouldn't say that I truly fell in love with him, because I didn't have the time, but I will say that he was an amazing boyfriend and an amazing reason to be emotionally numb for.

The rest of the characters as previously mentioned, didn't do much for the story, and I would've loved for it to be otherwise. Alas, not all happily ever afters are possible.

𝙎𝙥𝙚𝙖𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙤𝙛 𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙞𝙡𝙮 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙖𝙛𝙩𝙚𝙧, 𝙡𝙚𝙩'𝙨 𝙩𝙖𝙡𝙠 𝙖 𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙩𝙡𝙚 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙡𝙤𝙩.(y'all see that transition? It took me four hours to get it right *snort*) It was staggeringly well done, of course, some small inconsistencies peeved me but I can say that I enjoyed it immensely. The intersecting memories, the heartbreak imbued into each sentence and word, the surprising connection between past/present/dream/reality left me gobsmacked and flodding my GR updates with "OH MY GOSH, OH MY GOSH, I KNEW IT". Which I deeply apologize now. *snort* I adored the way my soul shattered at the ending pages and absolutely loved the fact that I sat in shock for awhile after that.

𝙏𝙝𝙧𝙚𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨 𝙄 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙮𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙚 𝙖𝙧𝙚:
1. It made me sad at times.
2. It made me frustrated at other times.
3. Ultimately all ended in me feeling numb. (and dumb, but mostly numb)

𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙡𝙨𝙤 𝙢𝙖𝙙𝙚 𝙢𝙚 𝙛𝙚𝙚𝙡 𝙣𝙪𝙢𝙗 𝙗𝙚𝙘𝙖𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙞𝙩 𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙥𝙖𝙨𝙨𝙚𝙙 𝙨𝙤 𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙮 𝙚𝙢𝙤𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨. Also, it was so dang quotable.
And it doesn't help that the ARC sample looked like this. (I couldn't quote so bear with me, please)

If I could put washi tape on E-Arcs, trust me, I would've found a way.

𝙇𝙚𝙖𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙤𝙛𝙛 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙖 𝙨𝙢𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙧𝙤𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚:

It basically called me single in 678902938476478 languages.
And I kind of feel okay with that.
H̶a̶!̶ ̶N̶o̶ ̶I̶ ̶d̶o̶n̶'̶t̶.̶ ̶I̶'̶m̶ ̶n̶o̶t̶ ̶t̶h̶a̶t̶ ̶m̶a̶t̶u̶r̶e̶.̶

𝐎𝐧 𝐚 𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐞, this book had a lot to give, and I feel like it worked well with what it had (make of that what you will *snickering*). It was a nice 'sad' read, and I hope that it's a testament to the book not being sad enough that I didn't cry and not because I am a stone rock. Which slightly works, but I identify as smudgy pretzel.
All in all, it was entertaining, and I think if it had better character building, I would've enjoyed it a hecka lot more.
I still want to throw whatever the heck the MC's name was, under a truck.

𝐈 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐝 this book to those who are slight masochists and want to feel something, once in a while. Who obviously want to tear up in the last chapter and come on, if you don't like it, I can read your rants! Oh, And you could maybe skip all the MC's lines. They are of no consequence.

𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐫: 𝐀𝐧𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐨𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐬𝐚𝐢𝐝 𝐮𝐩 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐦𝐲 𝐨𝐰𝐧, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥 𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐦𝐞 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐫𝐬 𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐨𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬, 𝐬𝐨 𝐈 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐢𝐭 𝐟𝐢𝐱𝐞𝐝!

My awesome friend and I changing the name of this book never fails to remind me, woah. We're a different kind of special.

𝐇𝐞𝐫:
Son of Sam
Bye Bye Sam
Hey Sam, it's Me
Sam yo it's your homie
Sam I miss your face
I Miss You Sam, it's Sheila
Sam I miss you

𝐌𝐞:
Calling Sam, Please Hold
Sam this is the voicemail
Running with Sam
Sam is you present
Sam, where art thou?
Sam, get yo food

𝘏𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘰𝘰𝘰, 𝘪𝘵'𝘴 𝘮𝘦. 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘸𝘰𝘰𝘰𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘧 𝘢𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘳𝘳 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶'𝘥 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘦𝘦𝘦𝘦𝘦𝘵. 𝘚𝘰𝘳𝘳𝘺, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘰𝘰 𝘮𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘴.

[𝙁𝙤𝙧 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙛𝙪𝙣 𝙚𝙭𝙩𝙧𝙖 𝙨𝙝𝙚𝙣𝙖𝙣𝙞𝙜𝙖𝙣𝙨, 𝙫𝙞𝙨𝙞𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙡𝙤𝙜 𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙠!]

Are you looking for a book that is going to make you sad and possibly reflective for days on end? Do you want your heart wrenched out of your chest?

Well do I have the book for you! This book.

Julie's life was drastically altered when her boyfriend Sam dies. A year after her death she still seems to be frozen in time. Grief (and maybe a little denial kept her from attending his funeral. And a year later, it's the same feelings that keeps her from visiting his grave with her friend.

So when Julie impulsively phones his number just to hear his voice via his voicemail, she's shocked when he picks up. He can't tell her how it came to be or where he is (let's just call it the after life), but he desperately wanted a chance for them to say a proper goodbye. Obviously Julie isn't ready to do this so Sam tells her that they don't have to say goodbye until she's ready.

If this ever happened to me I honesty think I'd be with Julie and just start crying in a cafe too because I can only imagine how it would feel after a year of not having someone in your life, because they're dead, to be able to talk with them again. Would you say your proper goodbye there and then? I think I would. Mostly because I don't think I could handle talking to someone I know I have to let go of at some point.

Julie, however, keeps talking to him and basically tears that wound open and keeps it fresh all while debating if she should reveal her secret to other people and risk that precious connection she has with him. Though it seems to be more of a 'if you have a deep gash in your leg the doctor's keep it open in order to force the body to fill in that hole with some new tissue and not have it develop a major and dangerous blood clot' type deal for Julie. With Sam's help, she does make some progress on moving forward and opening up a little to those around her after more than a year of pretty much shutting them out and disassociating due to the trauma of losing Sam so suddenly. Disassociation is a very real thing people.

So, if you are looking for an emotional read that will exquisitely drag you down into the dumps of the feels (because let's be honest, every now and then most of us wants to read one of those books) this is probably the book for you. Just be warned that the pace is fairly slow, as it should be when reading about a young woman in the throws of grief. That ending though...maybe grab some tissues.

Some things to note as possible triggers: Grief, Death of a Loved One, Depression, Bullying

A HUGE thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Dustin Thao for sending me an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Wow. I was immediately intrigued when I saw the cover for this book, and then after reading the synopsis I knew I had to read it. This book was right up my alley, everything I'd hoped for and then some.

This book was so heartbreakingly beautiful. This book is for anyone who's lost someone and never got their chance to say goodbye, or just anyone who's ever grieved over someone.

Julie's character was so raw and real, and I loved that Thao did such a great job touching on how everyone's grieving process is different. Everyone deals with death and loss differently, and I loved how that was shown throughout, with Julie, his friends, his family, and those whose lives Sam touched.

As someone who's lost a very close friend in a car accident, this book definitely hit home and I cried endlessly throughout this book. It hurt so good, and I will say that this book is not for the faint of heart, it's very emotional and heavy, and deals with a lot of raw emotion.

Thank you Net Galley for an ARC of You've Reached Sam. This is a young adult romance. Julie and Sam are still in Highschool when Sam suddenly dies. Julie starts communicating with him on her phone, Giving them both a chance to say goodbye. Three stars.

It's been a while since I've cried while reading a book. You've Reached Sam left me heartbroken. Dustin Thao's style in writing is articulate and the opposite of boring. He wrote words that would effectively pull the heartstrings of the readers. I love the way he wrote his characters. Sam and Julie feel like real people that you know, that you've met because of the way you feel about them. Thao didn't make them unrealistic. His portrayal of grief and vulnerability is on-point. This book would make you feel sad, heartbroken, happy, and hopeful. Hopeful, not because you'd hope that Sam would magically come back, but because you would feel that hope in you as you go down the book that Julie and Sam would get their 'closure' and would get to move forward. Also, I love that he emphasizes the misconception of moving on, that 'moving on' means 'forgetting' that person. I really applaud him on that part because moving on isn't forgetting about that person and your memories of them. Instead, moving on should be moving forward all the while still thinking about that person from time to time and remember them as they are.

Dustin Thao is a genius for writing this masterpiece. I anticipate to read more of his future works. :)

A very impactful and poignant story that made me cry a few times. It's a very character driven plot but I loved learning more about Julie and Sam's relationship. The ending was a bit predictable but I guess it's always the case with stories talking about grief.
It's a book that will resonate with every readers!

You’re Reached Sam- hydrate thoroughly before reading this, because you will definitely be sobbing! If you enjoyed the film Your Name then you’ll want to pick this book up. I was immediately drawn in by the gorgeous cover. Julie is a high school student abruptly heartbroken when her boyfriend Sam dies in a tragic accident. Julie wrestles with her grief and sadness, desperately missing Sam and struggling to process her feelings. When she calls Sam’s phone simply to hear his voicemail message, Sam answers. I don’t want to say too much more, I’d rather just place a copy in your hand!

You’ve Reached Sam felt so visceral and real. Sam and Julie extend a hand to everyone who has ever had a loss in their life that they felt they could never move on from. You’ve Reached Sam filled me with nostalgia, joy, and sadness. Thao imparts bittersweet, poignant lessons about grief. The prose conveys the sense of watching a vibrant movie, with sweeping emotion and crescendos. If you’re the type of reader who would like to be curled into a ball by the end of a book, sobbing, screaming “my emotions!!” then you must check this out! You’ll be very glad you did. I absolutely recommend this heartfelt and moving story about grief and love. I’m excited to see what Dustin Thao writes next! You’ve Reached Sam releases November 2, 2021. Thank you so much to Dustin Thao, Wednesday Books, and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a really beautiful story about loss, heartbreak, love, healing, friendship and moving on. I loved the aspect of Sam answering the phone and the flashbacks we got so we could see their relationship, how they met and their dreams. It was really sad and heartbreaking to read it, but the growth the character went through was realistic and it made sense. I also loved the epilogue, because it added to the story and I could imagine Julie's life after the book.

Unfortunately, I had to DNF this

I wouldn't usually rate a DNF and this one is lower than 3 stars for me but since it's not even out yet, in giving it the middle rating.

I really didn't like this. It has nothing to with the representation of grief and everything to do with the characters' personalities and more specifically Julie. It's not a matter of her dealing with her grief bc she was exactly the same in the flashbacks. If I can't connect to the character, whose story I'm reading, I just can't care about anything that's happening to them.

I'm very disappointed that I couldn't continue with this book since I really wanted to enjoy it. It's not bad, it just didn't work for me.

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

4.5*

This book had me hooked from the beginning. I was a little bit confused with the time jumps but that's what kept me reading. Going into the book I knew there was a chance I would cry, and I did. A lot. It was just so emotional. I really loved Julie's character and adored Sam's character. One moment that put a massive smile on my face was when two of the characters went to the movie theatre to see a musical, "Little Shop of Horrors", which also happens to be my favourite musical. The story ended nicely and left me a blubbering mess.

What I will say though, is that some of the characters felt a bit flat, it felt like they were just there and added nothing to the story. The situation with Julie's mom was kind of addressed then forgotten about, it threw me off guard whenever it was mentioned because I kept forgetting about it. The story would have been the same if it was left out, or, maybe more interesting if it was developed a bit more. I do appreciate the authors for adding it in and can see where they might have gone with it.

To round up, this was a nice read, I read it in a couple of sittings (I probably would have read it in one sitting if I'd started it earlier in the day). It's a cute YA contemporary, I'm usually not one for contemporaries and usually find them to be sub-par but "You've Reached Sam" met or exceeded all of my expectations making me excited for more books that this author has to offer!

Oh my heart. This has to be one of the best YA books I've read in a very long time. I knew from the description that it would be heart wrenching, but getting to know the characters and exploring their relationships made it hurt so much worse than I was anticipating. The writing is tender and filled with emotion, and the way Thao captures grief is stunning. Highly recommend but go in knowing that it will be painful!

I know it’s only April but I think this is probably one of the best contemporary books I’ve read this year (Yes, I am a sucker for sad sad books, don’t judge). Grief, heartbreak and friendship weave this book into existence through a sense of shared feelings of loss and healing.

I won’t lie but I may have shed a few tears within the first few chapters. I liked the book’s pacing because it wasn’t too slow & didn't felt rushed as that was one of my concern. Some books that revolve around sadness tend to be darker, not just the plot but also the feelings and vibe which ultimately when added together will drag the whole pacing down. This book perfectly balances out the sadness with the plot and characters.

If you look at the book, there isn’t anything very special cause such plots have been written before by other authors yet, there’s just something about it that made me feel like this is my first time reading this kind of plot setting.

The author’s writing is skill another thing that made my reading experience much better. The word choices he used, the world-building and his expression towards certain scenes perfectly build up the mood.

I honestly can’t wait for the book to come out in November and yes, I will definitely get myself a copy when it’s out. Best believe I’ll be back again in October and November to rave about this book so y’all will be reminded to get yourself a copy of this beautifully written book. I would like to thank Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars rounded up *may change

"In his death, Sam asked for only one thing, and that was for us to remember each other. Yet here I am trying so hard to forget."

'You've Reached Sam' is both a moving story about dealing with the worst kind of loss that gives you hope and a heartbreaking tale of grief that breaks you apart.

This book is nothing that I could have anticipated. The premise of talking to one's dead boyfriend seemed sad on its own, but the reality of it—along with watching a grief-stricken person ruin their own life through an unhealthy coping mechanism while you know it cannot possibly last—is so much worse. You're left to witness the memories of what life once was, the visions of what it could have been, and the stark reality of what it is. There's no breathing room. This book chokes the air out of your lungs through every character interaction and every phone call you're forced to observe and it is wonderful.

I consider myself someone who cries easily, but I did not expect the first quarter of this book alone to make me sob twice. I did not expect that the ending would leave me with a wet t-shirt and red eyes as I struggled to breathe in deeply. I did not expect I would begin to cry while writing this review. Every moment is an agonizing second you spend waiting for it to end. Waiting for Julie to find her peace. Waiting with questions about how this is possible. But none of those questions really matter.

Julie's conversations with Sam are shockingly awful to sit through. I expected that they might be a bit therapeutic. Talking to a loved one again after their death sounds to me like something that one would cherish—something that would bring them more joy and reconciliation. Instead, their conversations were agonizingly painful. Their words bit and gnawed at me, propelling the story in such a way that only made everything else infinitely worse. The last part of this book...ah, well, that was a whole cruelty onto itself. This book somehow took its enticing premise and made it seem like both the best and worst gift in this world. To get a second chance with someone, a chance in which you can part ways, is such a cruel thing to receive.

This book is everything. It is pain, it is healing, it is grief, it is tragedy, it is condolences, it is remembrance, it is forgetting, it is death, and it is life. Such a beautifully awful story.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an advanced reader's copy.

It's incredibly tragic of course, the unfairness of it all is a kick to the gut but I personally feel like with how tragic it was, you'd expect me to have connected to the characters more which wasn't the case. I feel like the premise won over the execution of this one.

tw : grief, death, depression

This book was really good. It was really emotional and made me feel so much pain, but in a good way. Julie was a really good character and the author writing was really good, we really were immersed in Julie’s grief and how she recovered from it. It paints a realistic view on how grief affects people and that everyone reacts differently to it. This book is really character-driven, they aren’t a lot of things happening, but the writing keeps you interested and you just want to continue to read. It was a really good book and I think it could help people that are experiencing grief and think that they never will get over it.