Contemporary

You've Reached Sam

You've Reached Sam

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  • Create Date：2021-11-06 07:51:05
  • Update Date：2025-09-07
  • Status：finish
  • Author：Dustin Thao
  • ISBN：1250762030
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Summary

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。

Heartbroken， Julie skips his funeral， throws out his things， and tries everything to forget him and the tragic way he died。 But a message Sam left behind in her yearbook forces back memories。 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。

In a miraculous turn of events， Julie’s been given a second chance at goodbye。 The connection is temporary。 But hearing Sam’s voice makes her fall for him all over again， and with each call it becomes harder to let him go。 However， keeping her otherworldly calls with Sam a secret isn’t easy， especially when Julie witnesses the suffering Sam’s family is going through。 Unable to stand by the sidelines and watch their shared loved ones in pain， Julie is torn between spilling the truth about her calls with Sam and risking their connection and losing him forever。

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Reviews

Janet | purrfectpages ，

Julie and Sam。 Sam and Julie。 The pair spent so much time together， their existences seemed nearly interchangeable。 But then the unthinkable happens and Sam dies。 Only seventeen， Julie prematurely feels like her life is over。 Overcome with grief， Julie does something a lot of us would do- she calls Sam’s phone- just to hear his voice one last time。Only Sam picks up。Unsure what to make of this unheard of connection， both Sam and Julie cling to this second chance， knowing its time is fleeting。 In Julie and Sam。 Sam and Julie。 The pair spent so much time together， their existences seemed nearly interchangeable。 But then the unthinkable happens and Sam dies。 Only seventeen， Julie prematurely feels like her life is over。 Overcome with grief， Julie does something a lot of us would do- she calls Sam’s phone- just to hear his voice one last time。Only Sam picks up。Unsure what to make of this unheard of connection， both Sam and Julie cling to this second chance， knowing its time is fleeting。 In the real world however， Julie is forced to keep their communication a secret or risk others think she’s losing her mind- or worse- her losing this unique reconnection with Sam， forever。You’ve Reached Sam is a tear jerker of a book with a unique premise。 So many of us wish we could talk to a loved one just one more time。 In this story， Julie gets that chance tenfold。 However， the reader quickly realizes just like in actual long distance relationships， nothing can replace the real thing。 This book also served as a reminder that everyone grieves differently。 It was hard to read this and not get angry with Julie and her actions， even knowing what was really going on。 Over and over Julie pushes aside people in the living world to make time for Sam who has passed。 One could argue this is how she was dealing with his death， but the reader knows this isn’t totally the truth。 It made me feel a little conflicted that she wasn’t there for others。 In a way this book addresses the issue， but it made some of Julie’s decisions hard for me to reconcile。All in all， You’ve Reached Sam is a promising， debut。 It answers the call for young adult readers searching for books with a magical ring to them。 。。。more

Teresa ，

Thank you to NetGalley， St。 Martin's Press， Wednesday Books， Macmillan Audio， Dustin Thao， and Soneela Nankani （narrator） for the opportunity to read and listen to the audiobook of You've Reached Sam in exhcange for an honest review。The narrator， Soneela Nankani， does an amazing job narrating as the main character Julie。 She has a number of book narrations under her， and this one is just as well done。Julie is a senior in high school。 She has a boyfriend she loves and plans for the perfect colleg Thank you to NetGalley， St。 Martin's Press， Wednesday Books， Macmillan Audio， Dustin Thao， and Soneela Nankani （narrator） for the opportunity to read and listen to the audiobook of You've Reached Sam in exhcange for an honest review。The narrator， Soneela Nankani， does an amazing job narrating as the main character Julie。 She has a number of book narrations under her， and this one is just as well done。Julie is a senior in high school。 She has a boyfriend she loves and plans for the perfect college to study creative writing。 But ldespite tedious planning， life never quite follows that plan。 In this case， Sam， Julie's boyfriend， dies in a car accident after going to pick ehr up。 Julie struggles with the guilt， feeling like it is her fault that he died。 She can't bear to go to his funeral or visit his family。When Julie tries to call Sam's phone， she is surprised when he picks up。 How can someone who is dad be able to talk on the phone？ He tells her that their phones are connected， though this can't last forever。 Julie even thinks these conversations might all be in her head。 But maybe they aren't？ Sam tells her not to tell anyone because it might ruin their connection。Julie find excitement in her phone calls with Sam， and while others are struggling with the loss， the fact that he is still there for Julie， in a way， make it seem as if he is still there。 This will bring Julie's struggle with the loss to become even harder when the time comes she can no longer speak with him。This is by no means the tear-jerker I expected， but still an excellent story dealing with the loss of a loved one， especially someone young who had a whole future before him。 Part of the take-away is that accidents happen， and loss is going to be something hard to deal with， no matter who you are or who you have lost。 This story is very generic when it comes to the high school genre， but the phone calls from a dead boyfriend are an interesting aspect。 There is not a lot of development with it， but it's the one aspect of the story that makes it more unique。This is a quick read， though may not be the best for those more sensitive about car accidents and loss。 It's not necessarily an easy book， but at the same time， it is easy， because the fact that Julie can talk to Sam over the phone makes the loss more bearable， but it's not something people will actually get to experience。 Then again， supernatural things can happen。 Either way， a good book。 。。。more

Aracely ，

3。5 ⭐️ “How do you move forward when everything you love is on the line？”From the moment I saw the cover and synopsis of this book I was hooked。 I knew it would be a story that would make me suffer because Sam was dead and Julie was going through her grief in a way that although I don't like I can't judge， everyone grieves in different ways。 I can't lie and say that the way Julie behaves after losing Sam I liked or understood but as I read I could see through her eyes the relationship and plans 3。5 ⭐️ “How do you move forward when everything you love is on the line？”From the moment I saw the cover and synopsis of this book I was hooked。 I knew it would be a story that would make me suffer because Sam was dead and Julie was going through her grief in a way that although I don't like I can't judge， everyone grieves in different ways。 I can't lie and say that the way Julie behaves after losing Sam I liked or understood but as I read I could see through her eyes the relationship and plans she had with Sam。 Julie goes from trying to get rid of Sam's personal thinghs to clinging to those calls that only tie her closer to him and keep her from moving on。“I don't care how any of this is possible。 I have Sam back。 I don't want to let him go。”I think this has been a story that even knowing that it was very sad I wished that for some strange reason or magic at the end it would have a miraculous or magical ending， it is obvious that it could not be and on the contrary we will find at the end accepting the loss of the loved one and letting go in order to move on， not only to those of us who stay here but also to those people who cling to us and do not want to let go。 The ending has made me shed some tears， but I understood that you can't stay stuck in pain and that life goes on and we go with it。 I think the author has reflected very well the way people carry their grief for the same person， parents， siblings， friends or girlfriend， because not all of us react to grief and loss in the same way， and that doesn't mean that your grief is less than anyone else's， it's just different and very much your own。This was my debut with this author and it won't be the last I read from him。And this is a great debut for this author， I can only wish him the best on his next releases。Many thanks to Netgalley and St Martin's Press for the ARC， this is my freely given opinion。 。。。more

Sarah ，

（4。5⭐️） why do i do this to my self 😭

Courtney ，

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review。 All opinions are my own。 I don’t often seek out books like this， but something about the premise of You’ve Reached Sam appealed to me。 This book takes an interesting approach to processing grief and loss， that even though I knew it would likely break me， I was compelled to read it。 Julie is immensely relatable， and I imagine she would be for anyone who has dealt with the loss of a loved one。 I could totally u I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review。 All opinions are my own。 I don’t often seek out books like this， but something about the premise of You’ve Reached Sam appealed to me。 This book takes an interesting approach to processing grief and loss， that even though I knew it would likely break me， I was compelled to read it。 Julie is immensely relatable， and I imagine she would be for anyone who has dealt with the loss of a loved one。 I could totally understand what she was going through with not wanting to let Sam go， and struggling to reckon with the loss， while also having to deal with the possibility of changes in her own life。 I really appreciated that she got time to process all her feelings， even if there was an element of magical intervention。 I did sometimes wish that Sam as a person and his relationship had been more fleshed out， as the narrative is very skewed toward what Julie sees， and it doesn’t really allow the reader to feel for him for his own sake， but mostly in how it affects Julie （and maybe his sister， who Julie shares some moments with on-page）。 But at the same time， I can also see that the point is to demonstrate his value to Julie， with who he is as a person coming secondary to that。 This is a deeply moving book that will resonate with a lot of people。 If you like hard-hitting contemporaries， I recommend this one。 。。。more

Cassie M ，

Julie has the perfect life planned for herself but then her perfect boyfriend dies。 Her whole world seems to stop and she can't seem to dig her way out of her grief。 On a whim she calls Sam's phone to hear his voice again， and he answers。 You've Reached Sam got me from the beginning。 Not even halfway through I had teared up many times and felt so much。 This book will definitely make you feel something。 You feel for Julie but at the same time you can see that talking to Sam is making her inevitab Julie has the perfect life planned for herself but then her perfect boyfriend dies。 Her whole world seems to stop and she can't seem to dig her way out of her grief。 On a whim she calls Sam's phone to hear his voice again， and he answers。 You've Reached Sam got me from the beginning。 Not even halfway through I had teared up many times and felt so much。 This book will definitely make you feel something。 You feel for Julie but at the same time you can see that talking to Sam is making her inevitable grief worse。 I loved the way Sam was trying to help her through his death。 There were times when I wanted Julie to realize that she was getting worse。 The story was told so beautifully that you feel as if you're part of their world。 I think a lot of people wish they could say one more thing to their loved one and this sort of gave closure to that。 For me， this was a 4。5/5。 If you like connections that surpass death， want to cry your eyes out， or wish you could have the perfect goodbye， this is for you。 I received a digital copy of this book free from NetGalley and St。 Martin's Press in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more

Zoey Perrigo ，

**I received a copy of this book in exchange of an honest review。 Thank you to NetGalley。You've Reached Sam is a heartbreaking story of how grief impacts us and leaves a mark in our lives。 Julie has her life planned。 She's going to leave the town of Ellensburg， go to the school her mom attended， and become a writer。 All of this is planned with her boyfriend Sam。 However， Sam's life is cut short only months before all of this can take place。 Thrown into grief， Julie misses his funeral， multiple m **I received a copy of this book in exchange of an honest review。 Thank you to NetGalley。You've Reached Sam is a heartbreaking story of how grief impacts us and leaves a mark in our lives。 Julie has her life planned。 She's going to leave the town of Ellensburg， go to the school her mom attended， and become a writer。 All of this is planned with her boyfriend Sam。 However， Sam's life is cut short only months before all of this can take place。 Thrown into grief， Julie misses his funeral， multiple memorial services， and won't answer calls or text from her friends。 She feels as if her life is shattered。 Suddenly， she gets the urge to call Sam when she's thrown into memories。 Sam answers Julie's call to her surprise and continues to answer when he needs her。 But this connection is temporary and Julie must decide between living her life the way it could be and continuing living in the past with Sam's calls。It's rare that I find myself lost in a book。 This one gave me that release。 Thao has a way with words that can only be described as mesmerizing。 The heartbreak that Julie feels is completely raw and honest on the pages。 Julie is someone many can relate to。 Someone who isn't sure of their future because of heartbreak or set back。 She fears who she is now that she's experienced loss。 Her friends and family feel like fully fleshed out characters in their own rights who struggle with Sam's loss， but also constantly reach out to Julie as heartbroken and raw as Julie herself。 What also strikes me about You've Reached Sam is the way it brings you into the story through flashbacks to truly understand the relationship between Julie and Sam。 How they connected is truly shown and gives readers full showings of the way that Sam brought Julie out of her shell， but also how she impacted his life greatly as well。 This book is for readers who love being lost in a moment， have felt the power of loss and grief， or who just need a story that will stick with them long after the final page， 。。。more

youmadearebel ，

I loved this book so much and it broke me。 I cried a lot （snot and all）。 It was absolutely beautiful and heartbreaking。

Kimberly Y ，

I like how explored what happens if you don't have to say goodbye。 Emotional。 I like how explored what happens if you don't have to say goodbye。 Emotional。 。。。more

Caitlin （CMAReads） ，

Thanks to Wednesday Books for the free book。This book packed a punch。 Julie and Sam were high school seniors who had started planning their life together when the unthinkable happens - Sam dies。 As you can imagine， this book deals with grief。 I had so much empathy for Julie because she didn't grieve in the ways expected of her， and it caused lots of problems in the relationships around her。 I think the themes of loss， letting go， and regret are explored so well in this book。 I also liked the asp Thanks to Wednesday Books for the free book。This book packed a punch。 Julie and Sam were high school seniors who had started planning their life together when the unthinkable happens - Sam dies。 As you can imagine， this book deals with grief。 I had so much empathy for Julie because she didn't grieve in the ways expected of her， and it caused lots of problems in the relationships around her。 I think the themes of loss， letting go， and regret are explored so well in this book。 I also liked the aspect of Sam and Julie being able to talk after he's dead because it was unique and helped further the grieving process。There are parts of the book that felt really disjointed to me。 I was confused in the before chapters。 I wish the transitions were a bit clearer， or there was a bit more explanation to what was going on in the beginning。 It took me a while to follow these parts。However， the last two chapters had me in tears。 The author adds in so much emotion that it's hard to put down until you figure out how it's going to end。 。。。more

Samantha （WLABB） ，

Rating: 4。5 StarsI should have been better prepared to handle the pain， but I didn't expect this book to hurt quite this much。 I was drowning in Julie's grief， but under it all was a beautiful message of moving on but remembering those who left a mark on our lives。 All I know is that I cried buckets。 Full review to follow*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review。 BLOG | INSTAGRAM |TWITTER | BLOGLOVIN | FRIEND ME ON GOODREADS Rating: 4。5 StarsI should have been better prepared to handle the pain， but I didn't expect this book to hurt quite this much。 I was drowning in Julie's grief， but under it all was a beautiful message of moving on but remembering those who left a mark on our lives。 All I know is that I cried buckets。 Full review to follow*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review。 BLOG | INSTAGRAM |TWITTER | BLOGLOVIN | FRIEND ME ON GOODREADS 。。。more

Raegan Ralls ，

*I received this book for free through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*DNF'd @ 35%Folks， it's just the cover。 You can go home now。Such an intriguing premise， but it is not developed enough。 I love the whole "dead guy picking up the phone" idea。 It is never really explored to a deeper extent so my interest fell immediately。 I like plot-driven books and this is character-focused。 And Julie is very whiny and not likable。I liked the memory flashbacks。 They blend in an interesting manner。 *I received this book for free through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*DNF'd @ 35%Folks， it's just the cover。 You can go home now。Such an intriguing premise， but it is not developed enough。 I love the whole "dead guy picking up the phone" idea。 It is never really explored to a deeper extent so my interest fell immediately。 I like plot-driven books and this is character-focused。 And Julie is very whiny and not likable。I liked the memory flashbacks。 They blend in an interesting manner。 It made me pay attention at the beginning so I could piece together the situation。 Once I understood what was occurring it quickly got dull。 I didn't feel any emotion like I thought I would。 I also did not like how everything was conveniently wrapped up in the end。The writing talks too much about visuals/nature， Julie's insecurities/woe is me persona， and overall page fillers。 It really needed more magical realism or paranormal stuff because it isn't interesting enough to be riding on watching leaves fall to the ground。I couldn't stand the audiobook reader。 It made it so much worse than if it were just a physical copy。 She has a drawn-out tone the whole time。 Like she is attempting to make everything sound dramatic when it shouldn't be。 Her voice was very annoying and distracting from the story。 I really wished Sam would have had his own voice actor。 Because the woman's voice for him didn't mesh。 Perhaps in a few years or so the author will have more writing experience and develop his voice。 Overall， as a debut， I thought it needed more work。 。。。more

Gabby Louise ，

Disclaimer- I work for a bookstore， all opinions are my own and not affiliated with store or company。 Thank you Netgalley and Wednesday books for an ARC of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review。 I will discuss story first and then the audio aspect。This audiobook was devastating but a pleasure to listen to。 This books main focal point is the idea of grief。 We follow Julie as she comes to terms with losing her boyfriend to a devastating accident。This book personally helped me understand g Disclaimer- I work for a bookstore， all opinions are my own and not affiliated with store or company。 Thank you Netgalley and Wednesday books for an ARC of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review。 I will discuss story first and then the audio aspect。This audiobook was devastating but a pleasure to listen to。 This books main focal point is the idea of grief。 We follow Julie as she comes to terms with losing her boyfriend to a devastating accident。This book personally helped me understand grief in multiple levels。 At times the main character had some frustrating moments but I believe this is ultimately a good depiction of how someone might actually feel。 To an outsider the grief might not make sense and can be frustrating to watch， but we can never truly feel what the person experiences it feels。 So usually this would be a negative but I found that this really heightened the story。 There wasn't much plot outside of Julie seeing her friends but this made sense within the context of the story。 My favorite character ended up being Oliver with Sam/James a close second。 Oliver showed a different perspective to grief with coming to terms with unresolved emotions and internal battles which really helped me connect with the story as a whole。I loved going through the emotions with Julie， but I would recommend going into this book in the right mindset because at times the sad nature of the book in turn affected me。 Most definitely worth the read with the right support and time。Next， the audio book was produced with great quality。 The narrator （Soneela Nankani） made listening to this book enjoyable and hard to put down。 As always I listened to this book at 2x speed and it was still very easy to follow along。 Although listening at 1x speed was also comfortable and I had no faults with it。 The short chapters also made it easy to break down the audiobook into reasonable sections。Overall the book， while sad， was well worth the read。 The audiobook made this experience even better。 I would recommend the Audiobook to those looking for a new one。 。。。more

Elizabeth Mellen ，

Thanks to Netgalley and St。 Martin’s Press for the ARC of this in exchange for my honest review。 This was fantastic， exactly the kind of magical realism or fantasy light that I like in my contemporaries - think Landline by Rainbow Rowell， In a Holidaze by Christina Lauren， where the story feels mostly like a contemporary with one fantastical magical phone twist。 How is it happening？ We don’t really need to know - there’s no complicated plot centering around that， just a sweet story of letting go Thanks to Netgalley and St。 Martin’s Press for the ARC of this in exchange for my honest review。 This was fantastic， exactly the kind of magical realism or fantasy light that I like in my contemporaries - think Landline by Rainbow Rowell， In a Holidaze by Christina Lauren， where the story feels mostly like a contemporary with one fantastical magical phone twist。 How is it happening？ We don’t really need to know - there’s no complicated plot centering around that， just a sweet story of letting go and moving on after a devastating loss。 。。。more

Rebecca Veight ，

Julie is trying to forget her boyfriend Sam and the tragic way he died by not going to the funeral， getting rid of his things， stuff like that。 Then a message of his in the yearbook makes her regret her actions。 Missing him terribly， she calls his number to hear his voice mail and he answers！ These unexplainable calls are her wonderful secret to keep or should she share them with his loved ones and risk losing him forever？This heart-squeezing story begins with a beautiful exchange between memori Julie is trying to forget her boyfriend Sam and the tragic way he died by not going to the funeral， getting rid of his things， stuff like that。 Then a message of his in the yearbook makes her regret her actions。 Missing him terribly， she calls his number to hear his voice mail and he answers！ These unexplainable calls are her wonderful secret to keep or should she share them with his loved ones and risk losing him forever？This heart-squeezing story begins with a beautiful exchange between memories of the relationship like a movie montage， and you're hooked to the story， wrapped in a sweet melancholy。 Invested in this narrative with the almost lyrical figurative speech that puts you on the emotional rollercoaster of the protagonist。 A narrative that is quite forceful in its quiet power。The author successfully makes this otherworldy occurrence grounded and not gimmicky。 You are so pleased for them you almost forget you want to know how it's happening and enjoy their interactions。 Almost。 It does show other aspects of Julie's life， other characters and their reactions to Sam's death and grief。 Some of those characters you will really like。 There is such truth in the protagonist's POV， in the meaningful dialogue。It is often really difficult to review without spoiling， but let's just say that the journey matters more than the how and the why。 You either agree or you don't。 This is a beautiful journey nonetheless， during which you want to smile， then cry， sometimes both at once。Some scenes you wish were not so rushed， others not so long。 The truth is I wanted a little more 'oomph' from some scenes which would have made them brilliant。This book emphasizes how we need to appreciate what we have even more， and how stronger we are than we think。 This is a testament to moving on。 Moving on is not forgetting or not caring。"But what is grief if not love persevering" says Vision in Wandavision， and this book is exactly that， love persevering。 。。。more

Edens Book Den ，

This book takes you on an emotional journey through loss。 In this story， Julie the main character， traverses the tragic heartbreaking loss of her boyfriend， Sam。 I liked the magical realism in this book。 The specific idea of “what if” is fascinating。 We all have someone we’d love to be able to talk to， hear their voice， share in their thoughts， and just let them know how much we love them one last time。 What if we had the opportunity？ The chance to say one last goodbye， to obtain closure， and ha This book takes you on an emotional journey through loss。 In this story， Julie the main character， traverses the tragic heartbreaking loss of her boyfriend， Sam。 I liked the magical realism in this book。 The specific idea of “what if” is fascinating。 We all have someone we’d love to be able to talk to， hear their voice， share in their thoughts， and just let them know how much we love them one last time。 What if we had the opportunity？ The chance to say one last goodbye， to obtain closure， and have more peace when those we love are ripped from us too soon。 We get to experience this with Julie when she gets the chance to talk to Sam again。 Overall I enjoyed this book， but I didn’t love it like I thought I would。 There were many times I was frustrated with Julie and some of her actions。 However， I understand what the author was trying to convey and the message came across。 Everyone travels the road of grief differently。 Everyone has their own path。 Everyone expresses， processes， and internalizes sorrow and grief in their individual way。 I would absolutely pick up future books by Dustin Thao because his writing is captivating。 Even though it does include an epilogue， the ending is a bit abrupt for me。 Still， it is a lovely and moving debut by this author。 Four solid stars。 🌟🌟🌟🌟Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an advanced audiobook of You've Reached Sam in exchange for my honest review。 。。。more

Jenna Rideout ，

I was granted eARC and audio ARC access to You've Reached Sam by Dustin Thao through the publisher via NetGalley。 Thank you to whoever decided to approve my request！ My thoughts are my own and my review is honest。 For simplicity， I will be writing a single review and I will contain my comments pertaining to the audiobook to its own single paragraph。You've Reached Sam is the story of Washington state teenager Julie and the remainder of her senior year of high school after the unexpected death of I was granted eARC and audio ARC access to You've Reached Sam by Dustin Thao through the publisher via NetGalley。 Thank you to whoever decided to approve my request！ My thoughts are my own and my review is honest。 For simplicity， I will be writing a single review and I will contain my comments pertaining to the audiobook to its own single paragraph。You've Reached Sam is the story of Washington state teenager Julie and the remainder of her senior year of high school after the unexpected death of her boyfriend Sam。 Through some unknown magic， her phone and his have been connected beyond the veil and they're able to talk after his death， but the connection is growing weaker， the calls shorter and farther apart， and Julie is learning what it means to move on。 This book is both heartbreaking and uplifting， and I truly think it will be very helpful and healing to readers young and old who are struggling through Julie's situation。 Julie is slowly reconnecting with the people she and Sam shared， finding new connections， and learning to put the pieces of her future back together without Sam in it。 It's so difficult， she faulters a lot， and she's unintentionally hurting the living people who still care for her when she lets her grief and the connection with Sam she's not wiling to give up get in the way， but eventually she'll learn to carry Sam with her in a healthy， less interfering way and live the life he'd want her to have。 There were scenes in this book that brought me to tears。 The emotions in this book are powerful and right on the money。 It's messy， and early-grief Julie is not a person I would want to be friends with。 She's flaking out on everyone still living， she's forgetting about all of her responsibilities， she's ready to throw away everything that reminds her of Sam because she can't handle the memories yet she's always lost in them， and she's angry at her mother for honouring her wishes and not stopping her from letting those mementoes go。 But as Julie reconnects with her friends and Sam's family， as she comes out of her shell and make new connections， both returning to the girl she once was and taking steps toward the woman she'll become， she becomes a character I very much fell in love with and feel quite attached to。 I feel like I should mention the #OwnVoices aspect of this book， as both Sam and Dustin are Asian-American men and some touches of cultural differences around death ceremonies and grieving are present in the story。 It's not super immersive and in-your-face different from what normally gets published， but the representation is there in subtle， loving ways。 I will say sometimes the extended lost in memories scenes are a bit much， a bit too long， and I wanted them to end so the story could move forward a tad faster。 I was also quite disappointed （view spoiler）[when Sam from beyond says he answered for himself， not for her， because it ruined the metaphor of healing a little for me。 The phone thing worked as a metaphor for working through grief and loss， even when Julie was able to share the connection with two other characters， but as soon as Sam said he did it for him it stopped being all about Julie's journey， and Julie is the one who's still alive。 （hide spoiler）]The audiobook narration was perfect！ Soneela Nankani's voice works so well for this story， her pacing is great， and it was very easy to keep track of who was talking， whether or not we were in reality vs a memory， etc。 I would definitely look for other books with this narrator。Overall this is a touching story of love and loss， and a fantastic debut novel。 I look forward to reading more from this author and I absolutely recommend this book to fans of YA。 。。。more

Stephanie | stephonashelf ，

3。75 🌟

Emily ，

As expected this is a tear jerker。 Of course a story about a girl who finds out she can still talk to her dead boyfriend by calling his phone would be。 Julie isn't grieving well。 Until she calls Sam and he actually picks up。 This is a story of love， loss and letting go。 If you are in the mood for a good cry， I recommend you read this book。 I listened to the audio and the narrator did a wonderful job making me forget I was listening so I could immerse myself in the story。 As expected this is a tear jerker。 Of course a story about a girl who finds out she can still talk to her dead boyfriend by calling his phone would be。 Julie isn't grieving well。 Until she calls Sam and he actually picks up。 This is a story of love， loss and letting go。 If you are in the mood for a good cry， I recommend you read this book。 I listened to the audio and the narrator did a wonderful job making me forget I was listening so I could immerse myself in the story。 。。。more

Brittany ，

I received an audiobook ARC in return for an honest review。 （Thank you！）Unfortunately， I personally couldn't connect with the characters in this story， but the concept is a wonderful one， and I think that Dustin Thao was able to beautifully capture grief and the process of healing in his writing。 The narrator for the audiobook did a good job， and the cover is just downright gorgeous。 I received an audiobook ARC in return for an honest review。 （Thank you！）Unfortunately， I personally couldn't connect with the characters in this story， but the concept is a wonderful one， and I think that Dustin Thao was able to beautifully capture grief and the process of healing in his writing。 The narrator for the audiobook did a good job， and the cover is just downright gorgeous。 。。。more

ally ，

AJHFJDKSHFKDSJLHFKDSJHFKSDJHFSJDKHFSDTHIS WAS SO SADOMG I ALMOST CRIEDSAVE ME NOW！！！！SERIOUSLY HIGHLY RECOMMENd THIS WAS TOO FREAKING GOOD FOR MY SOULGO ON， GO READ IT NOW！！！！ <3

Dot & Needle ，

You’ve Reached Sam by Dustin Thao is exactly as promised。 It’s been described as a crossover of YA novel If I Stay and Japanese animation Your Name and it’s every bit as heart wrenching as you’d expect when you hear these two titles。Seventeen year old Julie has her life all planned out but that all changes when her boyfriend， Sam， dies。 She throws out his things and tries to forget him and his tragic death。 However， a yearbook message from Sam brings back memories and in a last attempt to hear h You’ve Reached Sam by Dustin Thao is exactly as promised。 It’s been described as a crossover of YA novel If I Stay and Japanese animation Your Name and it’s every bit as heart wrenching as you’d expect when you hear these two titles。Seventeen year old Julie has her life all planned out but that all changes when her boyfriend， Sam， dies。 She throws out his things and tries to forget him and his tragic death。 However， a yearbook message from Sam brings back memories and in a last attempt to hear his voice one last time， she calls him; expecting to reach his voicemail。 By some miracle， Sam answers and is able to connect with her， however temporary。 This is Julie’s chance to say goodbye。 Through these phone calls， that get shorter and shorter with time， Sam is able share presents and help her to let go。 However， keeping this a secret is both hard， especially when Julie sees Sam’s family struggling as hard as her。 Unfortunately it’s a necessity or she’ll risk losing this connection forever。I had some difficulty figuring out which scenes were in the present and past in the beginning， but once I found the rhythm the story flowed。 We follow Julie’s journey through her heartbreak and grief， and the author wrenched emotions from my cold dead heart every step of the way with her。 The catharsis that came from the end of this book was worth every tear！ （I can’t tell you how many times I cried， but likely as many times as there are chapters- possibly more。）Highly encouraged for those who want their hearts ripped out！🚨 Romance reader PSA 🚨 This is not a romance。CW: Grief and deathRelease: 9 NovemberThank you to the publisher for the arc。 #dustinthao #youreachedsam #yacontemporary #bookmages #tearjerker #asianauthor 。。。more

Eli ，

This was absolutely beautiful。 It really takes the reader on a journey to understand loss and how to move on。I can't put my thoughts into words right now because I am emotionally wrecked but I'll just tell you that if the synopsis catches your attention - please pick this up。 It's absolutely beautiful。 This was absolutely beautiful。 It really takes the reader on a journey to understand loss and how to move on。I can't put my thoughts into words right now because I am emotionally wrecked but I'll just tell you that if the synopsis catches your attention - please pick this up。 It's absolutely beautiful。 。。。more

Thi （booked4theweekend_） ，

Talk about picking up a book that you know will shatter your heart and yet nothing can be done about it。。。 Rtc

Nikki Sojkowski ，

Everyone deals with grief differently， and this book does explore that really well。 I thought the plot， of calling the dead with a phone， was an intriguing concept but I simply couldn't appreciate the execution。 What I couldn't really stand behind was the seemingly arbitrary phone call rules based on zero evidence， as well as the whole "miscommunication as a plot device" trope。 I'm really not a fan of stories where 'everything should be fine if the characters just talked to each other，' and it r Everyone deals with grief differently， and this book does explore that really well。 I thought the plot， of calling the dead with a phone， was an intriguing concept but I simply couldn't appreciate the execution。 What I couldn't really stand behind was the seemingly arbitrary phone call rules based on zero evidence， as well as the whole "miscommunication as a plot device" trope。 I'm really not a fan of stories where 'everything should be fine if the characters just talked to each other，' and it runs rampant in this book。My last bone to pick is less about structure and more about cultural representation。 Sam is Japanese and his girlfriend， Julie the main character， is white， so I get why there wasn't a ton of representation but there should have been some。 Julie is close friends with Sam's cousin Mika too， so there was ample opportunity to shed some light into Japanese funerary traditions/rituals while they all struggle with the loss of Sam。 。。。more

Amber Garabrandt ，

Seventeen year old Julie knew what her future held- she and her boyfriend， Sam， were getting out of their little town。 Sam would play his music， and she’d write。 They’d go to college， spend the summer in Japan visiting his family… eventually make a home together。 When tragedy struck and Sam passed away her world crumbled。 Unable to move forward or even breathe without him， she calls him; only expecting to reach his voicemail and hear his voice one more time。She never expected him to pick up the Seventeen year old Julie knew what her future held- she and her boyfriend， Sam， were getting out of their little town。 Sam would play his music， and she’d write。 They’d go to college， spend the summer in Japan visiting his family… eventually make a home together。 When tragedy struck and Sam passed away her world crumbled。 Unable to move forward or even breathe without him， she calls him; only expecting to reach his voicemail and hear his voice one more time。She never expected him to pick up the phone。 Now they have a second chance to say goodbye， they know this won’t last forever。 The problem， though， is that she can’t give up this secret connection。 She can’t move forward。 Instead， she halts life right there， waiting for the next phone call。 How is she supposed to let go- again？ Why can’t things just stay like this forever？But keeping this secret isn’t easy， especially when she can see how badly Sam’s family is suffering。 Torn between giving them some relief and closure， and keeping her small link to Sam， Julie has a big choice to make…First， don't read this at school or work。 I can’t tell you how many times I started crying。 It’s impossible not to care for Julie， the young woman that never really experienced loss and has now had her most precious person taken away。 It’s an emotional book。 I felt her pain， even when I knew what she was doing- the ways she tried to cope- were wrong。 It’s beautifully written， blending memories with dreams and present time to draw a full picture of the young couple and what they meant to one another。The writing style is a little choppy- the segments are a little disjointed; but I think it plays well with the main character’s head-space。 She’s not thinking in a straight line。 I did love the magical realism here- their magical connection。 It’s an interesting storyline， and the book was well written。 I grew to love most of the side characters as well。 Mika and Oliver definitely became favorites of mine， but I also loved watched Sam and Jamie interact in her memories。 Honestly， I had requested this ARC mostly because I had to know how they were going to tell this story。 Part of me loves unique books about loss and coping even as they are really hard for me to read。 For me， this was a three star book。⭐⭐⭐Rating: 3 out of 5。As far as the adult content goes， this book was really mild。 There was some language， bullying and a little talk about alcohol but none of this was over the top and I would definitely say that this is a story I would give to any age group。 Back when my niece was ten and she wanted the more “grown up” books… this would have been about perfect。I was lucky enough to receive an eARC of this book from Netgalley and St。 Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review。 My thanks！ I can’t wait for the book to come out on November 9th！ 。。。more

tiffany ，

You’ve Reached Sam4。5/5 starsReading this book was an odd experience。 I cried so much in the beginning but very little at the end。 But nevertheless， I enjoyed it a lot。 I loved the characters so much， especially Mika。 Julie was quite an interesting character to read about。 When we start off the book， she has lost her boyfriend， Sam， and is dealing with her grief。 This book does not shy away from the ugliness of grief and loss and I really liked that。 I did think that the ending was a bit abrupt You’ve Reached Sam4。5/5 starsReading this book was an odd experience。 I cried so much in the beginning but very little at the end。 But nevertheless， I enjoyed it a lot。 I loved the characters so much， especially Mika。 Julie was quite an interesting character to read about。 When we start off the book， she has lost her boyfriend， Sam， and is dealing with her grief。 This book does not shy away from the ugliness of grief and loss and I really liked that。 I did think that the ending was a bit abrupt though。 It felt like we were building up for a great big climax but it kinda fell flat which affected the ending。 However， I would still 100% recommend this book to anyone looking for a ya contemporary that will bring tears to your eyes。 。。。more

book bruin ，

You've Reached Sam was one of my top anticipated reads， but unfortunately it just didn’t work for me。 I never felt invested in Julie and Sam's love story and the plot was often confusing and repetitive。 I almost DNF'ed several times， but I held out hope that it would get better and pushed through。I understand this is a YA novel and the characters aren't going to be models of maturity or sound decision makers， but unfortunately I found Julie really unlikeable。 She was so focused on how Sam's deat You've Reached Sam was one of my top anticipated reads， but unfortunately it just didn’t work for me。 I never felt invested in Julie and Sam's love story and the plot was often confusing and repetitive。 I almost DNF'ed several times， but I held out hope that it would get better and pushed through。I understand this is a YA novel and the characters aren't going to be models of maturity or sound decision makers， but unfortunately I found Julie really unlikeable。 She was so focused on how Sam's death impacted her life and made her sad， that it overshadowed any love or sympathy I might have felt for her。 The flashback sequences were sweet at times， but they didn't endear me to Sam and Julie or make me believe in their epic love at all。 The dream/memory sequences were an interesting idea， but the execution often left me more confused。 Julie and Sam's relationship actually didn't come across very healthy。 Julie didn't seem to have any friends besides those that she met through Sam and he apparently abandoned his friends to be with her。 I did appreciate the depiction of grief though and the overall message of learning how to hold on while also moving on。 I think this novel will resonate with some readers， but unfortunately this was a miss for me。CW: automobile accident， loss of loved one， grief， divorce/parental abandonment， racism， bullying， depression*I voluntarily read an advance review copy of this book* 。。。more

Kaitlin ，

"But the truth is， no one experiences grief the same way， and we all come out of it differently。"There was a point about 45% of the way through the book that I want sure I would finish it， but I'm so glad I did。 This is a beautiful story about trying to navigate life while trying to navigate grief at the same time。 It's a beautiful reminder that we make unforgettable marks on others just as they do to us and to cherish the moments we have together。I think this is a fabulous story for young adult "But the truth is， no one experiences grief the same way， and we all come out of it differently。"There was a point about 45% of the way through the book that I want sure I would finish it， but I'm so glad I did。 This is a beautiful story about trying to navigate life while trying to navigate grief at the same time。 It's a beautiful reminder that we make unforgettable marks on others just as they do to us and to cherish the moments we have together。I think this is a fabulous story for young adults （and adults） alike as it deals with grief in a way that is real and powerful but not overwhelming。 。。。more

（Energy） ，

How do you move on when someone you love dies？ In Julie’s case， not at all。 She wants to erase his presence in her life completely。 Hurt can do that to you。 But her love for Sam spans past the earthly coil， enabling her to communicate with him after he dies。 As good as that sounds， it might just be stopping Julie from processing the grief that is swallowing her whole。 She’s breaking promises to friends and letting them down。 She’s living life for Sam， and it’s downright unhealthy。 As far as char How do you move on when someone you love dies？ In Julie’s case， not at all。 She wants to erase his presence in her life completely。 Hurt can do that to you。 But her love for Sam spans past the earthly coil， enabling her to communicate with him after he dies。 As good as that sounds， it might just be stopping Julie from processing the grief that is swallowing her whole。 She’s breaking promises to friends and letting them down。 She’s living life for Sam， and it’s downright unhealthy。 As far as characters， Mika is someone special。 It can be so hard to reach out to others in the face of your grief， and she’s hurting too。 But she wants to help Julie deal with her pain。 While I couldn’t connect with the characters overall， I don’t think that’s necessary to enjoy the book。 I appreciated Thao’s approach to Julie’s grief。 There were quite a few touching moments reading You’ve Reached Sam， making it really special。 Thank you， St。 Martin’s， for sending this along。 。。。more

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=You've Reached Sam

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=You've Reached Sam&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,You've Reached Sam&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0