You’ve reached Sam is an amazing book written by debut writer Dustin Thao. This book broke my heart and pieced it back together in 300 pages. That is an achievement indeed.
This is the story of Julie, a seventeen-year-old girl with her whole life ahead of her. She and her boyfriend Sam have everything planned and they already see their future unfolding, until the day when it all comes down crushing. Unexpectedly Sam dies and Julie is left behind with shattered dreams and a broken heart.
The book starts with a heartbroken Julie who does not know how to navigate her pain, her loss, and her guilt. She starts by throwing everything that she has that links her to Sam, she deletes all is texts and messages and breaks clean from his family. She does not even go to his funeral or send flowers and condolences to his family. At the start of the book, she can appear as cold and distance, maybe even heartless. She is in pain and we all process pain differently. Sam was the love of her life and her best friend. She has lost it all in one night. And not only this, but Julie is also feeling guilty – she thinks her actions and her demands lead to Sam’s accident. Her way of surviving this loss is a clean and total break. Lonely, heartbroken, and sad, she calls Sam hoping she can listen to his voicemail one more time, but unexpectedly Sam picks up. Julie is given a second chance. She can say goodbye and try to move forward. Will she?
This is a character driven book, and the plot is quite slow. There are a few twists, but nothing major. Does this diminish the appeal of this book? No. This is an incredibly well written book, that had me hooked from page 1. I enjoyed reading the flashback their blooming relationship. It was sad to see how wonderful their relationship had been, and how much they both lost. But these little snippets gave the story power and made us feel even more for Julie and Sam. Their loss was deep and will have huge ramifications.
The characters are heartbroken, upset, some depressed, some angry. They all try their best to navigate the new world that Sam’s death reshaped and they all struggle. Julie is not perfect, and she hurts people with her actions and her words, but she is also hurt by others. She is bullied by people who do not understand her pain, she is shunned by those she believed were her friends, however she does also find friendship in unexpected places. They are all suffering and trying to deal with loss. Death is not pretty and is not clean. Expecting these characters to make perfect choices and have a nice straight path out of misery is unrealistic. This book presents their journey perfectly.
I loved it and I cannot wait for the paper back to come out.

I must preface that this novel's cover is gorgeous and immediately engaging! The concept of a deceased loved one being able to speak with the grieving girlfriend is certainly attention-grabbing, but the storyline only allowed Julie's character to develop. You've Reached Sam deals with grief and mourning, recognizing that sometimes people who are grieving do things that they regret. Even so, I found the character of Julie to be selfish for much too long in the novel. Her eventual acceptance of Sam's death seems to be brought about because of the fizzling phone connection rather than her own character development. Additionally, it would have been nice to see Sam's development as well -- even though he's only a voice on a phone. Rather than mine through the history of relationship and allow both members to grow, Sam was just an unconditional support system for Julie, who only talked about the difficulties she was going through in the present. For that reason, the conclusion fell short. Sam's Japanese American heritage is very rarely highlighted, so if you are looking for representation in this novel, you won't find much. Despite these things, the novel was engaging enough for us readers to want to see how Julie ends up at the end. The theme of moving on when the future seems destroyed is a powerful one, and is likely relatable for many young adult readers. You've Reached Sam takes a situation that no one would want to find themselves in, offers an unlikely solution, and then shows how one young girl confronts and overcomes it.

Thank you netgalley for the opportunity to read you've reached Sam

While the back and forth of memories and present day confused me alittle at first it wasn't long before I started to enjoy this book.
Heartbreaking and a real tear jerker. Loved this story even if the end nearly killed me.

This was a book that I was very much excited to read about the moment I heard what it was going to be about. Unfortunately, I was a little bit let down. It's an okay book. I had a great time reading it. However, the concept of the story could've been better executed and gave the story a more impactful and meaningful message had it been better developed. This book had parts where it hit me emotionally. The beginning and the end were definitely its stronger points, however the middle of the book did not quite do the same thing for me. I also had a hard time connecting with the characters especially with Sam since I could never see him beyond the memories of Julie about him. Moreover, I didn't really like the fact that we, as well as the characters themselves, never got an explanation for why things were happening the way they were happening. Since there were no explanations, there was no way to bridge the plot inconsistencies to make the story stronger and well developed. Nonetheless, it was still a good read. The book is short with a very easy-to-get-into writing style so I basically flew through it. I liked how it discussed and showed grief and how not everyone will process it in the same way. I liked how realistically Julie was written in the sense that she's not really a likeable main character because of her irrational, and sometimes selfish actions, which all goes back to her processing her grief. I also really liked how the characters were able to, in a way, help each other out in coping with the loss of their friend. It shows that you do not have to go through grief all alone because there will always be people who will be there with you as well.

Thank you to Netgalley and publisher for sending an e-ARC copy of this book.

I was immediately drawn to this book after reading the synopsis and seeing the gorgeous cover, and I had high expectations for this one, but the story didn’t quite engross me as I was expecting.

I understand that people have different ways of grieving, but some of her actions just came across as insensitive and selfish? She claims to be close with Sam’s family, but she completely stops talking to Sam’s mom and brother, who she claims to be very close with, and only talks to his cousin because Mika makes the effort.

The writing was easy to get into, and I did enjoy the flashbacks of how they met and their relationship developing, but I just didn’t feel like the characters were fleshed out well. I couldn’t empathize with Julie, and I couldn’t see Sam beyond a memory. Although we were getting flashbacks, it just seemed like we were seeing a memory, and not Sam actually still alive. (I don’t even know if that makes sense to you but I don’t know how to explain this any better right now bc I’m running on 3hrs of sleep 😅)

Overall I did enjoy the book, and the story was promising. It just felt a bit lacking for me, and I wish the connection between Sam and Julie were explained.

Julie and Sam have their future planned out, after high school they will move to the city and go to college together. Then one night, a tragic accident kills Sam. Julie is devastated. She blocks out everyone, he best friends, and her mom. One night, in an act of desperation Julie calls Sam's phone. She just wants to hear the sound of his voice on the voicemail. To her surprise, she hears him say "Hello."

I loved the story of first love, of heartbreak, and a reprieve from the loss. I enjoyed seeing how Julie was able to grow throughout the story and find her new self without Sam in her life. She was able to go through the grieving process and get to a point where she was closer to her family and friends than ever before.

This is a fun heartwarming story with likable diverse characters teaching you about the best ways to connect with loved ones.

I really like books that deal with the loss of someone close or grief and this one was definitely an emotional ride but how I imagined it.

You've reached Sam is a YA contemporary novel by a debut author, Dustin Thao. The story is about Julie who is lost after her boyfriend suddenly dies without her saying goodbye. One day, she decides to call him and he picks up.

I went into the book knowing it's going to be emotional and heart-wrenching and to be honest, first 25% of the book I was constantly ugly crying, that's how much the book got to me. But after a little while, the story got repetitive and a little bit boring. I haven't seen much change in Julie, sometimes I didn't agree with her actions or her tone of voice. I can't say I liked Julie. Not to mention that the beginning of the story, especially the part before Julie calls Sam, was a bit chaotic and all over the place. The plus of it is that is rather fast-paced but that also means that I didn't manage to create any connection with the characters whatsoever.

Speaking of characters, Julie wasn't my favorite. As I said, I did not agree with some of her reactions or her tone of voice, especially with Oliver, there were some moments when I told to myself "don't be such a bitch to him". I think I know how I wanted their relationship to look like and where I wanted it to go but those two together were quite awkward for my taste. I failed to care about Mika, Sam's cousin, as well.

Overall it was very emotional and I think that the message of dealing with grief should be talked about in books, as well as other topics which were mentioned here like racial discrimination and blaming someone for the death of another person. I don't think me being emotional was because of the touching story but more about my own personal experiences. The lack of care for characters and quite a boring or repetitive story made me not enjoy this book as much as I hoped I would.

Absolutely loved it. Emotional, Gut-wrenching and humane. I related to this story and am still a mess weeks after reading it.

I don't think I've cried so much at the beginning of a book before! I love how the MC goes from pushing everyone away to finally accepting people to be there for her. I also really liked how she was able to have a chance at saying goodbye to Sam, even if it is over the phone. Amazing story!

Dustin Thao’s You’ve Reached Sam is a unique exploration about grief, loss, love and moving forward. Few people who lose someone close to them have the opportunity to know what that person wants for them moving forward. Julie is one of those people. After Julie’s boyfriend Sam passes away, she’s devastated, and to cope, she tries to push away any memories of their time together. When on a whim, Julie calls Sam’s phone to hear his voicemail one last time, Sam picks up and the two get another chance at goodbye. Thao masterfully uses the speculative to explore deeply human questions about what it means to let go of someone you love. You’ve Reached Sam paints a rich emotional tapestry that will resonate with anyone who’s ever lost someone. Thao is definitely an author to watch!

(Read this elsewhere and forgot to come back over here to add to my NetGalley shelf, oops!) You've Reached Sam is a gut punch of a book, in the best way possible. I was widowed very young, in my mid twenties, and I found myself relating to these characters so deeply. It is very rare to find a book that depicts grief so well, but Dustin Thao has done it.,

CW : death of a partner and grief

I knew going into this book it will be sad but the way it ended up made me so heartbroken. Following Julie as she navigates life after her boyfriend Sam dies brought back memories for me. Reading as she tried to hold on to Sam and forgetting that he was gone. Or losing herself and her friends because of Sam was just ... ugh. It pulled at my heartstrings.

What made me love this story is how she was able to connect with Sam again. I wish that and I’m sure other people wish that they had one last phone call, hug, day, with their loved one that they lost. I lost my dad (pre-COVID) and I .. oh how I wish I can pick up the phone (which I have done a lot recently) and hopes that I can hear his voice again. I listen to his voicemails a lot 😭

Cherish the people you love and who are still with you because like the old saying goes you never know when it’s somebody’s last day and like Julie she regretted her last words she said to Sam and how she treated him on the night he passed. I’m glad that in the end she was able to find some comfort and was able to let go in a way but still hold on to Sam in some way shape or form.

☕☕☕☕(four stars as rated in cups of coffee from the shop where our love story began)

Thank you so much Netgalley and Dustin Thao for the advanced review copy of this book!

It's been only a few days since Sam died just weeks before his high school graduation. Julie, his bereaved girlfriend, can not cope. Really, she refuses to cope. Beside herself with grief - and guilt surrounding the circumstances of his death - Julie retreats into herself in the days that following the accident that changed her life. She is determined to push it all away; to block everyone and everything out. That is until one night she breaks down and calls Sam's phone just to listen to his voicemail one last time. She knows she shouldn't. She knows it won't help her heal. And she knows she must be losing it when Sam picks up the phone.

“Who are you writing for again?" Mr. Lee asks, arching a brow. He asked me this before. I know the answer he wants to hear. I write for myself. I'm not sure what this really means, though. I can't help caring about what people think, especially about my writing. "We have too many voices inside our heads. You have to pick out the ones that mean something to you. What story do you want to tell?”

This book is a treasure from SO many different angles. The unhelpful and unwarranted manifestations of Julie's grief was especially palpable to me personally. We get to see all these layers of her mourning process - starting with denial and even bargaining - that ultimately lead her to a place of reluctant acceptance. When my dad died I remember my friend telling me, "It's ok if you grieve now or if you grive in six months. There really is no schedule and however you do it is okay." I certainly needed to hear that at the time because there is absolutely nothing graceful about bereavement. Loss is a messy process. Watching Julie sabotage herself with a deep and desperate sadness that bordered on frustrating for me as a reader, was honestly a brilliant move by Thao. You've Reached Sam will speak to anyone that has had to say goodbye to a loved one or, honestly, anyone that has watched someone else have to do the same. In my experience, it can be nearly as devastating to witness someone tearing them-self apart with anguish as it can be to experience it personally.

✨ Rep in this book: Multiple East Asian characters, gay supporting character

✨ Content warnings for this book: car accident, divorce, death of a partner, trauma, grief, racism, bullying

Oh my heart. I ate this one up. Gorgeous and breathtaking. Beautiful and emotional. What a journey. Grab some tissues. It’s a ride. I’m kind of speechless. I can’t recommend this one enough.

Julie has her entire future planned out with everything she wants: the love of her life (Sam), a dream college away from her small town, and a lifetime filled with happiness. But then the unthinkable happens: Sam dies. Julie's entire world shifts overnight and she doesn't understand how to continue her life with her heart shattered. When she calls Sam's phone just to hear him one last time, Sam picks up. Will this miraculous connection between Sam and Julie allow her to move on or will it just break her heart even more?

I went into this book expecting a sad story and I wasn't wrong. Everything about this is emotional. Julie has just lost Sam and is now stuck between her unimaginable future and her past memories. Some chapters are told as dream-like flashbacks which give the reader a look into Jam's relationship (jam? sulie? what's their ship name lol). I like these flashbacks as well as the present-day scenes; both include meaningful additions to the story.

I enjoy how Julie isn't necessarily a likable protagonist. Everyone processes grief differently and it just happens to be that Julie's version of grief distances herself from friends, family, and her future. It also causes her to do some pretty sh!tty things to the people she loves. Julie's connection with Sam further complicates her grief process and is the reason why her recovery in this story is so interesting.

There is nothing I dislike about the book. Julie has an amazing character arc and the reader understands her more as time separates her from Sam. Overall, I know this book will be loved and will touch many people's hearts.

Julie and Sam were end goal. A rock solid couple, they were going to graduate, move to a new city, live out the rest of their lives together. And yet, somehow, Julie finds herself curled up in bed, listening to the last message Sam left her before he was involved in a fatal car crash. The last message he will ever give her- or so she thinks. When she goes to ring Sam's voicemail again, he picks up: not alive, not a figure of the past, but there, on the other end of the line. Together, Sam and Julie start to navigate the devastation of never getting to say goodbye- whilst learning that both letting go, and holding on, are their own kinds of impossible.

As you might expect, this book is absolutely heart-wrenching! Thao's writing is beautiful, especially when he writes about place. The grief was also really well articulated- even though Julie's character was frustrating at times, her pain made her endearing and understandable even when I kinda wanted to shake her! It was lovely to see her grow as a character, to realise and appreciate the mistakes she might have made, whilst also appreciating them as part of her journey. I do wish that there was more exploration of some of the other characters, in particular Mika and Sam himself (who felt somewhat beatified); however, I can also see the effect that not doing this had, in that it created more of a world as seen from Julie's perspective. Probably my major criticism is that I didn't entirely get a sense of Sam and Julie's relationship: it felt like they were more best friends than anything, and I wish the romance had been explored some more.

Overall, this was a really solid novel, and I'm excited to read more from Thao!

Please take in mind it’s my opinion, and everyone is allowed to have one.

I was so interesting from beginning till the end, I truly didn’t know what to expect of this book. I just can’t believe how much this book has wrecked me, I full out sobbed while reading it. It was the most heartbreaking but cutest story ever.

The way I felt so connected with both Julie and Sam, I loved their story. It was so well written, everything seemed to be right.

I would honestly recommend this book to everyone.

This book felt like a brief warm hug. I feel like it would make a very interesting animated movie. the visuals would be beautiful.The way Dustin Thao describes certain scenes made it all the more play like a movie in my head. It's a beautiful little story. Like a snippet of an alternate reality that you appreciate for what it is. I think it would resonate with a lot of people. As it did with me.

the dialogue felt a little robotic at first and the ending was kind of predictable. But otherwise it really hit home. I will be reading any of Dustin Thao's next books.

Also, I love this cover.

You’ve Reached Sam follows Julie, a high-school girl who is trying to come to terms with the loss of her long-term boyfriend and the unravelling of all of the plans that they had for the future. Her mourning takes a sudden turn, though, when she calls Sam’s phone in a moment of weakness and he actually picks up.

What follows is a heart-wrenching story of love and loss, and an emotional portrayal of a young woman dealing with grief and the urge to move on.

This book is as emotional as you’d expect. It’s filled with touching scenes about Sam and Julie’s relationship, heart-breaking moments of grief as she tries to cope with her loss, and touching friendships with Sam’s family and friends as they all struggle to move on in different ways.

Some of Julie’s actions are flawed and, normally, I would criticise a protagonist for their mistakes, but everything she does is because of her grief and mourning. I got frustrated when she missed opportunities that I wished she would take, but it was so understandable for someone in her position that, instead of being critical, I felt largely empathetic.

This was a really bittersweet, emotional story about young love, loss and figuring out what’s important in life. It’s a poignant contemporary with fantasy elements that I would absolutely recommend if you’re looking for a book to make you cry.

I'd like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for providing an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
3.5 stars
You've Reached Sam has such a gut-wrenching premise. I wanted to have my heart broken by it, I wanted to cry. And I did, mostly during the beginning and the ending, but it was not as emotionally powerful as it could have been, and maybe that's on my expectations and not the book itself.
I think the biggest barrier to the emotional connection I wanted is Julie. I'm not one of those people who read a YA novel and then get mad that the characters act like teenagers, I'm not mad about Julie's immaturity or how she dealt with grief. I just didn't like her personality-wise, even during the flashbacks when there was no grief to taint her choices and attitudes.
I also found it weird that the author chose to show anti-Asian racism through the eyes of a white girl, but I'm a white girl myself so I won't tackle that because I'm sure we will get more insightful reviews on that from Asian readers.
I would still recommend it for the ending, you just have to get through a whole lot of middle.