This book was such a beautiful journey about the process of grief. How its okay to let go but still know and remember in your heart that you love that person. That moving forward isn't a betrayal and there's always ways to honor them. Thao wrote this perfectly as someone who has lost someone a close family member he nailed all of it. I sobbed but in such a good way and believe this is a book everyone should pick up

What I liked: the story captivated me from the first page and kept me wondering the reason for this unlikely/supernatural connection to be possible. It was a page-turner for me that I finished in two days because I just couldn’t put it down.

About the missing stars: I hate to give it this rating because it really is a book that I’d recommend, but despite the story being so good, the characters just seemed so bland and underwhelming. This is a YA novel, but the character’s voices didn’t seem authentic/ teen-like. I finished the book feeling like I don’t really know the characters at all... sort of like I just read a very interesting news article about people I will soon forget.

This is supposed to be a very early copy so I’d hope for a lot more character development by the time it’s released, but overall it makes a great cozy weekend read.

Content warnings:
Cursing: Mild

Sex: There are subtle references in the exchanges between Sam and James, his 8 year old brother, but that probably go over the latter’s head as they reference their mother making sure Sam doesn’t have her girlfriend stay the night, though it’s never alluded ‘what for’. Any teen might infer it, of course. A brief episode of skinny dipping.

Physical violence: mild, mostly used in self-defense


I’m going to start talking about the things I liked: the intention to explore grief, even if it’s not that well executed; the characters do speak like teenagers, even if Sam is way too sugary. The language is fine. And that cover sure is pretty..

The narration could be improved in some ways. For example, this trend where YA books address the reader like we’re complicit, like it happens in series and movies (even for adults, think House of Cards), is overused and not properly executed here.

The beginning is a tiny bit insta-lovey for my taste, specifically the way they met. At first I thought it was about her memories of their meeting being rose-tinted due to the recent loss and the time they've been dating. But the truth is that right away she starts wondering whether his friend is his girlfriend... this is a perpetual fault with YA books. Don’t rush things. Let characters develop. I have nothing with the idea that a teenager could be particularly attentive, but we’re not told why exactly he’s after Julie and why she has those sudden thoughts early on. Maybe they were both trying luck, but it sounded a lot like star-crossed lovers minus the astrological explanation, and that made it overbearing. This is not how relationships work. Even if the book has some reality bending magic, character development is important.

I don’t mind the fantasy but I understand the stumbling block that is the way she communicates with her now dead boyfriend. I’m not going to say that’s not realistic because you don’t talk to dead people on pones, it’s more in the line of, sudden magic to give our protagonist a privilege This doesn’t really allow for grief to be explored in a mature way, it only serves to magically relieve her from guilt which she shouldn’t technically have, at least not directly, but it sure was imprudent to get so mad at Sam like he was cheating on her.

I think the book needs some revision beyond the possible typos in uncorrected copies. <spoiler>Early in the story, Julie texts Sam expecting him to be on the dance, but then complains to him that he didn't give her his number (?). It’s as if the author got carried away writing and forgot those details.</spoiler>

I understand the use of stereotypes, because done well, they can help the reader recognize how a character would react and provide some comedy. But there’s nothing particularly remarkable about Julie: she’s like a dozen of YA heroines. Not like other girls, not with many friends, completely absorbed in her relationship (and I’m talking about pre-Sam’s death), her friendships consist of Sam’s cousin Mika… and I stopped counting. Jay and Yuki are pretty secondary and she doesn’t get along with Sam’s friends, Taylor, Liam and Oliver, because they can’t get over the fact she’s in a relationship with him. Except the latter two, most come to like her, but only know her through Sam. Because she has no friends of her own.

This idea that always, every single time, you must have another girl to be a terrible person plotting against the main girl is so poorly executed here. It’s as if both Liam and Taylor wanted to keep Sam to themselves for no reason, there’s no big revelation scene. And, as for Julie, no girl in real life would get in a relationship by talking to basically no one. And I emphasize I’m talking about how she is previously to Sam’s death.

The fact that we only get her perspective only muddles things, because what if she’s misjudging people’s motives? I’m wondering what good did this relationship bring to her other than being closed to others, because even while some of Sam’s friends aren’t all that nice (specifically talking about Taylor and Liam, who is also racist), you don’t quite get why she doesn’t talk to other people at all.

And the whole situation gets ridiculous to the point of having one of the guys as homosexual for Sam. So, Julie doesn’t have friends of her own, and Tristan isn’t as close, so it doesn’t count, because he’s a coworker casually after her (two weeks have passed since Sam died). How can you call that a normal relationship? The way her friend Yuki seeks to calm her guilt is by giving her a crystal. Absolutely new age. Sure, it might have been rude to shut her down right there, but I wouldn’t have given it as much thought as Julie gave it.

Like in most YA trending books, kids hate school and have completely clueless parent/s that don’t exist in their kids lives’, or are incompetent (Julie’s mother suffers from paranoia and can’t tell her daughter hasn’t spent the night at home because she conveniently was supernaturally reconnecting with Sam), and like most YA books since John Green, it has to be a tearjerker. Because how else could you sell something that isn’t that inspired to begin with? I’m not asking for originality, but better quality wouldn’t hurt.

3.5 stars

You've Reached Sam was an overall really enjoyable YA contemporary read! I did enjoy the way it deals with grief and how three-dimensional and painfully human the MC was.
Without going into any spoilers, the only thing I can say is that I didn't love the repetitiveness the plot seemingly had at times, as well as some issues with the general pacing, the development of the characters, world and story.

Overall, I still think that this is a very solid debut novel, so definitely go check it out if you're into YA contemporaries that address grief in an unique way!

This book was a surprise for me. It was, hands down, my most anticipated read of the last few months, but then the story itself was so different to what I imagined, I had to sit on this review for a few days to figure out how I felt about it...

... and the answer is: surprised – but in great and interesting ways.

It's an easy read despite the heavy subject matter because the prose is effortless and lovely. Julie and Sam are the couple I wished I could make whole even though I knew from page one that's not where the story would take them.

Definitely got those They Both Die At The End Vibes in that I wanted the book to end differently but it also ended exactly as it should.

Masterful really. 10/10 would recommend.

Thank you St. Martin's Press & Netgalley for sending me an ARC of You've Reached Sam by Dustin Thao. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Wow! Let me just wipe the tears away so my computer screen isn't blurry because this book deserves an amazing review.

You've Reached Sam follows Julie, a high school who is dealing (or...well avoiding somewhat) the loss of her boyfriend, Sam. Pushing everyone away and not knowing how to grapple with her loss, she calls Sam's phone to hear him on his voicemail one last time. The shocking twist every grieving person hopes for, he picks up. Following Julie and those around her as she tries to handle what this means along with trying to figure out the true meaning of closure and healing. She takes us on her journey of whether if it was better to keep picking up the phone, or if she should have let it ring.

My heart broke for Julie. Truly. She was the girl who had her big plans, who felt like everything was figured out, but with one horrible accident, everything fell apart. I'd heard from others who'd also received the arc something along the lines of "Darya, you are going to cry so much reading this book you'll have to get a new computer from the water damage". Silly me, who cries at pretty much everything really thought I was going to be fine (spoiler alert, I was not fine, I'm still not fine).

I've thought over this book premise a million times, even before I read it. We all wish we had that parting moment, that one call when they pick up and everything feels normal again. The book to me was a fascinating exploration of what that means, what growth means and how you can keep someone in your heart without trying to bring them back. The writing does an amazing and heart-wrenching job at exploring what feels like such an unrealistic premise with such raw, realistic and human emotion. I loved every character so very much, I loved Sam with all my heart but Thao was very clear and real with the direction the book had to take, which hit home with me. So while I loved Sam and Julie, and while the last few chapters wrecked me, Thao made all the right calls in all the most beautiful (and tear inducing) ways.

If I've said it once I've said it a million times, the best books leave you feeling something. This book made me feel everything, and by everything I mean a lot of "JULIE YOU DESERVE THE WORLD" and google searches for how to bring fictional boyfriends back from the dead. We see a girl who lost her beacon of light in the world, and became a blackout. We see a best friend who helps shoulder the weight of the pain, even when he's already crushed under it. We see a group of people who never stopped reaching out their hand to a girl who had slammed the door in their face too many times and then broke down on the other side. We see grief, in all its anger, frustration and longing. What we don't see, but rather feel, is the ache and complexity of what closure means, and what having that last chance at a goodbye is. No one is ever ready for that pain, no one is ready to wake up one morning without the person they loved. Life doesn't care if we're ready, it takes it's course and how we choose to respond to it is up to us.

I have so much love for this book and for St. Martin's Press who just lives to make me feel all the feelings all the time. All their books should come with free tissues and ice cream, you'll need it!

Actual Rating: 4.5 Stars

Disclaimer: I received an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for my honest review. This does not affect my opinion whatsoever.

TW: Grief, loss of loved one, car accident

Rep: Asian Promiant Characters, Asian LI

"Because I don’t want to open mine, either. I don’t want to lose him. I want to keep them shut and live in this memory of us forever. I don’t want to open my eyes and see a world without Sam.

But sometimes you just wake up. No matter how hard you try not to."

You know those books where it just mirrors something so perfectly? That’s how I felt reading You’ve Reached Sam because this book was just depressingly accurate. Most of it was just so depressing because Julie kept blaming herself because she didn’t pick up the phone. She didn’t pick up the phone when Sam needed her. The most saddest part wasn’t the grief, it was those phone calls because they’re only connected that are so limited.

I love books that explores the topic of grief. I love any book that doesn’t with romance really, but seriously this book was just gut retching because it’s so sad, and have very heavy topics. Julie’s grief was something I related too when I found out my aunt (my uncle’s wife) had died a few years ago from a brain bleed basically and the way I was really upset those last few days. Also, when someone is grieving-don’t tell them to suck it up when they’re trying to process because that’s what my family did to me.

It's those, "I should have did something." in this book where it truly broke me.

The more I think about it, this reminds me about my aunt and uncle’s fatal love story just reversed. It just feels so similar to what I seen my uncle did when he found out what happened to his wife and it was just so depressing to hear. And honestly-I am so glad this book will be out soon because this book is just so important especially in the wake of the pandemic.

"I can’t keep you around, Sam. It makes me think you’re still here. That you’re coming back. That I might see you again."


4/5 :)

yes i’m disappointed. i wish i could say that this is a joke for april fools, but sadly, i can’t. (i still rated it 4 stars so i think that’s somewhat ok…)

get ready for a review with lots of ellipses…

i was seriously sooo excited to read this and i was so so happy when Netgalley accepted my request. but… it didn’t exactly live up to my expectations.

i have to say i was… mildly disappointed. i didn’t cry as much as i thought i would, and the ending didn’t have as much of an impact on me as i thought i would. but i had REALLY high expectations for this one considering that blurb (AND THAT COVER!)


everything was written so beautifully. some of the scenes, especially the memories and the transition (AND LET’S NOT FORGET THE PROLOGUE), were just so… artistically written?? you know what i mean? there are just so many beautiful quotes in this book, i wish i could write them all down. 🥺

i love how so many of the books i read involve bookstores or people working at bookstores.

favorite characters Mika and Mr. Lee!! and let’s not forget Oliver! i seriously need people like them in my life.

ahh and Sam… you know, i should just let you read it for yourself to see. i didn’t really get to know him that much, but i really really enjoyed ‘seeing’ him in Julie’s memories. and over their phone calls i could tell how sweet and caring he was.

Julie was… interesting. she’s not a bad MC but sometimes i just don’t understand her actions and feelings (maybe because grief took over but still…)
it was heartbreaking of what she had to go through, but i personally didn’t like her that much. although the character development was nice to see.


i was on the verge of crying but nothing made me full on sob. (i was really hoping i would cry to this one…) maybe it’s because of a missing connection with the main characters… or a disappointment that their connection ended like that. though i have to say, Julie's memories of her and Sam were probably my favorite part of this book :)


i keep reading back thinking i might’ve missed something, but there’s nothing new. i’m not sure… i just feel like it’s missing something. and that epilogue felt… unfinished for me… maybe my expectations were too high… maybe…


【 going to keep this short so: I felt like there was something missing with the plot and the characters so if you like a character driven story, then hopefully you’d be able to connect with them more than i did. it was heartbreaking but predictable. everything was bound to happen but it was all about seeing how Dustin Thao decides to write everything out. If anyone asks for sad book recs, this will definitely pop up first in my mind. hopefully it’s just a case of “it’s not you, it’s me…” hopefully everyone will enjoy this more than i did! 】


04/01/21

Alright, so at first I didn’t really like the main character because she was a little annoying, but she grew on me as I continued to read and I just loved this book. This concept is something I, personally, think I would like to see more of and I hope to read more of Thao’s works in the future. I will be purchasing my own copy of this book, when I can. I would say that the story itself is as beautiful as the cover and I hope that other people enjoy this as well. It’s not as hard hitting as I was expecting, but I think that if you are a fan of The Astonishing Color of After by Emily X. R. Pan and Akemi Dawn Bowman, you are more than likely to enjoy this book.

At first, I was a little scared that You've Reached Sam will be on my dnf list as I'm not really familiar with this genre, but I was very, very intrigued by its cover and title, so I decided to get an ARC from NetGalley. And surprisingly, I made it till the end.
I expected to be destroyed by its first chapter already since everyone is talking about how devastating this book was, but my first cry was on chapter 12, so that was a little disappointing. For someone who's not really into romance, I considered the whole romance things here were packed pleasingly, but I love Julie's friendship most. Although this book wasn't as angsty as I've expected, I need to point out that Dustin Thao has successfully written the throwback scenes in unique ways. I think You've Reached Sam will be suitable for everyone who's searching for a sad but also heart-warming book.

Actual rating: 3.75 stars

Upon seeing a tweet from the author about his debut novel, I was immediately interested and pushed it to the top in my ‘most anticipated’ TBR shelf. In trying times like today, a book about grief might not be something one is actively looking out for. However, I still could not help feeling excited for You’ve Reached Sam and especially with that stunning art on the cover.

I knew what I was in it for when I requested for this ARC but boy did I undermine the amount of pain I would feel. Although the story starts off with Sam’s death right from the get go, I was already feeling the impact of his death and even a sense of loss. A loss for a character who barely existed and whom I barely knew. The story is written in Julie’s (Sam’s girlfriend) perspective and how she deals with the pain of losing the person she truly loved. There are many books out there that also include character deaths but Dustin Thao has successfully taken it up a notch and beautifully portray the range of emotions Julie was experiencing after losing someone she never expected to leave her at a very early age.

Dustin Thao leaves no stone unturned and fully shows the stages of grief Julie goes through. Her feelings are raw and would have been difficult to express in words but Thao has managed to do that with ease and lovely prose. The words exchanged between Sam and Julie made me tear up and I truly felt as if I were Julie, feeling reluctant to part from a loved one. As a reader, I could feel the strong connection Sam and Julie had and knew that if Sam had not died, they would have really lasted as a couple. They were not just teenagers in love, they were soulmates and I really liked how Thao had written it.

Albeit short, Sam’s introduction at the beginning of the book is no less important than any of the other scenes. It provided readers with a brief, albeit impactful, insight on Sam and Julie’s relationship. Because of this, I immediately grew attached to Sam and it had truly played in a part in how I dealt with his death.

Although I appreciated how the topic of grief and death to Julie was well-explored, it unfortunately could not be said the same for the secondary characters, Most of the time, I felt that they were one-dimensional and did not really play a part in Julie’s life other than to be people around her who also lost someone dear to them. I do wish that Julie’s relationships with these characters were better developed as almost of her interactions with them are only about Sam. When they are not talking about him, most of the conversations fell flat for me and I found myself skimming most of them and only reading the parts with Sam.

In conclusion, I give full praises to Dustin Thao for being able to write such a gripping story about death as a debut novel. I would be excited to read more of his books in the future.

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

This book is all about not being able to say good-bye, and now that you actually have the chance, you realize you really don't want to. One of the best things I found out while reading the book is how it focused towards the grief of those who lost their loved ones, and the grief of those who left them behind. This book wasn't that long but the grief-stricken narration fits just right, how in every chapter the main character finds it hard to let go and move forward, alone was one of the saddest aspect I saw from the book. There are few books who talked about grief and loss, and they all seem to do a good job, but this book actually showed the process, how frustrating, sad and hard it is to accept a lost that you never expected to gain. There were a lot of sad moments that definitely tore my heart to pieces and brought tears to my eyes, and it's nice to know that this book made me feel things, because it is what I expected from it.

The only problem is I thought that I was left unsatisfied. I had this nagging feeling that something didn't sit right with me, on how the last two chapters happened, it's like what I expected but less. Perhaps it's all because of my expectation to cry my eyes out because of so much sadness and loss, but this book definitely felt lighter than that. It was still a solid and good read, and I would definitely recommend it to those I feel like would love and resonate with this book.

Arc provided by Netgalley.

Wow. I am not often this effected by a book and immediately want to read it again and recommend it to anyone. You’ve Reached Sam has easily become one of my favorite books.

Julie met Sam shortly after moving out of Seattle into a small town. Although this wasn’t ideal, Julie made the most of it and met Sam. This is a story of their love and heartbreak.

Throughout the book, we see small glimpses of the past and actually get to watch Sam and Julie fall in love. It’s innocent, pure, complicated, and so so relatable. You can’t help but wish them a happily ever after, even knowing that Sam is dead.

Sam died after a wreck, where he bleed to death. He was late and on his way to pick up Julie, but sadly never made it. Julie struggled with the fact that many (including herself) blame her for Sam’s death because he had been on the way to see her after a fight. Julie never even got to say goodbye.

Trying to deal with her grief, she decides to call Sam just so she can hear his voice once more. What she doesn’t expect is for Sam to actually answer. They are still connected and this is her last opportunity to say goodbye. But Julie isn’t ready to give Sam up again. Boy when she had him back, even if all they can do now is talk on the phone.

This book is beautiful. It speaks about grief and how chaotic and different it is for everyone. We watch Julie struggle to rewrite her life without Sam and we also watch Sam struggle to leave behind his loved ones. Many tears were shed and not just by the characters.

I don’t want to say this book is sad. More accurately, this book has sad parts. But it teaches us that moving on doesn’t mean forgetting a person. That people, no matter how little or long you’ve known them, can shape your life. The reader, much like Julie, is at peace at the end of the book. We remember Sam and how life can change in a blink of an eye.

I love this book. I need you to read it too.

I read this lovely book as an uncorrected advanced reader copy in spring 2021 thanks to NetGalley. This does not affect my rating of the book.

You’ve Reached Sam is a poignant and thought provoking book about how you’d react if you were able to speak on the phone to a loved one after they had passed away. Would it help or hinder your ability to move forward and say goodbye?

There were many portions that were very atmospheric for a YA contemporary, and I took the time to put on the right song when a song was mentioned in the book which definitely added to the atmosphere and emotional impact.

I really enjoyed many parts of the story, but I didn’t quite connect with the main character as much as I was hoping to. I certainly teared up a few times, but it wasn’t as sad as I initially expected I would be. There is a lot of hope remaining in the story, even if the main character sometimes says that she doesn’t have any hope left. Her friends and family are very supportive, even when she is not supportive of them in return.

It isn’t a bee favourite unfortunately, but I would still very highly recommend it. If the premise intrigues you, just dive in headfirst!

This book had me feeling ALL of the feelings. I was in full tears by 12% into the book. Thao conquers talks on love and loss and the processing in between. This book will have you falling in love at the same time it has you coping with the loss of a loved one. The dual time lines of flashbacks of the couple falling in love to flipping back to post-loss was a beautiful way of showing how the lead was trying to compensate for a Before and After. It really showed how difficult it is to realize someone is truly here one day and gone the next and encompasses the impossibility of reconciling with tragic loss. It was beautiful to read this novel about getting a second chance at goodbye, first loves and processing grief.

100 ⭐

Me lloré la vida 😭
I HAVE NEVER CRIED THAT MUCH WHILE READING A BOOK 😭

Thanks to Netgalley and to the publisher for providing me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

First of all, I was attracted to the book because of its cover, then I read the synopsis and that was all, since then I knew that I needed to read the book.

I don't even know how to start, I have so many emotions and mixed feelings inside me. When I was reading the prologue, I couldn't help but start to crying, and then I couln't stop crying in the entire book. Whenever I resume the reading, I found myself crying without be able to stop.

The story of Julie and Sam is really cute and heartwarming and talough it didn't ended well, they both had a really beautiful relationship of three years before the events happened ☹

The writing style of Dustin is simple but enganging, so it is very easy to follow the story and feel empathetic trought the characters.

This book has been one of my favorites so far and I will never forget Sam's story.

PS: de verdad espero que en un futuro, luego de que se publique el libro, lo traduzcan al español y que varios puedan conocer esta historia.

PS: I really hope that, after the publication of the book, it can be translated into Spanish to the Spanish speakers community and for them to know the story of Sam and Julie.

This was one of my most anticipated releases of this year and i’m sad that it was a little disappointing. I went through this book expecting to love it and the characters but it left me with confusion and disappointment i didn’t even finish it. i couldn’t.

You've Reached Sam is a heartbreaking story that grabbed my attention from the start. Julie is can't deal with the sudden death of her boyfriend Sam. So, she calls his cell phone to hear his voice but when Sam answers Julie might get to say goodbye to him one last time. Make sure to have a box of tissue when reading this one so sad.

Poignant, romantic, and heart breaking all at once. A superb story that examines the complexities of the soul and the perseverance of love.

This book is beautifully written, we can feel the hardships of grief coming to life through the pages. And it hurts.
It hurts because loss is hard, scary, heartbreaking. It hurts because everyone can relate.
Thao's words have a tendency to poetry and a great imagery and that is beautiful.
I would say that I wasn't as heartbroken as I hoped to be but that's just me and my own expectations.
I believe that meeting Julie in the midst of her grief put a distance between us because I couldn't relate to her rash decisions. However, once I got to know her, I appreciated her evolution and growth.
I am the kind of person who likes getting answers to questions, and that was kind of amiss for me since I still have a big and important question on my mind.
I trulu believe this book will be a huge success and I look forward to read more of Dustin Thao's work.