Thank you to Netgalley and Wednesday Books for providing me with an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I’m not a religious person, but Holy Mother of God. Jesus f*cking Christ. This book...it hurt in all the best possible ways. I realized quickly that it was a big mistake to read it in public, as I was already choking back tears during chapter one.

You’ve Reached Sam by Dustin Thao is unlike any other contemporary romance I’ve read before. It’s new, it’s original, it’s absolutely devastating. Thao utilizes and weaponizes emotion so effectively that even now, as I write this, I’m still crying. It’s wonderful.

The main characters, Julie and Sam, were fleshed out and captivating, and the story was deliciously heartbreaking. Every phone call between Julie and Sam, who had died in a car crash a week before chapter one, felt like a knife had been stabbed into my chest, ruthlessly twisting as to inflict maximum amounts of pain.

And don’t get me started on the imagery. The book is brought to life by images of cherry blossom petals and fields of barley, the sounds of soft rock music and quiet laughter echoing in childhood bedrooms. It’s breathtaking.

You’ve Reached Sam is a story about love and loss and grief and acceptance. It’s romantic, but terribly morose, an unfortunate ending to a beautiful first love.

If you want to hear more book reviews by me, check out my YouTube channel, Lipstick & Literature!

This book wrecked me. Like, full-on, ugly-crying, clutching-the-tissues-in-my-hand wrecked. I loved this book so much.
Julie was so real and so so human and her grief was so raw and relatable, it took everything in me not to cry every time I picked it up. I have lost close family members and can say that the grief in this book is so raw and real it made me feel like I was right back in those first few days after they died. The numbness, the anger, the regret, they were all there and so perfectly done. The calls she has with Sam, it all brought back so many painful memories which for me just added more power to the story telling.
I loved it so, so much, this was an incredibly emotional and beautiful.

ARC kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I love the way Thao handles the issues of grief in a way that feels real. Sometimes books that tackle difficult topics feel a little melodramatic or emotionally manipulative, but You've Reached Sam is an exploration of loss that feels genuine. It has the same vibes as Kimi no Na Wa/Your Name and PS I Love You. I really enjoyed the way the story unfolded and loved the supporting cast.

Two things that didn't work for me: I was more invested in the story than in Julie as a character, and I wish the story as a whole had more depth and the cast had been more developed. It was over too quickly, and it seemed like we were just scraping the surface of an amazing story. If it'd been developed a bit more, it would've been even more spectacular.

From chapter one, You've Reached Sam had plucked out my heart strings and played them like a violin. There's so much love, grief and relatable raw emotion poured onto these pages, blended together with seamless talent. Pacing, character development, writing style and world building were great. I was engaged and invested throughout the entire story. My heart cried, sang and melted. 4.5 stars (would have been 5 but my reason is a spoiler), and a new author to keep an eye out for. Thank you to NetGalley for providing a copy. This is my honest and heartfelt review.

Emotional read, be prepared with tissues when reading!! Heartbreakingly sweet and riveting. I normally don't read romance but this YA novel was a good start into the genre in my opinion. The love story felt well balanced- there were also other themes to go along. The way grief was written was so powerful. As much as it does hurt to read it as high points, such as seeing Julie find ways to cope that are healthy. The character development was wonderful!!

Overall, this is an sad romance that fans of the genre will love!!

Thank you to Netgalley for an eARC copy of You've Called Sam!

This was a beautiful, powerful, heartwrenching tale. It pulled me along with the characters ever step, their highs, their lows. So powerful. So glad I picked it up.

4/5 stars

Julie has been waiting for the day she can finally go to college and get out of the town she currently lives her. Along with her boyfriend, Sam, she's made a lot of plans for her life after she graduates high school. But Sam dies. Trying to cope with his death and figure out what to do with her life without him, Julie calls him just to hear his voicemail. Instead, he picks up, leaving Julie will all kinds of questions and painful emotions. They get another chance to say goodbye, but Julie's not sure that she can handle losing this last connection to him.

This book hurt. I fully expected it to hurt, but it was such an emotional read. We get to see Julie in the present, struggling with Sam's death, as well as flashbacks to her memories with him. Those flashbacks were my favorite parts! I actually liked the side characters more than Julie; they really added to the story. The conflict of Sam trying to help Julie move on and her increasing desire not to lose him was heart-breaking. I had a few issues with Julie, though I'll cut her some slack because she was grieving. I also felt like some parts of this book were a little redundant. But the ending was sad, beautiful, and heart-breaking all at the same time, though I wished it was slightly longer.

This was the sad love story I was hoping it would be! YA fans looking for a tragic yet beautiful romance would probably enjoy this!

Content: it was pretty clean, though there was a skinny-dipping scene (nothing graphic); grief and loss of a loved one are the main themes of this book

YOU'VE REACHED SAM is a stunning debut that grips you from the beginning. The story begins with Julie's attempt to move on. She missed Sam's funeral and keeps to herself. She calls Sam, not expecting anything, except he somehow picks up and says he'll continue to pick up her calls until they're ready to say goodbye. It is beautifully written, smartly weaving in flashbacks and sweeping dreams to convey the depth of Julie's grief and desire to hold on to Sam, even when the rest of the world moves on. Protip: Have a box of tissues on hand. You will need it.

★★★☆☆ 2.5/5

i feel like the cover, the summary, and the pure grief and pain you’re expecting is more heart-wrenching than the actual book itself. i was worked up to tears in anticipation before even starting, but the actual content of the book just didn’t get to me as much as i thought it would. introducing sam and his relationship with julie in flashbacks after his death throughout the book is an interesting choice, but for some reason it just didn’t work for me. i couldn’t really feel the chemistry between julie and sam.

the narrator is kind of bland, the writing chunky and repetitive at times. the first 80% of the book is literally julie just going “but how is this possible, sam? how can i speak to you?” and “we can’t tell anyone because it will break our connection” over and over and OVER AND OVER until she finally knocks it off and things are actually interesting in the last 20%. i really finally felt drawn in at the end. maybe i shed a couple of tears. maybe. between the ending and the fantastic characters, this book was really worth it to me in the end.

(arc provided by netgallery and Wednesday Books. all thoughts and opinions are my own)

Wow. okay this book is something new i decided to try to branch out, and it did not disappoint. let me get into all the reasons i loved this book and why you should read it.

First and foremost it is beautifully written, the words blew me away. Getting to know Sam and Julie and everything they mean to each other and everything he will always mean to her was just so beautiful. There were a lot of moments where I teared up. It really takes you into the mind and someone who is grieving, I think we all dont grasp what its like till we have to go through it ourselves and especially at a young age, this story really genuinely grasps that and more.

but it also brings up the most important question, if you were given the chance to talk to someone you lost would you? Would you be able to let go when it came time?

Julie really struggled with it all but she also shared her connection with other people even though it weakened her connection and gave her less time with him. I think that was the most beautiful thing of it all.

i want to thank netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity read this arc.

I can count on one hand the books that have ever actually made me cry. Not just tear up, but actually cry and this book is one of them. Not only that! But I accidentally thought about it in the car with my family later in the day and started to cry again which was embarrassing but also a testament to how much I loved this book.

You know going into this book that it's going to be at least a little painful, and it definitely is, but it's also so unflinchingly hopeful. This is more than a story about a girl reconnecting with her late boyfriend, it's a story of grief. Of finding purpose in life when everything we wanted is suddenly shattered. On holding on and letting go, on what it really means to move on.

My reading experience for this book reminded me of reading "Heartless" by Marissa Meyer. Throughout both stories, you have this... unsettled feeling because you know where the story has to be heading but as you keep reading, you can't help hoping - even just a little bit - that it will turn out differently. It creates such a memorable, bittersweet reading experience and so far, these two books are the only ones to make me feel that way.

With that being said, the one thing I could see hindering people's enjoyment of this story is the character of Julie. We meet her while she's drowning in her own grief, and because of this, I found it rather hard to connect with her at first. I spent the first part of this book extremely irritated by her actions and treatment of others. But, I'm also have to admit that it was partially this frustrating because I felt called out. Similarly to Julie, my grief tends to present itself as shutting out the rest of the world. So, in a way, I found her character cathartic to read about because there were times her journey hit just a little too close to home in the exact way I needed.

If none of this convinces you, I hope you read this for Sam alone. He was one of my favorite characters I've ever read about and I can't wait for the rest of the world to meet him. I left this reading experience feeling a little raw, a little broke, but hopeful too and I couldn't have asked for more.

This was a poignant read about grief.

Julie and her boyfriend Sam have plans for forever after high school. But when the unthinkable happens and Sam dies, Julie is forced to face a reality without him. Seeking to purge him from her life, Julie calls Sam's phone one last time to hear his voicemail. And, he picks up the phone.

Overall, this was a novel full of heart. How the cast of characters navigates a world without Sam is often heartbreaking, as are the montages that would not be out of place in the opening of Up. The story is unique and feels authentic. I never doubted that Sam and Julie were a couple, as their phone calls really reflected it. Oliver, Mika, Jay, Rachel, Tristan, Mr. Lee, and actually present parents made a great secondary cast!

My only complaint is that I would've liked a little more resolution in the end, but all in all, this was a heartrending, beautiful read.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Wednesday Books (St. Martin's Press) for this eARC! I really appreciated the opportunity to read this novel!

Wow! This was such a heartbreakingly beautiful book. It was easy to feel all the emotions that Julie felt and experienced after losing Sam, especially after she found a way to connect with him and still talk with him over the phone.

Another great part of this book was all of the side characters. They all had very distinct personalities and added to the story in their own unique way.

Just be sure to have some tissues with you while you read this book since not only did I tear up quite a few times, there were a few ugly cries in there as well. I love a book that makes you feel something, and this book did just that. This is easily one of my favorite books that I have read so far this year, and I'm pretty sure it’s going to be in my top favorite reads for 2021!

I'm still wiping my tears from this book. While, the person I have lost in my life was my father, I still related to Julie and her feelings when her boyfriend Sam died. This poor girl was heartbroken. Completely heartbroken in every way possible. She didn't even go to Sam's funeral.

I get it. her pain cut my heart into pieces and I so wish I could have jumped into the book just to hug her. In a moment of desperation, she calls Sam. (something I did often when my Dad died..I called his answering machine to hear his voice) but Sam answers and through their converstations she is able to start healing.

This reminded me of "The First Phone Call from Heaven" as far as the story went... talking to a loved one via the phone. It was obvious how much Julie loved Sam and vice versa.

This was a tender, heartbreaking, hopefull story. This story is for anyone and everyone who has ever lost someone they love irregardless of if it is a boyfriend, parent, friend, family member.

Thank you so muc to St. Martin's Press and #NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

You've Reached Sam follows a girl, Julie, through her process of accepting the loss of her long-time boyfriend, Sam. She's able to communicate with him through phone calls, but this power cannot last long. Julie is supposed to use the calls to finally have a chance to say goodbye, however she finds herself unwilling to let Sam and his death go. Throughout the book, she is struggling to allow herself to finally move forward from his death and accept that sometimes things don't go to plan.
This book is written in a very beautiful and lyrical way, and it made me cry on several different occasions. Accepting that you may never see a person you hold so dearly again is something that everyone is forced to go through, and this book displays how soul crushing and difficult this can be. The plot, too, is amazing, and I loved the flashbacks.
I do, however, think the book concluded a little too quickly, and I would have liked to see more of the acceptance. It would have been sweet to see Julie visit Sam and leave him flowers at his grave. In addition, the drama with Taylor and Liam seemed a little unnecessary, and it was kind of left unresolved.
Overall, You've Reached Sam is a comforting, yet heartbreaking story of what it's like to lose your love.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This is such a beautiful look at grief and how to cope with missing someone so much it hurts and doing anything to stay connected with them.
I knew this was going to make me cry and it did.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

I connected with the experiences displayed on the page: the pain of missing someone so much it hurts to breathe; the longing to keep them next to you because no amount of time could ever be enough; and the regret of never being able to fulfill promises made to one another. If you've ever lost someone you loved, You've Reached Sam will make you feel like you're losing them all over again. It's an exploration of grief that will wring your heart until your tears run dry because it gives those left behind the one thing we all wish we had, a second chance to say goodbye.

Well just tug on my heart strings and call me Sally. This book was so good!! Thankful to NetGalley for allowing me to read this title.

A heartbreakingly, hopeful, romantic novel about two star-crossed teens communicating from afar...

Julie has isolated herself from her family and friends during a period of mourning and is unable to let go of her boyfriend Sam. Throughout the novel we learn about the pair's sweet relationship through flashbacks...and go through Julie's tragedy and trauma in the present.

At the end of the day, this love story reminds of us the strength of our ties and the hope that abounds.

This book was such a beautiful experience. I read it all in one sitting because I couldn't bear to put it down.

This book deals with issues of grief and loss, which is clear from the synopsis, but just so people are aware. It's heartwarming and touching, but it does deal with heavy topics.

I loved this. I was worried going into the book that I wouldn't be as invested in Sam because I thought we would just follow Julie's journey through her grief, but we get lots of flashbacks of her and Sam falling in love, and I loved them. We got to watch Sam's character develop despite the fact that he's gone, and it was so very special. And flashbacks don't always work for me in books, but I think this one did a great job of making the flashbacks worth reading.

I also loved the coming of age story happening in this book, alongside the main point of this book, which was dealing with grief and moving on. There were also important elements of growing up and understanding that life is unpredictable and not always fair. Julie is struggling with deciding her future as her high school graduation looms near now that all her plans kind of got ruined by surprise. I think those parts of the story are really important and made so much sense in the context of this book.

I also think part of why I loved it so much is because it came to me at the right time. As I'm dealing with grief, it made me think about my own story and how to overcome my own loss. Even though this book is YA and definitely centers a lot of YA elements, the lesson is kind of timeless, and I really resonated with it despite being a little older than the characters and not really in the same life stage as them anymore.

I just think this book is so special. At least, it was for me, and I hope it is for you, too.