Member Review

Oliver lost his best friend, Sam, a year ago. He knows he won't get a reply to the emotional texts he still sends him, yet sending his thoughts into the ether is the only way he can think of to get his true feelings out. Until he accidentally hits the call button and discovers that Ben, a college student in Seattle, has been reading all his vulnerable messages. The spark they both feel when they finally meet in person is electric, but it's not the only magical thing about their meetings. Something strange is making it possible for them to meet, and it might also be what breaks them apart.

It's an incredibly sweet and heartfelt read that has you instantly connecting with Oliver so that you feel his losses and anxieties. It's easy to empathise with someone still reeling from loss, feeling like their life is unmoored when you add that their only other close friend is moving far away, their boyfriend cheated on them, and their favorite bakery closes before he can eat a goodbye chocolate bread. It feels like everything in Oliver's life is falling apart, until Ben comes into it, and you can see why the weird little details are easy to ignore until they become too big to miss. Ben and Oliver are perfect for each other, and if space/time has to bend a bit for them to meet, just roll with it and enjoy the sweetness.

I love that you don't really get an explanation, but it still feels like a goodbye gift from Sam, pushing Oliver to not give up on life. Like a metaphysical reminder that your loved ones will always be with you.

Very happy thanks to NetGalley and Dutton Books for Young Readers for the heartfelt read!