Thank you Dutton Books for Young Readers and Netgalley for this eARC. Heartbreakingly beautiful! For the past year Oliver has been texting Sam, he knows that it’s not healthy, that he should move on, but he just can’t. The thing is Sam is dead. Now Oliver’s only really friend Julie, Sam’s ex, is leaving the country for a bit and Oliver is feeling lost. Sam wasn’t just his best friend but also his first crush/love. As the anniversary gets closer Oliver accidentally calls Sam’s number and someone responds. They’ve reassigned the number and Oliver had been texting a stranger for the last year. The strangers name is Ben and Oliver feels a connection to him. Which deepens when they finally meet in person. But is it meant to be or is something stranger going on? Has Oliver found love? Dustin Thao’s You’ve Found Oliver is romantic, heartbreaking, and heartwarming! I couldn’t put the book down and I was completely in my feels while reading!! Deep and wonderfully written, I would highly recommend checking this one out!

title: You've Found Oliver

author: Dustin Thao

publisher: Dutton Books for Young Readers

publication date: September 30, 2025

pages: 288

peppers: 2 (on this scale)

warnings: death by car accident, cheating, not technically a romance

summary: When Oliver's best friend and crush Sam died unexpectedly a year earlier, Oliver kept texting his number. When Oliver accidentally hits the call button and Ben answers, a strange and lovely friendship/romance forms. Unfortunately, something strange is happening as the two live separated not only by distance, but also, perhaps, by time.

tropes:

dead best friend
gay crush on a straight guy
can't change the past...or can you
time travel...sort of
single mother
we'd find each other no matter what
classes that imitate life/teach life lessons

what I liked: 

philosophy classroom scenes
life must go on
strong friendships

what I didn’t like: 

time elements confusing

overall rating: 4 (of 5 stars)

Dustin Thao is back at it again doing what he does best: breaking my heart.

This novel is romantic and heartbreaking all at once. I do wish there was more closure for some of the characters, but I know why it had to be this way. Dustin Thao is a master at replicating the complexities of real life connections, and the lack of closure is, unfortunately, a realistic part of life.

This book felt kind of unnecessary in a sense because You've Reached Sam felt like a complete standalone and good finished story. The romance and grief shown in Oliver was nice though.

Another somber speculative romance from Dustin Thao that manages to tug on your heart strings while enveloping you in a cozy setting as two characters work their way to each other against the odds.