You’ve Found Oliver was a short and sweet read about a first-year college student struggling with the grief of losing his best friend a year prior. As he navigates his second semester, Oliver has been texting his friend Sam’s old number and makes an unlikely connection when he finds out that there is actually another person behind the screen.

Conceptually, the idea of having this fated connection with a stranger and slowly falling in love is very endearing and romantic. Strange things begin to happen as they get to know each other more, and I think the subtle hints of what is truly happening are done really well. The magic of the situation feels completely believable on the page especially as the story progresses.

My personal reason for giving this book a lower rating was the writing style. It felt like 90% of the content was simple sentences, short observations and very shallow matter-of-fact descriptions of character interactions, scenery, and emotions. This was my first introduction to Dustin Thao although I had heard of his previous novels, so I guess I had expected a bit more complexity or thought-provoking writing (especially considering the subject of philosophy has a large role in this book). The simplicity of his writing does allow the book to be more palatable for new readers or readers in a younger demographic.

Overall, 3.25/5 stars for me. I do think it was a refreshing read to cleanse the palate and I liked the story in general, but I think I could have really loved it more if it had slightly more depth in the writing.

You've Found Oliver follows Oliver as he reaches the one-year anniversary of his best friend Sam's death. He had been texting Sam and giving him updates since his passing and decided to stop once the one-year mark came up. However, when he finally went to delete Sam's number, he accidentally called him, and someone else answered. I really enjoyed the concept of the book and the beginning really caught my attention, however, as the story progressed it started losing me. I thought that there was going to be an actual reason for Ben and Oliver's meeting and while the timelines made sense in the end, but why they met and making it seem like they both needed each other for different reasons didn't make any sense to me. I wouldn't say that this is a new favorite book but i did enjoy it for what it was. Thank you for the opportunity to read this book before release.

Ever since I read his first book 'You've Reached Sam' I have been waiting since I knew Sam's story couldn't possibly be over. 'You've Found Oliver' is heartbreaking and beautiful as the first book. I'm very picky about the YA books that I read, but Dustin Thao's writing is so easy to read and fall into. This story is sort of a continuation of the first one. While this one still pulled at my heart strings, the story was lighter than the first. I loved the story it was telling between the lines as well. I kept going back and rereading when I finally figured something out and that made the story richer. The plot and characters were all written very well. There is so much I want to say about this book, but don't want to give a lot away. I would recommend this book even if you haven't read the first one, it also works as a standalone. I can't wait for his next book that he writes. Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Young Readers Group for this ARC!

Yet another triumph from Dustin Thao. This book simultaneously ripped my heart out, filled it up, ripped it up again, and then started to heal it. I flew thru this book in less than two days. It was that good.

Overall, I enjoyed the book. It does have quite a few typographical errors—missing quotation marks, misspelled words, odd sentences. These were numerous enough to somewhat detract from the reading experience, but not significantly.

The plot concept itself was interesting. I think the author mostly did it well, but that it was also a little rushed. What was missing was a deeper explanation on how each character felt about being in multiple universes. I struggle with suspending my disbelief enough that each character’s reactions to the events in the book are reasonable for the events.

The characters themselves were dynamic. Each had well-thought out motivations and wants. I think a bit more time on Oliver’s part exploring his feelings about not letting go of Julie would benefit his character, and maybe a little more depth on Ben’s part about his family and life outside of Oliver. Overall though, each character had a good amount of depth.

Generally speaking, interesting concept and fairly well executed. I think it just needs polishing and some expansion on certain elements.

3.5
"You've Found Oliver" resonated with me even more than "You've Reached Sam." I loved how it portrays Oliver's struggle with loss and his journey to find a new normal. The romance between Oliver and Ben is so sweet and heartwarming, and you can feel their connection right away. It's definitely a story that makes you believe in finding love again. My only minor issue is that the parallel universe aspect wasn't fully explained, but it didn't detract from the overall experience.

I have nothing much to say but I do enjoy the fluffy-ness of Oliver & Ben's relationship. But the magical realism aspect that includes the "time" thingy just feels a bit off for me. It just doesn't add up at some points. I also notice plot holes that bothers me so much. I really can't say anything else or else I'll give away spoilers😭
Also, there are many questions unanswered but I guess I just have to let it go🤷🏻‍♀️
The ending feels too abrupt but I had fun reading it✨
If you love fluffy cute YA gay romance, just go ahead and read it, it's sad sometimes and probably make you cry but it won't left you heartbroken, I promise.

Thank you to NetGalley for the e arc in exchange for an honest review!

Going into this book I was a little nervous as I haven’t read you’ve reached Sam and wasn’t quite sure if this would fully work as a standalone novel.

Dustin Thao does such an amazing job writing about grief in a way that’s thought provoking and moving. Even if you haven’t experienced the grief and the trauma the characters in his books experience there’s so many different emotions and variables throughout this book that can resonate with you.

I felt so deeply connected with Oliver. As a main character he’s just a bit lost and a bit aimless and as someone who was queer going through college the hardships he faced was something I could really connect with.

This book was such a good read and I finished it within a few days but it’s something could also be finished in one sitting too as it’s very enjoyable and flows really well with his writing style.

I will say though that the book does make me think of when Haru was here in different parts of the book. I kind of wish Oliver’s path was just a little more different but I’m not mad at it at all.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and if you’ve read and enjoyed any of Dustin’s work you’ll enjoy this one as well. I can’t wait to see what else he is able to create. He for sure is an author to look out for.

I was not ready for the heartbreak. I cried my way through the book. Ben and Oliver are so sweet together. This is the kind of book to keep me up at night with multi timeline/ multi universe theories.

"Fall in love all over again with Oliver’s story…" teased the synopsis and while I was hungry for the emotional gut-punch that You’ve Reached Sam delivered, You’ve Found Oliver fell disappointingly flat.

Oliver’s coping mechanism—texting Sam’s old number—sets up an intriguing premise. Then, when he accidentally calls and connects with Ben, a Seattle college student who’s been reading his pain-filled texts for months, potential for a poignant romance is teased. And the magical-time-twist adds a curious layer of fate and mystery

But in execution…? We don’t feel the chemistry. Oliver and Ben come off more like close friends than star-crossed lovers, and that gradual emotional intimacy never really catches fire. As I said: anticlimactic. There were moments that could’ve rippled—Oliver’s grief, the near‑miss fate of reconnecting—but they pass like a soft breeze before missing a real emotional punch.

And let’s talk about Julie, she’s still... insufferable. Nothing about her arc moved forward. Honestly, the story felt overshadowed by lingering characters and dropped plot threads.

If I knew this was magical realism, I would have not requested it..
I loved You’ve Reached Sam and that was more of “if you had more time with your loved one, what would you do or say to them.” This one has no moral to the characters’ motives.
In the beginning, I loved how Oliver touched on about Sam a lot still. I loved seeing Julie again.

My honest evaluation but in kindness. I did not like this book after the repeated time switches and unanswered questions.

You’ve Found Oliver is a beautifully tender exploration of grief and new beginnings, with a heartfelt romance that quietly lingers long after the last page. Dustin Thao’s gentle prose captures the complexity of loss and hope with genuine warmth and emotional depth.

Loved this book it was beautifully written and I fell in love with the characters and I couldn’t put the book down once I started it

This was my first introduction to Dustin Thao's work, and I know for a fact that this is just the beginning. I enjoyed diving into Oliver's story in You've Found Oliver, even though we see our protagonist go through the difficult experience of losing his best friend, Sam. We are shown some heartfelt memories that highlight how close Sam and Oliver were, and even a year after Sam's passing, it was still hard for Oliver to accept that he was truly gone.

Thao’s writing is simple and easy to read, which made me feel even more invested in the story—because I genuinely wanted to know how it would unfold. As the plot develops, we’re introduced to other characters, like Julie and a young man named Ben, who—right from their very first interaction from the start—instantly captures Oliver’s attention. We see their friendship slowly grow into something deeper, eventually turning into a relationship as the chapters go by. The relationship that developed between Oliver and Ben became a source of healing, especially as Oliver was still grieving Sam’s passing. Furthermore, this book is filled with tender, heartwarming moments between these two evolving characters—moments that quietly captured my heart and stayed with me long after their story unfolded.

I cherished the small moments and interactions between these characters—they felt so genuine and vulnerable, reflecting emotions that many of us struggle to face within ourselves. Even though I haven’t yet read You've Reached Sam, I found myself deeply moved by Oliver’s story, one that I will hold close to my heart for a long time.

Thank you to the publisher and Dustin Thao for the E-ARC copy of ' You've Found Oliver'. All opinions in this review are my own!

I was a little apprehensive that this wouldn’t work as a standalone(I haven’t read You’ve Reached Sam), but it can definitely be read without the first book. I’m struggling to think what I can say about You’ve Found Oliver because it is one of those books best read without knowing anything about it.
It is a little sad, less than I was expecting it to be, very reflective if you let it be. It is a ya book but if you open your mind it can be meaningful and move you quite a lot. I was misty eyed by the end, I must admit. The writing is simple but good, really fast paced and can easily be read in one sitting.
I don’t know what else I can say without giving too much away.

Thank you Netgalley and Penguin Young Readers Group for the ARC.

You’ve found Oliver is a stunning companion novel to You’ve reached Sam. It was nice to jump forward a year and see how both Oliver and Julie are handling their grief and have become important in each others lives. This was very heartfelt and thought provoking though I would say this is the least emotionally devastating of Dustin Thao’s books.

In this story we follow Oliver through a quirky time loop/parallel reality 6 months in the past where he meets Ben- the new owner of Sam’s old phone number. As we follow their journey to discover what is causing this jumping in time we explore the different ways in which someone would handle loss. In the case of Oliver, he feels pulled to live in his past memories and delay his healing for fear of experiencing more loss whereas Julie takes the loss and looks to the future as a chance at endless opportunity.

While the parallel universe aspect might be far fetched we get to delve into the impossible as we attend a Philosophy class with Oliver that slowly helps him explore his past, present and his unlimited potential in the future. My one complaint would be that Oliver at times can come off as self centered but it is also appropriate to his age and the trauma he’s experienced.

Overall this was another amazing book by Dustin and I can’t wait to read what you come out with next!

You’ve Reached Sam was a cute, quick read that made me cry quite a few times. I was curious how that story could expand and really excited to read this one. While it was good, it felt a bit more confusing than You’ve Reached Sam.
All that said… I really enjoyed Oliver and I’m glad he got his own book. I felt from the first story that him and Sam had a special friendship and wished it had gone more into that. Oliver’s relationship with Ben was adorable. I much preferred Oliver as a main character over Julie.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publishers and author for an advanced copy of this book, You've Found Oliver by Dustin Theo. This is the 2nd book I've ready by this author and have enjoyed both. I really like Oliver and felt for him and his struggle with grief. The relationship between Oliver and Ben was very sweet. It was a beautiful story.
4⭐️

I loved You've Reached Sam, so I was excited to read this book, which continues that story (kind of). This follows Sam's best friend, Oliver, who keeps texting Sam after his death. Oliver texts for months, not able to leave Sam in the past. And then one day, he accidentally hits "call" and someone picks up. It's Ben, a college student who now has Sam's old number. Oliver and Sam hit it off, but things in their lives and surroundings are a bit strange, so be ready for the magical realism again. It took Oliver way too long to figure out what was going on. Julie, Sam's girlfriend when he passed, also has a role in this book. Fans of the first book will like this one.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for a honest review.

This one tugged on my heart strings. I was rooting for Oliver and Ben the entire time. I also loved seeing how Oliver and Julie's friendship blossomed. This book was beautifully written and I felt connected with not only the characters we already know, but new ones like Ben. I loved learning about Oliver's backstory and learning about who ben is. I hope this isn't the last we hear about Ben and Oliver and their story.

Dustin Tao sure knows how to write a captivating romance and I cannot wait to keeping reading books from him.