“Letting go isn’t about forgetting. It’s balancing moving forward with life, and looking back from time to time, remembering the people in it” (Dustin Thao, You’ve Reached Sam)

This quote highlights how overcoming grief doesn’t automatically regulate emotions, but can allow you to continue to live life without the overarching feeling of loss bearing down on you. You’ve Reached Sam by Dustin Thao explores grief and how one connection can take you on a journey to find your peace and love where you wouldn’t expect.

Summary:

This young adult novel follows Julie, a high school senior who is grieving the sudden death of her boyfriend Sam. Julie closes herself off from everyone who cares for her, including Sam’s family, even throwing away anything that reminds her of him. The days that follow are lethargic and feelings of intense anguish; she desperately wants to hear Sam’s voice and calls his phone. Knowing that all their plans for the future are down the drain, she desperately just wants to hear his voice one more time, but is shocked when the other end of the line is picked up. Neither knew how or why they were given this chance but both knew they couldn’t waste it. Maybe the universe knew they both needed this closure. As Julie and Sam begin to talk on the phone more and more, Julie begins to develop an obsession with her phone, her lifeline to Sam, turning her reclusive and anxious as ever, igniting the grief that had since laid dormant. As their calls continue, they question how they can continue talking, and, more importantly: how will they ever say goodbye?

Review:

Dustin Thao understands how to write emotionally and how to peak interest in not just the book, but for the characters themselves. I’m not much of a romance reader but You’ve Reached Sam has found a special place in my heart. Thao expertly uses descriptive words and imagery so we can fully understand Julie and crafts her in a way that, although a reader may not like some of her actions they will still root for her. Each time dialogue was present, one could feel every emotion that Thao wanted to portray. This book is dialogue heavy, and sucks you in like you’re there in person, seeing everything unfold. Julie had such amazing growth over the course of the book that, by the end, she found peace and then some. The way she describes her relationship with Sam feels like a friend describing their significant other. It felt real and by the end you also feel like you lost Sam as well. As you’re introduced to more characters, you see just how many people Sam impacted while he was alive, and how each of them cope in their own ways even if you hate them for it. The theme of learning to move forward was a long and hard process for Julie and reminds you that grief can’t be characterized by one emotion, but can fit many emotions under one umbrella term. By moving forward Julie didn’t forget Sam but she continued living the way Sam would have wanted. You can feel the love that each character has for Sam and each other being platonic or romantic and that emphasizes how grief can isolate you from people who truly care for you. By the end of the book, on the last page, you will be sobbing. Thao expertly writes scenes that will pull on your heart strings even if you have never been in love or have experienced grief. At the beginning of the book, I did hate Julie, because she threw out all of Sam’s things from her room and that was something that I thought she would regret a lot. But, as I continue to read, she began her healing journey and really shows how it’s not linear. At times, you face palm, wishing she didn’t do what she did but by the end you’re proud of how she lives her life. I may never find a book quite like this and if I could go back and read it for the first time I would. This book still has me crying about the ending. If you love Thao’s writing like me, read his other works like “You’ve Found Oliver” and “When Haru Was Here”.

I would give this book: 📚📚📚📚📚 – Grab lots and lots of tissues! (5/5)

Love, Kiana

GFB Ambassador