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wet_towlette's review against another edition
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I loved julie. I saw someone pitch this book as having an unlikeable main character and although I can see it, I definitely disagree. This book was such an interesting exploration of not only grief and relationships in every sense of the word, but also a good look into what’s like to be young. How the impact of sams death affected her future and her goals.
I was originally intrigued by this book because of the aspect of reconnection to Sam through phone calls. But that actually turned out to be the least interesting part for most of the book. I really enjoyed when Julie was interacting with other people in sams life much more. I think that’s why I didn’t rate this higher. The phone calls with Sam didn’t get really interesting until about 80%.
The ending did make me cry, although not as much as I was expecting. I also teared up many other times throughout.
So, overall, it’s a pretty solid read and was an interesting book to begin reading to get me back into contemporary. I like the pain.
I was originally intrigued by this book because of the aspect of reconnection to Sam through phone calls. But that actually turned out to be the least interesting part for most of the book. I really enjoyed when Julie was interacting with other people in sams life much more. I think that’s why I didn’t rate this higher. The phone calls with Sam didn’t get really interesting until about 80%.
The ending did make me cry, although not as much as I was expecting. I also teared up many other times throughout.
So, overall, it’s a pretty solid read and was an interesting book to begin reading to get me back into contemporary. I like the pain.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Death, and Car accident
Minor: Sexual harassment and Violence
britheereader's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Grief
Moderate: Sexual harassment
m_riaelle's review against another edition
challenging
dark
funny
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
This book excited me that I pre-ordered it, my first pre-order. If you love this book, look at my star rating before going through my thoughts about it.
Good points:
It has potential. I was going through it negatively until it made me remember Sam and Julie are teens. Co-dependency was a mechanism for peer pressures, especially in school. How lonely it gets when there's no one beside to depend on while it seems like everybody has someone.
Some of the 'Before' had me smiling because I know those things happen when you want to impress someone. And I get why Julie only ever interact with Sam's family and friends as they're living in a small town, and again because they're teens. That's when I realized they don't develop when they're together.
I like Mika, James, and Oliver.
Bad points:
The phone call was supposed to be an unfinished business, the goodbye, but it turns out to be 'call me as if I'm not dead, so you look crazy.' But then, I let this one go because grief is something that could make you go crazy or nothing at all (I've been there). Julie was almost ready to move on, but the phone call happened. I thought it was closure, but it was a path Julie should not have taken because she depended on the phone calls to keep herself together. Yet again, I let this go because grief is a whole new level that people go through differently no matter how you know their story. After all, we're just looking from a third-person point of view.
Moreover, Sam kept answering Julie's calls because somehow he's still 'processing' that he's dead. It seems selfish for Sam to do this to Julie, but Sam abruptly lost his life and can't accept it that easily. And as they always do, they depend on each other. In conclusion, they're both humanely toxic for each other if grief isn't part of the context.
I can't seem to like the main characters.
Then, the reason I kept pacing back and forth, thinking what doesn't sit right while reading this is the execution of the plot itself. I get it. Contemporary with a dash of fantasy. But all this makes Julie look like she needs professional help as this coping mechanism is delusions or something like that. I've read and watched countless books and movies or shows that centre on grief, and mostly, it's illusions and how they asked for help when it's almost ending. But, Julie didn't reach out for help. Until the end, she believed it was Sam. I guess that's what makes me not feel connected to the character because I would've ended the phone call halfway through the story. The fear of going crazy and isolating myself will make me drop the call and wish for someone to help me. Additionally, the story itself, the phone call; just made it slower for Julie to move on. The plot wasn't it for me.
But damn, Sam's will to live hurts me soo much.
I'll be giving this a generous 2.75 stars because it made me smile, and mostly it's because of James, Mika and Oliver. The author has potential, and I will still give his future books a gamble.
TW: Death, Car Accident, Grief, Sexual Harassment (not by any known character), Bullying, and Racism (search it up for more specifics or correct TW as mine is what I thought is TW while I read it)
Good points:
It has potential. I was going through it negatively until it made me remember Sam and Julie are teens. Co-dependency was a mechanism for peer pressures, especially in school. How lonely it gets when there's no one beside to depend on while it seems like everybody has someone.
Some of the 'Before' had me smiling because I know those things happen when you want to impress someone. And I get why Julie only ever interact with Sam's family and friends as they're living in a small town, and again because they're teens. That's when I realized they don't develop when they're together.
I like Mika, James, and Oliver.
Bad points:
The phone call was supposed to be an unfinished business, the goodbye, but it turns out to be 'call me as if I'm not dead, so you look crazy.' But then, I let this one go because grief is something that could make you go crazy or nothing at all (I've been there). Julie was almost ready to move on, but the phone call happened. I thought it was closure, but it was a path Julie should not have taken because she depended on the phone calls to keep herself together. Yet again, I let this go because grief is a whole new level that people go through differently no matter how you know their story. After all, we're just looking from a third-person point of view.
Moreover, Sam kept answering Julie's calls because somehow he's still 'processing' that he's dead. It seems selfish for Sam to do this to Julie, but Sam abruptly lost his life and can't accept it that easily. And as they always do, they depend on each other. In conclusion, they're both humanely toxic for each other if grief isn't part of the context.
I can't seem to like the main characters.
Then, the reason I kept pacing back and forth, thinking what doesn't sit right while reading this is the execution of the plot itself. I get it. Contemporary with a dash of fantasy. But all this makes Julie look like she needs professional help as this coping mechanism is delusions or something like that. I've read and watched countless books and movies or shows that centre on grief, and mostly, it's illusions and how they asked for help when it's almost ending. But, Julie didn't reach out for help. Until the end, she believed it was Sam. I guess that's what makes me not feel connected to the character because I would've ended the phone call halfway through the story. The fear of going crazy and isolating myself will make me drop the call and wish for someone to help me. Additionally, the story itself, the phone call; just made it slower for Julie to move on. The plot wasn't it for me.
But damn, Sam's will to live hurts me soo much.
I'll be giving this a generous 2.75 stars because it made me smile, and mostly it's because of James, Mika and Oliver. The author has potential, and I will still give his future books a gamble.
TW: Death, Car Accident, Grief, Sexual Harassment (not by any known character), Bullying, and Racism (search it up for more specifics or correct TW as mine is what I thought is TW while I read it)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Grief, and Car accident
Moderate: Bullying
Minor: Sexual harassment
haley49's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
definitely made me cry so pick it up if you are in the mood to do so. I cried nearly every chapter—not always small tears but also some snot-nosed crys and a few weeping sessions. This book was such a powerful book on grief, the importance of a life, and moving on without forgetting. I’m tearing up thinking about it. I especially appreciated the metaphor of the phone calls to show the power of grief to isolate you and keep you from maintaining the important relationships you still have in this life. It really hurt but in a make you feel something worth feeling way.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Grief
Moderate: Bullying, Child death, Car accident, and Racism
Minor: Sexual harassment
quillify_'s review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
"You never said good-bye…”
“That’s because I never thought I had to…”
I was crying and it was two in the morning. I consider myself pretty unemotional at this point (I know, not very healthy of me). I don't think I even remembered how to cry but this book gave me a gentle nudge as a reminder. To be honest, I relate a lot to Julie. Like a lot. Not the losing your boyfriend part. But the part where she doesn't know what to do with her life. Where her plans fall apart despite all her efforts. When life disappoints her again and again. I always wondered how these characters in books always had their lives together by the end of the book when I couldn't even go through basic adulting tasks. Go to Ivy League Colleges when I can barely afford a trip abroad. So I'd like to thank Dustin Thao for this, for providing an honest, realistic portrayal of what it's like to be a human being in general. Clueless, floating, searching for some light in a swath of darkness. Often times, we don't know how life will pan out and that is terrifying for me. So it was really nice to see a character experiences the same grief and anxiety over what life offered her.
I deducted one star only because I feel that the timeline was too short. Asking people to move on one or two weeks after your loved one dying seems a bit callous.
I deducted one star only because I feel that the timeline was too short. Asking people to move on one or two weeks after your loved one dying seems a bit callous.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Car accident, and Death
Moderate: Racism
Minor: Sexual harassment
catorureads's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual harassment and Racism
lucychanning's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Racism, Sexual harassment, and Car accident
apersonfromflorida's review against another edition
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Minor: Sexual harassment
caseythereader's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Thanks to Wednesday Books for the free advance copy of this book.
- Well, you can probably tell from the summary above that this is the book to pick up if you want a good cry, and I can confirm that.
- YOU'VE REACHED SAM perfectly portrays all the confusing ways grief can manifest, ranging from anger to denial, pulling people closer and pushing people away.
- Personally, I don't mind books where the supernatural/magical elements aren't explained in any way: this is just a book that you have to accept the premise going in and simply follow where it takes you. It's worth it, I promise.
- Well, you can probably tell from the summary above that this is the book to pick up if you want a good cry, and I can confirm that.
- YOU'VE REACHED SAM perfectly portrays all the confusing ways grief can manifest, ranging from anger to denial, pulling people closer and pushing people away.
- Personally, I don't mind books where the supernatural/magical elements aren't explained in any way: this is just a book that you have to accept the premise going in and simply follow where it takes you. It's worth it, I promise.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Car accident, Child death, Death, and Grief
Moderate: Alcohol, Racism, Sexual harassment, and Violence
booksthatburn's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This is about teenage girl dealing with guilt, grief, and loss. She's struggling with how her ways of dealing with her grief keep not fitting in with her friends and classmates who are grieving the same person, but not all quite the same loss.
I kept thinking it was going to, at some point, explain how they were able to talk on the phone. The question was raised repeatedly, but Sam doesn't know and Julie never learns how or why it worked. I wish it hadn't felt like maybe the answer would appear, and I hope that anyone planning to read it can have a better experience from knowing not to wait for that reveal which never comes. Setting aside my longing for a literal answer, the way the connection manifested felt like it paralleled (and perhaps reinforced) the shape of Julie’s grief. That resonance was important and worked well in the story. It's very focused on her and her focus on Sam for much of the book, gradually showing more of her other connections and relationships as she's able to start thinking about people other than him and about things other than her loss. The change comes slowly enough to feel real and makes for a thoughtfully done and very poignant portrayal of grief.
I kept thinking it was going to, at some point, explain how they were able to talk on the phone. The question was raised repeatedly, but Sam doesn't know and Julie never learns how or why it worked. I wish it hadn't felt like maybe the answer would appear, and I hope that anyone planning to read it can have a better experience from knowing not to wait for that reveal which never comes. Setting aside my longing for a literal answer, the way the connection manifested felt like it paralleled (and perhaps reinforced) the shape of Julie’s grief. That resonance was important and worked well in the story. It's very focused on her and her focus on Sam for much of the book, gradually showing more of her other connections and relationships as she's able to start thinking about people other than him and about things other than her loss. The change comes slowly enough to feel real and makes for a thoughtfully done and very poignant portrayal of grief.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Racism, Violence, Alcohol, and Death
Minor: Ableism, Sexual harassment, and Toxic relationship
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