Reviews with content warning for Bullying - You've Reached Sam

Okay, I'm readying myself for all of booktok to come for me after reading this review (har har, I know I'm not cool enough for booktok to read my review).

I really, truly don't understand the hype with this book. After seeing countless mentions about it and how much it made everyone sob their eyes out, I couldn't wait to get my hands on it. I love when a book can make me cry, so I even went so far as to pick up this book while I was on my period. Is that TMI?? It might be, but hopefully, it puts things in perspective!

In case you didn't see where this is going: I didn't cry. I didn't so much as get glassy eyes or feel a prick in my forehead. There wasn't a single moment in this book that made me emotional in the slightest.

Maybe this was because of the way it started? It felt like I was launched into the middle of the story at the beginning, so I was majorly confused as to the timeline and what was happening. I couldn't differentiate between dreams, daydreams, memories, nightmares, and the present reality. Scenes would jump about and I'd quickly get lost trying to play catch-up on what was happening, rather than even really grasping the "emotions" of a chapter.

Then there's Sam. He confused me so much. His phone calls seemed like they were filled with nuance and yet none of it was ever explained. Why did he make such a huge emphasis on "I'll always pick up" and what was with all of his constant promises? He's dead! He can't fulfill that?! Also, it seemed like he would eventually explain how the call was happening - and he didn't. There seemed to be constant plot holes.

Julie was a bit of an asshole, so I didn't like her from the get-go. Sure, I get that she's grieving, but she treats absolutely everyone around her like crap and makes really cruel choices (like not even going to her boyfriend's funeral!!! Talk about a red flag). In addition to that, she takes up so much of her time on the phone with Sam just asking him how it's all happening. Okay, okay, so yes, finding out how on earth you're talking with your dead boyfriend is important, but maybe not as important as emphasizing how much you love him, how you'll care for his family, what you're doing to make him proud (oh wait, that's nothing because you're a little jerk who decided that no one else matters anymore).

Agh. I couldn't help but feel frustrated the entire time I was reading this book. I waited and hoped that I would miraculously sob in the final chapters, but those just left me feeling more dazed and confused. I wanted this book to be so much more.

Content Warnings

asparagusisreading's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful inspiring lighthearted sad tense 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

3.0

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, Wednesday Books, and the author, Dustin Thao, for sending me this e-arc copy of YOU'VE REACHED SAM to read and review.

TW + CW: strong grief themes, death mentioned and described on page, light bullying, car accident, racism
Rep: gay side character, numerous Asian characters (Japanese American, Vietnamese, and Thai)

YOU'VE REACHED SAM is a contemporary novel following seventeen year old Julie as she navigates her life and grief after her boyfriend, Sam, has recently died. She had everything in her future planned with Sam: attending college, spending time in Japan, and moving out of town but, his death has changed everything. Julie misses his funeral and vigils, she doesn't communicate much with those close to Sam, and tries to remove all memories of him from her life. However, she finds a note from Sam in her yearbook and decides to try calling him/listening to a voicemail again. Sam picks up. Now Julie has the opportunity to say goodbye but it's only temporary and neither know the risks they can take with the phone calls. As she continues calling Sam, Julie is witnessing how Sam's death has affected others and battling wanting to let others in on the secret but allowing them, and herself, to grieve.

I picked up YOU'VE REACHED SAM on Libby as an audiobook and dived right in without a second thought. Even though this book is about grief and learning to be on your own/grow after losing someone so important to you, I didn't cry until the last chapter. Anyways, this book hit in all of the right places. It was emotional, it was hopeful and inspiring, it was lighthearted and quick to get through,. I found myself growing attached to the characters, starting to grieve Sam, and feeling my heartache for the characters BUT it wasn't enough to get me fully emotionally attached. If it had just a little bit more of something, I think I would've been right there with the other readers that loved this. I also felt like the main female character Julie was selfish from the time during the flashbacks to current time, even with some of her character growth. She often did things on impulse without thinking about the feelings of others or the impending consequences. I can see how grief may change the choices of someone but it seemed she hadn't changed too much throughout the book. With that being said, I did enjoy reading about each of the characters grieving in their own ways and seeing them come together as they grieved.

Overall, this is a 3 star book for me. I found it very enjoyable and an emotional read, even if I didn't tear up until the last voicemail. I flew through it with hopes something positive would come out in the end and felt bits of my own grief coming to the surface.

Recommend? Yes but, only to those that feel emotionally ready to read a book with strong grief themes in it. I anticipate many readers having a hard time getting through this or crying a lot.

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kejianming's review against another edition

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dark emotional hopeful 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

3.75

i am a mess. a literal mess.

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nadinebean's review against another edition

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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

4.5

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mbichaela's review against another edition

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sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

ENG
ooh man, i cried A LOT. but i needed a good cry.

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betweentheshelves's review against another edition

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emotional 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 definitely a book that you need to be in the right mindset to read, becuase it is heavy. It's a close look at grief, specifically grief when someone young dies unexpectedly. Thao hits the nail on the head with the emotions throughout the book, with learning how to accept the tragedy and eventually move on from it.

One of the best aspects of this book is the way that Julie's friendships shift throughout the novel, keeping pace with her own struggles with her grief. Not only are Julie and Sam fully fleshed out characters, but so are their friends. And through their interactions, you can see how grief plays out differently for different people. The writing overall is effective and tugs at your heartstrings.

If you're looking for a YA that really takes a close look at grief and the overall process of grief, this is definitely the book you're looking for. Just maybe read something light and fun after you're done with this one.

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vaniavela's review against another edition

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emotional sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

You lose the love of your life and decide to dial their number one last time, hoping to record it correctly, just to hear their voice on voicemail.

But... they answer.

How is this possible?

Dustin Thao tells us the story of Sam and Julie in a charming non-chronological narrative: from the first meeting to the broken promises. Between dreams and memories, we are shown how Julie's journey to come to terms with her beloved's death after a car accident is altered when she discovers she can talk to him on the phone.

Let's start with the cover. It is simply beautiful. From the color palette, to the drawing of both, this book conveys the feeling of grief and sadness just by looking at the cover. Plus, the cherry blossoms make it even more beautiful and sad (especially because of their relevance in the story).

This book made me cry from the very first page. It should be noted, however, that this will not be the case for everyone. The narrative conveyed the emotions of the characters and made me not only part of the story, but allowed me to feel what the main characters felt. The dialogues between Sam and Julie, especially in the last chapters, devastated me.

I couldn't help but feel anger towards a lot of the characters because of their treatment of Julie. Although, I understand the need to write them into the story.

One of the elements I certainly would have liked to see more of is how the connection was possible, as it never really comes to be understood. I understand that the important thing was to show Julie's grief, but I couldn't help but be curious.

It was certainly a book that I identified with to some extent, because of personal experiences. I thank the author for writing it.

Content Warnings

fiwwa's review against another edition

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emotional 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

3.25

“You called me, Julie. And I picked up. Like always."

I attempted reading this book three times and each time I fell asleep before finally finishing it overnight. I thought that was the universe's way of telling me I wasn't prepared for the misery this book would bring. I mean, based on booktok and the synopsis, it seems promising: a melancholy book that will take two weeks to emotionally recover from, or will at the very least leave with you with a small sob. But here's the sad truth: it did not. I don't even need half an hour to recover because I feel... nothing.

Throughout the book, I felt like I was just reading about Julie, a girl who is lonely after her boyfriend dies and tries to escape reality but ends up ruining things around her. Well, she was in mourning. I know everyone has their own way of grieving and the accident happened so sudden it must've stunned her, so she hide from the real world, tossing Sam's belongings and skipping his funerals and any other ceremonies held in his honor. I understand that it's hard for her, and that she thinks nothing is right at the time, but I think she can't just escape from the truth that Sam is gone, that Sam can't be there with her anymore.

Now, about Sam, if I could simply have a call with him, I would like to ask, "What's the deal, exactly? Why would you even pick up the phone the first time? Why would you talk to Julie again if you know it will be hard for her to forget you? Why don't you just come to her dream and say goodbye if that's all you want?" I honestly don't see anything so special about Sam, I wonder what makes his friends adore him so much. Not that he's horrible or anything, it's just... again, I don't see anything special in him. His character feels flat to me.

Actually, it's not just Sam. Other characters are likewise bland and God, I even hate some of them. Except Oliver and Mika, Sam's friends suck. Blaming Julie when she was just trying to cope and have some time alone? It's an odd analogy, but even Elsa from Frozen didn't even show up to her parents' funeral??? They (Sam's friends) act as if a year has passed and Julie hasn't done anything good to Sam, yet it's only been a week. She needs a time of her own and she shouldn't even be apologizing for it.

Let's talk about the plot. [ Might contain spoiler so beware! ]

Uniqueness wise, I personally think it's original. I never read or heard a story about someone who calls her dead lover just to say goodbye. But even the only thing I admire from this book is a bit disappointing. After the story ends, I still don't get what the phone call was for. Sam said he will wait until Julie says goodbye, but when she said she doesn't a want a goodbye, he insisted. What's the point? Just don't call her then, you can say goodbye in her dream.

It's weird that Sam said that they have a 'special connection' when I don't see any at all. It feels like a high school love to me. When I read the scenes about them, all I can think about was "Oh, yeah. I could tell that they're dating." but not the type of "Oh my God!! They're so in love and they're so cute!" or the ones that makes me screaming behind my pillow. Maybe they do love each other, but from the plot, I couldn't see it.

There is one thing that I was looking forward to and expecting from the book, but it didn't appear at all. I'm hoping for a scene when

Julie attempts to call Sam's phone again after not picking up his call on purpose so that they can't talk to each other again, and all she get is "You've reached Sam, leave a message!", then she finally tries to let go

or something like that. Because even at the end, I can't see Julie has moved on from Sam. Not that she has to forget about him completely, but she has to live her life, she deserves to find love again even.

One other thing that I was expecting is a plot twist. My theory began when

Oliver starts talking to Julie, buying her ice cream, and taking her to the movie. I assumed he liked her, and that he and Sam also have that special connection that allows them to communicate on the phone, and that Sam somehow asked him to take care of Julie, which is why he's doing all of that. And in one of Sam and Julie's phone talks, Sam also assured Julie that she will be okay whoever she will end up with. But it turns out Oliver is gay.

So I put that theory out of my head. And I know for sure

Tristan has a feeling for Julie. The after party and the rose even introducing her to a professor he knew she would like?? It's obvious. I hope Julie would give him a chance or at least do something more to him since she met that music guy because of Tristan.

Lastly, there are so many unanswered questions like where is Sam exactly? Why is he doing this? Why does he doesn't want Julie to share his music? Why does he always unsure with his answers? What's with the limited calls when Sam said he would wait? What happened to Julie's phone? I thought Sam would answer those questions before the last call.

I can see this book is trying to be sad and emotional, it does give me emotions, but a temporary ones. I can still sleep in peace after reading this book and wake up like I wasn't reading anything sad. With all the hype this book brings, I really hoped it could be so much better.

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