Scan barcode
hello_lovely13's review
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
3.5
Less than 10 pages in, and I was already crying. This pulls at the heartstrings so completely that, for the first 100 pages, there was rarely a time I wasn't crying. Sam is so unbelievably sweet and it was heartbreaking that he wouldn't go on to live a full life. This was a great depiction of Julie going through her grief and learning to let go and move on while still remembering and holding a piece of Sam with her. The first 100 pages were so strong, and I was definitely hooked. For some reason, I wasn't as attached the next 2/3 of the book. It slightly changed directions at that point, and I think I was expecting a bit more from the actual calls, similar to those in the first third, instead of a closer focus on her current life. Of course, this makes absolute sense for the message of the book, and it was done well. I just wasn't as attached after this shift. I really liked the "before" chapters; I think the vignette suited it very well because we got to see Sam and Julie's relationship (as well as with some other characters) without it feeling forced. I wish we got to see more of Mika, especially after she discovered the truth and actually got to talk to Sam again . The final call with Sam wasn't exactly what I expected and didn't hit as hard as I expected it to, but Sam's voicemail definitely hit the mark . It was all very sweet and well done. I feel for each of the characters (except for Taylor and Liam, fuck them), but I won't be thinking of them often now that I've finished reading, which is why (along with my shift in attachment during the last 2/3 of the book) my rating is not more towards a 4 star, which it was in the beginning of the book. A lovely and heart-wrenching book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Car accident, and Death
Minor: Violence, Sexual harassment, and Racism
dramagirl2003's review against another edition
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
this book shows the importance of saying goodbye to those we love, and why it's important to find a way move forward without them
thoughts while reading
p40: what is going on?? like what??
p43: I don't care what sam says, this has to be a dream
p57: sam's family are probably gonna come back and find julie sleeping on his bed, and I'm really curious to read their reactions
p75: oh my gosh, sam must have done something to her phone! it's a ghost phone now! oh dear, i bet when oliver tries to text her it won't work and he'll be upset
p98: i predict that julie and oliver will end up together
p101: what did i say? as cool as it is that she gets to talk to sam, how much longer can she keep it up? basically she's gonna have to ignore everyone else for however long she keeps talking to him.
p102: wait, what if what oliver wants to say to sam is that he'll take care of julie for him. cause that would be sweet as heck, and back up my prediction that they end up together
p116: no! don't tell me she's missed the vigil again! mika will be heartbroken if she's missed it 💔
p130: mika has to be the most patient disappointed person ever. she's communicating her feelings to julie pretty well without being cruel
p135: i don't know whether to be proud or embarrassed that she's taking advantage of oliver's generosity like that
p153: prediction – sam knows that julie and oliver will end up together now that he's gone, and he's gonna find a way to push them together, like in Life As We Know It
p162: wow this makes sense now, no wonder oliver was so cold with julie when sam was alive
p215: oof, girlie has someone interested
p225: of course the lantern hovers in place, that makes so much sense
p281: oh gosh, help i'm gonna cry now.julie's gonna dial sam and he'll talk to james and then julie's gonna have to say goodbye 🥺
p289: i'm starting to think that maybejulie and oliver won't end up together after all. it probably wouldn't make sense for the plot
p292: no! don't tell me she figures out where sam is and meets him there to say goodbye! cause i will actually sob 💔
thoughts while reading
p40: what is going on?? like what??
p43: I don't care what sam says, this has to be a dream
p57: sam's family are probably gonna come back and find julie sleeping on his bed, and I'm really curious to read their reactions
p75: oh my gosh, sam must have done something to her phone! it's a ghost phone now! oh dear, i bet when oliver tries to text her it won't work and he'll be upset
p98: i predict that julie and oliver will end up together
p101: what did i say? as cool as it is that she gets to talk to sam, how much longer can she keep it up? basically she's gonna have to ignore everyone else for however long she keeps talking to him.
p102: wait, what if what oliver wants to say to sam is that he'll take care of julie for him. cause that would be sweet as heck, and back up my prediction that they end up together
p116: no! don't tell me she's missed the vigil again! mika will be heartbroken if she's missed it 💔
p130: mika has to be the most patient disappointed person ever. she's communicating her feelings to julie pretty well without being cruel
p135: i don't know whether to be proud or embarrassed that she's taking advantage of oliver's generosity like that
p153: prediction – sam knows that julie and oliver will end up together now that he's gone, and he's gonna find a way to push them together, like in Life As We Know It
p162: wow this makes sense now, no wonder oliver was so cold with julie when sam was alive
p215: oof, girlie has someone interested
p225: of course the lantern hovers in place, that makes so much sense
p281: oh gosh, help i'm gonna cry now.
p289: i'm starting to think that maybe
p292: no! don't tell me she figures out where sam is and meets him there to say goodbye! cause i will actually sob 💔
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Death, Car accident, and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Racism and Xenophobia
luluellis33's review
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Racism, Car accident, and Grief
lorepanda's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
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
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Death, and Car accident
Moderate: Racism and Bullying
Minor: Vomit
angeldevoursliterature's review against another edition
hopeful
lighthearted
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Unfortunately, I wasn't really invested as I progressed throughout the story and it's not as emotional as I was expecting. Some parts were well-written, and some just fell flat. I liked how it depicted the different ways people cope and deal with grief though. I just wish some parts and characters (especially Sam) were fleshed out more.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Car accident, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, and Death
Moderate: Bullying and Racism
mary_do_12's review
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
i’m embarrassed to say that i judged this book by its cover and i was wrong.
as beautiful as the cover was, the content was the most boring thing i’ve ever read.
seriously, the basic plot line had so much potential, but it was wasted. there was no tension, no suspense, nothing.
the characters felt like they had no personality, the events were predictable, and overall it felt like something i would’ve written in 4th grade.
all i can say is i’m happy to be through with it.
as beautiful as the cover was, the content was the most boring thing i’ve ever read.
seriously, the basic plot line had so much potential, but it was wasted. there was no tension, no suspense, nothing.
the characters felt like they had no personality, the events were predictable, and overall it felt like something i would’ve written in 4th grade.
all i can say is i’m happy to be through with it.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death and Racism
Minor: Bullying
bookswithmiche's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-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? Yes
3.0
ngl, the main character (julie) was pretty annoying :/
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death and Grief
Minor: Racism
missusfries's review
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I bawled like a baby. I won’t note any spoilers but the journey you go on with Julie is so heartbreakingly familiar, and the way grief is handled is so relatable I found myself mourning Sam myself.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief and Death
Moderate: Car accident
Minor: Racism
rubyduller's review
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, and Grief
Moderate: Car accident
Minor: Racism and Hate crime