A review by quillify_
You've Reached Sam by Dustin Thao

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.
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