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A review by bookishflaneur
You've Reached Sam by Dustin Thao
hopeful
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? No
2.5
You've reached Sam was a YA book with so much nuance and discussion on its key themes of grief and growing up despite being an easy read with not very much plot. I think this book came to me a little late: it was a light young adult read that I think is really powerful in bringing difficult discussions to younger readers/romance readers etc.
The book follows a girl called Julie who is dealing with the loss of her boyfriend Sam, who died in a tragic car accident. She becomes closed off from her friends and family and from everyone who tries to reach out to her. Until she calls Sam's phone.. and he picks up. This element of fantasy is so intriguing and it was a really creative way to open up discussions of dealing with loss, and especially loss of love.
A big conversation in the book was the question of what Julie would do with her future, her college plans, how to move away and continue to grow up and grow as a person without the boy who had been her rock. The book doesnt really conclude anything and her future isnt replanned - but learning to be an adult doesnt come wiith carefully laid out timescales. Its about change and learning about yourself and about what you value and its never going to be predictable, and I think the book handles that really really well. Its a really good opening to a lot of discussions and to the sorts of themes that a lot of literary fiction books deal with without benig as graphic or devastating. It hurts but its a safe and comforting kind of hurt with the promise of being found and feeling better at the end and I think this would have been a really valuable read to me a few years ago - I would definitely recommend it.
The book follows a girl called Julie who is dealing with the loss of her boyfriend Sam, who died in a tragic car accident. She becomes closed off from her friends and family and from everyone who tries to reach out to her. Until she calls Sam's phone.. and he picks up. This element of fantasy is so intriguing and it was a really creative way to open up discussions of dealing with loss, and especially loss of love.
A big conversation in the book was the question of what Julie would do with her future, her college plans, how to move away and continue to grow up and grow as a person without the boy who had been her rock. The book doesnt really conclude anything and her future isnt replanned - but learning to be an adult doesnt come wiith carefully laid out timescales. Its about change and learning about yourself and about what you value and its never going to be predictable, and I think the book handles that really really well. Its a really good opening to a lot of discussions and to the sorts of themes that a lot of literary fiction books deal with without benig as graphic or devastating. It hurts but its a safe and comforting kind of hurt with the promise of being found and feeling better at the end and I think this would have been a really valuable read to me a few years ago - I would definitely recommend it.