Hi everyone! Today I’m going to be reviewing You’ve Reached Sam by Dustin Thao.
Rating: ✯✯✯✯✯
You’ve Reached Sam follows the protagonist, Julie, dealing with the aftermath of her boyfriend’s death and struggling to come to term with it. When she phones him in a desperate bid to hear his voice one last time she is surprised when he picks up and their connection is reestablished. The problem is, this connection is only temporary – and she’ll have to say goodbye again at some point…
This book was the sort of book you stay up late to finish reading, which is always a good sign. I don’t think words can fully do justice to the things this book did to me but trust me when I say just read it. I finished this nearly two and a half weeks ago now and I’m still thinking about it… That’s how good it is.
Of course, the thing which made the book was definitely the phone calls. Reading Julie and Sam’s conversations was so bittersweet and I loved how obviously in love they were. Each of their calls was so precious, and I found myself longing for things to turn out differently, although of course the ending was always in sight and hanging over them.
Sam himself was also so wonderful. He was genuinely so sweet and the way he looked after Julie was honestly amazing, especially considering the circumstances. His surprises were everything and it was impossible not to sympathise with what he had to endure, as well as his tragic passing.
The friendship was also great. It was fantastic seeing how much Julie’s friends were there for her, and I loved their tightly knit group. One friendship which really stood out to me in particular was Julie and Oliver. Although they hadn’t been close before Sam’s death, the tragedy really brought them together, and I loved the way they supported each other. I also really loved the bond Julie and Sam’s cousin, Mika, shared, despite some difficulties early on. Overall the friendships were really lovely and definitely added to the book!
The character development was also amazing. Seeing Julie’s progress from the start to the end of the book was honestly incredible and it was great seeing how far she came. From not being able to deal with Sam’s death and pushing everyone away to learning to say goodbye and support and be supported by others, it was amazing. The character development was definitely one of the things which made this book so special!
Of course, I can’t end my review without mentioning the ending. It was so raw and heartfelt and honestly broke my heart a little. I hated that Julie and Sam had to say goodbye to each other and it was certainly very difficult to read. Their love story was honestly beautiful and I hated saying goodbye to it, although of course it was written beautifully.
Overall, I would recommend You’ve Reached Sam to anyone looking for a beautiful story with some really prevalent and important themes. I would also recommend this to any fan of contemporaries, as this was one of the best and most meaningful I’ve read in a while.
However, I would advise against reading this book too soon after losing a loved one, as I think this would be incredibly difficult to read.
Have you read You’ve Reached Sam yet? What did you think? Let me know in the comments!
I hope you enjoyed this review!
Ceri
Read And Review It 
This book sounds amazing. I have never heard of it but I will add it to my list. Thank you for sharing this review.
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It definitely is, I really recommend it! I hope you enjoy once you get to it, thank you so much for reading and commenting.
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I went into this book thinking it was going to really make me emotional and I would love the characters so much, but honestly, I was really disappointed
I never once felt sad or even felt sorry for them because I didn’t find them to be likable characters. And I felt like there were some plot holes too? But I know everyone has a different experience and this book is hyped for a reason! I’m glad so many other people love it and felt connected to it, even if I didn’t!
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I’m so sorry to hear that this book wasn’t for you! I sort of get where you’re coming from with the characters, it was definitely hard to sympathise with Julie at the beginning but I think her character really developed. Thank you so much for reading and commenting your thoughts!
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Just reading your review makes me feel a little emotional; the phone calls especially sound evocative and heart-felt! The promise of a sad ending also makes a book that much harder to read . . . Thanks for sharing!
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Aw I’m so glad to hear that! The phone calls were definitely the most emotional and bittersweet parts, I really loved them. Sad endings are definitely good too (at least for me, haha!) Thank you so much for reading and commenting.
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I love a book that is so captivating that it keeps you up late. Very promising indeed!
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Me too, I definitely think it’s a true sign of a good book! Thank you so much for reading and commenting.
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Brilliant review Ceri!!! This books sounds like a very nice and interesting read!!! Thank you for sharing!!!
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Thank you! It definitely is, I’d really recommend it. Thank you so much for reading and commenting.
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This sounds like a wonderful book Ceri. The way you describe the story reminds me a bit of the film Truly Madly Deeply that reduced me to floods of tears but was very uplifting.
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It really was! I haven’t watched Truly Madly before but I’ll have to watch it now, it sounds like something I’d really enjoy! Thank you so much for reading and commenting!
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Seems like very interesting and dramatic books.
Thanks for recommending..
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It definitely was! Thank you so much for reading and commenting.
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This feels like it has echoes of the film Truly, Madly, Deeply with Alan Rickman. That featured a dead partner returning to look after a grieving partner too. Wonderful review, Ceri, it’s clear how much of an impact the book had on you!
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Oh wow, that’s such a beautiful idea too – I haven’t watched Truly, Madly, Deeply before but I’ll definitely be looking out for it now! It truly did, thank you so much for reading and commenting.
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This sounds like a lovely book ! I appreciate stories such as these but I definitely need to be in a good space to read them. Thanks for sharing your great review.
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It definitely is, I’d really recommend them! Oh absolutely, you really have to be in the right mindset to read them. Thank you so much for reading and commenting!
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I love books that make you wanna stay up all night reading. Those are gems! I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed this book and gave it 5 stars. It sounds like an incredibly heartfelt and emotional story. Thank you for sharing!
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Yeah, they’re truly the best! I definitely really enjoyed it, it was such a beautiful yet bittersweet story and I’d really recommend it. Thank you so much for reading and commenting!
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While the books looks really good, it might be too sad for us.
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It definitely is! It’s not for everyone, thank you so much for reading and commenting.
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I had never heard of this book before but honestly, after reading your review, I really want to read it. Whilst it sounds like a sad story, I like that you found so many positives throughout too.
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I’m so glad to hear that I could bring it to your attention then! It’s definitely very emotional, but there are so many lovely aspects to it too. I really hope you enjoy it if you do end up reading, thank you so much for reading and commenting!
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I’m loving the sound of this book, I do love reading something raw and heartfelt from time to time! Thank you so sharing another amazing in-depth review. Xo
Elle – ellegracedeveson.com
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I’m so glad to hear that! Emotional and heartfelt books are definitely great. Thank you so much for reading and commenting xx
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I haven’t heard of this book before and you have shared a really great review! This isn’t my usual pick but it sounds interesting. Thank you for sharing.
Lauren – bournemouthgirl
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Ooh I’m so glad I could bring it to your attention then! I’d definitely recommend giving it a go, thank you so much for reading and commenting.
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Great review! I’ve been hearing so much about this book lately and it sounds like an amazing read!
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Thank you! It definitely is, I’d really recommend it – in my experience it really lives up to the hype! Thank you so much for reading and commenting.
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This book sounds really nice actually. Thank you for the warning about not watching it soon after losing someone, I might wait a little bit before reading it
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It definitely is! No worries at all, I wouldn’t want to trigger someone. Thank you so much for reading and commenting!
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Wow, this one sounds so bittersweet… definitely made me teary eyed without reading it.Thank you so much for sharing this lovely review, Ceri! I always look forward to reading your reviews ❤ Penny / http://www.whatdidshetype.com
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It definitely is, it’s such a sad yet beautiful story! Aw that means so much to me, thank you so much for reading and commenting ❤
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You’ve inspired me to add this book to my list. It sounds very good
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I’m so glad to hear that, I really hope you enjoy! Thank you so much for reading and commenting.
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I’ve not heard of this book before but it sounds really emotional and heart touching! Will add it to my TBR. Thank you for sharing!
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It definitely is! I really hope you enjoy it, thank you so much for reading and commenting.
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I think I read a chapter or two of this one last year… guess I need to pick it back up. Great review 🌹
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Ooh I’d really recommend it, I hope you enjoy it when you do! Thank you so much for reading and commenting ❤
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