Book Review: You've Reached Sam by Dustin Thao


 

**Disclaimer: I received a free electronic ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.**
Genre:  YA, Contemporary, Romance, Magical Realism
Release Date: November 2, 2021  
Description:
"If I Stay meets Your Name in Dustin Thao's You've Reached Sam, a heartfelt novel about love and loss and what it means to say goodbye.

How do you move forward when everything you love in on the line?

Seventeen-year-old Julie has her future all planned out—move out of her small town with her boyfriend Sam, attend college in the city, spend asummer in Japan. But then Sam dies. And everything changes. Desperate to hear his voice one more time, Julie calls Sam’s cellphone just to listen to his voicemail. And Sam picks up the phone.

What would you do if you had a second chance at goodbye?

Filled with a diverse cast of characters, the heartache of first love and loss, and the kind of friends that can get you through anything, plus a touch of magic, You've Reached Sam will make an instant connection with anyone looking for a big emotional romance of a read."

I wasn't the biggest fan of the "If I Stay" series, but I am a fan of the anime film "Your Name". Honestly, I would say that this book is a good blend of both sources because it incorporates the contemporary and YA atmosphere from the former and the fantasy/magical realism from the latter.

The central theme of this book was grief, how Julie and those surrounding her dealt with it. You can tell that the way Julie dealt with it frustrated her friends, especially when she starts talking to Sam on the phone. It does get frustrating at times as she practically throws her life away to cling to mysterious phone calls. I did wish it didn't take Julie so long to realize what she was doing wasn't healthy, but then again people deal with grief differently, especially with her circumstances. She was blinded by the hope of these phone calls and her excuses to hide it was not helping her case. Some people around her believed that she was the cause of Sam's death and that she doesn't care that he's dead because she never really showed that she cared (i.e. attending his funeral). Eventually, when Julie comes to realization, things do wrap up quite nicely. I'm glad that she was surrounded and guided by a good group of supporting friends.

Overall, if you did enjoy the "If I Stay" series and "Your Name", I believe you will enjoy this as well.

Overall rating:  3.25/5

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Book Review: Northranger by Rey Terciero, Bre Indigo (Illustrator)

Image
  **Disclaimer: I received a free electronic ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.** Genre:  Graphic Novel, YA, Romance, Contemporary, Horror, LGBT Release Date: June 6, 2023   Description: " In this swoony and spooky teen summer romance graphic novel set on a Texas ranch, sixteen-year-old Cade Muñoz finds himself falling for the ranch owner’s mysterious and handsome son, only to discover that he may be harboring a dangerous secret. Cade has always loved to escape into the world of a good horror movie. After all, horror movies are scary—but to Cade, a closeted queer Latino teen growing up in rural Texas—real life can be way scarier. When Cade is sent to spend the summer working as a ranch hand to help earn extra money for his family, he is horrified. Cade hates everything about the ranch, from the early mornings to the mountains of horse poop he has to clean up. The only silver lining is the company of the two teens who live there—in particular, the ruggedly handsom
Read more

Book Review: Kyle's Little Sister by BonHyung Jeong

Image
**Disclaimer: I received a free electronic ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.** Genre:  Graphic Novel Release Date: June 22, 2021   Description: " My name is Grace, not "Kyle's little sister!" Having a good-looking, friendly, outgoing older brother sucks—especially when you're the total opposite, someone who likes staying home and playing video games. Your parents like him better (even if they deny it!), and everyone calls you "Kyle's little sister" while looking disappointed that you're not more like him. I was really hoping I'd get to go to a different middle school, but no such luck. At least I have my friends...until he finds a way to ruin that, too...! Argh! What do I have to do to get out of his shadow?! " The art style worked really well with the story. The story itself was a good representation of middle school life, as friendships can become complex and fragile over the smallest things. Heck, I still see some
Read more

Book Review: Coral by Sara Ella

Image
**Disclaimer: I received a free electronic ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.** Genre: Fantasy, Retelling, Romance, YA Release Date: November 12, 2019  Description: "  There is more than one way to drown. Coral has always been different, standing out from her mermaid sisters in a society where blending in is key. Worse yet, she fears she has been afflicted with the dreaded Disease, said to be carried by humans—emotions. Can she face the darkness long enough to surface in the light? Above the sea, Brooke has nothing left to give. Depression and anxiety have left her feeling isolated. Forgotten. The only thing she can rely on is the numbness she finds within the cool and comforting ocean waves. If only she weren’t stuck at Fathoms—a new group therapy home that promises a second chance at life. But what’s the point of living if her soul is destined to bleed? Merrick may be San Francisco’s golden boy, but he wants nothing more than to escape his con
Read more