You've Reached Sam

You've Reached Sam broke my heart in the most beautiful way. Dustin Thao has crafted a tender, deeply emotional story about love, loss, and learning to let go. I found myself crying more than once as I followed Julie through her grief, clinging to the impossible but comforting connection she still had with Sam. Their phone calls felt like stolen moments of magic — heartbreaking, raw, and achingly real. This book reminded me that grief doesn’t follow rules and that healing doesn’t mean forgetting. It’s a poignant reminder to cherish the people we love and to hold on gently. I truly loved every page.

I don't really know how to start my review of "You've reached Sam". It deeply moved me because it deals with regret and guilt, loss and grief, but also with letting go of a loved one and trying to move on. Through Julie, we learn how difficult and unhealthy it is to cling to the past and that it's okay to say goodbye to what's happened. I felt so much for Julie and maybe even cried with her. It was bittersweet and left me with a lot to think about. In my opinion, Julie undergoes a wonderful transformation throughout the book. While I found her a bit unlikeable at the beginning, I understood her a little more with every page and loved her more too. I definitely wasn't ready for the ending; it was heartbreaking and honestly made me cry. What I really liked was that some chapters told the story from the time before Sam died. Thus, it was easy to understand the deep relationship the two had built over time. I read the book in English and found the writing style very pleasant and simple. I flew through the pages, and I could easily picture the small town of Ellensburg with its inhabitants, the high school, and the bookstore where Julie works. Overall, I have to say that I expected a little more from the book. But that might be because I'd heard so many good things about it on Bookstagram and therefore probably had overly high expectations. Nevertheless, I loved every page and I highly recommend it!