You’ve Reached Sam: A Novel Hardcover – November 9, 2021 by Dustin Thao

Description

Author: Thao Dustin

Package Dimensions: 26x218x350

Number Of Pages: 304

Release Date: 09-11-2021

Details: Product 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 a summer 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.

From School Library Journal

Gr 9 Up-When Sam dies in a car crash during his senior year of high school, his girlfriend, Julie, finds her life and the future plans they were supposed to share completely upended. She tries to forget Sam by avoiding his funeral and many memorials, and even goes as far as to throw away everything she had that was related to him. In a moment of desperation and regret, she dials his phone number, hoping to hear his voice on his outgoing message. But Sam answers the call. He is still dead, but because of a mysterious connection between their phones, they are able to speak to each other. As the story progresses, Julie buries her grief as she refuses to let go of Sam. It isn’t until she realizes that she is hurting her friends and Sam’s family by pulling away that she considers that the connection may not be entirely a good thing. Although an interesting exploration of grief, the slow pace and ambiguity of the situation, as well as the time it takes Julie to grow, make the story drag. Sam is Japanese, and cultural references and anti-Asian sentiment are incorporated deftly and sensitively. Secondary characters are diverse and unique, but there may have been too many for Thao to manage successfully. VERDICT While this is an interesting take on a person’s struggle to let go of a lost loved one, there are better examples of books dealing with grief. An additional purchase.-Erica Deb, Matawan Aberdeen P.L., NJα(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Review

“I knew full well that I was signing up for a tragic love story, and that’s exactly what I got. So now I am here to warn you: This book will absolutely make you cry. Make sure you’ve got a box of tissues handy, and I mean a full box. But if you are anything like me, you will not regret the time spent with this gorgeous story.” ―NPR.org”This young adult novel’s enthralling premise and gorgeous, manga-style cover art promise an emotional ride. Thao does not disappoint. You’ve Reached Sam punches directly in the chest during countless moments that hit right on target.” ―Associated Press “If you like your contemporaries with a tiny piece of magic, this emotional YA is perfect for you.” ―BuzzFeed “You’ve Reached Sam is a hauntingly remarkable debut. Dustin Thao gently weaves grief, regret, second chances, and the honestly beautiful moments we carry from a first love. Every tear you will shed reading this book will be worth it.” ―Julian Winters, award-winning author of Running With Lions”Thao skillfully marries a quiet, elegiac novel about grief with a provocative sf conceit. A poignant and moving read.” ―Booklist COSMO.COM, “The Best YA Books of 2021″”Have your tissues at the ready when you dive into Dustin Thao’s emotional novel You’ve Reached Sam.” ―PopSugar”…this debut novel will draw readers in and shatter their hearts in the best way.” ―Bulletin for the Center of Children’s Books”A heartfelt story about love, loss, and grief, Dustin Thao’s bittersweet novel You’ve Reached Sam will likely make you shed