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You've Reached Sam: A Novel Hardcover – November 9, 2021

by Dustin Thao (Author)
4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 7,013 ratings
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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.

Seventeen-year-old Julie Clarke 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.

Heartbroken, Julie skips his funeral, throws out his belongings, and tries everything to forget him. But a message Sam left behind in her yearbook forces memories to return. Desperate to hear him one more time, Julie calls Sam's cell phone just to listen to his voice mail recording. And Sam picks up the phone.

The connection is temporary. But hearing Sam's voice makes Julie fall for him all over again and with each call, it becomes harder to let him go.

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

A 2021 Kids' Indie Next List Selection
A Cosmo.com Best YA Book Of 2021
A Buzzfeed Best Book Of November
A Goodreads Most Anticipated Book

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Previous page
  1. Reading age
    12 - 18 years
  2. Print length
    304 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Grade level
    7 - 9
  5. Dimensions
    5.8 x 1 x 8.55 inches
  6. Publisher
    Wednesday Books
  7. Publication date
    November 9, 2021
  8. ISBN-10
    1250762030
  9. ISBN-13
    978-1250762030
  10. See all details
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Popular Highlights in this book
What are popular highlights?
Previous page
  1. “Don’t worry,” Sam says. “I can make you another one. I can make you a thousand more.”
    Highlighted by 1,749 Kindle readers
  2. “We have too many voices inside our heads. You have to pick out the ones that mean something to you. What story do you want to tell?”
    Highlighted by 1,566 Kindle readers
  3. There’s a long silence before he finally answers this. He says, “I wanted to give us a chance to say good-bye.”
    Highlighted by 1,115 Kindle readers
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From the Publisher

You've Reached Sam Dustin Thao
You've Reached Sam Dustin Thao Buzzfeed
You've Reached Sam Dustin Thao Julian Winters quote

Editorial Reviews

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."
―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

“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

"If you like your contemporaries with a tiny piece of magic, this emotional YA is perfect for you." ―BuzzFeed

"Thao skillfully marries a quiet, elegiac novel about grief with a provocative sf conceit. A poignant and moving read." ―Booklist

"Have your tissues at the ready when you dive into Dustin Thao's emotional novel You've Reached Sam."
―PopSugar

"The writing is captivating and beautifully done, immediately drawing readers into imaginative and well-developed scenes. [A] beautifully written exploration of grief... You’ve Reached Sam is an impactful debut. The question at the center of the book and the paranormal premise combine to create a narrative full of heart." ―The Young Folks

"A heart-breaking story of grief and loss, You've Reached Sam is a YA magical realism read about healing and moving on." ―Young Adult Books Central

"...this debut novel will draw readers in and shatter their hearts in the best way." ―Bulletin of the Center for 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 some tears." ―Culturess

"A touch of magic, first love and loss, this is the story of romance and heartache." ―SheReads

"You’ve Reached Sam is a quiet exploration of grief and the ways in which we cope with losing the ones we love too soon. If you’re in need of a good, cathartic crying session, this one’s for you!" ―The Nerd Daily

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Wednesday Books (November 9, 2021)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 304 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1250762030
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1250762030
  • Reading age ‏ : ‎ 12 - 18 years
  • Grade level ‏ : ‎ 7 - 9
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 13.3 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.8 x 1 x 8.55 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 7,013 ratings

About the author

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Dustin Thao

Dustin Thao

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Dustin Thao is a Vietnamese American writer based in New York City. He graduated from Amherst College with a B.A. in Political Science, and is currently in a PhD program at Northwestern University where he studies critical media literacy. He writes contemporary fiction, and his debut novel You’ve Reached Sam is a New York Times and USA TODAY bestseller.

Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
4.3 out of 5
7,013 global ratings
“You called me, Julie. And I picked up. Like always.”
5 Stars
“You called me, Julie. And I picked up. Like always.”
There’s a long silence before he finally answers this. He says “I wanted to give us a chance to say good-bye.”This book is the most beautifully heartbreaking book I have ever read. And it is an incredible debut book. There was not a single chapter in this book that I was not crying in someway. Some were sad tears and then some were full on sobs.Julie and Sam are in their senior year of high school and have everything planned out for themselves but then the unexpected happens. And Sam dies. And Julie is left with her grief and trying to move foreword.But how do you when the person you want most is just a call away?“I missed you. I missed you infinity.”I personally think this book is a beautiful display of grief and self-forgiveness and picking up the pieces.I loved Sam, he was like a picture-perfect boyfriend and the first love everyone deserves.I loved Julie as well, she acts how I think lots of teenagers would through this kind of grief, and for some it may be annoying and inconsistent but she’s 17 she doesn’t need to be. And I think for me I can relate to that because a lot of how she reacts is how I think I might have reacted if I was in her shoes.“You called me, Julie. And I picked up. Like always.”If you are looking for a good therapeutic cry then this is a book that will do just that. This is a book that will stick with me and I will be rereading it I am sure through the years. I am looking forward to future books by this author.
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Top reviews from the United States

Bri
5.0 out of 5 stars This book will make you cry for hours
Reviewed in the United States on April 13, 2024
Verified Purchase
Don’t get it wrong I absolutely love this book with my whole heart but it’s most definitely the saddest book I have ever read. And I didn’t expect it because I am the person who never cry’s while reading books that people have claimed made them cry before but definitely know what you are getting yourself into before reading it
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Ayla💜
5.0 out of 5 stars 5 amazing stars
Reviewed in the United States on June 5, 2023
Verified Purchase
Best book I could’ve ever had the privilege of reading. Amazingly written, the emotional rollercoaster this book had me in. Every piece and inch of this book was just amazing. I love Sam so much, and it’s crazy how much I cherish that man. I’m in lost for words at how much I wanted this book to twist to a fantasy book where he time travels back in time and given the chance to live but this book is based on the real world, minus the extra time Julie gets with Sam. I think it’s something we all hope to get but can’t. It’s reality written in a way cuz we all hope to get the happy ending when there isn’t one we hope. Given the circumstance of the ending, and given it wasn’t a happy ending it was the close all these characters needed to move on. And moving on shouldn’t and isn’t forgetting about the person rather it’s about to continue living and and looking back at the fond memories and remembering them, even if for a few moments. I lost my brother, it’s been 16 years, and I don’t think about him often and when I do I remember all the good times I had with him, and yes there will always be pain along with that but it’s only fleeting never lasting. The good moments outweighs the bad ones. So I completely recommend this to anyone wanting to read something so raw and emotional especially inspirational book. I’m a reader who loves happy endings, I dislike when the mc’s don’t end up together but this ending couldn’t have been more perfect for both of them. Julie and Sam are soulmates and I believe In another life they got the happy ending they both planned to have. 💗💗
6 people found this helpful
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Patti D C
4.0 out of 5 stars Grief grief grief...
Reviewed in the United States on January 31, 2024
Verified Purchase
This is a charming look into a few ways of handling grief. While I hate the selfish way Julie handles her grief, she at least begins to learn from her peers (mainly her Asian peers). It's a poignant love story, often painful to read, but Dustin Thao's ability to develop characters and situations is superb.
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Hameedat
3.0 out of 5 stars It’s got potential.
Reviewed in the United States on March 10, 2024
Verified Purchase
I read this book a while ago, and I really liked the plot, however, it was poorly executed. I didn’t really like the main character and the story felt a rushed. It had some cliche scenes that would have been better if the author had delved into them. For example, we never really got to know about his family and how they were doing, just a scene where his brother ran away. I enjoyed reading the book, but I feel like it would be better if it wasn’t so rushed.
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Beccaslittlebooknook
5.0 out of 5 stars “You called me, Julie. And I picked up. Like always.”
Reviewed in the United States on March 17, 2022
Verified Purchase
There’s a long silence before he finally answers this. He says “I wanted to give us a chance to say good-bye.”

This book is the most beautifully heartbreaking book I have ever read. And it is an incredible debut book. There was not a single chapter in this book that I was not crying in someway. Some were sad tears and then some were full on sobs.

Julie and Sam are in their senior year of high school and have everything planned out for themselves but then the unexpected happens. And Sam dies. And Julie is left with her grief and trying to move foreword.

But how do you when the person you want most is just a call away?

“I missed you. I missed you infinity.”

I personally think this book is a beautiful display of grief and self-forgiveness and picking up the pieces.

I loved Sam, he was like a picture-perfect boyfriend and the first love everyone deserves.

I loved Julie as well, she acts how I think lots of teenagers would through this kind of grief, and for some it may be annoying and inconsistent but she’s 17 she doesn’t need to be. And I think for me I can relate to that because a lot of how she reacts is how I think I might have reacted if I was in her shoes.

“You called me, Julie. And I picked up. Like always.”

If you are looking for a good therapeutic cry then this is a book that will do just that. This is a book that will stick with me and I will be rereading it I am sure through the years. I am looking forward to future books by this author.
Customer image
Beccaslittlebooknook
5.0 out of 5 stars “You called me, Julie. And I picked up. Like always.”
Reviewed in the United States on March 17, 2022
There’s a long silence before he finally answers this. He says “I wanted to give us a chance to say good-bye.”

This book is the most beautifully heartbreaking book I have ever read. And it is an incredible debut book. There was not a single chapter in this book that I was not crying in someway. Some were sad tears and then some were full on sobs.

Julie and Sam are in their senior year of high school and have everything planned out for themselves but then the unexpected happens. And Sam dies. And Julie is left with her grief and trying to move foreword.

But how do you when the person you want most is just a call away?

“I missed you. I missed you infinity.”

I personally think this book is a beautiful display of grief and self-forgiveness and picking up the pieces.

I loved Sam, he was like a picture-perfect boyfriend and the first love everyone deserves.

I loved Julie as well, she acts how I think lots of teenagers would through this kind of grief, and for some it may be annoying and inconsistent but she’s 17 she doesn’t need to be. And I think for me I can relate to that because a lot of how she reacts is how I think I might have reacted if I was in her shoes.

“You called me, Julie. And I picked up. Like always.”

If you are looking for a good therapeutic cry then this is a book that will do just that. This is a book that will stick with me and I will be rereading it I am sure through the years. I am looking forward to future books by this author.
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Customer image
Customer image
7 people found this helpful
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Jessica
5.0 out of 5 stars I literally cannot.
Reviewed in the United States on September 22, 2023
Verified Purchase
I read the book in on setting, and my words won’t do any justice explaining the emotions I felt from beginning to end. While I’ve read hundreds of books in my life, this one honestly touched me the most. It hurt, and it made me feel something I’d never felt from a book or movie even. I couldn’t put it down and I honestly didn’t want it to end. But I was happy with the ending, while everyone wishes for the ending to be different, for him to come back, I wished it too… but the voicemail from him was my favorite part and it was the closure not only Julie needed, but closure that I needed as well. All in all, the book changed my life and I won’t be able to stop thinking about it.
4 people found this helpful
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Kriss Martin
5.0 out of 5 stars So Heartbreakingly Worth It
Reviewed in the United States on May 14, 2023
Verified Purchase
Let me first preface this short review by saying I lost my high school sweetheart at sixteen to a drunk driver, so naturally this book hit me harder than it would some people. It's been twelve years since then, so I've had time to heal and move on. But reading through Julie's story took me back to those first few months in the most elegant way possible.
I have not cried at a book in a very long time, but the way Thao goes about handling Julie's grieving process was so sensitively done, that most of the time I was reading, I was crying with Julie, and not as her.
I do not have the words to describe how gentle and beautifully done Julie's character arc is, nor how refreshing it was to not see someone's grief rushed or mocked. This book really scratches that itch of "What if I could talk to them one last time?" in the most satisfying way possible. If you're looking for a genuinely healing, wholesome book, or just a healthy cry, this is it. Even if you're not, I'd still recommend this book for a rainy day read with a comfy blanket and a cup of tea... and maybe a box of tissues.
4 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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Ashley
5.0 out of 5 stars A Beautiful, Heart Wrenching Masterpiece.
Reviewed in Canada on December 24, 2023
Verified Purchase
I thought I knew what I was getting into when I bought this book. But this book was much more than I would have ever expected. It was beautiful. And it brought out emotions in me I never thought a book could. I have read it twice since I received it and I would give anything to read it for the first time again. I cannot recommend this book enough.
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Urfavbook
5.0 out of 5 stars Muy lindo libro
Reviewed in Mexico on May 30, 2022
Verified Purchase
Esta muy lindo el libro, empecemos por las páginas, la calidad de las páginas, la portada del libro, simplemente es hermoso. Y la historia también es hermosa e interesante
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J.M
5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect, really!
Reviewed in Brazil on April 18, 2022
Verified Purchase
The book itself is so pretty, the cover has cherry blossom petals and it's so delicate. It's worth the hard cover.

But skipping to the storyline: please don't read it in public if you've a soft heart cuz from the page 1 until the end you'll be crying your eyes out, trust me. Even though it's a sad story, you still able to find comfort and feel love. I really rlly rlly recommend this book if u like me enjoy a good romance but not so cliche... plus ASIAN REPRESENTATIVE!!! ❤️❤️ Hoping for the author to writte more.
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Astin
5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing
Reviewed in Spain on April 23, 2024
Verified Purchase
I loved it so much. I don't kinda love the girl but I understand her... It was a hard time for her and everyone goes through these kind of things differently. I liked her. I cried and that was what I wanted it xd I think the length of the novel is excellent, it's not too short nor too long. I also liked the final. I highly recommend it.
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kadiyala himabindu
5.0 out of 5 stars Best choice you'll ever make
Reviewed in India on January 19, 2024
Verified Purchase
Okay... I wasn't sure about reading this coz it wasn't that known or popular and knew that it was a sad ending... And now I can say it's one of the best things I've read so far... I just love how it shatters my heart... One of the best books out there... If you want a heartfelt content then go for it!
2 people found this helpful
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