You've Reached Sam by Dustin Thao - Restarting March 7th 2022

[Jenn]

If I Stay meets Your Name in this heartfelt novel about love, loss, and what it means to say goodbye.

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.

Heartbroken, Julie skips his funeral, throws out his things, and tries everything to forget him and the tragic way he died. But a message Sam left behind in her yearbook forces back memories. 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.

In a miraculous turn of events, Julie’s been given a second chance at goodbye. The connection is temporary. But hearing Sam’s voice makes her fall for him all over again, and with each call it becomes harder to let him go. However, keeping her otherworldly calls with Sam a secret isn’t easy, especially when Julie witnesses the suffering Sam’s family is going through. Unable to stand by the sidelines and watch their shared loved ones in pain, Julie is torn between spilling the truth about her calls with Sam and risking their connection and losing him forever.

[Katie]

Yikes...I'm behind on getting to this one! Maybe in a day or two??

[Dr. Andy]

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Date changed. Restarting September 5th 2021. Happy Reading ☺

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[Dr. Andy]

ch 2 (view spoiler)[ 🥲🥲🥲 this is so sad already. I feel so bad for Julie. I love the flashbacks of their relationship they were so cute 😭 (hide spoiler)]

Ch. 6 (view spoiler)[ Okay I wonder if the phone Julie has was switched somehow and that's how she's able to call Sam, but no one else can text/call her. Very strange. I am definitely enjoying the atmosphere and writing of this one but it's just SO SAD. (hide spoiler)]

[Katie]

I'll get caught up soon!!!! I hope this one is good! :)

[Katie]

Andy wrote: "ch 2 [spoilers removed]

Ch. 6 [spoilers removed]"


Reply to Chapter 2- I agree, (view spoiler)[ this is already so incredibly sad. In fact, I had to set it down for a couple of hours. I'm a teacher, and we lost a student last year in a car accident, and reading this book makes me think of his girlfriend and friends, and what they would give to have a chance to say goodbye to him. What a very powerful and interesting concept. I hope this book stay this good all the way through it because right now, I'm invested, and crying....

(hide spoiler)]

[Dr. Andy]

Katie wrote: "I'll get caught up soon!!!! I hope this one is good! :)"

It was very emotional and sad! I finished this morning and I am all feels.

[Katie]

Andy wrote: "ch 2 [spoilers removed]

Ch. 6 [spoilers removed]"

Oh, I didn't think of that with the phones! (view spoiler)[ I am intrigued why she isn't receiving other texts and calls.

I liked how chapter 6 hit on the feeling of guilt, and how Julie is struggling with "in only I would have done this differently..." This is so relatable.

This is SO. SO. SAD! (hide spoiler)]

[Katie]

Chapter 12- (view spoiler)[ Julie told Mika about the phone calls... and already the connection is getting weaker. (hide spoiler)]

[Katie]

Chapter 17- (view spoiler)[ Oh my gosh, I'm loving this. I'm so glad Julie gave up part of her phone conversation so Sam could have a moment with his younger brother. This is heartbreaking. (hide spoiler)]

[Dr. Andy]

ch 10 (view spoiler)[Julie really does need to start focusing on her friends who are still alive. I hate how she keeps pushing them away. Especially Mika I’m really worried about her. I feel like she might be suicidal and I’m worried (hide spoiler)]

Ch 14 (view spoiler)[poor Julie 😭 she really does not want to let him go. I hope she didn’t miss that festival for Tristan. Sam is right tho that she has to keep on living her life. I’m glad she shared the connection with Mika and their closer with each other now (hide spoiler)]

Finished (view spoiler)[Why has no one ever suggested grief counseling to Julie? She definitely needs help. But I'm glad she kept writing and finding ways to remember Sam while also living her life. (hide spoiler)]

[Dr. Andy]

Katie wrote: "Chapter 17- [spoilers removed]"

That scene was so heartbreaking and heartwarming at the same time :(

[Katie]

Andy wrote: "ch 10 [spoilers removed]

Ch 14 [spoilers removed]

Finished [spoilers removed]"

Reply to your finished spoiler- (view spoiler)[ Great point! Someone suggesting counseling to Julie would have actually been a very good thing to include in the book...I didn't even think of that. (hide spoiler)]

[Dr. Andy]

Katie wrote: "Andy wrote: "ch 10 [spoilers removed]

Ch 14 [spoilers removed]

Finished [spoilers removed]"

Reply to your finished spoiler- [spoilers removed]"

I'm always on the hunt for good therapy rep haha

[Jenn]

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Date changed. Restarting January 22nd 2022. Happy Reading ☺

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[Alina]

25%
(view spoiler)[ I'm not too sure how I feel about Julie but I feel bad for Mika.. I feel like she was a bit too harsh on her considering that she was also close to Sam.

I wonder what's up with her phone though..
(hide spoiler)]

[Karen]

Wasn’t sure if anyone was doing this still,but I might join in if I can finish what I’m currently reading quickly.

[Karen]

Opening few chapters make me wonder if this is really happening, or if she's imagining the interaction due to the guilt she seems to be feeling. The lack of detail about the build-up makes it hard to work out.

[Karen]

50% - the practical part of me is so frustrated by this. Also infuriating that nobody seems to be recognising the grief they’re all experiencing.

[Karen]

75% - growing sense of unease, and still so fed up that we don't find out what happened to Sam. Julie is definitely struggling to think of others, but it feels as if this is still fairly quick after the event. Time-scale is hard to gauge.

[Karen]

Alina wrote: "25%
I'm not too sure how I feel about Julie but I feel bad for Mika.. I feel like she was a bit too harsh on her considering that she was also close to Sam.

I wonder what's up with her phone tho..."

I wondered if the whole phone thing was in her head.

[Karen]

Finished. Review on home page.

[Julianne]

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Date changed. Restarting March 7th 2022. Happy Reading ☺

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[Connie]

Gonna start later today!

[Julianne]

Chapter 1 (view spoiler)[
Oh this is already such a sad one! Julie running back to her house in the hopes to save Sam's things really got me. But I'm really interested to see how these phone calls will go. (hide spoiler)]

[Julianne]

Chapter 5 (view spoiler)[ so since Julie started talking to Sam on the phone she hasn't been able to get regular calls or texts! I wonder what that's all about?

I liked this scene with Oliver and Julie though. How losing Sam let's them having a conversation they would have never had before. (hide spoiler)]

[Julianne]

Chapter 10 (view spoiler)[ I think Julie is starting to come to terms with everything. I really liked her scene with Oliver again, and then her telling Sam about it later.

I really hope she makes the decision to stop calling him by herself and not lose her phone or something (hide spoiler)]

[Julianne]

Chapter 14 (view spoiler)[ oh this chapter was all over the place but I liked it!! I liked Sam's little brother talking to Julie about how she's stealing Sam away from the family because that seems like such a little kid take.

I think she just realized at the end of this chapter that she has to let go of him even though she doesn't want to. (hide spoiler)]

[Julianne]

Finished! (view spoiler)[ Aw it was kind of bittersweet but still exactly what i expected. I liked that Sam admitted he answered because he wasn't ready to move on in the afterlife. And its nice to know that Julie is actually looking forward to college now even if it wasn't her first choice (hide spoiler)]