“ ‘I’m here. Don’t worry,’ he assures me. ‘But I need you to say good-bye now. Okay? I need to hear you say the word.’

“ I swallow hard. The words come out cracked and broken. ‘Good-bye, Sam.’ 

“ ‘Good-bye Julie.’ “ (Thao 290).

Dustin Thao is Vietnamese American and has been writing since the age of 16. “You’ve Reached Sam” was his debut novel, and the only other book he has written so far is “When Haru Was Here”. 

“You’ve Reached Sam” is about Julie Clarke, a senior in highschool, who had everything planned out to the minute: get an apartment with her boyfriend, Sam; go to college in Portland; spend a summer in Japan. But all of that got ruined when Sam died. Julie tried her best to forget him and everything about him, but a message he left behind in her yearbook made the memories come back. In desperation, Julie called him, and was shocked when he answered. Julie got a second chance to end things well with Sam, to finally say good-bye. But with each call she fell more and more in love. She wasn’t sure she could ever let go of him.

Overall this book was very good and I would absolutely read it again. The tensions and emotions ran high throughout the novel. And you can truly feel Julie’s pain and anguish when Sam dies. 

Though I feel that the concept of how Sam is able to call Julie could be explained more, it is mysterious and a very interesting concept to read about. One thing that didn’t make sense to me was that James ran away because he thought Sam hated him, months after Sam’s death. It would have made more sense for this to happen earlier in the book, but I did like this twist. It was odd that after her phone broke at graduation, Julie drove around town looking for Sam. This scene felt very confusing and out of place. I don’t quite understand why she suddenly went looking for Sam when she knows that he is dead and she can only contact him through her phone. Another thing I noticed was that Yuki created the Asian Club just a few months before graduation. And the creation of the club doesn’t really serve an important purpose in the story. Personally, it would have been better if Thao had actually added the scene where they watched the movie and ate snacks together, or just not have added the club. I was really curious to see what happened to the CD Julie had sent to the band manager, but sadly there is no mention of this at the end. Last of all, the ending seemed very abrupt and too perfect. I wish it made me feel something stronger and that the last line was more powerful and memorable. 

Even though some things could be improved, the characters were very well written. Sam is my favorite, the author made him seem so caring and sweet (so much so that it seems sudden when James thinks that Sam hated him for breaking his microphone). Next I like Mika, she seems like a very cool and fun person. I especially liked the scenes where she fought Taylor and the drunk man at the pub. Julie is a good character most of the time, but in a few places I felt that she seemed a little self centered and unthoughtful. 

The emotions are so well written that I felt like I myself had lost Sam. The scene where she finishes the song for Sam is very sweet and I also love how he rents a telescope for her. Julie seems very sweet to his family, and I wish there was more interaction with them (such as a memory of a family dinner). And the part where she plays in the fort with James is so cute. 

Warning: The book does make you cry a bit. My eyes stayed watery as I read the first few chapters, but it is a wonderful novel and I totally recommend it! It makes you think more deeply on the concept of death, and it is sad to think that we don’t get a last phone call like Sam and Julie did, but reading this novel makes us more grateful for the life we already have. The novel also touches on the concept of forgiveness, for example, if Sam had forgiven James for being his mind he would have died on good terms. And if Julie had forgiven Sam for not picking her up on time she might have been able to save him. 

The theme of the book was that everyone touches the lives of some other person, and that is what we leave behind once we die. Julie realized that Sam had left his mark on her life, and as she drowned in her grief, she had hurt other people by ignoring them and isolating herself. 

“You’ve Reached Sam” is a novel about love, loss, and grief. It is beautifully written and such a unique idea. I am so glad to have read this book, it truly left a mark on my life.