You’ve Reached Sam is a beautifully written and heart-wrenching story about loss, grief, and the importance of moving on. Letting go of the person we love even the things we’ve become attached to is more challenging than we expect. The book explores the complexities of grief and the difficulty of letting go of someone you love.
I was sure I had this book shown on my TikTok page before and I made sure to grab it when I just happen to see it in the library. Though, I had already known it was going to be a sad love story but guess what? I’ve already read many sad books like All the Bright Places, Me before you….and I loved them. So, I didn’t hesitate a bit to give this book a chance and I had great expectations from it but did I enjoy it as much as I had expected?? Let me tell you through each section but first of all a short synopsis.
Short Synopsis
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 and desperate to hear him one more time, Julie calls Sam’s phone just to listen him one more time, Julie calls Sam’s phone just to listen to his voicemail 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?
Designing and Creativity
First and foremost, I would like to compliment the cover design of this book. It is beautifully aesthetic and pleasing to the eyes. I love the design. I love how it used webtoon art and illustration as a book cover rather than going for actual objects and pictures. And, I loved how the design extracted the essence of the story and settings in the book cover like cherry blossoms’ petals falling where there are two people connecting through a phone.
Just looking through the book cover, you get hints of what the book is going to be about and you can’t help but grab the book and look at its pretty aesthetic cover and be curious about what the story is all about. So, plus point for the creativity and design.
Characters
The characters in “You’ve Reached Sam” are well-developed and relatable.
Julie is a character that many readers will root for and empathize with as she navigates her way through the stages of grief. But, I didn’t. I felt that it was selfish of her by being unavailable to everyone.
I know, she is in great pain and still in shock about losing Sam in her life but I hoped at least she had tried to approach certain things in a different way. As she was the closest person to Sam, I expected great support from her but I ended up receiving negligence. Nevertheless, I have tried to understand her feelings till the end and am really happy with how she ended things.
Sam, while not physically present for most of the story, is a character that readers will feel connected to through Julie’s memories and phone calls. He is boyfriend material and was hopelessly in love with Julie. Sam has left a mark behind with his good personality and music. He was a soft guy with a good heart and a dependable guy with a sweet smile. Almost everyone in the town loved him so much that his loss created a huge hole in everyone’s heart.
Loved the Settings and Places
Out of everything, what I liked most was the settings and places in the book. The story takes place in a small town known as Ellensburg. It is not famous but it has its own beauty and uniqueness. It is a quiet place full of nature.
Cherry blooms in the spring, creating a light and romantic atmosphere. There is a vast field of barleys somewhere near the town and we see stars at the night. Though there is only one bookstore, people visit and show some love. There is a small café where Sam used to work. Imagining all these, I thought it would be nice to live in such place because I am big fan of small town and quiet places.
The way the author described everything in the book, I have already fallen in love with this town and I really liked the author chose such a place as the main setting in the book. It was perfect for this kind of story. It was romantic, peaceful and beautiful.
Typical but not-so-typical love story
I can say it is a typical love story. Julie has recently moved from her big city ‘Seattle’ to a small town ‘Ellensburg’ where everything is new to her. On another hand, Sam is a resident of Ellensburg since his childhood where everything is familiar to him.
Both of them are different in their own unique way having different perspectives towards things. They both first met in the bookstore then after in the café and slowly and eventually began to like each other. It is the same typical love story we have already seen in the movies or read in books.
But it is also not just a typical love story because the book explores the complex emotions that come with loss and the difficulty of letting go. The author delicately and beautifully portrays the pain that Julie and the other characters go through while dealing with the loss of Sam. The story definitely will leave you feeling an emotional rollercoaster as you experience the highs and lows of everyone’s journey.
Grief is different for all people
The novel is a reminder that grief is a journey, and everyone deals with it differently. We can’t really advise the person who has lost someone that they need to grieve in a certain way. As said by Julie’s mother, all people have different ways of grieving and it’s okay to grieve and take time to heal in your own way. Julie’s journey is unique, and the author portrays it in a way that is both relatable and thought-provoking.
The book touches on the theme of second chances. Julie is given a second chance to say goodbye to Sam, even if it’s just through his voicemail. Through this second chance, she is able to understand her feelings well and heal as time goes by.
Life is full of possibilities; we can’t keep dwelling in the past nor we can keep thinking about the future all the time. It is important to live in the moment and in present. Julie obviously takes a lot of time to heal and find happiness in her life without Sam being present but life goes on and Julie also needs to keep moving forward in her life.
As I’ve already said in my last post My Dreams Till Now || part 2, life goes on and we have to look forward, you got a life to live.
Forgetting the person we lost and loved
“You’ve reached Sam” shows us that we don’t have to forget all the things about the person we lost and we loved before. It is important to remember them in good memories where they don’t bring sadness but a smile to our faces. It teaches us about the importance of cherishing the time we have with our loved ones and letting go when we need to.
Julie at first wanted to forget all the things about Sam but she regrets doing so. We don’t actually have to try so hard to forget the memories but instead focus on letting go and remembering only good memories about that person. Holding on to things for too long can cause more pain than letting go. The author’s writing style has perfectly shown what happens when we hold on to someone way too much and has effectively captured the emotions of the characters.
Letting go isn’t about forgetting. It’s balancing moving forward with life, and looking back from time to time.
Conclusion after reading
Overall, “You’ve Reached Sam” is a must-read for anyone who has experienced loss or is struggling to let go of someone or something. The story is captivating, emotional, and thought-provoking, and it will stay with readers long after they’ve finished reading it.
It’s also a story of hope and healing. It shows us that it’s possible to move forward and find happiness again after experiencing loss. The book ends on a hopeful note, leaving readers feeling satisfied with the resolution of Julie’s story.
“You’ve Reached Sam” is a beautifully written and emotionally charged novel that will leave readers feeling moved and inspired. The story is a powerful reminder of the importance of letting go, cherishing the time we have with our loved ones, and finding hope in the face of loss.
Let’s Chat
Have you guys already read this emotionally heart-wrenching novel?? If yes, what are you thoughts on them? Let me in the comments….And, for those who haven’t, hopefully after reading this review, you would grab this book and again come here to share your experience.
