You’ve Reached Sam by Dustin Thao (review)

High school senior Julie can’t imagine a future without long-term boyfriend Sam after he’s killed in an accident, but when she makes a desperate phone call to Sam’s number and somehow, he answers, Julie might not have to say good-bye after all. As the parted lovers spend hours on the phone daily, remembering their past and mourning their lost future, Sam pushes Julie to realize that she cannot cling to him forever, and what starts as a way to avoid grieving soon pushes Julie to move forward. Shifting fluidly between Julie’s memories, her calls with Sam, and her everyday struggles, this debut novel will draw readers in and shatter their hearts in the best way. Nothing unexpected happens plot wise, as Julie reconnects with friends, supports others in their grief, and finally finds a way to say good-bye, but the novel’s no less potent for the predictability. There’s also an endearing authenticity to Julie and Sam’s relationship that allows the reader to share in their romance and in their heartbreak when it ends yet again. The magical realism of the phone-based connection, meanwhile, serves both wish-fulfilling and lesson-teaching functions, as Julie realizes that the calls won’t bring Sam back. Various subplots slowly draw Julie back into the world while also offering up meaningful diversity, especially with the treatment of Sam’s Japanese heritage. This is just the ticket for readers who want something equal parts sweet and sad, as long as they’ve got tissues handy.