You've Reached Sam

September 1, 2021
Technology prevails over death, giving a teenage couple a second chance at goodbye. High school senior Julie is paralyzed with grief over her boyfriend Sam's death in a car accident. She avoids his funeral and throws away every reminder of him. They had planned to leave their small Pacific Northwest town together, and she now faces an uncertain and empty future. But one night she impulsively dials his cell, and, inexplicably, Sam answers. This is the first of many long conversations they have, neither understanding how or why this is happening but relishing the chance to say goodbye as they could not in life. However, Julie faces a difficult choice: whether or not to alleviate the pain of Sam's loved ones by allowing them to talk to him, though it could put their own connection at risk. Yet, letting go and moving on might be just what she needs. The emotional tenor of the book is even throughout, making the characters feel remote at times and flattening the impact of momentous events--such as Julie and Sam's first conversation--that are often buried in minor, day-in-the-life details. The time skips can also be difficult to follow. But the concept is a smart one and is sure to intrigue readers, especially those grappling with separation, loss, and mortality. Sam is cued as Japanese American; Julie defaults to White. A rambling tale about grief that will appeal to patient, sentimental readers. (Fiction. 13-18)

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September 15, 2021
Grades 9-12 Rocked by the death of her boyfriend, Sam, in a car accident, Julie's life is slowly disintegrating. So many of her dreams had included Sam and getting out of her tiny town. She's tried to cope by eliminating all traces of Sam from her life, like mix CDs and the clothes he'd left at her house. But even that doesn't make the pain go away. So at her absolute lowest, she dials the number to his voicemail box to hear him speak one more time. Only, Sam picks up. Together, they try to better understand the final hours of Sam's life and how both he and Julie can move on. Thao skillfully marries a quiet, elegiac novel about grief with a provocative sf conceit. Julie's emotions swing from guilt to anger to profound sorrow as she processes Sam's death, portraying her story with the delicate authenticity that it requires. Her conflict about whether to tell others about Sam's calls propels the story forward to a haunting, yet hopeful, resolution. A poignant and moving read.

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October 4, 2021
In Thao’s uneven debut, white high school senior and aspiring writer Julie Clarke must find a way to navigate her future after the death of her Japanese American boyfriend, Sam Obayashi, a big dreamer and music lover who died tragically one night while on his way to pick her up. After skipping his funeral and getting rid of most of his things in an attempt to move forward, she calls his phone one last time—and is stunned when he answers. Though Sam only knows that he’s “somewhere,” he is sure that if he ever calls Julie and she doesn’t pick up, their connection will end forever. Thao smartly keeps the logistics vague, effectively depicting Julie’s grieving process and her attempts to balance staying connected to Sam while being present for friends for whom his death is final—including Sam’s cousin Mika and best friend Oliver. While some secondary story lines—one exploring Julie’s mother’s paranoia and another involving Sam’s younger brother—are underdeveloped, the unique premise and authentic depiction of grief holds plenty of appeal. Ages 12–up. Agent: Thao Le, Sandra Dijkstra Literary.

November 1, 2021

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., NJ

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