While the book we will be focusing our discussion on today isn’t one that was read by my book club, it was recommended to me by one of my good friends who happens to be in our book club. She and I have similar tastes in what we enjoy reading, and she loaned me her copy of You’ve Reached Sam by Dustin Thao.
The story follows a young woman named Julie who is grieving the tragic and sudden loss of her boyfriend, Sam. They had been a couple throughout high school, only for Sam to pass shortly before their graduation, something they had both been looking forward to tremendously.
Julie, understandably, is not doing well in Sam’s absence, and she is conflicted in her grieving. She is torn between not wanting to let Sam’s memory fade and also wanting to find peace and begin to move forward again, and upon throwing away some of Sam’s personal items, she is suddenly struck by the idea of calling his cellphone, purely for sentimental purposes. She is aware he won’t pick up – except he does.
Julie struggles to understand how this connection is possible and finds herself not wanting to let him go, despite knowing he is already gone, making her grieving process all the more complicated.
I really wanted to love this book because the plot is so unique, but I had a hard time getting through it. A lot of the dialogue is repetitive and redundant, and while Julie and Sam’s story is beautiful, Julie’s character is a wee bit frustrating at times.
Normally, I would consider this book a rid, but I do think it contains an important message regarding how we all cope with grief and loss differently. It emphasizes how there is no right or wrong way to go about either, and for that reason, I will consider it a read.
Photo by Blaz Photo on Unsplash
ontheedgeofeverything 