You've Reached Sam
by Dustin Thao
★ Top 5 book of 2021 · #5 on Best Books of 2021
After her boyfriend Sam dies, seventeen-year-old Julie is lost in grief. When she calls his number just to hear his voicemail, he answers. These calls offer a second goodbye, but keeping them secret grows harder as she sees his family hurting.
Best for: Teen readers who enjoy emotional stories about grief, love, and saying goodbye
You've Reached Sam is #5 on BookWard's Best Books of 2021, out of 59 2021 books that cleared our data bar.
What You've Reached Sam is about
Seventeen-year-old Julie Clarke is a high school senior whose boyfriend, Sam Obayashi, dies in a car accident on his way to collect her. They had quarrelled that same night after he forgot her, and she ignored his later calls, so her grief arrives tangled up with guilt. She skips the funeral and throws away everything of his, hoping that forgetting will hurt less. Then she dials his number just to hear his recorded voice, and Sam answers. The conversations that follow take over her days, and her friends, schoolwork and family begin to slip away. Mika, who is Sam's cousin, and Oliver, Sam's best friend, are among those she is drifting from. Julie also has to weigh whether to tell Sam's family, knowing it could end the calls for good. A tender, bittersweet story about loss, regret and learning to let go, it suits readers who like young adult fiction that treats grief with care. It opens the You've Reached Sam series.
You've Reached Sam on the Best Books of 2021
You've Reached Sam came out in 2021. Of the 59 books first published in 2021 that met BookWard's data bar, it ranks #5 on our Best Books of 2021 list.
Why it made the list: 1,934 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4 out of 5 (82 ratings); 87 are reading it right now. The list ranks each year’s books on how many readers have picked them up, how highly readers rate them, and how many are reading them right now.
Nearby on the 2021 list
- Project Hail Mary Andy Weir, #3
- As Good as Dead Holly Jackson, #4
- Twisted Love Ana Huang, #6
- Hunting Adeline H. D. Carlton, #7
See all Best Books of 2021 Best books by year
More years: Best Books of 2020 Best Books of 2022.
The numbers behind it
- Readers: 1,769 want to read it, 87 are reading it now and 78 have read it, according to Open Library.
- Ratings: 4 out of 5 from 82 Open Library ratings.
| Signal | This book (0 to 100) | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Reach | 90 | 55% |
| Reader love | 71 | 25% |
| Being read right now | 88 | 20% |
Questions about You've Reached Sam
When was You've Reached Sam published?
You've Reached Sam by Dustin Thao was first published in 2021.
Was You've Reached Sam one of the best books of 2021?
You've Reached Sam is #5 on BookWard's Best Books of 2021, out of 59 2021 books that cleared our data bar. 1,934 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4 out of 5 (82 ratings); 87 are reading it right now.
Why is You've Reached Sam on the Best Books of 2021 list?
1,934 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4 out of 5 (82 ratings); 87 are reading it right now.
More of the best books of 2021
- The Love Hypothesis Ali Hazelwood, #1
- Twisted Games Ana Huang, #2
- Project Hail Mary Andy Weir, #3
- As Good as Dead Holly Jackson, #4
- Twisted Love Ana Huang, #6
- Hunting Adeline H. D. Carlton, #7
See the full Best Books of 2021, the Top 100, or new books on Rising.
How we know
This page uses public data: Open Library reader counts and ratings, and Wikipedia page views for recent years. The description is paraphrased from real source text. Rankings reflect reading interest, not quality or sales, and can be affected by data gaps. Lists update monthly.
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