📱 You’ve reached Sam – Dustin Thao

💭 My Thoughts on This Read

I discovered this book thanks to a friend who kept talking about it with so much emotion. At first, I thought it was a supernatural story with a deep dive into grief. My curiosity was piqued, and when I finally got my hands on it, I was eager to read.

Before this book, I had never experienced the loss of a loved one. The only time I had seriously heard about grief was at school, through theoretical explanations of its stages. So, I started reading it with a certain emotional distance, trying to understand what Julie—the main character—was going through.

📖 A Moving Read, But Sometimes Frustrating

On one hand, I found the book portrayed the stages of grief very well: shock, denial, isolation, and that desperate need to cling to what remains of the person we lost. But when I first read it, I couldn’t fully understand Julie’s reactions. Her stubbornness, her refusal to let go, her obsession with Sam even after reconnecting with her loved ones… It all felt a bit too much at times. I struggled to relate to her and even found her behavior frustrating.

It wasn’t until I personally experienced a loss that I realized how accurately the author had portrayed that kind of pain. Now, I understand why Julie refused to let go of Sam, why she clung to those impossible phone calls. Accepting that someone you love will never come back is one of the hardest things in the world.

📚 A Raw and Honest Depiction of Grief

This book is deeply emotional and tackles a difficult topic with great sensitivity. It reminds us that grief is a deeply personal journey, and there's no "right" way to deal with loss. But it also shows that, with the right people around us, we can slowly start to find joy again. The pain doesn’t vanish, but it becomes more bearable, and over time, we learn to smile again.

⭐ My Conclusion

If you haven’t read this book yet, I highly recommend it. It’s a powerful story that will likely bring a few tears, but also offers a beautiful message about the importance of love, connection, and support during our darkest moments.

📢 And you, have you read this book? What did you think of it? 💬