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A review by themoonwholistens
You've Reached Sam by Dustin Thao
2.0
[Long review incoming]
*Thank you to the publisher -Wednesday Books- and the author -Dustin Thao- for sending me an ARC to review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*
You’ve Reached Sam is basically about the question “what if you get a chance to talk to someone who has already passed?”.
Like a lot of other reviewers, I'm sad to say that I was also disappointed as it didn’t really live up to my expectations of a mystical and, though heart-breaking, still a fulfilling read. It made me wish that they didn’t compare it to Kimi no Nawa because I think it ended up hurting this book more. I did still enjoy it for what it was but I found myself waiting for that drop of awe that never happened.
First things first, I’ve been seeing some reviewers label this as Ownvoices when it isn’t (which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, it’s just mislabeled). If I’m analyzing it correctly, Obayashi (Sam’s last name) is a Japanese name, even their other friend Yuki sounds Japanese and the author is Vietnamese. Based on other aspects of the story (cherry blossoms, anime, lanterns, the fact that he visited his grandparents in Japan, etc.) it was obvious to me that the author wanted to point out the Japanese inspirations in the story. Let’s not equate Ownvoices as something that a book needs to be in order to be considered good nor should it be used just because both the author and the character is Asian.
with that out of the way…
The best part about this book is Julie’s character arcs over losing and moving on from her first love. In my opinion, it was one of the best written character storylines (in terms of progression and what was tackled) revolving around grief that I have read in a while. With that said, it’s definitely a heavy read, especially in the beginning and you really feel the anguish and frustration that Julie is going through. My emotions were in sync with Julie’s, in a way.
But I was immensely disappointed by the Your Name/Kimi no Nawa comp because the only thing they had in common was that they both have a magical realism aspect (that wasn’t even similar in their mechanisms). Which is not enough, in my opinion, to say that this book is reminiscent of Your Name. I loved Your Name for the intensity and mystery of the fantasy that was given a *gasping-out-loud-while-crying-your-eyes-out* explanation by the end and the journey that we were on from BOTH characters' perspectives, which we didn’t really get here.
The romance in Your Name was effective in that we were able to slowly watch the connection build up between the characters before the heart-wrenching part happens (if you watched it, you know what i mean). Here it was kind of done the other way around and while I think the premise was really promising and interesting, I had a hard time feeling a connection to Sam and Julie like I did with the main characters in it’s anime comp.
Don’t get me wrong, I did end up crying in two distinct parts so I’m not saying that this made me feel like I had a heart of stone. It’s definitely still capable of bringing out feelings of sadness but maybe not enough. You know it's sad but you move on very easily from it like "yeah that was sad" and read on. Which I feel like should not be the goal? xD
There were more than a few parts that annoyed me. Given this is young adult, the immature scenarios and personalities are slightly understandable but i don’t think the “mean kids” and other “mean people” were flushed out or written very well. It honestly felt like they were just there to provide additional conflict when I think the book could have done without them or if their personalities were more subtle/nuanced/implied. It felt very “in your face” and I didn’t enjoy that. Especially since I don’t think that part of the plot was given proper closure either. There were certain plot decisions that i wasn’t happy about because they felt like cop outs. It added an aspect that did not match the atmosphere I was hoping for.
I did really love the development of Julie's friendship with the other characters. It was heart-warming to watch. Though I think too much was going on and a storyline such as this would have benefitted with less issues but were delved into more deeply.
The main problem that I feel like this book had was that the conflict was coming from too many different areas that the story had a hard time pulling that together at the end. I’m going to once again bring up Your Name since it’s everywhere in the promotion of this book and it’s hard not to compare it when they do that… but in that movie the characters are mostly fighting against this natural phenomenon and that’s really where the main conflict was. And although multiple conflicts isn’t necessarily a bad thing either, it needs to form a cohesive storyline that comes full circle in the end…. which was what Your Name was able to do successfully but this particular plot failed to see through, in my opinion.
Additionally, part of what made Kimi no Nawa so heartfelt is how unflinchingly set it was in Japanese culture. From the fantastical aspect, to behavioral patterns, setting, and character dynamics. It was easy to see the details and thought put into it that it added another layer of realism to the story. Which was another aspect that this book lacked since the most we got was Sam going to Japan a few times, mention of cherry blossoms, an Asian Film Club, and some lanterns… all of which didn’t really play that big of a part in the plot though it did somewhat do things for character development.
I’m being nitpicky here but I just naturally become one when I’m sent ARCs. There was a line that implied that songs about love weren’t good and it was never directly taken back by the character who said it even though it was sort of implied in a separate scene. Based on the message of the story, I don’t think that’s what the author meant to do but I hope they fix that in edits. I don’t know if I’m just a little more sensitive to the musical aspect because I’m a musician but that just left a bad taste in my mouth.
In a writing style standpoint, this had the magical realism aspect that Your Name has but as a reader, it lacked the connection and heart-fulfilling moments that I feel every time I watch Kimi no Nawa.
↣ Again, this is a heavy book that brings that mood with it a big part of the way through. So I suggest not reading this until you are in the mood for something more heavy-hearted and slow-paced. I do think this is the kind of book that can affect someone’s life if read at the right time and in the right circumstances. Just please stop comparing it to Your Name, I don't think they are anything alike. ↢
— 2.5 —
⇢ content warnings// Grief, Death, Physical Harassment
⤜ pre-read review ⤛
update: ARC has been secured
*Thank you to the publisher -Wednesday Books- and the author -Dustin Thao- for sending me an ARC to review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*
You’ve Reached Sam is basically about the question “what if you get a chance to talk to someone who has already passed?”.
Like a lot of other reviewers, I'm sad to say that I was also disappointed as it didn’t really live up to my expectations of a mystical and, though heart-breaking, still a fulfilling read. It made me wish that they didn’t compare it to Kimi no Nawa because I think it ended up hurting this book more. I did still enjoy it for what it was but I found myself waiting for that drop of awe that never happened.
First things first, I’ve been seeing some reviewers label this as Ownvoices when it isn’t (which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, it’s just mislabeled). If I’m analyzing it correctly, Obayashi (Sam’s last name) is a Japanese name, even their other friend Yuki sounds Japanese and the author is Vietnamese. Based on other aspects of the story (cherry blossoms, anime, lanterns, the fact that he visited his grandparents in Japan, etc.) it was obvious to me that the author wanted to point out the Japanese inspirations in the story. Let’s not equate Ownvoices as something that a book needs to be in order to be considered good nor should it be used just because both the author and the character is Asian.
with that out of the way…
The best part about this book is Julie’s character arcs over losing and moving on from her first love. In my opinion, it was one of the best written character storylines (in terms of progression and what was tackled) revolving around grief that I have read in a while. With that said, it’s definitely a heavy read, especially in the beginning and you really feel the anguish and frustration that Julie is going through. My emotions were in sync with Julie’s, in a way.
But I was immensely disappointed by the Your Name/Kimi no Nawa comp because the only thing they had in common was that they both have a magical realism aspect (that wasn’t even similar in their mechanisms). Which is not enough, in my opinion, to say that this book is reminiscent of Your Name. I loved Your Name for the intensity and mystery of the fantasy that was given a *gasping-out-loud-while-crying-your-eyes-out* explanation by the end and the journey that we were on from BOTH characters' perspectives, which we didn’t really get here.
“If the ending is this painful, I don’t know if this was worth it all.”
The romance in Your Name was effective in that we were able to slowly watch the connection build up between the characters before the heart-wrenching part happens (if you watched it, you know what i mean). Here it was kind of done the other way around and while I think the premise was really promising and interesting, I had a hard time feeling a connection to Sam and Julie like I did with the main characters in it’s anime comp.
Don’t get me wrong, I did end up crying in two distinct parts so I’m not saying that this made me feel like I had a heart of stone. It’s definitely still capable of bringing out feelings of sadness but maybe not enough. You know it's sad but you move on very easily from it like "yeah that was sad" and read on. Which I feel like should not be the goal? xD
There were more than a few parts that annoyed me. Given this is young adult, the immature scenarios and personalities are slightly understandable but i don’t think the “mean kids” and other “mean people” were flushed out or written very well. It honestly felt like they were just there to provide additional conflict when I think the book could have done without them or if their personalities were more subtle/nuanced/implied. It felt very “in your face” and I didn’t enjoy that. Especially since I don’t think that part of the plot was given proper closure either. There were certain plot decisions that i wasn’t happy about because they felt like cop outs. It added an aspect that did not match the atmosphere I was hoping for.
I did really love the development of Julie's friendship with the other characters. It was heart-warming to watch. Though I think too much was going on and a storyline such as this would have benefitted with less issues but were delved into more deeply.
The main problem that I feel like this book had was that the conflict was coming from too many different areas that the story had a hard time pulling that together at the end. I’m going to once again bring up Your Name since it’s everywhere in the promotion of this book and it’s hard not to compare it when they do that… but in that movie the characters are mostly fighting against this natural phenomenon and that’s really where the main conflict was. And although multiple conflicts isn’t necessarily a bad thing either, it needs to form a cohesive storyline that comes full circle in the end…. which was what Your Name was able to do successfully but this particular plot failed to see through, in my opinion.
Additionally, part of what made Kimi no Nawa so heartfelt is how unflinchingly set it was in Japanese culture. From the fantastical aspect, to behavioral patterns, setting, and character dynamics. It was easy to see the details and thought put into it that it added another layer of realism to the story. Which was another aspect that this book lacked since the most we got was Sam going to Japan a few times, mention of cherry blossoms, an Asian Film Club, and some lanterns… all of which didn’t really play that big of a part in the plot though it did somewhat do things for character development.
“Now I can’t wait to move on and make new memories with you. Just don’t forget the ones we made here.”
I’m being nitpicky here but I just naturally become one when I’m sent ARCs. There was a line that implied that songs about love weren’t good and it was never directly taken back by the character who said it even though it was sort of implied in a separate scene. Based on the message of the story, I don’t think that’s what the author meant to do but I hope they fix that in edits. I don’t know if I’m just a little more sensitive to the musical aspect because I’m a musician but that just left a bad taste in my mouth.
In a writing style standpoint, this had the magical realism aspect that Your Name has but as a reader, it lacked the connection and heart-fulfilling moments that I feel every time I watch Kimi no Nawa.
↣ Again, this is a heavy book that brings that mood with it a big part of the way through. So I suggest not reading this until you are in the mood for something more heavy-hearted and slow-paced. I do think this is the kind of book that can affect someone’s life if read at the right time and in the right circumstances. Just please stop comparing it to Your Name, I don't think they are anything alike. ↢
— 2.5 —
⇢ content warnings// Grief, Death, Physical Harassment
⤜ pre-read review ⤛
update: ARC has been secured