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You've Reached Sam #2
Olá, Fala o Oliver
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Readers' Favorite Young Adult Fiction (2025)Uma história de amor envolvente, sobre luto e perda, repleta de desejo, romance e um toque de magia. Do grande nome do YA, Dustin Thao.
Passou um ano desde que Sam morreu. Mesmo sabendo que não vai ter resposta, Oliver não consegue parar de mandar mensagens para o número do melhor amigo. Até que um dia, acidentalmente, faz uma chamada, e alguém atende.
A voz do outro lado não é a de Sam - o número foi reatribuído e Ben tem lido as mensagens vulneráveis de Oliver há meses.
A química entre eles é inegável e tudo parece perfeito. Até Oliver descobrir algo estranho que pode impedi-los de ficarem juntos...
Terna, sincera e romântica, esta história vai partir-te o coração e depois colar de novo todos os bocadinhos.
Os elogios da crí
«Uma história cativante e maravilhosamente escrita sobre saudade, destino e as infinitas possibilidades e versões do amor.»
Kathleen Glasgow, autora bestseller
Passou um ano desde que Sam morreu. Mesmo sabendo que não vai ter resposta, Oliver não consegue parar de mandar mensagens para o número do melhor amigo. Até que um dia, acidentalmente, faz uma chamada, e alguém atende.
A voz do outro lado não é a de Sam - o número foi reatribuído e Ben tem lido as mensagens vulneráveis de Oliver há meses.
A química entre eles é inegável e tudo parece perfeito. Até Oliver descobrir algo estranho que pode impedi-los de ficarem juntos...
Terna, sincera e romântica, esta história vai partir-te o coração e depois colar de novo todos os bocadinhos.
Os elogios da crí
«Uma história cativante e maravilhosamente escrita sobre saudade, destino e as infinitas possibilidades e versões do amor.»
Kathleen Glasgow, autora bestseller
350 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 30, 2025
About the author
Dustin Thao
4 books6,589 followersDustin Thao is a Vietnamese American writer based in New York City. He graduated from Amherst College with a B.A. in Political Science, and is currently in a PhD program at Northwestern University. He writes contemporary fiction, and his debut novel You’ve Reached Sam is a New York Times and USA Today bestseller.
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November 12, 2025Update: For those asking, You've Found Oliver is a standalone. While it is deeply connected to You've Reached Sam, they can be read in any order. Think of it as a "choose your own timeline". In fact, if you read OLIVER first, SAM will hit even harder.
Breaking news: Oliver and Julie are back for another heartbreaking adventure :) The world of YOU'VE REACHED SAM continues in this equally emotional story with a magical new twist. Yes, you will see all your favorite characters and where they are one year after Sam's death.
Hope you guys love the cover! I asked my publisher to give me Lover meets Evermore vibes and they definitely delivered.
Breaking news: Oliver and Julie are back for another heartbreaking adventure :) The world of YOU'VE REACHED SAM continues in this equally emotional story with a magical new twist. Yes, you will see all your favorite characters and where they are one year after Sam's death.
Hope you guys love the cover! I asked my publisher to give me Lover meets Evermore vibes and they definitely delivered.
October 19, 2025
Having loved "You've Reached Sam" and having mixed feelings about "When Haru Was Here" I entered this one with high expectations, and it did not disappoint.
This novel had a more lighthearted and uplifting vibe compared to the author’s previous works. While there were moments that brought a few tears to my eyes, the overall tone was much happier. Even though it tackled the complexities of grieving for someone you loved deeply and the intricate journey towards healing, the narrative felt more optimistic and hopeful.
The author has a remarkable ability to portray the variety of grieving experiences and how the healing process differs for everyone. The plot unfolded in a charming slice-of-life format, which I absolutely adore, showcasing characters as they tackle everyday challenges and navigate through life's ups and downs.
Oliver was such a relatable and likable protagonist; there wasn't a single moment when he irritated me. He embodied the characteristics of a fan-favorite side character who transitions beautifully into the lead role. I found myself rooting for him throughout the story. Ben was another standout character—caring, a true green flag, and charming. I appreciated his passion for the things he loved and how the author gradually revealed layers of his personality, which made him feel authentic and relatable.
Their relationship was delightful and healthy, filled with open communication and mutual respect. This is the kind of relationship dynamic I cherish most—where the couple navigates challenges together, supporting and uplifting one another.
However, I must admit that the ending left me a bit mad, prompting me to drop a star from my rating. I had an inkling that that would be the ending, cause it's typical for the author, and while I didn't hate it, I found myself wishing for a different one.
In conclusion, this book filled me with warmth and hope, leaving me with a sense of contentment that I truly loved despite the ending.
This novel had a more lighthearted and uplifting vibe compared to the author’s previous works. While there were moments that brought a few tears to my eyes, the overall tone was much happier. Even though it tackled the complexities of grieving for someone you loved deeply and the intricate journey towards healing, the narrative felt more optimistic and hopeful.
The author has a remarkable ability to portray the variety of grieving experiences and how the healing process differs for everyone. The plot unfolded in a charming slice-of-life format, which I absolutely adore, showcasing characters as they tackle everyday challenges and navigate through life's ups and downs.
Oliver was such a relatable and likable protagonist; there wasn't a single moment when he irritated me. He embodied the characteristics of a fan-favorite side character who transitions beautifully into the lead role. I found myself rooting for him throughout the story. Ben was another standout character—caring, a true green flag, and charming. I appreciated his passion for the things he loved and how the author gradually revealed layers of his personality, which made him feel authentic and relatable.
Their relationship was delightful and healthy, filled with open communication and mutual respect. This is the kind of relationship dynamic I cherish most—where the couple navigates challenges together, supporting and uplifting one another.
However, I must admit that the ending left me a bit mad, prompting me to drop a star from my rating. I had an inkling that that would be the ending, cause it's typical for the author, and while I didn't hate it, I found myself wishing for a different one.
In conclusion, this book filled me with warmth and hope, leaving me with a sense of contentment that I truly loved despite the ending.
August 9, 2025
Sometimes, time feels like it’s moving faster than I can catch up to it. Like everyone’s left on the train while I’m still standing at the platform, waiting.
You’ve Found Oliver isn’t just a sequel. It’s easily readable as a standalone and is literally You’ve Reached Sam meets When Haru was Here AND a glimpse of What Happens in Amsterdam. Plus, it’s the least heartbreaking of the three.
This cover is gorgeous and shows so well what this story is about. I feel I’m writing an extension on the review I wrote before this one about Abdi Nazemian’s Exquisite Things. Both stories are about love and how we perceive time, hold on to the nostalgia for what’s been, instead of living in the now, or even having dreams and move forward.
Oliver’s mind is constantly in the past, still with Sam, his best friend who he lost almost a year before. Time is moving on, and Oliver has to follow, but he somehow gets stuck while still texting Sam’s number, not having friends other than Sam’s girlfriend, Julie, and not knowing what to do in the future. Then he accidentally calls Sam’s number and Ben picks up.
Only when we stop trying to pin it down, does time begin to move in another direction.
I love Dustin Thao’s writing. It’s vivid and palpable, and I gobbled up the words and sentences. To be honest, though, for a while I felt this was a nice story, but nothing more. It’s not a full-on tearjerker. It even felt pretty light. But the more I read, the more I realized there was so much happening between the lines. And maybe that fits Oliver’s story so well. This story forces you to think deeper, to peel off the layers. When you just lose someone, you’re allowed to cry. But when time moves on, the people around you expect that you move on, too. You probably cry less, but that feeling in your chest when you see that person again, talk to them, hold them, doesn’t disappear that fast. But burying yourself in the past might also mean missing so much you’d love. Which means we need to let go. Oliver needs to let go even though it’s hard to do so. And, d*mn, that last part made me cry.
I’m learning a home is more than the house you live in. It’s something you make yourself. With the people you meet, the places you go.
If you’ve read this story, I want to talk to you about two things. I thought there were some mistakes related to traveling from one place to another. But now I think Dustin Thao did it on purpose.
And I really want to talk about that ending, especially to people from … I loved it so much! If you’ve read it, you know what I mean.
Thank you, Rafa from Penguin Random House International, for one of my most anticipated 2025 releases!
Follow me on Instagram
You’ve Found Oliver isn’t just a sequel. It’s easily readable as a standalone and is literally You’ve Reached Sam meets When Haru was Here AND a glimpse of What Happens in Amsterdam. Plus, it’s the least heartbreaking of the three.
This cover is gorgeous and shows so well what this story is about. I feel I’m writing an extension on the review I wrote before this one about Abdi Nazemian’s Exquisite Things. Both stories are about love and how we perceive time, hold on to the nostalgia for what’s been, instead of living in the now, or even having dreams and move forward.
Oliver’s mind is constantly in the past, still with Sam, his best friend who he lost almost a year before. Time is moving on, and Oliver has to follow, but he somehow gets stuck while still texting Sam’s number, not having friends other than Sam’s girlfriend, Julie, and not knowing what to do in the future. Then he accidentally calls Sam’s number and Ben picks up.
Only when we stop trying to pin it down, does time begin to move in another direction.
I love Dustin Thao’s writing. It’s vivid and palpable, and I gobbled up the words and sentences. To be honest, though, for a while I felt this was a nice story, but nothing more. It’s not a full-on tearjerker. It even felt pretty light. But the more I read, the more I realized there was so much happening between the lines. And maybe that fits Oliver’s story so well. This story forces you to think deeper, to peel off the layers. When you just lose someone, you’re allowed to cry. But when time moves on, the people around you expect that you move on, too. You probably cry less, but that feeling in your chest when you see that person again, talk to them, hold them, doesn’t disappear that fast. But burying yourself in the past might also mean missing so much you’d love. Which means we need to let go. Oliver needs to let go even though it’s hard to do so. And, d*mn, that last part made me cry.
I’m learning a home is more than the house you live in. It’s something you make yourself. With the people you meet, the places you go.
If you’ve read this story, I want to talk to you about two things. I thought there were some mistakes related to traveling from one place to another. But now I think Dustin Thao did it on purpose.
And I really want to talk about that ending, especially to people from … I loved it so much! If you’ve read it, you know what I mean.
Thank you, Rafa from Penguin Random House International, for one of my most anticipated 2025 releases!
Follow me on Instagram
October 7, 2025
gayness and sadness into one book was all i needed.
Want to Read
October 4, 2025i saw a hard cover special edition of this book but my mom literally said ‘i don’t want you reading stuff like that’ so online pdfs i go 💔
Want to Read
February 16, 2026gay. gay. gay. gay. need. read. now.
edit: reading this with gem for pride month this year 😼😼
edit: reading this with gem for pride month this year 😼😼
Want to Read
January 19, 2025Dustin Thao is going to make me cry again 😭😭
November 14, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review!
I really enjoyed this book! The plot was great, the characters were so fun, and the story was really entertaining.
Oliver was a great main character, he was so funny and entertaining to read about. He was such a great character, and kept being nice to people even if they treated him so badly.
Ben was such a great love interest too. I thought there was just so much chemistry between these two characters.
The story was very fun and cute. I definitely would recommend this book to anyone who wants a cute and supernatural romance. The story was quick paced and had me hooked most of the time, especially in the last half.
There were a few things that I thought were sort of left a loose ends that were left, I’m not gonna put them in this review because the book hasn’t come out yet, but I thought they probably could have been summed up in just a few more pages.
All in all, this book was really good, and I think you would definitely like it if you like You’ve Reached Sam.
I really enjoyed this book! The plot was great, the characters were so fun, and the story was really entertaining.
Oliver was a great main character, he was so funny and entertaining to read about. He was such a great character, and kept being nice to people even if they treated him so badly.
Ben was such a great love interest too. I thought there was just so much chemistry between these two characters.
The story was very fun and cute. I definitely would recommend this book to anyone who wants a cute and supernatural romance. The story was quick paced and had me hooked most of the time, especially in the last half.
There were a few things that I thought were sort of left a loose ends that were left, I’m not gonna put them in this review because the book hasn’t come out yet, but I thought they probably could have been summed up in just a few more pages.
All in all, this book was really good, and I think you would definitely like it if you like You’ve Reached Sam.
October 30, 2025
Thoughts
This may be an unpopular opinion but You've Reached Sam didn't need another book or sequel or whatever this was. I will read anything from this author but just leave that book alone please 😂 -- this book had its cute, emotional heartfelt moments but it just didn't hit the same way or as much as the first book and for THAT ending??? I know it's typically the author's style but what was the point... it makes me sad to give this 3 stars cause this author quickly became a favourite but here we are
Plot Summary
A year after losing his best friend Sam, Oliver still can’t stop texting his old number, even knowing no reply will ever come. As the anniversary looms, he slips and calls—only for a stranger to answer. Sam’s number has been reassigned, and Ben, an astronomy student in Seattle, has been receiving Oliver’s heartfelt messages for months.
What begins as an awkward mix-up turns into a connection neither expected, and when they meet in person, the chemistry is unmistakable. But just as things feel right, Oliver uncovers something unsettling that could pull them apart for good.
My Bookstagram
This may be an unpopular opinion but You've Reached Sam didn't need another book or sequel or whatever this was. I will read anything from this author but just leave that book alone please 😂 -- this book had its cute, emotional heartfelt moments but it just didn't hit the same way or as much as the first book and for THAT ending??? I know it's typically the author's style but what was the point... it makes me sad to give this 3 stars cause this author quickly became a favourite but here we are
Plot Summary
A year after losing his best friend Sam, Oliver still can’t stop texting his old number, even knowing no reply will ever come. As the anniversary looms, he slips and calls—only for a stranger to answer. Sam’s number has been reassigned, and Ben, an astronomy student in Seattle, has been receiving Oliver’s heartfelt messages for months.
What begins as an awkward mix-up turns into a connection neither expected, and when they meet in person, the chemistry is unmistakable. But just as things feel right, Oliver uncovers something unsettling that could pull them apart for good.
My Bookstagram
July 28, 2025
I was so happy to be back with these characters. another beautiful story by Dustin Thao. the ending made me feel the way the ending of 500 days of summer makes me feel & idk how to properly explain that lol
November 13, 2025
· · ─ ·✶· ─ · ·
╰› (⭐3.75)
⋆˚࿔ CAN'T CATCH ME NOW - OLIVIA RODRIGO ♬⋆.˚
⤷ ゛ ˎˊ˗ "𝗂'𝗆 𝗂𝗇 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗍𝗋𝖾𝖾𝗌, 𝗂'𝗆 𝗂𝗇 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖻𝗋𝖾𝖾𝗓𝖾,"
⋆｡°✩ 𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒍𝒍
aaaaahhhh okay i just want to begin this review by saying i literally started crying during the prologue... sooo...
MAKING ME SOB ON PAGE 1 IS EVIL, MR THAO.
this book is just so, so beautiful, and i don't even fully know what happened. i somehow binged this in one day??? girl... why do i do this to myself LOLLL
⤷ ゛ ˎˊ˗ "𝗆𝗒 𝖿𝗈𝗈𝗍𝗌𝗍𝖾𝗉𝗌 𝗈𝗇 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗀𝗋𝗈𝗎𝗇𝖽,"
⋆｡°✩ 𝒑𝒍𝒐𝒕
while this isn't the most heartbreaking of the author's works, it still hit my heart with a VERY targetted missile, and that's what dustin thao's books will consistently do to me 🥲
the plot in this one was a little slow towards the middle, but near the end it really sped up, which was honestly perfect for the emotional tension and rollercoaster that it dragged the reader on.
i'd say this is potentially the book i've liked the least by dustin thao - not that it's bad, or i disliked it! it just didn't completely destroy my mental state like his other two books did, and for that i am grateful... i don't think i could withstand another when haru was here 😭😭😭
⤷ ゛ ˎˊ˗ "𝗒𝗈𝗎'𝗅𝗅 𝗌𝖾𝖾 𝗆𝗒 𝖿𝖺𝖼𝖾 𝗂𝗇 𝖾𝗏𝖾𝗋𝗒 𝗉𝗅𝖺𝖼𝖾,"
⋆｡°✩ 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒔
𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳 ⭑.ᐟ 🌸
this guy omfgggg he's been going through so muchhhh don't EVEN START with me. omg the prologue and his little mini flashbacks... i'll start crying again omg
he was so relatable with how clingy he was to his friends and his mum cuz omfg me too. me too, buddy.
but sadly other than that, i didn't see that he had much of a personality. he was kinda just there.
𝘣𝘦𝘯 ⭑.ᐟ 🪐
UGH THE ENDING. UGH NOOOO NO NOOOO NO NO TELL ME HE'S JUST PRETENDING TO NOT REMEMBER... PLS 😭😭😭
ben was such a cutie omfgggg. the way he believed oliver even though lowkey i would've just assumed he was tweaking out. aughugrhfjdgh bennnn whyyyy 😭
unfortunately ben was also a little bit of a dry character in my opinion, and i do feel like the length of this book attributed to that - which i will forgive, because i think under 300 pages for the soul-crushing reads that dustin thao loves to put out for us is the perfect length.
⤷ ゛ ˎˊ˗ "𝖻𝗎𝗍 𝗒𝗈𝗎 𝖼𝖺𝗇'𝗍 𝖼𝖺𝗍𝖼𝗁 𝗆𝖾 𝗇𝗈𝗐."
⋆｡°✩ 𝒘𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈
again, the writing style is really simple and easy to digest, but i do think it had some improvements since you've reached sam - or from what little of it i can remember. i really was actually interested in the astronomy and philosophy aspects, which is an impressive feat to achieve - getting me interested in schoolwork lmao
⤷ ゛ ˎˊ˗ "𝗍𝗁𝗋𝗈𝗎𝗀𝗁 𝗐𝖺𝖽𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗀𝗋𝖺𝗌𝗌, 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗆𝗈𝗇𝗍𝗁𝗌 𝗐𝗂𝗅𝗅 𝗉𝖺𝗌𝗌,"
⋆｡°✩ 𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒍 𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒔
this is one of my most anticipated releases of the year, and i'm finally getting to it (over a month after its release... gulp) - i definitely think it was worth waiting for 🥹
also, dustin thao and alex aster being besties is so sweet to me omg <3
⤷ ゛ ˎˊ˗ "𝗒𝗈𝗎'𝗅𝗅 𝖿𝖾𝖾𝗅 𝗂𝗍 𝖺𝗅𝗅 𝖺𝗋𝗈𝗎𝗇𝖽."
· · ─ ·✶· ─ · ·
pre-release
wait wait wait PAUSE!!! NOBODY TOLD ME A NEW DUSTIN THAO BOOK IS COMING SOON??? 😀 (such a beautiful cover too… omg i need to reread you’ve reached sam now omg omg)
╰› (⭐3.75)
⋆˚࿔ CAN'T CATCH ME NOW - OLIVIA RODRIGO ♬⋆.˚
⤷ ゛ ˎˊ˗ "𝗂'𝗆 𝗂𝗇 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗍𝗋𝖾𝖾𝗌, 𝗂'𝗆 𝗂𝗇 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖻𝗋𝖾𝖾𝗓𝖾,"
⋆｡°✩ 𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒍𝒍
aaaaahhhh okay i just want to begin this review by saying i literally started crying during the prologue... sooo...
MAKING ME SOB ON PAGE 1 IS EVIL, MR THAO.
this book is just so, so beautiful, and i don't even fully know what happened. i somehow binged this in one day??? girl... why do i do this to myself LOLLL
⤷ ゛ ˎˊ˗ "𝗆𝗒 𝖿𝗈𝗈𝗍𝗌𝗍𝖾𝗉𝗌 𝗈𝗇 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗀𝗋𝗈𝗎𝗇𝖽,"
⋆｡°✩ 𝒑𝒍𝒐𝒕
while this isn't the most heartbreaking of the author's works, it still hit my heart with a VERY targetted missile, and that's what dustin thao's books will consistently do to me 🥲
the plot in this one was a little slow towards the middle, but near the end it really sped up, which was honestly perfect for the emotional tension and rollercoaster that it dragged the reader on.
i'd say this is potentially the book i've liked the least by dustin thao - not that it's bad, or i disliked it! it just didn't completely destroy my mental state like his other two books did, and for that i am grateful... i don't think i could withstand another when haru was here 😭😭😭
⤷ ゛ ˎˊ˗ "𝗒𝗈𝗎'𝗅𝗅 𝗌𝖾𝖾 𝗆𝗒 𝖿𝖺𝖼𝖾 𝗂𝗇 𝖾𝗏𝖾𝗋𝗒 𝗉𝗅𝖺𝖼𝖾,"
⋆｡°✩ 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒔
𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳 ⭑.ᐟ 🌸
this guy omfgggg he's been going through so muchhhh don't EVEN START with me. omg the prologue and his little mini flashbacks... i'll start crying again omg
he was so relatable with how clingy he was to his friends and his mum cuz omfg me too. me too, buddy.
but sadly other than that, i didn't see that he had much of a personality. he was kinda just there.
𝘣𝘦𝘯 ⭑.ᐟ 🪐
UGH THE ENDING. UGH NOOOO NO NOOOO NO NO TELL ME HE'S JUST PRETENDING TO NOT REMEMBER... PLS 😭😭😭
ben was such a cutie omfgggg. the way he believed oliver even though lowkey i would've just assumed he was tweaking out. aughugrhfjdgh bennnn whyyyy 😭
unfortunately ben was also a little bit of a dry character in my opinion, and i do feel like the length of this book attributed to that - which i will forgive, because i think under 300 pages for the soul-crushing reads that dustin thao loves to put out for us is the perfect length.
⤷ ゛ ˎˊ˗ "𝖻𝗎𝗍 𝗒𝗈𝗎 𝖼𝖺𝗇'𝗍 𝖼𝖺𝗍𝖼𝗁 𝗆𝖾 𝗇𝗈𝗐."
⋆｡°✩ 𝒘𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈
again, the writing style is really simple and easy to digest, but i do think it had some improvements since you've reached sam - or from what little of it i can remember. i really was actually interested in the astronomy and philosophy aspects, which is an impressive feat to achieve - getting me interested in schoolwork lmao
⤷ ゛ ˎˊ˗ "𝗍𝗁𝗋𝗈𝗎𝗀𝗁 𝗐𝖺𝖽𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗀𝗋𝖺𝗌𝗌, 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗆𝗈𝗇𝗍𝗁𝗌 𝗐𝗂𝗅𝗅 𝗉𝖺𝗌𝗌,"
⋆｡°✩ 𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒍 𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒔
this is one of my most anticipated releases of the year, and i'm finally getting to it (over a month after its release... gulp) - i definitely think it was worth waiting for 🥹
also, dustin thao and alex aster being besties is so sweet to me omg <3
⤷ ゛ ˎˊ˗ "𝗒𝗈𝗎'𝗅𝗅 𝖿𝖾𝖾𝗅 𝗂𝗍 𝖺𝗅𝗅 𝖺𝗋𝗈𝗎𝗇𝖽."
· · ─ ·✶· ─ · ·
pre-release
wait wait wait PAUSE!!! NOBODY TOLD ME A NEW DUSTIN THAO BOOK IS COMING SOON??? 😀 (such a beautiful cover too… omg i need to reread you’ve reached sam now omg omg)
July 16, 2025
I was a little apprehensive that this wouldn’t work as a standalone(I haven’t read You’ve Reached Sam), but it can definitely be read without the first book. I’m struggling to think what I can say about You’ve Found Oliver because it is one of those books best read without knowing anything about it.
It is a little sad, less than I was expecting it to be, very reflective if you let it be. It is a ya book but if you open your mind it can be meaningful and move you quite a lot. I was misty eyed by the end, I must admit. The writing is simple but good, really fast paced and can easily be read in one sitting.
I don’t know what else I can say without giving too much away.
Thank you Netgalley and Penguin Young Readers Group for the ARC.
It is a little sad, less than I was expecting it to be, very reflective if you let it be. It is a ya book but if you open your mind it can be meaningful and move you quite a lot. I was misty eyed by the end, I must admit. The writing is simple but good, really fast paced and can easily be read in one sitting.
I don’t know what else I can say without giving too much away.
Thank you Netgalley and Penguin Young Readers Group for the ARC.
December 31, 2025
oh my god
Currently Reading
September 29, 2025Pre-Review: Thank you to Net-Galley for the arc!!
Want to Read
June 23, 2025E-ARC generously provided by Dutton Books for Young Readers in exchange for an honest review. Thank you so much!
Bless the Read Now period this title had on Netgalley omg.
Curious about this one… I wonder if it’s a tearjerker like Thao’s other books 👀
Bless the Read Now period this title had on Netgalley omg.
Curious about this one… I wonder if it’s a tearjerker like Thao’s other books 👀
July 26, 2025
ESP:
*2.5*
Gracias netgalley por la copia avanzada!
Saben, estoy más triste de lo que me gustaría admitir.
A ver, yo adoro Has Llamado a Sam. Cuando Haru Estuvo Aquí no me gustó casi nada. Entonces, You've Found Oliver llega en un punto donde estoy 50-50 respecto al trabajo del autor. Y pues...
Esta es una novela compañera a Sam, donde seguimos a Oliver, su mejor amigo, quien lidia con su muerte mandándole mensajes de vez en cuando. A veces contándole cosas de su día a día como si nada hubiera pasada, otras atacado por el luto y por la pérdida. Hasta que un día estos mensajes son respondidos, no por Sam, pero por Ben, quien es el nuevo dueño del número. Y eso no es todo: estan separados en el tiempo, una diferencia de 6 meses los amenaza cuando empiezan a volverse más cercanos.
Yo he leído a Dustin Thao desde sus inicios (incluso antes amixes porque todas sus novelas las he podido leer en copias avanzadas) y siempre me he sentido atraído por sus conceptos. Las historías que plantea prometen bastante; son la combinación perfecta entre romance, sufrimiento, coming-of-age, toques especulativos. Una mezcla perfecta para mi. Pero, vez con vez, siempre termino decepcionado por su ejecución. Y con Oliver me volvió a pasar.
Se siente soso, incompleto en partes y flojo en otras. No me creí el romance, pues siento que el fuerte de Dustin Thao nunca ha sido elaborar en ese aspecto de los sentimientos de sus personajes. En el grief y el luto, hell yes, pero el resto siempre se queda corto, asi como su estilo de escritura. Es DEMASIADO sencillo para mi gusto. De hecho, se siente sin inspiración en ocasiones, pues son simples oraciones componiendo un parrafo. Cero elaborado y muy choppy.
Y ahí es donde radica mi problema: me encanta la idea del libro, pero mientras lo leía simpletemnte estaba meh . Nunca logró encantarme, pues desde un inicio estuve desconectado porque simplemente no logro encajar con como narra el autor. Oliver me parece, por falta e una mejor expresión, desangelado. Ben como interés amoroso tenía potencial, pero el romance se siente apresurado y sin mucha construcción. De hecho lo que más me gustó del libro es ver el punto de vista de Oliver respecto a Sam, y su dolor tras su perdida, pero cuando lo mejor del libro es lo que se menciona el protagonista del libro anterior es cuando sabes que hay un problema.
El tema de los 6 meses nunca termina de explorarse a profundidad. Más bien, no hay explicación. Queda mucho a la imaginación del lector y siento que tal vez esa fue una salida facil para el autor. El final final sí me gustó, porque siento que eso es algo que Dustin Thao siempre ha sabido hacer muy bien. Los últimos 2-3 capítulos de sus novelas eatttttt, pero en este caso no fue lo suficiente, porque el resto del libro se siento tan... plano.
Me gustó más que Haru (que digo, cualquier cosa me gustaría más que Haru porque de verdad ese libro no fue para mi) pero creo que he llegado al punto donde tengo que admitir que los libros de este autor no son para mi, lo cual ME DUELE PORQUE TIENE TODO PARA SER DE MIS FAVORITOS Y NADA MÁS NO DA.
Con este me despido del autor. Estoy seguro de que si releo Sam ahorita no me gustaría como antes, pero prefiero quedarme con el buen recuerdo de ese, y entender que fue la excepción, más no la regla.
ENG:
*2.5*
Thank you Netgalley and publisher for providing me with an advance copy to review!
You know what, I'm saddened that this didn't end up being better.
You've Found Oliver is a companion to You've Reached Sam, and this time we follow Oliver, Sam's best friend as he deals with his death by texting his old number, sometimes just to pretend that nothing has happened and other times overwhelmed by grief. One day this texts are answered, not by Sam but by Ben, the phone number's new owner. But something's amiss: they are separated by time, 6 months to be exact, something that will begin to threaten them as they grow closer.
I loved Sam, but I heavily disliked Dustin's sophomore novel, When Haru Was Here, so the odds were 50-50 when I started this one. And, in the end, I finished it feeling... whelmed. Not overwhelmed, nor underwhelmed. Just whelmed. And I think it was because it felt like such an anticlimatic ride from the beginning all the way to the end.
I've decided that Dustin Thao's books just aren't for me, which hurts me more that I would like to say, I love his ideas, the concepts of his books, the universes he creates, but the execution is always lacking. In this novel the romance feels baseless, the plot rushed, the concept of the mcs being separated by time unexplained and the character underdeveloped. Ben had lots of potential as a romantic interest but the author never dives deep enough in him to make me root for the romance. Oliver is very uninspiring as a lead and, actually, my favorite parts of the novel are the little scenes we get revolving around Oliver's grief towards Sam, and when the best part of the book are the very minimal sections of the last book's man character you know there's a problem.
I like the ending, that's something I always have enjoyed about Dustin's books. The last 2-3 chapters of his novels are very, very good, but it just wasn't enough to save this one. Because the whole book felt a little... too flat. His writing style doesn't help as well, as it is as simple as they come. Please give me something a little bit more stylistic! It feels too choppy and lacks emotion because of it.
I don't think I'll be reading anymore books by Dustin Thao. I ended up enjoying this a lot more than Haru (thankfully), but I keep having the same issues over and over again. I have a feeling that if I reread Sam I probably would not enjoy it as much, so I prefer to leave the good memories of that one as they are, but it has become crystal clear that that book was the exception and not the rule.
*2.5*
Gracias netgalley por la copia avanzada!
Saben, estoy más triste de lo que me gustaría admitir.
A ver, yo adoro Has Llamado a Sam. Cuando Haru Estuvo Aquí no me gustó casi nada. Entonces, You've Found Oliver llega en un punto donde estoy 50-50 respecto al trabajo del autor. Y pues...
Esta es una novela compañera a Sam, donde seguimos a Oliver, su mejor amigo, quien lidia con su muerte mandándole mensajes de vez en cuando. A veces contándole cosas de su día a día como si nada hubiera pasada, otras atacado por el luto y por la pérdida. Hasta que un día estos mensajes son respondidos, no por Sam, pero por Ben, quien es el nuevo dueño del número. Y eso no es todo: estan separados en el tiempo, una diferencia de 6 meses los amenaza cuando empiezan a volverse más cercanos.
Yo he leído a Dustin Thao desde sus inicios (incluso antes amixes porque todas sus novelas las he podido leer en copias avanzadas) y siempre me he sentido atraído por sus conceptos. Las historías que plantea prometen bastante; son la combinación perfecta entre romance, sufrimiento, coming-of-age, toques especulativos. Una mezcla perfecta para mi. Pero, vez con vez, siempre termino decepcionado por su ejecución. Y con Oliver me volvió a pasar.
Se siente soso, incompleto en partes y flojo en otras. No me creí el romance, pues siento que el fuerte de Dustin Thao nunca ha sido elaborar en ese aspecto de los sentimientos de sus personajes. En el grief y el luto, hell yes, pero el resto siempre se queda corto, asi como su estilo de escritura. Es DEMASIADO sencillo para mi gusto. De hecho, se siente sin inspiración en ocasiones, pues son simples oraciones componiendo un parrafo. Cero elaborado y muy choppy.
Y ahí es donde radica mi problema: me encanta la idea del libro, pero mientras lo leía simpletemnte estaba meh . Nunca logró encantarme, pues desde un inicio estuve desconectado porque simplemente no logro encajar con como narra el autor. Oliver me parece, por falta e una mejor expresión, desangelado. Ben como interés amoroso tenía potencial, pero el romance se siente apresurado y sin mucha construcción. De hecho lo que más me gustó del libro es ver el punto de vista de Oliver respecto a Sam, y su dolor tras su perdida, pero cuando lo mejor del libro es lo que se menciona el protagonista del libro anterior es cuando sabes que hay un problema.
El tema de los 6 meses nunca termina de explorarse a profundidad. Más bien, no hay explicación. Queda mucho a la imaginación del lector y siento que tal vez esa fue una salida facil para el autor. El final final sí me gustó, porque siento que eso es algo que Dustin Thao siempre ha sabido hacer muy bien. Los últimos 2-3 capítulos de sus novelas eatttttt, pero en este caso no fue lo suficiente, porque el resto del libro se siento tan... plano.
Me gustó más que Haru (que digo, cualquier cosa me gustaría más que Haru porque de verdad ese libro no fue para mi) pero creo que he llegado al punto donde tengo que admitir que los libros de este autor no son para mi, lo cual ME DUELE PORQUE TIENE TODO PARA SER DE MIS FAVORITOS Y NADA MÁS NO DA.
Con este me despido del autor. Estoy seguro de que si releo Sam ahorita no me gustaría como antes, pero prefiero quedarme con el buen recuerdo de ese, y entender que fue la excepción, más no la regla.
ENG:
*2.5*
Thank you Netgalley and publisher for providing me with an advance copy to review!
You know what, I'm saddened that this didn't end up being better.
You've Found Oliver is a companion to You've Reached Sam, and this time we follow Oliver, Sam's best friend as he deals with his death by texting his old number, sometimes just to pretend that nothing has happened and other times overwhelmed by grief. One day this texts are answered, not by Sam but by Ben, the phone number's new owner. But something's amiss: they are separated by time, 6 months to be exact, something that will begin to threaten them as they grow closer.
I loved Sam, but I heavily disliked Dustin's sophomore novel, When Haru Was Here, so the odds were 50-50 when I started this one. And, in the end, I finished it feeling... whelmed. Not overwhelmed, nor underwhelmed. Just whelmed. And I think it was because it felt like such an anticlimatic ride from the beginning all the way to the end.
I've decided that Dustin Thao's books just aren't for me, which hurts me more that I would like to say, I love his ideas, the concepts of his books, the universes he creates, but the execution is always lacking. In this novel the romance feels baseless, the plot rushed, the concept of the mcs being separated by time unexplained and the character underdeveloped. Ben had lots of potential as a romantic interest but the author never dives deep enough in him to make me root for the romance. Oliver is very uninspiring as a lead and, actually, my favorite parts of the novel are the little scenes we get revolving around Oliver's grief towards Sam, and when the best part of the book are the very minimal sections of the last book's man character you know there's a problem.
I like the ending, that's something I always have enjoyed about Dustin's books. The last 2-3 chapters of his novels are very, very good, but it just wasn't enough to save this one. Because the whole book felt a little... too flat. His writing style doesn't help as well, as it is as simple as they come. Please give me something a little bit more stylistic! It feels too choppy and lacks emotion because of it.
I don't think I'll be reading anymore books by Dustin Thao. I ended up enjoying this a lot more than Haru (thankfully), but I keep having the same issues over and over again. I have a feeling that if I reread Sam I probably would not enjoy it as much, so I prefer to leave the good memories of that one as they are, but it has become crystal clear that that book was the exception and not the rule.
October 11, 2025
You’ve Found Oliver is a novel steeped in tenderness, one that reaches instinctively for the emotional pulse of loss, memory and the complicated act of moving forward. it carries the unmistakable DNA of You’ve Reached Sam, in the sense that it has the same yearning for connection across the boundaries of time and grief, but filtered through a quieter, more introspective lens. it’s a book that understands emotion deeply, even if it doesn’t always articulate it with linguistic precision. my 4-star rating reflects that paradox: while the story stirred me profoundly, especially in its closing chapters, it fell just short of the luminous subtlety that made Dustin Thao’s debut unforgettable.
the emotional atmosphere of You’ve Found Oliver is its greatest triumph. from the very beginning, there’s a sense of stillness and of suspended time, as though every moment is cushioned in a soft melancholy. the writer crafts scenes that ache with understatement, particularly during the silence between words and the small gestures that carry immense meaning. by the time the novel reaches its conclusion, the emotion feels earned rather than engineered. the final chapters, in particular, shimmer with a quiet grace, as they capture the way grief transforms rather than ends and the way love persists in altered forms. it’s a novel that leaves you heavy-hearted, yet strangely soothed, as if you’ve been allowed to touch something raw and human and walk away unscathed.
and yet, for all that emotional precision, the prose itself often feels too plain. Dustin Thao’s writing in You’ve Reached Sam balanced simplicity with lyricism and a softness of tone that mirrored the fragility of its themes. in You’ve Found Oliver, however, that balance falters. the vocabulary is sparse, the syntax sometimes pedestrian and there are passages that feel as though they’re holding the reader’s hand too tightly, afraid of ambiguity. the story deserves a more daring language to match its depth, since it occasionally feels trapped within its own gentleness. there are moments when an emotional revelation arrives, but the phrasing doesn’t quite carry the weight it should. the feelings are immense, but the sentences can feel too light to hold them.
the fact You’ve Reached Sam is in my top 3 favorite books ever inevitably raised my expectations. that earlier novel felt almost alchemical: delicate yet devastating, a meditation on grief that trusted silence as much as speech. I came to You’ve Found Oliver hoping for that same alchemy, that same balance of heartbreak and transcendence. what I found instead was something more grounded, more cautious. it’s a story that understands emotion, but doesn’t quite surprise it into life. the echoes of Sam's absence are unmistakable, but where Sam felt like standing in the storm, Oliver feels like the morning after: gentle and reflective, but a little dimmer.
still, the thematic fabric of the novel is rich. Dustin Thao continues to explore the intersection of love and loss, but with a new emphasis on self-recognition, specifically how we reconstruct identity after the pieces of our past no longer fit. there’s also a subtle thread about forgiveness, both of others and oneself, that runs quietly beneath the narrative. the story suggests that healing isn’t a matter of forgetting, but of learning how to live alongside the ghost of what once was. in that sense, You’ve Found Oliver is less about romance than about reconciliation, not necessarily with another person, but with one’s own heart.
despite its stylistic limitations, the book’s emotional integrity is undeniable. it feels sincere in a way few contemporary romances do: not sentimental, but genuinely vulnerable. it doesn’t pretend to have the answers, but it simply inhabits the ache and lets it speak. while it may not reach the haunting perfection of You’ve Reached Sam, it offers a quieter, more human truth: that even imperfect words can still carry perfect feeling.
in the end, You’ve Found Oliver is a novel that may falter in language, but never in heart. its simplicity, though sometimes frustrating, also allows for honesty and its emotional core beats are steady and real. I didn’t find in it the same magic that made me love You’ve Reached Sam, but I did find something else, something more gentle, humble and deeply comforting. it’s a story that lingers not because of how it’s written, but because of how it feels and perhaps, in its own imperfect way, that’s what makes it worth remembering.
the emotional atmosphere of You’ve Found Oliver is its greatest triumph. from the very beginning, there’s a sense of stillness and of suspended time, as though every moment is cushioned in a soft melancholy. the writer crafts scenes that ache with understatement, particularly during the silence between words and the small gestures that carry immense meaning. by the time the novel reaches its conclusion, the emotion feels earned rather than engineered. the final chapters, in particular, shimmer with a quiet grace, as they capture the way grief transforms rather than ends and the way love persists in altered forms. it’s a novel that leaves you heavy-hearted, yet strangely soothed, as if you’ve been allowed to touch something raw and human and walk away unscathed.
and yet, for all that emotional precision, the prose itself often feels too plain. Dustin Thao’s writing in You’ve Reached Sam balanced simplicity with lyricism and a softness of tone that mirrored the fragility of its themes. in You’ve Found Oliver, however, that balance falters. the vocabulary is sparse, the syntax sometimes pedestrian and there are passages that feel as though they’re holding the reader’s hand too tightly, afraid of ambiguity. the story deserves a more daring language to match its depth, since it occasionally feels trapped within its own gentleness. there are moments when an emotional revelation arrives, but the phrasing doesn’t quite carry the weight it should. the feelings are immense, but the sentences can feel too light to hold them.
the fact You’ve Reached Sam is in my top 3 favorite books ever inevitably raised my expectations. that earlier novel felt almost alchemical: delicate yet devastating, a meditation on grief that trusted silence as much as speech. I came to You’ve Found Oliver hoping for that same alchemy, that same balance of heartbreak and transcendence. what I found instead was something more grounded, more cautious. it’s a story that understands emotion, but doesn’t quite surprise it into life. the echoes of Sam's absence are unmistakable, but where Sam felt like standing in the storm, Oliver feels like the morning after: gentle and reflective, but a little dimmer.
still, the thematic fabric of the novel is rich. Dustin Thao continues to explore the intersection of love and loss, but with a new emphasis on self-recognition, specifically how we reconstruct identity after the pieces of our past no longer fit. there’s also a subtle thread about forgiveness, both of others and oneself, that runs quietly beneath the narrative. the story suggests that healing isn’t a matter of forgetting, but of learning how to live alongside the ghost of what once was. in that sense, You’ve Found Oliver is less about romance than about reconciliation, not necessarily with another person, but with one’s own heart.
despite its stylistic limitations, the book’s emotional integrity is undeniable. it feels sincere in a way few contemporary romances do: not sentimental, but genuinely vulnerable. it doesn’t pretend to have the answers, but it simply inhabits the ache and lets it speak. while it may not reach the haunting perfection of You’ve Reached Sam, it offers a quieter, more human truth: that even imperfect words can still carry perfect feeling.
in the end, You’ve Found Oliver is a novel that may falter in language, but never in heart. its simplicity, though sometimes frustrating, also allows for honesty and its emotional core beats are steady and real. I didn’t find in it the same magic that made me love You’ve Reached Sam, but I did find something else, something more gentle, humble and deeply comforting. it’s a story that lingers not because of how it’s written, but because of how it feels and perhaps, in its own imperfect way, that’s what makes it worth remembering.
January 11, 2026
i love how dustin thao used the success of youve reached sam to push out his own gay agenda. these stories are getting a little repetitive though ngl, id like to see him branch out. 3.5
Read
July 5, 2025dnf @ 20%
this was... a pain. a new to me author that will most likely never be touched again. the writing is so ridiculously stunted and simple that it felt like i was reading bullet point summaries of the scenes, rather than the actual scenes themselves. after a few pages i told myself i'd give it until 30% in before throwing in the towel. around 20% i jumped to the end, saw that the resolution to everything wasn't worth this suffering, and decided to put the book down for good.
maybe someone else will like it. it reads more like middle grade than YA, but maybe some people don't mind that. maybe i'm just too picky! who knows. this just really wasn't it for me 😓
this was... a pain. a new to me author that will most likely never be touched again. the writing is so ridiculously stunted and simple that it felt like i was reading bullet point summaries of the scenes, rather than the actual scenes themselves. after a few pages i told myself i'd give it until 30% in before throwing in the towel. around 20% i jumped to the end, saw that the resolution to everything wasn't worth this suffering, and decided to put the book down for good.
maybe someone else will like it. it reads more like middle grade than YA, but maybe some people don't mind that. maybe i'm just too picky! who knows. this just really wasn't it for me 😓
December 29, 2025
A beautifully bittersweet companion that expands the world.
A year after Sam’s death, Oliver can’t stop texting Sam’s old number.
Until a stranger named Ben answers.
Their connection is gentle, hopeful and aching with the weight of loss and new beginnings.
A year after Sam’s death, Oliver can’t stop texting Sam’s old number.
Until a stranger named Ben answers.
Their connection is gentle, hopeful and aching with the weight of loss and new beginnings.
2025
November 26, 2025🏆🏆 2025 Goodreads Choice Awards | Finalists | Readers' Favorite Young Adult Fiction
🏆 2025 Goodreads Choice Awards | Opening Round Nominees | Readers' Favorite Young Adult Fiction
ANHPI TBR
Pride TBR
Valentine's Day TBR
📱 Thank you to NetGalley and Dutton Books for Young Readers
🏆 2025 Goodreads Choice Awards | Opening Round Nominees | Readers' Favorite Young Adult Fiction
ANHPI TBR
Pride TBR
Valentine's Day TBR
📱 Thank you to NetGalley and Dutton Books for Young Readers
October 27, 2025
3.75 star rating rounded up for Goodreads.
I enjoyed this book a little bit more than You've Reached Sam. It's probably because I have always preferred Oliver over Julie.
His and Ben's relationship was adorable. Very cute those two. I wasn't expecting the magical realism element. I'm not sure if that's a running theme in this author's work. However, I didn't mind it too much.
I have to say, though, I am not a huge fan of the author's writing style. It doesn't flow as seamlessly as it should, and some scenes ended a little too abruptly. I did enjoy Oliver's character development, yet some parts felt unfinished. Nonetheless, the ending was sweet, and in my mind, he got his happy ending.
I enjoyed this book a little bit more than You've Reached Sam. It's probably because I have always preferred Oliver over Julie.
His and Ben's relationship was adorable. Very cute those two. I wasn't expecting the magical realism element. I'm not sure if that's a running theme in this author's work. However, I didn't mind it too much.
I have to say, though, I am not a huge fan of the author's writing style. It doesn't flow as seamlessly as it should, and some scenes ended a little too abruptly. I did enjoy Oliver's character development, yet some parts felt unfinished. Nonetheless, the ending was sweet, and in my mind, he got his happy ending.
January 3, 2026
3.5 ⭐️
Another cute yet powerful story by Dustin Thao.
When Oliver loses his best friend and unrequited first love Sam, his life loses purpose. He begins studying at University but still texts Sam’s phone number regularly.
When he accidentally calls the number and someone answers, Oliver is shocked. When they text him and start up a conversation he is even more shocked. Maybe the universe has sent this person to him?
He and Ben begin chatting and even meeting up, but they soon realise something supernatural is at play.
Sometimes these books can be a little overboard on the sweetness, but this is my third book by the author so I know what to expect and am able to enjoy the book simply for what it is. A tale of hope, bravery and moving forward.
Another cute yet powerful story by Dustin Thao.
When Oliver loses his best friend and unrequited first love Sam, his life loses purpose. He begins studying at University but still texts Sam’s phone number regularly.
When he accidentally calls the number and someone answers, Oliver is shocked. When they text him and start up a conversation he is even more shocked. Maybe the universe has sent this person to him?
He and Ben begin chatting and even meeting up, but they soon realise something supernatural is at play.
Sometimes these books can be a little overboard on the sweetness, but this is my third book by the author so I know what to expect and am able to enjoy the book simply for what it is. A tale of hope, bravery and moving forward.
Want to Read
June 8, 2025OH MY GOD YES THERES MORE
Want to Read
September 30, 2025WHAT THE HELL, WHEN DID THIS COME OUT????
December 8, 2025
★★★ 3.5 STARS ★★★
💌 dustin thao clearly has a recurring theme with all of his love interests and i fall for it every time.
ִֶָ.ִֶָ. ..𓂃 ࣪ ִֶָ🪽་༘࿐ CONTENT WARNINGS. 🏹
💌 | age rating: 12+
language: none
spice: none, only kisses
tw: grief, domestic violence (brief), cheating, death of character (off page)
ִֶָ. ..𓂃 ࣪ ִֶָ🪽་༘࿐ CHARACTERS. 🏹
💌 oliver. | he's such an easily lovable main character. his fears and anxieties of julie moving after he lost sam and now her was very relatable, and i just need to hug this bb 🥺💕
💌 ben. | he's the kind of boy you see in dreams (literally!) well-educated astronomy major who speaks french AND has elite pop culture references?? yes PLEASE 🙏🙏
💌 supporting. | julie was such a supportive best friend in this, i adore her sm 🥹 i love how she's pursuing her author dreams and still honoring sam's memory. nolan, go screw yourself. leah was the cutest little kid. romy was so funny. mrs. clark definitely had the whole mr. anderson from perks of being a wallflower vibe. sam kobayashi, you have my heart forever.
ִֶָ. ..𓂃 ࣪ ִֶָ🪽་༘࿐ PLOT. 🏹
💌 | pros: the relationship dynamics were well-developed and believable. oliver's bonds with julie, ben, his family, and his interactions were realistic, and i did find myself rooting for him to find his happiness. the pop culture references were PEAK (amelie & umbrellas of cherbourg? this is MY kind of pretentious cinema!) i greatly enjoyed the whole idea of love being greater than the forces of time and space, although the execution felt more juvenile than profound.
💌 | cons: the writing style and some of the problems felt too juvenile for me, which is something i've definitely come across other reviews mentioning. it was cute, but it didn't have as much emotional impact as YRS (which was an extremely high bar to meet). the grandiose love declarations and alternate universes gave me flashbacks to pseudo-inspirational quotes i wrote in my high school musical fanfictions on wattpad at the tender age of 12, which didn't help 💀
ִֶָ. ..𓂃 ࣪ ִֶָ🪽་༘࿐ ROMANCE. 🏹
💌 | oliver and ben are sososo cute. every interaction between them is just precious. the fair was my favorite scene, especially when little leah took oliver's hand after he gave her ice cream 🥹🥹 if you've ever felt as if a moment was so perfect that you wanted to bottle it up forever, this book is full of those. when is a time traveller gonna slide into my DMs and fall in love with me @God 🤭🙏
ִֶָ. ..𓂃 ࣪ ִֶָ🪽་༘࿐ TL;DR. 🏹
💌 | a cute, quick read that'll fulfill your need for queer sadness, but still leaves much to be desired.
ִֶָ. ..𓂃 ࣪ ִֶָ🪽་༘࿐ 𝄞 PLAYLIST. 𝄞 🏹
💌 | 𝄞 ceilings (lizzy mcalpine)
𝄞 back to friends (sombr)
𝄞 heather (conan gray)
𝄞 can't catch me now (olivia rodrigo)
𝄞 halley's comet (billie eilish)
𝄞 suburban legends (taylor swift)
💌 dustin thao clearly has a recurring theme with all of his love interests and i fall for it every time.
ִֶָ.ִֶָ. ..𓂃 ࣪ ִֶָ🪽་༘࿐ CONTENT WARNINGS. 🏹
💌 | age rating: 12+
language: none
spice: none, only kisses
tw: grief, domestic violence (brief), cheating, death of character (off page)
ִֶָ. ..𓂃 ࣪ ִֶָ🪽་༘࿐ CHARACTERS. 🏹
💌 oliver. | he's such an easily lovable main character. his fears and anxieties of julie moving after he lost sam and now her was very relatable, and i just need to hug this bb 🥺💕
💌 ben. | he's the kind of boy you see in dreams (literally!) well-educated astronomy major who speaks french AND has elite pop culture references?? yes PLEASE 🙏🙏
💌 supporting. | julie was such a supportive best friend in this, i adore her sm 🥹 i love how she's pursuing her author dreams and still honoring sam's memory. nolan, go screw yourself. leah was the cutest little kid. romy was so funny. mrs. clark definitely had the whole mr. anderson from perks of being a wallflower vibe. sam kobayashi, you have my heart forever.
ִֶָ. ..𓂃 ࣪ ִֶָ🪽་༘࿐ PLOT. 🏹
💌 | pros: the relationship dynamics were well-developed and believable. oliver's bonds with julie, ben, his family, and his interactions were realistic, and i did find myself rooting for him to find his happiness. the pop culture references were PEAK (amelie & umbrellas of cherbourg? this is MY kind of pretentious cinema!) i greatly enjoyed the whole idea of love being greater than the forces of time and space, although the execution felt more juvenile than profound.
💌 | cons: the writing style and some of the problems felt too juvenile for me, which is something i've definitely come across other reviews mentioning. it was cute, but it didn't have as much emotional impact as YRS (which was an extremely high bar to meet). the grandiose love declarations and alternate universes gave me flashbacks to pseudo-inspirational quotes i wrote in my high school musical fanfictions on wattpad at the tender age of 12, which didn't help 💀
ִֶָ. ..𓂃 ࣪ ִֶָ🪽་༘࿐ ROMANCE. 🏹
💌 | oliver and ben are sososo cute. every interaction between them is just precious. the fair was my favorite scene, especially when little leah took oliver's hand after he gave her ice cream 🥹🥹 if you've ever felt as if a moment was so perfect that you wanted to bottle it up forever, this book is full of those. when is a time traveller gonna slide into my DMs and fall in love with me @God 🤭🙏
ִֶָ. ..𓂃 ࣪ ִֶָ🪽་༘࿐ TL;DR. 🏹
💌 | a cute, quick read that'll fulfill your need for queer sadness, but still leaves much to be desired.
"i hope he knows how strong my love is. i would search the universe, cross different timelines, just to catch another glimpse of him."
ִֶָ. ..𓂃 ࣪ ִֶָ🪽་༘࿐ 𝄞 PLAYLIST. 𝄞 🏹
💌 | 𝄞 ceilings (lizzy mcalpine)
𝄞 back to friends (sombr)
𝄞 heather (conan gray)
𝄞 can't catch me now (olivia rodrigo)
𝄞 halley's comet (billie eilish)
𝄞 suburban legends (taylor swift)
September 30, 2025
this one did NOT make me cry like YRC, which is actually a good thing bc another time travel magical realism (@ jeneva rose) to make me sob is probably would be too much for me rn
initially, i was slightly put off by the simple writing style here. these definitely don't read like college kids, and i don't know that they're the target audience either.
i was definitely pulled in by the debacle presented in this book, and it reads super fast! overall, im glad i got the opportunity to read it. it was sweet and fun, but not overly emotionally devastating.
**thank you to Penguin Teen for the ARC copy**
initially, i was slightly put off by the simple writing style here. these definitely don't read like college kids, and i don't know that they're the target audience either.
i was definitely pulled in by the debacle presented in this book, and it reads super fast! overall, im glad i got the opportunity to read it. it was sweet and fun, but not overly emotionally devastating.
**thank you to Penguin Teen for the ARC copy**
July 13, 2025
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for a honest review. This stunning sequel to you’ve reached sam tugs at all the heartstrings while making you feel warm and fuzzy inside. although this book is nowhere near as heartbreaking as you’ve reached sam i found it an interesting exploration of grief,healing, and the infinite possibilities of life. this book is the literal definition of i’ll find you in every lifetime. my only complaint is that the parallel universe part of this book isn’t really explained all that well but it definitely doesn’t take away anything from this book. i can’t wait for it to come out in the fall so everyone can experience it!! this author truly has no misses
February 6, 2026
dustin thao deals with grief in such a way that you can't help but feel comforted. oliver feels like a close personal friend I knew a lifetime ago, in a way. I'm rooting for him.
February 6, 2026
“Inhabited space transcends geometrical space”You’ve Found Oliver was very boring and a bit anticlimactic. I figured out what the plot twist was about 30% into the book, but I continued to embellish it, hoping for the twist to have a bigger impact later on. Unfortunately, I did all of that for nothing, and this book ended in the least gut-wrenching way possible.
“It’s actually been a while since I’ve seen it,” he says, scratching his head. “I think he dies of cancer and she marries someone else…You know what, maybe I’m thinking of The Notebook. Or do they both die in that, too?”I did not care about any of the characters, and I barely learned anything about them. All I really know is that Oliver needs therapy, like yesterday. Every other character, however, I have no real feelings for or opinions on.
“Rami, those are terrible examples.”
He frowns. “Sorry. I’m dyslexic.”
The mechanics of this plot were weak and barely held the book together. But I am not here to make a functional analysis of You’ve Found Oliver’s attempt at playing with I only want to put forth what I believe would have been a much better conclusion to this very lackluster book.
Rating: 1.5 stars
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