This was a cute and quick read, but nothing super memorable. The bullying and the lack of empathy from the teacher regarding the assignment was odd. I liked the art style and the different color schemes used depending on the setting, but it was hard to follow at some points. I liked the sibling relationship between Haru and Goose; I also loved Haru and Yama's friendship. I will definitely read the next book in this series to see what happens next.

Haru by Joe Latham is an engaging and visually captivating graphic novel that blends themes of friendship, self-discovery, and a classic battle between good and evil. The story follows Haru, a small flightless bird, and their loyal friend Yama, a wild boar, as they embark on a perilous journey to rid their community of a dangerous artifact they’ve stumbled upon. While the plot may seem straightforward, the execution is anything but, creating a narrative that is both charming and unsettling in equal measure.

The art style is a standout feature of this book, with a cute and dreamy aesthetic that perfectly contrasts the darker, more ominous elements of the story. Latham’s use of color is especially noteworthy, effectively conveying mood and atmosphere throughout the novel. The visual juxtaposition of lightheartedness with more sinister undertones keeps the reader engaged, though it might be jarring for younger audiences who expect a simpler tale.

While the story touches on important themes such as bullying, betrayal, and the struggle with self-doubt, it often feels disjointed, leaving much unexplained. The world in which Haru and Yama live is intriguing but confusing, as the reader is left to wonder about the rules and logic governing this universe. This ambiguity may be a deliberate choice, given that this is the first installment in a series, but it can be frustrating when trying to grasp the broader context and the motivations of certain characters.

Despite these challenges, Haru succeeds in creating an emotional connection with its audience. The characters are relatable, and their journey is filled with moments of both tension and tenderness. The cliffhanger ending only heightens the anticipation for future volumes, where more of the story’s mysteries will hopefully be unraveled.

Haru is best suited for middle-grade readers who enjoy fantasy adventures with a bit of an edge, though its themes and artistic style can appeal to older readers as well. It’s a tale that, while sometimes confusing, holds the promise of deeper meaning and emotional resonance as the series progresses.

Thank you to NetGalley, Joe Latham, and Andrews McMeel for providing the ARC. Haru is a promising start to what could be a truly epic series.

This is a wonderful little story & one I know I would have appreciated reading when I was of the target age. The illustrations were wonderful & the plot was such a pleasure to work through.

Haru is a small blue bird who lives in the valley with their little brother, Goose and ghost mother. Haru and their best friend Yama long for adventure, while enduring ridicule and bullying at school. When Yama finds a cursed briar artifact, the friends discover it is not so easy to dispose of. They set out on a quest out of their safe valley to the faraway mysterious beacon hoping to find some answers there. Along the way they may find danger, friends, answers--and perhaps the adventure they are longing for. A really nice start to the story that might appeal to the Zita and Amulet crowd.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.

‘Haru: Book 1: Spring’ by Joe Latham is a graphic novel involving a quest between a bird and a boar.

Haru is a bird. Yama is a boar. When Yama finds a strange artifact with evil implications, he decides to take it away from The Valley. The two friends set off on a journey where they will encounter odd companions, traps and creatures that want to stop them.

The art is charming as are the character designs. The story and worldbuilding are fine so far but hopefully gain ground in future volumes.

My thanks to NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for an eARC of this book to read and review.

Yeah, this did NOT work for me. I echo the other reviewers who said that the pacing was off and having difficulty following the characters and the timeline of when things happened.

Also, the bullying was realistic, but the teacher was just completely IDIOTIC. I would HOPE that if there was bullying like that, that the teacher would, while maybe not understand what exactly was happening, might pick up that SOMEthing was causing the two students to be laughed at and that 'hey, maybe asking the students to talk about their home life isn't a GREAT idea and MAYBE I should have some understanding of what that home life actually IS before I pass judgment and say the kids are lying and didn't do the assignment.'

Also, the MCs didn't listen or trust wisdom, nor did they thank it for saving them, BUT they trusted creatures who were OBVIOUSLY lying, on more than one occasion, but trusted them ANYway. Dude, you deserve what you get.

I remember being super angry at the ending, but I can't recall any of it now. I guess my brain is trying to protect me from remembering it, but now I almost can't justify less than two stars for this.

I'm still going to go with one star, but not an angry one. The art wasn't horrible and I did like the sibling love, but the kids were not the brightest, though their home situation was tough (and made no sense, the mom was a ghost or something and dad wasn't there? IDK, it was weird. Maybe it's supposed to be symbolic, but it wasn't really explained.)

1, this was a bit too out there for me but YMMV, stars.

A whimsical fun adventure that reminds you what it is to feel magic. This is the kind of book that speaks to my inner child and I adored it!

The cutest story with adorable illustrations! To be honest I mostly read it because of the illustrations hahaha. I think kids would absolutely adore this amazing adventure!

This book ended up far more complex in it's structure and mythology than I would have guessed. It doesn't shy away from asking difficult questions or asking us to follow along down unusual paths.

Thank you to Andrews McMeel Publishing and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this graphic novel. Honestly, I did not understand this story at all. Perhaps it could have been because at the time my brain was in several different places or the story, I may never know but overall, the art was beautiful and may be lovely for discussion. Because of these points, I have to give this a 3 out of 5 stars

I'm a bit confused about what I just read. On one hand this is a story of growing up and friendship with themes like bullying and the classic mythic setting of getting rid of/returning a malevolent artifact which tries to get it's malicious ideas into the bearer's head; drawn in a style that is extremely cute and dreamy but also well fitting for the darker parts as well, and the palette is amazing.
On the other hand two things are really confusing. One of them is the high contrast between the lighthearted storyline of Haru and Yama (it has serious topics like bullying and betrayal but all of these are handled very lightly, fitting for the middle grade audience) and the storyline of the opposing evil entity which starts extremely abstract right at the beginning. I guess much of the confusion about the relations and intentions of this entity are due to this being a first installment in a series, but the level of abstractedness was challenging my comprehension as an adult.
The other part of the confusion relates to the setting, which is so confusing that most of the time I don't even know if it's supposed to be random, a world without rules or haphazard rules or actually supposed to make sense. I assume this would get clearer in later installments (the very least a confirmation if we need to look for rules at all or not) but it was a quite detaching experience that you can never know if something that looks strange for the reader is also strange for the characters, or just some of the characters, is it familiar or odd, is it common knowledge or a secret, etc. Often it made me more frustrated than interested.
But I'm conflicted about my opinion because some parts are really touching and I hope that everything that looks detached at the moment will conclude into an epic web of meaning and emotion by the end of the series (I hope for a similar arc like how e.g. Over the Garden Wall is built).

Thank you NetGalley, the artist and the publisher for providing the ARC. Opinions are my own.

Imagine The Fellowship of the Ring with cute critters instead of hobbits, and you've got this intriguing fantasy graphic for middle grade readers. At first I felt a little lost, plunked down into the middle of something that was already happening, but I warmed to the tale as it went along. The artwork is superb, and almost outshines the story. The book does end with a cliffhanger, and I'm looking forward to the next season.

Haru is a hauntingly well told coming of age story in graphic novel form written and illustrated by Joe Latham. Released 12th March 2024 by Andrews McMeel, it's 272 pages and is available in hardcover, paperback, and ebook (comiXology) formats.

This is an appealing and very well written fantasy adventure featuring two friends, Haru, a young flightless bird, and their friend Yama. They're both bullied at school and dream of leaving the small valley community they've grown up in. Most readers will have no trouble empathizing with the two friends as they try to navigate life.

There are much darker, malign forces at work behind the scenes and the friends are soon drawn inextricably into the eternal struggle of good vs. evil.

There are some admittedly scary parts in the story which might be a trifle too spooky for younger readers. There's nothing graphic on-page, but it *is* quite creepy in several places. It's a story told in four volumes, of which this is the first, and as such, it's not a self-contained story.

Four and a half stars. It would be an excellent choice for public or middle school+ acquisition, home use, or gifting to a youngster who loves fantasy adventure.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Haru is a flightless bird who, along with their boar friend Yama, find an evil artifact that puts their community in danger. So together these brave friends set off to get rid of the evil. Joe Latham has an art style that is cute, but that is capable of depicting heavy material. And this story needs it because it faces up to bullying, betrayal, and self-doubt. In the end, I felt like too many elements of the story were left as a mystery. I understand that this is a series and that more will be revealed in future installments, but we learn basically nothing about the characters, their relationships to one another, or how the world ended up as it is in the story. Given all that, I was still impressed with how much I wanted the answers to those questions, and I am desperate to know what happens after the cliffhanger ending...

This is upper middle grade in material just because it deals very directly with difficult emotions that a younger audience might not have the vocabulary to grasp.

Haru: Spring is a gorgeous coming of age anamorphic graphic novel by Joe Lantham. The art jumps from the page complementing the sweet beginning of a magical journey for heroes, Haru and Yama, as they struggle through school bullying, finding who they are, and learning that they are just enough exactly the way they are. I can’t wait for book two, even though book one hasn’t been released yet.

This was not for children and not as cute as the cover shows. This was middle school at the youngest, though also something even adults could enjoy. The characters are young but they are going through some pretty horrifying situations. It’s honestly a bit odd to have a lesson about bullying and mean people at school and right after, a terrifying chase scene. The art also ranged from being super cute to super creepy, but I think this is intended for the slightly creepy nature of the book. Still, the boar having pockets is worrying. Narratively, a bit heavy and odd at times, but still enjoyable. I’m really split between a 3 stars and a 4 stars. I think someone who really enjoys uncanny valley stuff would give this 4 stars easy, but I’m not really one of those people.

Created by artist Joe Latham, this beautifully illustrated graphic novel series is a coming-of-age tale that spans the changing of seasons. Beginning in spring and ending in spring—the cycle complete. A story of heart, growing up, and the sacrifices we make for those we love, Haru is perfect for middle-grade readers.

Haru is a small non-binary flightless bird and their best friend is Yama, a wild boar who comes across a potentially dangerous cursed item (a heart) that she can't get rid of but its darkness seems to be infecting her. And so they decide to go on a quest to get rid of the cursed heart. Together, they set off into the world, towards the mountains where darkness lurks and where the darkness seems to be following them.

The artwork and colours were cute but the story, worldbuilding, and dialogue didn't draw me in. There is a lot left unexplained in this world where magical items seem normal but not readily available, and where the inexplainable happens (but which also appears to be the norm).

This is a graphic novel for middle=grade readers looking for a cuter and slightly less scary version of Lord of the Rings (with a much smaller cast of characters).

Through the endearing characters of Haru, a dreamy bird, and Yama, a loquacious boar, readers are whisked away on an epic journey fraught with mystery and adventure. Latham's exquisite illustrations beautifully depict the changing seasons, mirroring the emotional growth and challenges faced by our protagonists. With themes of friendship, self-discovery, and bravery, Haru strikes a chord with middle-grade readers, offering a rich tapestry of heartwarming moments and compelling storytelling.