When Haru Was Here by Dustin Thao is a poignant and deeply emotional story about love, grief, and moving forward. Thao’s tender prose captures the rawness of loss and the beauty of cherishing memories, making this a heartfelt read that will resonate with anyone who has experienced the bittersweet nature of goodbye. A beautifully written tale that lingers long after the final page.

When Haru Was Here is a heart-wrenching read that dives deep into grief and its effects on life. The main character's struggle with loss feels incredibly real, showing just how all-consuming sorrow can be. I loved the “I’m the only one who can see you” trope—it added a unique twist that hooked me right from the beginning.

While the romance drew me in, it was the intense emotions that kept me turning the pages. The author captures the protagonist's journey through grief beautifully, making every moment feel genuine. I completely missed the clues for the plot twist, and when it hit, it was absolutely gut-wrenching.

This isn’t just a love story; it’s a powerful exploration of loss and connection. If you enjoy stories that dig deep into feelings and show how love can survive even in the toughest times, this one’s a must-read.

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

Grief is a heavy subject. Heartbreaking and heartfelt, this YA book touches on the issues that unfortunately all ages deal with. Beautifully written with much heart.

This book ruined me and put me back together again. What a journey. Grief is such a complex emotion and Dustin did such an incredible job in showing how layered it can be.

I didn't like this author's first book. I only felt a feeling of unease and an irresistible desire to shake the main character. this one is better ACCORDING TO MY TASTES (everyone can think as they want). the author gained experience, I felt more drawn into the story.

Dustin Thao spins another beautiful, heartbreaking love story in his sophomore novel. As a victim of heartbreak at the hands of YOU'VE REACHED SAM, this one hits even harder with the more defined coming-of-age struggle that Eric deals with over the course of the novel. Thao's prose and use of the manifestations of Eric's grief makes for a deeply moving story that reminds us to hold those we love close and that there is always the possibility of reinvention and redemption around the corner.

I found When Haru Was Here to be one of my favorite YA reads of the year. It was not only wonderfully written, and so hard to pull myself away from, but invoked so much emotion. I found Eric's grief to be tangible, like it was my own. Dustin Thao has done a masterful job here, with characters for who feel like you've known for your whole life. I look forward to reading from him Thao in the future, he's quickly becoming an instant read author for me.

I’m honestly not too sure what I just read, but I know that I enjoyed it.

I questioned a lot for the first several chapters. Haru’s character didn’t make a ton of sense, but I trusted Dustin Thao’s writing, and of course, it all made sense in the end. I feel like a sequel of this story further explaining Jazmine’s story is much needed. I spent the entire book questions what happened to Jazmine, and don’t feel that it was ever really answered, only that she’s no longer alive.

The book may have been better if it was, “When Daniel was here.” I love the idea of Daniel taking care of him after he’s gone, because it makes a bit more sense than Haru looking after him. Especially when you get the feeling that Haru is dead, and his ghost is taking care of Eric, but in reality, at the end of the book, Haru is still alive, and they meet again. It’s hard to jump back and forth between who’s dead and who’s not.

This books was incredibly well written, and I will continue to be first in line for anything Dustin Thao writes.

thank you for the arc!

i fear sad books will always just feel like it's trying too hard to be sad and i end up not enjoying it :(

2 stars

Dustin Thao's authorial voice is always a joy to read. Something about the way he puts words together just hits different! Oftentimes, I don't enjoy books with a meandering plot and that require immense suspension of disbelief, but When Haru Was Here was thoroughly enjoyable, probably due to Dustin's beautiful writing style, and I'm really glad I was able to read an ARC.

After the death of his best friend Eric begins to create imaginary scenarios to deal with is grief... but one particular scenario starts to become very real in the form of a boy he meets over the summer now running into him at every opportunity. Eric loved his best friend Daniel, and after a fight and Daniel passes away, Eric is now dealing with that grief. On top of that his sister is leaving and now Eric feels like he is all alone. He starts to create imaginary scenarios to help deal with his grief as well as throwing himself into the dating scene to try and find some comfort... but finds himself only learning just how rough it can be out here. Eric craves love and comfort, and is trying to avoid his grief.... yet as he begins to hallucinate more he begins to question what is real or not. Can he finally face his grief and learn to come back to reality. This book just was not for me unfortunately, I didn't really care for Eric as a character and just kind of got annoyed throughout the book. I get that Eric is lacking in a lot of experiences and craves romance to fill the void of grief, but the book kind of feels all over the place for me and I just wanted to get to the end. I loved the author's previous book but this one was just missing the magic of the first book.

Release Date: September 3,2024

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and St. Martin's Press | Wednesday Books for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

I was thrilled to see that Dustin Thao (who wrote You've reached Sam) was coming out with another book, and even more thrilled when St Martin's Press granted my wish on NetGalley.

I knew I would enjoy this new book. I knew it would be an emotional read. I might cry like I did in the first book.

We meet Eric Ly after the death of his best friend. He is grieving and a mess. He copes as best he can.

He keeps remembering Haru whom he met in Japan. They spent a truly magical day together. Eric has fond memories of him.
Then one day Haru appears in a coffee shop in the US and they start spending time together again.

Will this truly heal him? Maybe, or not.
The more time they spend together, Eric wonders why does Haru just vanish unexpectedly?

I gulped this emotional story down and cried just as much as I did with You've Reached Sam.
I wondered along with Eric what was up with Haru?
He's not there, then he is, then, where did Haru go?

I enjoyed the sweetness of them spending time together.

I wanted the story to go on and on but of course it couldn't.

Eric goes through some emotional changes in the book and while it's emotional its also very good to read.

I highly recommend this book which comes out Sept 3 2024.

5******

As I read When Haru was Here by Dustin Thao, I found it poignant and emotional, breaking my heart over and over in all the best ways as the novel addresses loss and how to let go of grief. The very warm family beginning helps set up the rest of the novel as you discover how much Eric is struggling with his loss. And even as he is magically able to spend time with Haru, a boy he met the previous summer, you know that reality won’t allow him to keep the friendship.
Whether it is Eric’s mind that creates the encounter or magic, it is truly poignant to read as you realize that Haru helps Eric begin to cope with the terrible loss he has struggled with. Connecting with Haru, even when it is not real, leads him to build connections with others and slowly learn to deal with his grief in healthy ways. The story gives you all the emotional ups and downs, as he deals with new relationships both good and bad but ultimately I love how he learns to live his life, despite his loss.
If you like stories that are poignant and emotional, I think this one about dealing with loss through a magical friendship might interest you. It is a beautiful exploration of grief and loss, and about learning to let go so that life can go on, even when there are struggles. If you ever dealt with losing a loved one, you will appreciate the authenticity and truth to the novel. The ending is lovely despite the heartbreaking tone of the overall story.

WHEN HARU WAS HERE by Dustin Thao is a young adult contemporary novel about dealing with grief and unrequited love. It has some funny moments between Eric and his friends at work, and the last bit packs an emotional punch. The mystery over whether Eric is imagining certain scenes propelled me to the end. However, many of the events feel completely disconnected from the main plot, and the main character's opinions and emotions are often left unclear. The final twist seems unnecessary and out of nowhere, which made me feel misled for the bulk of the story.

this breaks my heart to say but this was just so mediocre. the synopsis for this book almost seems like its doing a disservice to the readers. i debated on making this review with spoilers but decided not to even though my main issue i have with this book is the plot, how things are revealed, and what is focused on vs what isn't...which seemed to be the issue for a few other readers as well.

lots of people will be comparing this book to you've reached sam, as will i since that is the reason i requested this arc in the first place. with you've reached sam, it was heartbreakingly beautiful, made many people sob (including me) and the writing was extremely vivid.. this is the opposite. the writing felt too dry and blunt, and i feel like the heartbreaking part of this book was... misplaced? it almost seemed like the author wanted to throw in and force a sort of sad moment because of how everyone loved that aspect in the other book. i did want a sad book but this just felt like it completely missed.

Some coping mechanisms are not always healthy while dealing with loss, grief and pain.

The plot twist was not something I was expecting and it really put into perspective just how lonely and in pain Eric was. He was hallucinating 2 people and was haunted by a third. That boy really needed more support and help. But you can see that everyone was grieving in that family. so you can also understand why it got so bad.

While I can now understand the trippy effect to the writing now, I still didn't love it. It confused me quite a bit and took me out of the story in many occasions. I don't think this was for me but I will say that Dustin Thao always has the power to make me bawl.

Bonus: I adored the story of the Star festival. I will be heading to japan this month and I ate up all the moments in japan and the chapter we had of details. Even fictional details have me excited.

Dustin Thao did a phenomenal job with portraying grief in an accurate way. When the main character, Eric, loses his best friend, to cope with this loss, he imagines Haru, a man that he had met during a trip abroad the previous year, walking back into his life, becoming a near daily fixture and helping Eric feel alive again through creating memories together. However, Eric slowly declines and starts to lose control on reality, and realizing that some of the imaginary scenarios that he's created in his head, and not just with Haru, have just been ways that he's been attempting to cope with loss and deal with his grief.

Throughout the story, you can see Eric making questionable choices, while also distancing himself from reality and the people around him. To me, this was a great representation of what people who are mourning may do when they aren't able to get passed that grief.

I was not expecting the ending at all, and it tore me apart with every page turn after the reveal. At first it confused me, because there was absolutely no way that was the truth, right? The letters were delightfully heartbreaking and I couldn't believe what I was reading. But Eric finally being able to confront his grief about everyone leaving him and the truth made me so proud.

Thank you to Dustin Thao, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for the eARC of this book. This is my honest review.

Eric, a gay Vietnamese-American teen, is ready to graduate high school and start college, His life changes when his best friend dies. This book is about grief - although it's not always sad - and finding a new path. Some of the situations in the book are mature, making this a solidly high school/new adult title.

#WhenHaruWasHere is the first book I've read from @thedustinthao . I knew from the title I would cry. What I didn't know was that I would finish it in one day until the night, knowing full well that I work the following day. My emotions during this lovely book 😱🫣😤🥳🎢🖐🏻😭🧐🥰🥰🥰😘🤔❤️💔💔🤫😥😮🥶🤧❤️💔😡❤️🥺😭💋💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭❤️❤️❤️❤️💔😭🖐🏻💔❤️ and.... Scene. But wait. I can't wait to read some chapters again already!
(Preorder your copy now, publishing day is September 3❤️)
From the publisher:
We Are Okay meets Wandavision in this novel about loss and learning to let go.

After the death of his best friend, Eric Ly creates imaginary scenarios in his head to deal with his grief. Until one of them becomes real when a boy he met last summer in Japan finds his way back into his life. When he least expects it, Haru Tanaka walks into the coffee shop and sits down next to him. The only thing is, nobody else can see him.

In a magical turn of events, Eric suddenly has someone to connect with, making him feel less alone in the world. But as they spend more and more time together, he begins to question what is real. When he start losing control of the very thing that is holding him together, Eric must finally confront his reality. Even if it means losing Haru forever.
Thank you @NetGalley and @thirdstatebooks for making me cry. I mean for this amazing egalley. All opinions are my own

#BookLove #tissues #SadBooks #WhosCuttingOnions #whattoread #bookreview #booktok #instasad #books #book #tbr #peasReads