When Haru was here

Title:

When Haru was here

Author:

Summary:

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 starts losing control of the very thing that is holding him together, Eric must finally confront his reality. Even if it means losing Haru forever.-- Publisher

Audience:

Ages 12-18 Wednesday Books.

Edition:

First edition.

Physical Description:

293 pages ; 22 cm.

Genre:

Magic realist fiction.

Psychological fiction.

Subject Term:

Grief -- Fiction.

Imagination -- Fiction

Reality -- Fiction.

Publisher:

Wednesday Books,

Publication Date:

2024

ISBN:

9781250762061

Publication Information:

New York : Wednesday Books, 2024.

Call Number:

YA THAO

Holds: Copies:

Available:*

Item Barcode	Collection	Call Number	Status	Item Holds
33607003748897	New Young Adult	THAO Dustin	Searching... Unknown	Searching... Unavailable

Bound With These Titles

On Order

Summary

From the New York Times bestselling author Dustin Thao, 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 starts losing control of the very thing that is holding him together, Eric must finally confront his reality. Even if it means losing Haru forever.

Author Notes

DUSTIN THAO is a Vietnamese-American writer based in New York City. He graduated from Amherst College with a B.A. in Political Science, and he is currently in a PhD program at Northwestern University. He writes contemporary young adult fiction and is the author of the instant New York Times bestseller, You've Reached Sam.

Reviews (2)

School Library Journal Review

Gr 10 Up--Thao is no stranger to writing about grief. His debut, You've Reached Sam, featured a 17-year-old coping with loss. The same can be said for this latest, in which Eric is reeling from the tragic death of his longtime best friend and unrequited love interest Daniel. However, in the summer before Daniel's passing, Eric finds himself in a meet-cute with Haru while on a school trip to Tokyo. Before Eric can get Haru's contact information they are separated, leaving Eric to always wonder what could have been. Flash forward to the following year and Eric, an aspiring filmmaker, is stuck in a rut feeling lost and abandoned after his sister moves away to college. That is until he runs into Haru in a café in Chicago. This novel is a coming-of-age tale that depicts grief and loss in an interesting way. At points the plot can feel directionless or a bit haphazard, but Eric's completed character arc, combined with a surprising twist, will delight readers who stick around to the end. Eric and his family are Vietnamese, Daniel is Colombian, and Haru is Japanese. VERDICT Recommended for fans of Stephen Chbosky's The Perks of Being a Wallflower, WandaVision, or those who listen to Taylor Swift's "Invisible String" on repeat. Collections low on books about grief would benefit from adding this to their shelves.--Zach Basler

Publisher's Weekly Review

When Vietnamese American Eric Ly, an aspiring filmmaker, met enigmatic Haru during his high school's international club's annual trip to Japan, they became fast friends, spending the day together but separating before they can share contact information. Fourteen months later, 19-year-old Eric is reeling following the death of his best friend and crush, Daniel. With his sister dropping out of college to go on tour with a band and his parents disengaged from his life, Eric feels abandoned. To cope with his grief, he takes refuge in imagined scenarios, until he's unexpectedly reunited with Haru. It soon becomes clear to Eric, however, that he's the only one who can see Haru, who accompanies Eric on his adventures around Chicago to help break the monotony and isolation of his life. But Eric's new job at a theater box office and the opportunities it presents to interact with the world around him strains the boys' relationship. Though some plot threads are wrapped up too neatly, Thao (You've Reached Sam) casts an intelligent look into the harm and benefits of one teen's coping mechanisms in this sharply depicted exploration of grief and moving on. Ages 12--up. Agent: Jenny Bent, Bent Agency. (Sept.)