Review: When Haru Was Here by Dustin Thao

Name: When Haru Was Here
Series: Stand Alone
Author: Dustin Thao
Publisher: First Ink
Format: Audiobook & Paperback
Genres: Young Adult, Queer Romance, Magical Realism
Spice Rating: None but some suggestive language used

Rating: (this has been retroactively added to the 6 star club)

Synopsis: Goodreads
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.

Review:

The cover won me over for When Haru Was Here… I didn’t know anything about Dustin Thao’s previous success with You’ve Reached Sam (which apparently breaks the hearts of all that have read it!) nor what his style was… I just thought the cover was beautiful, and when I glanced at the blurb I thought it was a romance with enough magical elements that I might be able to get through it. Then I promptly forgot about it… until a prompt to read a book with a pink cover was chosen and I realised I’d recently read a lot of my pink covers… Step in Eric Ly to save the day.

This is not my world – I am not a romance reader. Romance books that I pick up are normally paired with fantasy elements. But this is the second romance that I have read and loved this year. As mentioned, there is magical elements in this book in the form of Eric’s grief conjuring up a boy from his past who seems so real to him at first and helps him get through the day… But it wasn’t overwhelmingly in your face!

I loved Eric as our MC, even if he sometimes did stupid things in his grief (like fall asleep in the snow!), or keep doing stupid things… But given how suddenly he lost his best friend (and absolutely his crush), I also can’t exactly blame him. I can’t explain why I loved him so much, I just did – somehow Thao just writes really loveable characters. Even ones that weren’t on the page long – like his parents! Don’t get me wrong, there were definitely characters I didn’t like, and moments where I wanted to wrap Eric up in bubble wrap because it felt like I’d never be able to smile again as he was hurting, but in spite of this When Haru Was Here was such a good, emotional ride… I didn’t want to get off.

Dustin Thao wrote a beautiful tale about Eric coming to terms with his loss and feeling alone, that ripped my heart out and had me sobbing. If You’ve Reached Sam is anything like When Haru Was Here, at least I’ll be prepared with tissues next time!

“I feel like I’m always the one who remembers, and never the other way around.”

Reading With Tyler