When Haru was here by Dustin Thao

Eric and his best friend Daniel are excited for their final year of school, their summer trip to Japan, where Eric has a chance encounter with an amazing local teen called Haru. Back home in America, Eric and Daniel are looking forward to life after school, and Eric is hoping his friendship with Daniel might be something more, but a few crossed signals means that amounts to nothing and then the unexpected loss of Daniel leave Eric grappling. To cope with the changes, Eric sees and talks to Daniel in his own way, while working at whatever job he can find, no longer pursing his filmmaking aspirations. Then one day, he runs into Haru, who is travelling from Japan, and Eric feels the chance to connect and be less alone - but something feels a bit off.

Thao has written about several different kinds of losses and grieving in this novel, and varying levels of friendship. The novel moves between present and past, with a 'before' section, and then some flashbacks through the story. The beginning of the novel feels stilted, and multiple characters appear to only know how to smirk, however the pacing works well for the story. There are some questionable judgement calls by several characters, hence for slightly older readers.  Good for fans of They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera or Our Chemical Hearts by Krystal Sutherland.

Themes: LGBTQIA+, Contemporary, High School to Life after School, Tragedy, Loss, Grief, Romance, Japan.

Melanie Pages