When Haru Was Here by Dustin Thao

When Haru Was Here by Dustin Thao

If you read Dustin Thao’s smash-hit debut, You’ve Reached Sam, you already know that he is an absolute master at making readers cry over the fragile boundaries of grief. His second novel, When Haru Was Here, leans right back into those emotionally devastating, bittersweet themes, pitched brilliantly as We Are Okay meets Wandavision.

It is a psychological, magical-realism Young Adult novel that dives deeply into the messy, isolating reality of losing someone you love.

The novel follows 19-year-old Eric Ly, an aspiring Vietnamese-American filmmaker living in Chicago who is entirely reeling from a devastating tragedy: the death of his best friend and unrequited crush, Daniel.

With his sister away touring with a band and his parents emotionally distant, Eric is profoundly lonely. To cope with the overwhelming silence of his grief, he starts retreating into his own mind, inventing imaginary scenarios just to escape his reality

Everything changes when one of his daydream scenarios seemingly crosses over into the real world. While sitting in a coffee shop, Eric is suddenly reunited with Haru Tanaka—a kind, enigmatic boy he had met fourteen months prior during a high school trip to Japan. They had spent one perfect day exploring together before losing touch.

Suddenly, Haru is right there in Chicago, ready to hang out, go on adventures, and keep Eric company. There is only one massive catch: nobody else can see Haru. ### The Deep Core Conflict

Haru becomes Eric’s literal lifeline, pulling him out of his dark depression. But as they spend more time together, Haru’s presence becomes erratic and sporadic. Eric is forced to face a terrifying psychological cliff: Is Haru a ghost? A manifestation of his broken psyche? Or is Eric completely losing his grip on reality?

As the lines between fantasy and truth begin to fracture, Eric has to choose between staying anchored to a comforting illusion or finally stepping into the painful, messy process of letting go.

Language: English.

Genre: Romance.

Binding: সেলাই করা বাইন্ডিং

Quality: Premium Quality Books.

Printing: High Quality Printing.

Paper: Eye Friendly paper (Cream White)

Cover: Matt cover (Paperback).