Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.75 AVERAGE
3.75 AVERAGE
“You and I are the only thing that's real.' His words echo in my head. What does this mean now that you're gone?”
This left me with mixed feelings and a lot of questions. The premise of Eric grieving the deaths of important people in his life while reflecting on his memories of meeting Haru one summer in Japan was intriguing, but the execution felt off. Eric’s delusions of grandeur about Haru—his perception of him as both real and not real—made the narrative unsettling. While I can appreciate the book’s attempt to explore grief and the blurred lines between reality and coping mechanisms, it often veered into territory that was more concerning than profound.
Many chapters had me internally shouting, “Eric, don’t do that!” or “This is a bad idea,” as he repeatedly made choices that seemed to set himself up for even more pain. The frustration of watching him spiral into increasingly questionable decisions made it hard to fully empathize with his journey.
The story’s resolution didn’t land for me either. Yes, Eric and the real Haru reunite, but it’s hard to see it as a happy ending when Eric fell in love with an idea of Haru rather than the actual person. That dissonance left me questioning whether their reunion provided closure or perpetuated the same cycle of longing and projection.
I also have to remind myself that this is a YA novel, so of course, it will have to be a bit more simplistic. However, this made me question: why write this story in the YA genre? I fear that the conventions of YA restricted the story’s ability to fully unpack and explore the differing themes it plays with, like grief, loss, and identity. The narrative, set after graduation and focused on Eric’s struggles with applying to colleges and navigating his future, felt like it could have been written with a more mature lens. Perhaps the choice to keep it YA was meant to preserve a fragment of innocence, but it left me wishing for deeper exploration and nuance.
While I appreciate the emotional intent, the uneven storytelling, strange dynamics, and limited thematic depth made it difficult for me to fully connect with the book. This might resonate with younger readers or those who enjoy lighter explorations of heavy topics, but for me, it felt like a missed opportunity to tell a truly impactful story.
This left me with mixed feelings and a lot of questions. The premise of Eric grieving the deaths of important people in his life while reflecting on his memories of meeting Haru one summer in Japan was intriguing, but the execution felt off. Eric’s delusions of grandeur about Haru—his perception of him as both real and not real—made the narrative unsettling. While I can appreciate the book’s attempt to explore grief and the blurred lines between reality and coping mechanisms, it often veered into territory that was more concerning than profound.
Many chapters had me internally shouting, “Eric, don’t do that!” or “This is a bad idea,” as he repeatedly made choices that seemed to set himself up for even more pain. The frustration of watching him spiral into increasingly questionable decisions made it hard to fully empathize with his journey.
The story’s resolution didn’t land for me either. Yes, Eric and the real Haru reunite, but it’s hard to see it as a happy ending when Eric fell in love with an idea of Haru rather than the actual person. That dissonance left me questioning whether their reunion provided closure or perpetuated the same cycle of longing and projection.
I also have to remind myself that this is a YA novel, so of course, it will have to be a bit more simplistic. However, this made me question: why write this story in the YA genre? I fear that the conventions of YA restricted the story’s ability to fully unpack and explore the differing themes it plays with, like grief, loss, and identity. The narrative, set after graduation and focused on Eric’s struggles with applying to colleges and navigating his future, felt like it could have been written with a more mature lens. Perhaps the choice to keep it YA was meant to preserve a fragment of innocence, but it left me wishing for deeper exploration and nuance.
While I appreciate the emotional intent, the uneven storytelling, strange dynamics, and limited thematic depth made it difficult for me to fully connect with the book. This might resonate with younger readers or those who enjoy lighter explorations of heavy topics, but for me, it felt like a missed opportunity to tell a truly impactful story.
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Many many tears were shed reading this but they were worth it. The twist is bittersweet and beautifully executed, and all relationships in the book are important. So, so good
emotional
sad
fast-paced
emotional
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Oh this wrecked me. I only shed a few actual tears but I screamed on the inside. WOW. I read ‘you’ve reached sam’ and cried so hard. Definitely an instant read author of mine, my god
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
wooooof this was a tough read
I honestly had no idea what to expect with this book as I went in almost completely blind. I figured it would be sad but assumed after the beginning reveal of his BFF dying that we would just grieve along with him through the rest of the book. I had no idea it would be soooo emotional and hurtful. The twists were all so well done and emotional. I completely understood the MMC and his choices even as I begged him to stop making bad ones. It was a very good read. And I was so happy that the end left us with a glimmer of hope and serendipity! Def gonna check out more Thao books! I wish he would write some NA next!
I honestly had no idea what to expect with this book as I went in almost completely blind. I figured it would be sad but assumed after the beginning reveal of his BFF dying that we would just grieve along with him through the rest of the book. I had no idea it would be soooo emotional and hurtful. The twists were all so well done and emotional. I completely understood the MMC and his choices even as I begged him to stop making bad ones. It was a very good read. And I was so happy that the end left us with a glimmer of hope and serendipity! Def gonna check out more Thao books! I wish he would write some NA next!
dark
emotional
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
sad
medium-paced
emotional
inspiring
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes