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3.75 AVERAGE
3.75 AVERAGE
emotional
inspiring
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
Reseña: When Haru was Here de Dustin Thao
Dustin Thao lo ha vuelto a hacer: este libro es un golpe directo al corazón. Si ya conoces su estilo desgarrador por Has llamado a Sam, entonces prepárate para otra montaña rusa emocional en When Haru was Here. Esta historia aborda el duelo, el amor y el difícil proceso de dejar ir, con un toque mágico que añade un nuevo nivel de complejidad al viaje de su protagonista.
Eric Ly está sumido en la tristeza tras la muerte de su mejor amigo, sumergiéndose en escenarios imaginarios para sobrellevar su dolor. Todo cambia cuando Haru Tanaka, un chico que conoció durante un verano en Japón, reaparece de forma misteriosa en su vida… pero con un giro: nadie más puede verlo. La relación entre Eric y Haru se siente real, tierna y desesperadamente frágil. Thao crea una atmósfera llena de nostalgia, donde el amor y el dolor coexisten, empujando a Eric a enfrentar su realidad, aunque implique un nuevo adiós.
La narrativa es como un lienzo teñido de azul, impregnado de melancolía y momentos reflexivos que te tocan el alma. Thao explora temas como la soledad y el poder sanador (y destructivo) de aferrarse a lo que no queremos perder. Las escenas son conmovedoras y, a menudo, se siente como si compartieras la carga emocional de Eric, haciendo que el libro sea una experiencia profundamente empática.
Mi única queja sería que la historia se siente algo breve; habría disfrutado de más páginas para explorar mejor la conexión entre Eric y Haru y sus respectivos conflictos. Sin embargo, la intensidad de las emociones compensa su corta extensión.
Recomiendo este libro para quienes aman historias de amor que desafían la realidad, en especial si Has llamado a Sam te dejó tocado. Thao sabe cómo hacerte llorar de todas las maneras posibles.
Calificación: ★★★½☆ (3.5 de 5 estrellas)
Dustin Thao lo ha vuelto a hacer: este libro es un golpe directo al corazón. Si ya conoces su estilo desgarrador por Has llamado a Sam, entonces prepárate para otra montaña rusa emocional en When Haru was Here. Esta historia aborda el duelo, el amor y el difícil proceso de dejar ir, con un toque mágico que añade un nuevo nivel de complejidad al viaje de su protagonista.
Eric Ly está sumido en la tristeza tras la muerte de su mejor amigo, sumergiéndose en escenarios imaginarios para sobrellevar su dolor. Todo cambia cuando Haru Tanaka, un chico que conoció durante un verano en Japón, reaparece de forma misteriosa en su vida… pero con un giro: nadie más puede verlo. La relación entre Eric y Haru se siente real, tierna y desesperadamente frágil. Thao crea una atmósfera llena de nostalgia, donde el amor y el dolor coexisten, empujando a Eric a enfrentar su realidad, aunque implique un nuevo adiós.
La narrativa es como un lienzo teñido de azul, impregnado de melancolía y momentos reflexivos que te tocan el alma. Thao explora temas como la soledad y el poder sanador (y destructivo) de aferrarse a lo que no queremos perder. Las escenas son conmovedoras y, a menudo, se siente como si compartieras la carga emocional de Eric, haciendo que el libro sea una experiencia profundamente empática.
Mi única queja sería que la historia se siente algo breve; habría disfrutado de más páginas para explorar mejor la conexión entre Eric y Haru y sus respectivos conflictos. Sin embargo, la intensidad de las emociones compensa su corta extensión.
Recomiendo este libro para quienes aman historias de amor que desafían la realidad, en especial si Has llamado a Sam te dejó tocado. Thao sabe cómo hacerte llorar de todas las maneras posibles.
Calificación: ★★★½☆ (3.5 de 5 estrellas)
¿Que si me hizo llorar y destruir como la primera vez?
SI.
Grande Dustin Thao.
SI.
Grande Dustin Thao.
3.5*
This book left me a MESS. I knew it was going to be a difficult book to read but dang, Dustin!! How are you gonna do us like that?! I felt like this book went the extra mile to ensure the reader was left a sobbing mess.
For my otome girlies, this has the same "tragedies and sadness piled on top of tragedies and sadness piled on top of tragedies and sadness" vibe Virche did.
On one hand, this book made me feel comforted. I can relate to the struggles Eric goes through as nothing seems like it goes the way he planned or hoped it would. I can understand his desire to escape through his imagination. I cared for him and worried over him and hoped things would work out well.
At first I felt so bewildered as to why Eric refused to ask Haru if he was really there. Then I realized he didn't because he didn't want to acknowledge the pain that caused him to imagine Haru. We as the reader need to suspend our belief and act like Haru is there or not there, meanwhile we KNOW he's not there. And the tension between pretending we didn't know and actually knowing was . . . strange.
Finding out Jasmine had died and Eric pretended she was alive because he couldn't cope with her death was just too much to me. Eric's best friend and crush died causing Eric to sink into deep depression and very disruptive maladaptive daydreaming, then he's got this missed connection with Haru, he's struggling as he transitioning from high school to college/uni/full-time work, the manipulative bit with that guy from the theatre's whose name I forgot, almost getting assaulted, AND THEN WE GOTTA ADD A SISTER WHO DIED FROM A TERMINAL ILLNESS ON TOP? Too much. Thao forced me to cry!
I enjoyed reading it and I was moved but also I felt cheated into crying so I don't know how to rate this book aside from saying I had a mixed experience. Dustin Thao definitely has a sadness niche and I'm curious to see if he's going to stay in it for his subsequent novels.
This book left me a MESS. I knew it was going to be a difficult book to read but dang, Dustin!! How are you gonna do us like that?! I felt like this book went the extra mile to ensure the reader was left a sobbing mess.
For my otome girlies, this has the same "tragedies and sadness piled on top of tragedies and sadness piled on top of tragedies and sadness" vibe Virche did.
On one hand, this book made me feel comforted. I can relate to the struggles Eric goes through as nothing seems like it goes the way he planned or hoped it would. I can understand his desire to escape through his imagination. I cared for him and worried over him and hoped things would work out well.
At first I felt so bewildered as to why Eric refused to ask Haru if he was really there. Then I realized he didn't because he didn't want to acknowledge the pain that caused him to imagine Haru. We as the reader need to suspend our belief and act like Haru is there or not there, meanwhile we KNOW he's not there. And the tension between pretending we didn't know and actually knowing was . . . strange.
Finding out Jasmine had died and Eric pretended she was alive because he couldn't cope with her death was just too much to me. Eric's best friend and crush died causing Eric to sink into deep depression and very disruptive maladaptive daydreaming, then he's got this missed connection with Haru, he's struggling as he transitioning from high school to college/uni/full-time work, the manipulative bit with that guy from the theatre's whose name I forgot, almost getting assaulted, AND THEN WE GOTTA ADD A SISTER WHO DIED FROM A TERMINAL ILLNESS ON TOP? Too much. Thao forced me to cry!
I enjoyed reading it and I was moved but also I felt cheated into crying so I don't know how to rate this book aside from saying I had a mixed experience. Dustin Thao definitely has a sadness niche and I'm curious to see if he's going to stay in it for his subsequent novels.
emotional
sad
medium-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
This is a book about grief, and while I appreciated what it was trying to say, I found most of it pretty boring. Eric is grieving a friend he had a crush on, Daniel, but the bits of their relationship that were shown weren’t really enough to make me feel any kind of emotion about it. Then Eric is entranced by a beautiful stranger on a trip to Japan, Haru, but again, their relationship feels like it lacks substance to me. Haru pretty much just acts as a tour guide and this is enough for Eric to fall head over heels for him.
As for the ending… I did suspect the twist when Kevin brought up Jasmine and Eric cut him off, but also felt we should’ve been given more hints for it. It made Eric more sympathetic (and actually made me pretty sad ngl) but also felt like a twist for twist’s sake. Might as well double the grief I guess…
I wish I enjoyed it more than I did, because the end did get pretty emotional. The journey there was just kind of a slog.
adventurous
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
3.5
uf ese final ha sido duro la verdad. Hacia mitad del libro se me ha hecho un poquito bola pero la verdad que ese final y ese plot twist no me lo esperaba para nada y uf ha sido intenso.
uf ese final ha sido duro la verdad. Hacia mitad del libro se me ha hecho un poquito bola pero la verdad que ese final y ese plot twist no me lo esperaba para nada y uf ha sido intenso.
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I cried at the end but it took me until the last 3 chapters to feel anything at all. It just fell flat for me and i’m really sad about that because the grief and loss i’ve experienced myself usually leads me to connect deeply with stories like this and I just couldn’t.