caitlin_b_books 's review for:

When Haru Was Here by Dustin Thao

5.0

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Dustin Thao did a phenomenal job with portraying grief in an accurate way. When the main character, Eric, loses his best friend, to cope with this loss, he imagines Haru, a man that he had met during a trip abroad the previous year, walking back into his life, becoming a near daily fixture and helping Eric feel alive again through creating memories together. However, Eric slowly declines and starts to lose control on reality, and realizing that some of the imaginary scenarios that he's created in his head, and not just with Haru, have just been ways that he's been attempting to cope with loss and deal with his grief.

Throughout the story, you can see Eric making questionable choices, while also distancing himself from reality and the people around him. To me, this was a great representation of what people who are mourning may do when they aren't able to get passed that grief.

I was not expecting the ending at all, and it tore me apart with every page turn after the reveal. At first it confused me, because there was absolutely no way that was the truth, right? The letters were delightfully heartbreaking and I couldn't believe what I was reading. But Eric finally being able to confront his grief about everyone leaving him and the truth made me so proud.

Thank you to Dustin Thao, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for the eARC of this book. This is my honest review.