When Haru Was Here

Gr 10 Up–Thao is no stranger to writing about grief. His debut, You’ve Reached Sam, featured a 17-year-old coping with loss. The same can be said for this latest, in which Eric is reeling from the tragic death of his longtime best friend and unrequited love interest Daniel. However, in the summer before Daniel’s passing, Eric finds himself in a meet-cute with Haru while on a school trip to Tokyo. Before Eric can get Haru’s contact information they are separated, leaving Eric to always wonder what could have been. Flash forward to the following year and Eric, an aspiring filmmaker, is stuck in a rut feeling lost and abandoned after his sister moves away to college. That is until he runs into Haru in a café in Chicago. This novel is a coming-of-age tale that depicts grief and loss in an interesting way. At points the plot can feel directionless or a bit haphazard, but Eric’s completed character arc, combined with a surprising twist, will delight readers who stick around to the end. Eric and his family are Vietnamese, Daniel is Colombian, and Haru is Japanese.