When Haru Was Here

Gave me all the feels! I relate so much to them! I love this book so much!

I picked this up at a book store last week and I'm glad I did because this was an emotional roller-coaster. Just read this in one sitting and...Dustin Thao you WILL pay for my therapy bills because what is thisssss?? STOP it, my poor heart can't take it!!!!!

When an author is described as being the New York Times Bestselling Author of sad books like Dustin Thao does? You know you're going to need a month's supply of the softest tissues, your favourite blanket and a stuffed toy to squeeze so hard it might come to life only to tell you to think of the stuffing!It won't be enough... nothing will truly prepare nor protect you from the beautiful sorrowful journey you will go on as you read When Haro was Here.Eric Ly is a gentle soul, and I could fully understand his desire to protect his heart from the reality of grief. There is the before, and the after of losing his best friend Daniel. In Eric's mind, he is safe and the stories he creates protect him as the world and its realities fly past because his imagination is something he can control.When Eric meets with Haru whilst in Japan before Daniel's passing, he has moments of utter joy that linger with him. I loved the glimpses into the festival the two inadvertently are thrust into and you can feel the many emotions Eric experiences during that time together and you as the reader cannot help but smile at Eric's happiness and wonder just why Dustin Thao has to hurt you.I hadn't read You've Reached Sam, so I was unaware of how phenomenal Thao is at eliciting so many strong emotions from a reader. Eric and Haru are so well-written and the world they live in was eloquently done so you do indeed feel like you're in Japan experiencing the wonder of the festival or the vastness of Chicago which I knew little about. But it's the journey of grief that had me snuffling at first, casually wiping my eyes and then bereft with choked up tears that made my eyes burn. It's Eric's pain that is tangible and one which is relatable to anyone who has lost someone suddenly and doesn't know quite how to move forward each day. He may go through the motions, but he also makes decisions that are ill-thought-out and are hard to witness from the page. Alongside my tears, I was livid at Eric but from first-hand grief, I remember that you sometimes wanted to remember you're alive, no matter what.This is a story that will make you cry - a lot. It will make you wish to enter the pages of the book and hold Eric tightly and smile with contented joy at his time with Haru because he's happy then and the weight of grief lifted momentarily.Prepare for a journey, and share in your favourite tissue company. Because Dustin Thao truly deserves that title. I'm off to curl up with my teddy again because Eric and his life will linger for a while.