
When Haru Was Here transforms grief through magical realism, following Eric Ly's queer Vietnamese American journey. From the million-copy bestselling author whose debut dominated the NYT list for 37 weeks, this BookTok-ready heartbreaker promises to make you feel everything.
Dustin Thao is the New York Times bestselling author of When Haru Was Here, a Vietnamese American writer specializing in contemporary young adult fiction that explores grief, identity, and magical realism. Based in New York City, Thao graduated from Amherst College with a B.A. in Political Science and is currently pursuing a PhD at Northwestern University, where he studies critical media literacy—insights that inform his nuanced portrayal of how young people navigate loss and self-discovery.
His debut novel, You've Reached Sam, became both a New York Times and USA Today bestseller, establishing him as a powerful voice in YA literature. Thao's writing is known for its poetic prose and authentic incorporation of Vietnamese cultural elements, weaving themes of family expectations, LGBTQ+ identity, and the power of imagination into emotionally resonant narratives. His follow-up book, You've Found Oliver, continues exploring these interconnected themes.
When Haru Was Here has been praised for its emotionally raw portrayal of grief and has resonated deeply with readers in 2025.
When Haru Was Here follows 19-year-old Eric Ly, who is struggling with grief after losing his best friend Daniel. A boy named Haru Tanaka, whom Eric met briefly in Japan, mysteriously reappears in Chicago—but only Eric can see him. Through magical realism, the novel explores how Eric navigates loss, questions what's real, and ultimately learns to confront his grief and let go.
Dustin Thao is a Vietnamese American author and the New York Times bestselling writer of You've Reached Sam. He holds a BA in Political Science from Amherst College and is pursuing a PhD at Northwestern University. Thao writes contemporary fiction that explores grief and second chances, drawing inspiration from emotional works that "pull on the reader's heartstrings" to create stories about love, loss, and healing.
When Haru Was Here is ideal for fans of emotional YA contemporary fiction, particularly readers who loved You've Reached Sam or books exploring grief with magical realism. It appeals to those seeking LGBTQ+ romance, stories about the Vietnamese American experience, and anyone interested in narratives that blend reality with imagination while addressing mental health, loss, and the journey of letting go.
When Haru Was Here is worth reading for those seeking an emotionally powerful story about grief and love. The novel combines magical realism with heartfelt exploration of loss, features diverse representation with a Vietnamese American protagonist, and delivers a plot twist ending that resonates deeply. Readers consistently describe it as beautifully written, achingly emotional, and a worthy follow-up to Thao's debut bestseller.
When Haru Was Here explores grief and the healing process as Eric copes with his best friend's death. The novel examines reality versus imagination, questioning what's real when facing trauma. Key themes include letting go and moving forward, the enduring power of love and memory, loneliness and human connection, and LGBTQ+ identity within Vietnamese American culture, all woven through magical realism elements.
When Haru Was Here employs magical realism by making Haru visible only to Eric, blurring the boundary between grief-induced imagination and supernatural presence. Thao creates dreamlike sequences where readers question whether Haru is real, a manifestation of Eric's coping mechanism, or something in between. This technique mirrors how grief distorts reality, making the story's emotional truth more powerful than literal explanations.
Eric and Haru first meet during Eric's trip to Japan, sharing an immediate and profound connection. When Haru mysteriously appears in Chicago after Daniel's death, their bond deepens as Eric finds companionship in his loneliness. Their relationship is romantic yet enigmatic—Haru appears only when Eric hears a bell, and the nature of their connection remains beautifully ambiguous, representing both comfort and Eric's struggle with reality.
Daniel was Eric's best friend and childhood crush whose death triggers Eric's grief journey in When Haru Was Here. His loss creates the emotional void that Eric attempts to fill through imaginary scenarios and his connection with Haru. Daniel represents Eric's past, his unresolved feelings, and the reality Eric must eventually confront to heal and move forward with his life.
When Haru Was Here features powerful quotes that capture its emotional depth.
When Haru Was Here and You've Reached Sam both explore grief through magical elements—Haru features an invisible companion while Sam involves phone calls with the deceased. Both are emotionally devastating YA novels about second chances and letting go. When Haru Was Here adds LGBTQ+ romance, Vietnamese American representation, and more ambiguous magical realism, while You've Reached Sam focuses on a heterosexual relationship with clearer supernatural boundaries.
The ending of When Haru Was Here delivers an emotional plot twist involving letters and revelations about Haru's true nature that leaves readers heartbroken. Eric must finally confront his reality and let go of Haru, even though it means losing what held him together. The epilogue hints that Eric and Haru's connection may have originated from a paper, providing subtle closure while maintaining the story's beautiful ambiguity.
Dustin Thao employs first-person perspective in When Haru Was Here, allowing readers intimate access to Eric's thoughts and emotional state. He weaves flashbacks with present-day narrative, uses magical realism to blur reality and imagination, and creates dreamlike sequences that mirror grief's disorienting effects. Thao's prose is emotional and lyrical, designed to evoke tears while exploring themes of loss, memory, and healing with nuanced sensitivity.
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"You and I are the only thing that's real," Daniel tells him-words that will haunt Eric later.
Loss compounds upon loss when we discover that Jasmine, too, has died
Their reunion feels both surreal and natural.
Eric waits for hours in the steadily falling rain, but Haru never returns.
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Выделите из When Haru Was Here быстрые подсказки для запоминания, подчёркивающие ключевые принципы открытости, командной работы и творческой устойчивости.

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Создано выпускниками Колумбийского университета в Сан-Франциско
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Создано выпускниками Колумбийского университета в Сан-Франциско

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Grief has a way of transforming familiar spaces into hollow echoes of what once was. For Eric, this emptiness first arrives when his sister Jasmine leaves for the University of Michigan, taking with her the comforting sounds of piano that once filled their Skokie home. As she packs, Eric sits cross-legged on her bedroom floor, flipping through old photographs while the scent of their mother's lemongrass cooking wafts through the house. Before leaving, Jasmine extracts a promise from Eric not to tell their parents about her plans to live with her boyfriend Kevin. With his family gone to drop off Jasmine, Eric invites his best friend Daniel over. They end up on the rooftop with pizza boxes between them, gazing at stars. Daniel points out "glitches" in the constellations, insisting they're living in a simulation like The Matrix. "You and I are the only thing that's real," Daniel tells him-words that will haunt Eric later when their fingers accidentally touch, sending warmth through him that he keeps to himself. When Daniel unexpectedly asks if he can kiss him, Eric's heart pounds as he experiences a moment he's imagined countless times. But Daniel is gone now-not just away, but deceased. Nearly a year after Daniel's death, Eric still checks his phone expecting texts. Loss compounds upon loss when we discover that Jasmine, too, has died, though Eric initially keeps this reality at bay, imagining she's merely touring with her band in Amsterdam. How do we continue breathing when the people who gave our lives meaning no longer share the air we breathe?