When Haru Was Here

De: Dustin Thao

Narrado por: David Lee Huynh

We Are Okay meets Wandavision in this novel about loneliness, complicated friendships, and what it means to let go.

After the death of his best friend, Eric Ly creates imaginary scenarios in his head to deal with his grief. Until one of them becomes real when a boy he met last summer in Japan finds his way back into his life. When he least expects it, Haru Tanaka walks into the coffee shop and sits down next to him. The only thing is, nobody else can see him.

In a magical turn of events, Eric suddenly has someone to connect with, making him feel less alone in the world. But as they spend more and more time together, he begins to question what is real. When he starts losing control of the very thing that is holding him together, Eric must finally confront his reality. Even if it means losing Haru forever.

A Macmillan Audio production from Wednesday Books.

©2024 Dustin Thao (P)2024 Macmillan Audio

I’M IN TEARS

Thank you for writing something so beautiful and relatable. Every step of grief made it feel so real.

Pulls at the heart

This listen has got me feeling like no other. Emotional roller coaster ride all the way. It is not for the faint of heart, but it is so worth it.

teen angst - young love and loss

the book was clear and well written. showed a believeable teenage experience with some superficial reactions to coming of age life experiences and tragedies. rooting for the protagonist until the end. found a box of kleenex was useful by the final chapters. highly recommend. adults will equally enjoy. reader was perfectly cast.

Beautiful

This was a beautiful experience to listen to. Heartwrenching and healing. I absolutely recommend a listen or two.

Such a sweet ending

The author takes us into the mind of a teenager as he begins to lose his grip on reality, puts off making plans for his future and tries to figure out who is important in his life -- or perhaps what place he has in others' lives. His descent begins after the opportunity to keep in touch with a fling he met on a school trip to Japan floats away in the wind, after his best friend dies suddenly and as his sister who has been a second best friend their entire lives leaves to chase her dreams in Europe. It's lonely inside this mind. So lonely that it invents an alternate reality that brings Haru, the fling from Japan, back into the teenager's life. It's not easy to make it all the way through a book about battling through despair, but the writing will keep you engaged and make you want to see if Eric can find his way back to reality. You're along for the journey, and in the end it will be more than worth it.

20 mins angry, 30 mins sobbing

Okay, real talk: I’ve only read two gay “romance” novels in my life—this was number two. The genre is new territory for me. But that cover? Love. I already had a crush on the main character (obviously), so when he made choices I didn’t like, I got irrationally mad and felt wildly protective, like a jealous boyfriend.

So in the end I spent twenty minutes furious, followed by thirty minutes ugly‑crying into my hoodie, all while real‑time text‑spiraling my friends: “Read it! …No, wait—these guys are mean. Don’t! …Actually, yes, you really should read it now!” 😭😭😭

Why did it hurt so much? Well on a personal note, it echoed my own life with Ethan, who left us—left me—far too early. I still struggle with that loss almost every day. So when Eric faces the unimaginable, in the first few pages, I broke apart; it felt like a bruise I already knew by heart. Losing someone young is a wrong that never quite heals. Grief sits in this book like background music: like a bell chime… its clarity is abrupt, brutal, honest and sad in all the ways grief is.

Nineteen felt young for some of what happens (dating and drinking wise) but it did viscerally make me want to punch people who hurt him… and those moments reminded me how easily we can wound someone who’s story we frankly just don’t see on the surface. You never know what other people are dealing with, so please just stop for a second and be kind!

The beauty of the Tanabata myth at the start—the star‑festival lovers who meet only once a year? Keep that in the back of your mind. That simple magic ties everything together.

Then… just when you think the hurt is too much, the story hits you again—so devastatingly poignant your heart splits in two. This book was beautiful, confusing (in the right ways), infuriating, and cathartic. I can’t recall another recent book that made me sob like this.

If you’ve ever lost someone, and tried to rewire the universe afterward to bring them back—read it. Thank you for the stars @thedustinthao

—Luke

Masterful storytelling and narration

Dustin has mastered the art of making his readers cry. His stories are wonderfully written. I was blown away by David Lee Huynh’s narration.

A gripping story of love and aloneness

Written with simple clarity, narrated with sheer perfection, When Haru Was Here will leave a mark on your heart, soul, and mind like no other book. With echoes of an exquisite k-drama where sometimes inexplicable meetings and missed connections occur, WHWH will gently tug at your heart strings as our hero finds his way through the growing pains of life.

The twist?!?

This book was very well written and expected from Dustin. I knew from the start that I was gonna cry from this book but I didn’t know when, where, how and it was just tragedy after tragedy. The plot twist really gets you out of nowhere with a ball of tear to go with it.


This second book by Dustin was incredible and blew my mind all the way home.

It left me sobbing in a good way

This book has everything I like. A love story, a plot twist, magic, amazing real dialogues among the characters, people of color as the main story, no white saviors, teachings about other cultures that flow naturally in the story, It also made me laugh! I loved it even though I’m not the target audience since I am a straight middle age white woman. Nevertheless it talked to me and made me feel so much which is what good books do. I highly recommend it
I’m grateful for the TikTok algorithm that somehow knew I was going to love this book