Thao, Dustin: When Haru Was Here (Paperback)

We Are Okay meets Wandavision in this novel about loneliness, complicated friendships, and what it means to let go, from Dustin Thao, the author of the globally bestselling TikTok sensation You've Reached Sam. When Eric Ly's best friend completely ghosts him and his sister leaves home without even a note, he finds himself alone in the world. Struggling to deal with reality, Eric invents imaginary scenarios in his head where everything is still okay. Until one of them comes to life?Haru Tanaka the guy he briefly met last summer, the one he has been dreaming about. In a magical turn of events, Eric suddenly has someone he can talk to?even if no one else can see him. For the first time since not getting into college, losing his best friend and sister he has someone to connect with. Someone to make things right. But the longer they spend time together, Eric starts to question what's real and what isn't. When this begins to interfere with his real-world relationships, Eric must finally confront his reality, even if it means losing Haru forever.

Dustin Thao is a Vietnamese-American writer based in Southern California. He graduated from Amherst College with a B.A. in Political Science, and is starting a PhD program at Northwestern University. He writes contemporary young adult fiction. You've Reached Sam is his YA debut, followed by When Haru Was Here.