I’m sharing another instalment of my Mini Review Mondays, the most recent of which was last week. In case you haven’t seen any of my previous posts, I do ‘mini’ reviews of books that I’ve previously read and am now ready to share my full thoughts about.
First up, I’d like to talk about When Haru Was Here by Dustin Thao. Thank you to First Ink Books for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
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, and a boy he met last summer – Haru Tanaka – walks into the coffee shop and sits down next to him. The only thing is, nobody else can see him.
Eric suddenly has someone to connect with, making him feel less alone in the world. But as they spend more time together, he begins to question what is real. Soon Eric is losing control of the very thing that is holding him together, and must confront his reality. Even if it means losing Haru forever.
Publication Date: 5th September
TW: death, grief
My Thoughts:
When Haru Was Here was so delicately beautiful in its exploration of grief and wanting to carry someone in your heart forever.
Thao’s writing is wonderfully emotional and descriptive, pulling you into the narrative and making you care so much about these characters. There is just something he adds to their dialogue that makes it incredibly believable and in doing so, your heart opens a little more. Both Haru and Eric leapt off the page and straight into my heart. There is a slight tinge of a doomed sense to their narrative, the missed chances we play out over and over again. However there is a beauty in this fleeting nature and the scenes between them are often very romantic, with a lovely building dynamic.
The primary theme of this book is grief. It explores it in a multi-faceted and nuanced way, going through different emotions it may bring out of you and how your worldview can shift forever. Thao also explores the riskier behaviour that can be a coping strategy, with Eric delving into new relationships and not always remembering to put himself first. While it is ultimately a romance narrative with a bittersweet ending, it is also very much a story of self-love, acceptance and starting a journey of recovery with yourself. It does not ask you to forget your loved ones but carry them with forever in the way you think and care about yourself. You honour their legacy and enjoy the memories, which may sting at first, but may grow to be a source of comfort.
The way Eric initially is dealing with his bereavement is not particuarly healthy and this allows for some scenes that blur the line between fantasy and reality. He has become so used to this interior world that he cannot distinguish the two as clearly any more. Thao invests his character journey with so much poignancy and heart that you cannot help but just wish for his happiness. I think it is a sensitively handled storyline and applaud Thao for tackling this.
When Haru Was Here is a sweet and heartfelt YA contemporary romance about grief and the moments we wish we had taken.
Next up, I’d like to talk about Isolation Island by Louise Minchin. Thank you to Hannah Sawyer at Headline for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Ten celebrities have arrived to take part in a gruelling reality survival show: two weeks completely alone on a remote Scottish island, in the depths of winter. With some careers on the rise, and others whose star is fading, almost everyone has something to play for. But investigative journalist Lauren has one question – what does Hollywood megastar Nate Stirling have to gain by taking part?
With a production team that seems incapable of keeping them safe, a gathering storm and the unrelenting gaze of hidden cameras, the contestants are stretched to the limit as they try to outshine their fellow competitors and hide their darkest secrets.
But when a body is found, it’s clear that the game has become a matter of life and death…
Publication Date: 12th September
TW: murder, death, sexual assault, harassment, abuse, addiction, toxic relationships, manipulation, gaslighting
My Thoughts:
Isolation Island was a highly entertaining thriller – think The Traitors meets I’m a Celebrity on steroids. It’s got the allure of fame coupled with the desire to see them come undone.
Between this and Then Things Went Dark, there is something in the water that is just drawing me to reality TV gone wrong thrillers. There is just something so enticing about awful people being trapped on an island together. It allows you a peek behind the curtain of celebrity glamour and fame to expose some of the sleaze and corruption that can be present in these circles. Most of the people you encounter in this book are driven by their desire to keep their status, both in the competition and in the outside world. There is a constant sense of manipulation and masquerading where everything is for show and things are not quite as they seem.
When you add reality TV into the mix, all bets are off. That extra layer of perception adds so much tension and suspense to the narrative. I loved how we did not get glimpses of the outside, rather staying right there with the characters constantly. Sometimes this is excellent, but here it really served to further that isolation and draw you into the escalating sense of despair and spiralling towards destruction.
The remote nature of the setting also adds a lot of atmosphere. It is an unpredictable place where nature reigns supreme. You are at the mercy of the wind and the rain, building towards a storm you can sense is coming from the start. Of course all of this serves to heighten the paranoia amongst the group and ramp up the suspense. The claustrophobia increases as they’re forced into closer proximity and secrets are exposed.
Isolation Island was the definition of an addictive thriller. It is gripping and keeps you glued to the pages.
Finally, I’d like to delve into Old Wounds by Logan-Ashley Kisner. Thank you to Ayesha Mumal at Usborne for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Erin and Max are two trans kids, just trying to get to California. Max is desperate to finally be able to transition, and Erin is longing to understand why she’s on this trip to begin with, after Max suddenly broke up with her two years earlier.
But when they find themselves stranded – and eventually separated – in the creepy woods of rural middle-America, they suddenly have much bigger problems.
First, there’s the creature that, according to legend, feeds on girls, hunting them through the shadows.
And then there are the locals, who are searching for a female sacrifice. If either of them hope to survive to see the sunrise, Erin and Max will have to come together and stop running: from their attackers, from each other, and, ultimately, from themselves.
Publication Date: 12th September
TW: death, violence, injury, self-harm, suicidal ideation, transphobia, dysphoria, homophobia, hate crimes, deadnaming, outing
My Thoughts:
Old Wounds delivers horror to the umpteenth degree. This slivers under your skin and settles there with a tale that is terrifying and brimming over with rage in equal measure.
I have a real soft spot for books that are primal screams. They shine incandescent with anger that fills you while reading. At once they are a rallying cry and a cathartic release. I am here for more books full of trans anger. This was such a great YA horror and an impressive debut, with wonderful characterisation and some fantastic twists. I think it is important to clarify that this is not solely a book all about the “trans experience” but it is one about trans characters just trying to live their lives and escape the cult trying to sacrifice them to a mysterious monster in the woods. This is to say it is important to have more representation within horror and literature more widely, but not to solely define them by a single characteristic.
I think Kisner hits that balance perfectly with these two incredible protagonists: Erin and Max. Instantly I enjoyed their complicated dynamics as exes that are sort of friends that grew apart. Their discussions on the initial road trip are hilarious (the map part in particular for me) and also charged with an uncertain energy. I enjoyed both of their arcs and how they develop over the course of the story. There is a bit of snark and bite to their narration and you can see how they have each developed different coping strategies to exist in a world often trying to destroy and silence them. I also really enjoyed how them being trans complicates this cult ritual sacrifice – there is a discussion about gender identity and monsters’ appetites that brought a smile to my face amidst the darkness. It also is an interesting way to explore the monstrosity of humanity. There are some gory scenes with the violence and blood you may expect from horror.
Old Wounds is an exceptionally strong YA debut that is perfect for these cold, dark nights where something or someone may just be watching from the shadows.
A Short Book Lover 
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