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Haru #1
Spring
Haru, a small bird who dreams of flying, and their best friend Yama, a talkative boar, are used to being in the shadows. But when Yama finds a strange artifact that causes sinister effects, the two are swept into an epic journey to destroy the artifact and save the world.
In The Valley, best friends Haru and Yama both dream of leaving as they’re bullied at school, frustrated at home, and struggling to figure out who they are. One day, a powerful artifact connects itself to Yama, and they discover that they’ll have to journey to The Beacon in search of answers.
Created by artist Joe Latham, this beautifully illustrated graphic novel series is a coming-of-age tale that spans the changing of seasons. Beginning in spring and ending in spring—the cycle complete. A story of heart, growing up, and the sacrifices we make for those we love, Haru is perfect for middle-grade readers.
In The Valley, best friends Haru and Yama both dream of leaving as they’re bullied at school, frustrated at home, and struggling to figure out who they are. One day, a powerful artifact connects itself to Yama, and they discover that they’ll have to journey to The Beacon in search of answers.
Created by artist Joe Latham, this beautifully illustrated graphic novel series is a coming-of-age tale that spans the changing of seasons. Beginning in spring and ending in spring—the cycle complete. A story of heart, growing up, and the sacrifices we make for those we love, Haru is perfect for middle-grade readers.
272 pages, Paperback
First published March 12, 2024
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648 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 190 reviews
May 22, 2024
My thanks to NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for an eARC of this book to read and review.
Yeah, this did NOT work for me. I echo the other reviewers who said that the pacing was off and having difficulty following the characters and the timeline of when things happened.
Also, the bullying was realistic, but the teacher was just completely IDIOTIC. I would HOPE that if there was bullying like that, that the teacher would, while maybe not understand what exactly was happening, might pick up that SOMEthing was causing the two students to be laughed at and that 'hey, maybe asking the students to talk about their home life isn't a GREAT idea and MAYBE I should have some understanding of what that home life actually IS before I pass judgment and say the kids are lying and didn't do the assignment.'
Also, the MCs didn't listen or trust wisdom, nor did they thank it for saving them, BUT they trusted creatures who were OBVIOUSLY lying, on more than one occasion, but trusted them ANYway. Dude, you deserve what you get.
I remember being super angry at the ending, but I can't recall any of it now. I guess my brain is trying to protect me from remembering it, but now I almost can't justify less than two stars for this.
I'm still going to go with one star, but not an angry one. The art wasn't horrible and I did like the sibling love, but the kids were not the brightest, though their home situation was tough (and made no sense, the mom was a ghost or something and dad wasn't there? IDK, it was weird. Maybe it's supposed to be symbolic, but it wasn't really explained.)
1, this was a bit too out there for me but YMMV, stars.
Yeah, this did NOT work for me. I echo the other reviewers who said that the pacing was off and having difficulty following the characters and the timeline of when things happened.
Also, the bullying was realistic, but the teacher was just completely IDIOTIC. I would HOPE that if there was bullying like that, that the teacher would, while maybe not understand what exactly was happening, might pick up that SOMEthing was causing the two students to be laughed at and that 'hey, maybe asking the students to talk about their home life isn't a GREAT idea and MAYBE I should have some understanding of what that home life actually IS before I pass judgment and say the kids are lying and didn't do the assignment.'
Also, the MCs didn't listen or trust wisdom, nor did they thank it for saving them, BUT they trusted creatures who were OBVIOUSLY lying, on more than one occasion, but trusted them ANYway. Dude, you deserve what you get.
I remember being super angry at the ending, but I can't recall any of it now. I guess my brain is trying to protect me from remembering it, but now I almost can't justify less than two stars for this.
I'm still going to go with one star, but not an angry one. The art wasn't horrible and I did like the sibling love, but the kids were not the brightest, though their home situation was tough (and made no sense, the mom was a ghost or something and dad wasn't there? IDK, it was weird. Maybe it's supposed to be symbolic, but it wasn't really explained.)
1, this was a bit too out there for me but YMMV, stars.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 11, 2024
Naturally, this book caught my eye with its adorable illustrations. Taking a fistful of inspiration from The Lord of the Rings, this is the epic-level story of a flightless bird and a wild boar piglet on their quest to destroy an evil object, all the while dodging the entities intent on doing them in.
The characters, ranging from a fuzzball of a bird to a friendly toadstool man, are extremely cute. However, don't let this lull you into thinking that there is no peril within the pages of this story. There are some surprisingly dark scenes, with frightening creatures who attempt to kill said cute characters. There are also some pretty sad scenes of unresolved bullying and social ostracism, references to family members who are absent or dead, and characters who intentionally put others in harm's way. Young readers will need a certain level of maturity for this kind of content.
One aspect of HARU that I found jarring was its use of modern slang and patterns of speaking for its characters. To me, it doesn't seem as if fantasy creatures living in a magical world would speak like middle schoolers. (Imagine Frodo and Sam throwing around "dude," "like," "sucks," etc.) This tended to take me out of the story rather than fully immerse me in its world.
This installment ends on a pretty big cliffhanger, with multiple storylines that need resolution. I'm looking forward to seeing how things turn out.
The characters, ranging from a fuzzball of a bird to a friendly toadstool man, are extremely cute. However, don't let this lull you into thinking that there is no peril within the pages of this story. There are some surprisingly dark scenes, with frightening creatures who attempt to kill said cute characters. There are also some pretty sad scenes of unresolved bullying and social ostracism, references to family members who are absent or dead, and characters who intentionally put others in harm's way. Young readers will need a certain level of maturity for this kind of content.
One aspect of HARU that I found jarring was its use of modern slang and patterns of speaking for its characters. To me, it doesn't seem as if fantasy creatures living in a magical world would speak like middle schoolers. (Imagine Frodo and Sam throwing around "dude," "like," "sucks," etc.) This tended to take me out of the story rather than fully immerse me in its world.
This installment ends on a pretty big cliffhanger, with multiple storylines that need resolution. I'm looking forward to seeing how things turn out.
July 9, 2024
3.5⭐️ Rounded down.
Haru and Yama’s quest is a beautifully illustrated, mystical introduction to the adventure yet to come.
Things I liked:
- I loved the non-binary inclusion of Haru’s character, that just allows them to have they/them pronouns without making it a Thing™️. The normalization of it is amazing!
- The art was magical and the coloring was a great tone-setter!
- The overall premise of the story.
Things I did not like:
- The narration was well-rounded and almost philosophical, which made the child-like dialogue feel weird.
- Random reference to Google in a magical forest???
- Pacing was a little strange.
- Would love more rounded out characters!
Overall, this was a good story with some greatness doing for it! I will definitely be returning to Haru’s adventure!
Haru and Yama’s quest is a beautifully illustrated, mystical introduction to the adventure yet to come.
Things I liked:
- I loved the non-binary inclusion of Haru’s character, that just allows them to have they/them pronouns without making it a Thing™️. The normalization of it is amazing!
- The art was magical and the coloring was a great tone-setter!
- The overall premise of the story.
Things I did not like:
- The narration was well-rounded and almost philosophical, which made the child-like dialogue feel weird.
- Random reference to Google in a magical forest???
- Pacing was a little strange.
- Would love more rounded out characters!
Overall, this was a good story with some greatness doing for it! I will definitely be returning to Haru’s adventure!
January 17, 2024
Special thanks to the author(s), publisher, Goodreads and/or NetGalley for the review copy. All views and opinions expressed are honest and my own.
Our story follows a flightless bird named Haru and their best friend Yama, a pig, who find a strange artifact with evil energy leading them to journey beyond their home to destroy it.
The story is just beginning. There are a lot of unknowns regarding the world Haru and Yama live in and the magic in place. The plot isn’t unique, given its destroying an evil item that a villain desires to take back. However, the underlying themes of bullying, trust, believing in yourself, friendship, and forgiveness are holding this story together. Although it’s an uplifting story, it also gets quite dark so it may not be suitable for young kids. Also, the pacing of this volume is quite scattered and it’s hard to tell how much time has passed.
I have a hate-love relationship with the artwork. The artwork is cute with its small sized characters and designs. It’s detailed, yet raw which gives it a warm feel. I liked the use of colors to express different themes and scenery but I felt it lacked a thorough execution. The colors were at times too overwhelming covering the whole page in different shades of one color, making it overshadow the characters, emotions and scenery. It also transitions quite quickly between contrasts such as red and green without a change in scenery or tone.
The characters are interesting but I felt like I didn’t know enough about them by the end. This is the first volume so I’m sure I’ll understand them better in future volumes. I liked how Haru used the they/them pronouns because it felt natural and didn’t ruin the flow of the story. There is quite a large cast of characters aside from the main two in this story. Some are recurring with a prominent role while others are simply to assist with the story.
Overall this was an interesting read but one I would have liked more if there was a balance of colors in the artwork. I’ll probably continue this series sometime in the future because it’s still an interesting story with a great cast.
Read more reviews @ Mystic's Review Shelf
Our story follows a flightless bird named Haru and their best friend Yama, a pig, who find a strange artifact with evil energy leading them to journey beyond their home to destroy it.
The story is just beginning. There are a lot of unknowns regarding the world Haru and Yama live in and the magic in place. The plot isn’t unique, given its destroying an evil item that a villain desires to take back. However, the underlying themes of bullying, trust, believing in yourself, friendship, and forgiveness are holding this story together. Although it’s an uplifting story, it also gets quite dark so it may not be suitable for young kids. Also, the pacing of this volume is quite scattered and it’s hard to tell how much time has passed.
I have a hate-love relationship with the artwork. The artwork is cute with its small sized characters and designs. It’s detailed, yet raw which gives it a warm feel. I liked the use of colors to express different themes and scenery but I felt it lacked a thorough execution. The colors were at times too overwhelming covering the whole page in different shades of one color, making it overshadow the characters, emotions and scenery. It also transitions quite quickly between contrasts such as red and green without a change in scenery or tone.
The characters are interesting but I felt like I didn’t know enough about them by the end. This is the first volume so I’m sure I’ll understand them better in future volumes. I liked how Haru used the they/them pronouns because it felt natural and didn’t ruin the flow of the story. There is quite a large cast of characters aside from the main two in this story. Some are recurring with a prominent role while others are simply to assist with the story.
Overall this was an interesting read but one I would have liked more if there was a balance of colors in the artwork. I’ll probably continue this series sometime in the future because it’s still an interesting story with a great cast.
Read more reviews @ Mystic's Review Shelf
March 15, 2024
This story was so cute!! I absolutely loved every second of it. It’s a coming of age story that deals with bullying and some *minimally* darker topics, but with great care for the audience mainly being young readers (9-12 age range). The fantasy aspect is great, the story and plot is interesting and very intriguing but also a great way to tell a coming of age story, especially with using the four seasons too. While I wish a very small number of things had more of an explanation, I also feel like we were given vague information because 1. It’s book one and that information could be better told in later books/seasons and 2. It’s a graphic novel, you’re very limited to how much information you can put in and tell. I don’t think this takes away from the story however. The artwork is stunning, Haru and Yama are absolutely adorably drawn and I’m so very much looking forward to seeing where this series goes.
March 19, 2024
Wonderful, magical, epic.
October 6, 2023
A ghibli-esque graphic novel about Haru the bird and Yama the boar on their journey to get rid of a powerful object, with the help of lovable, quirky characters.
I loved the style of the illustrations, they lent themselves well to both the cheery, happy-go-lucky scenes and the eerie, more atmospheric ones. I especially loved the quality of the colours, they were great in the way they were used to convey the different moods.
The plot is engaging, even though it's clearly only the beginning of the adventure.
Overall a very cute read I'd recommend to my younger cousins (but also to myself), I'm excited to see what comes next!
Access to the ARC acquired thanks to NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I loved the style of the illustrations, they lent themselves well to both the cheery, happy-go-lucky scenes and the eerie, more atmospheric ones. I especially loved the quality of the colours, they were great in the way they were used to convey the different moods.
The plot is engaging, even though it's clearly only the beginning of the adventure.
Overall a very cute read I'd recommend to my younger cousins (but also to myself), I'm excited to see what comes next!
Access to the ARC acquired thanks to NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
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March 4, 2025Beelden die direct mijn aandacht trokken en een verhaallijn die lijkt op Lord of the Rings voor kinderen, maar ook een vreemde pacing, te abrupte sprongen naar andere personages en off taalgebruik.
November 4, 2024
Super cute graphic novel, I loved the friendship and the magic involved in the story. Haru and Yamma are adorable ❤️
March 4, 2024
Haru is a small non-binary flightless bird and their best friend is Yama, a wild boar who comes across a potentially dangerous cursed item. Try as she might, she can't get rid of the cursed item which seems to be infecting her with its darkness. And so, Haru and Yama decide to go on a quest to get rid of the cursed heart. Together, they set off into the world, towards the mountains ("The Beacon") where darkness lurks and where ominous shadows seem to be following them.
The artwork and colours were cute but the story, worldbuilding, and dialogue didn't draw me in. The comic did spend a bit of time establishing Haru as a character but there's still a lot we don't know about Haru (). I also wish more time was spent on developing the other characters and their relationships as well (like Yama, Goose, and Herb). There is a lot left unexplained in this world where magical items seem normal but not readily available, and where the inexplainable happens (but which also appears to be the norm).
This is a graphic novel for middle-grade readers looking for a cuter and less scary (though still dark and ominous) version of Lord of the Rings (with a much smaller cast of characters).
**I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley for review consideration, but all opinions are my own.**
The artwork and colours were cute but the story, worldbuilding, and dialogue didn't draw me in. The comic did spend a bit of time establishing Haru as a character but there's still a lot we don't know about Haru (). I also wish more time was spent on developing the other characters and their relationships as well (like Yama, Goose, and Herb). There is a lot left unexplained in this world where magical items seem normal but not readily available, and where the inexplainable happens (but which also appears to be the norm).
This is a graphic novel for middle-grade readers looking for a cuter and less scary (though still dark and ominous) version of Lord of the Rings (with a much smaller cast of characters).
**I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley for review consideration, but all opinions are my own.**
November 8, 2023
Haru is a young blue bird that cannot fly living in a dystopian world. Their only friend is their brother Goose and Yama the pig. When Yama finds a magical item that causes strange things to happen, she wants to be rid of it, but when she throws it away it magically returns to her pocket. Yama and Haru go on a quest to the beacon to get rid of the magic item, but something dark is hunting them. #Edelweiss+
April 13, 2024
Very cute art style. Gently creepy at times.
January 10, 2025
Funky little book. Why do the cute animal characters have such haunted looks at times?? I am curious about the backstory... atmospherically reminds me a bit of
Beautiful Darkness
, though not as dark or violent.
November 20, 2023
This was a great first instalment to this series about Haru, a flightless bird on an adventure with their bestfriend Yama. I laughed out loud at how cute the conversations were at times, and could definitely see children loving this story. The dark undertones were spooky, but not frightening and created a great contrast to the otherwise bright demeanour of the characters. On top of all that, the artwork was beautiful.
March 9, 2024
This was so cute! It’s a perfect blend of adventure, friendship, and heart, perfect for fans of Ryan Andrews’ This Was Our Pact and Ben Hatke’s Things in the Basement!
October 22, 2024
⭐️3.0 stars
April 2, 2024
it left off on a cliffhanger I'm so upset ☹️
March 18, 2024
Haru is a beautifully illustrated graphic novel, a coming-of-age story that also highlights the four seasons with Spring being the first volume. The colors of each page range from a muted turquoise background reminding me of the early dusk sky, to lighter shades of green indicative of daytime. With further pages having shades of yellows and pink. This volume is broken down into six chapters and chronicles Haru and Yama's journey to remove a cursed artifact. The atmosphere is very mysterious and shifts between darkness and periods of light to some downright creepy moments. I felt a sense of apprehension as I flipped pages and wondered what peril was in store for these two. And boy do they get into some sticky, dangerous situations. Everything moves along at a fairly quick pace and yet it still feels like some details were being left out, with some confusing points when Haru and Yama entered the mall. I wanted to know more, which I suspect will be revealed in one of the other seasons. Overall, I really loved the illustrations and would love to read more but might hold off until the full series is released, as the completed series will fill in all those missing pieces and questions that I had. *E-ARC from Netgalley*
November 28, 2023
Thank you Netgalley and Andrew McMeel publishing for ARC in exchange of an honest review.
This was totally unexpected. It was dark and twisted in a good way, of course. A story of a flightless bird Haru and their friend a pig named Yama. Together with them embark on a journey of adventure and full of surprises. Only thing that I would like to add is, It might be little too dark for younger kids.
This is the first installment, I'm definitely curious about what happens next.
This was totally unexpected. It was dark and twisted in a good way, of course. A story of a flightless bird Haru and their friend a pig named Yama. Together with them embark on a journey of adventure and full of surprises. Only thing that I would like to add is, It might be little too dark for younger kids.
This is the first installment, I'm definitely curious about what happens next.
August 31, 2024
I really liked the artwork and characters. The story has heart, but the pacing was really off. Some things just happen too suddenly. Still, it's pretty cute and I'll probably read the next one.
I've seen this cataloged as YA and middle grade, but it definitely read more middle grade to me.
I've seen this cataloged as YA and middle grade, but it definitely read more middle grade to me.
April 18, 2024
Beautiful artwork but the story didn't work for me. It was all over the place.
October 22, 2024
Very cute.
September 26, 2023
A cute and ominous cover, a good reflection of the story inside.
The illustrations inside this lengthy graphic novel, look like paintings in natural colors. Beautiful.
We follow the birds Haru and his brother Goose, a toadstool named Herb and a piglet called Yama (Haru’s friend).
Before their story starts, there’s an epic story about dark and light and one of the things the dark does before it’s defeated, is leave behind its heart wrapped in thorns. Yama finds this heart and tries to throw it away but it always comes back to her.
Yama and Haru go ask the oak tree for advice and that makes them go on a quest to get rid of the heart.
Goose is worried and tries to find his brother after school. He gets the help of Frei, a firebug.
Haru and Yama get in trouble (I wonder if that part isn’t too scary for kids) and Herb finds them. He then guids them part of their journey.
Who can they trust and will they make it?
This felt similar to Sam and Frodo, trying to get rid of the ring in LotR. But there’s enough difference between the stories.
I flew through this graphic novel. It’s fast paced and the beautiful paintings also make you want to keep reading!
It ends in the middle of their quest, I hope they make it!
Thank you NetGalley for providing me with this arc in exchange for my honest review.
The illustrations inside this lengthy graphic novel, look like paintings in natural colors. Beautiful.
We follow the birds Haru and his brother Goose, a toadstool named Herb and a piglet called Yama (Haru’s friend).
Before their story starts, there’s an epic story about dark and light and one of the things the dark does before it’s defeated, is leave behind its heart wrapped in thorns. Yama finds this heart and tries to throw it away but it always comes back to her.
Yama and Haru go ask the oak tree for advice and that makes them go on a quest to get rid of the heart.
Goose is worried and tries to find his brother after school. He gets the help of Frei, a firebug.
Haru and Yama get in trouble (I wonder if that part isn’t too scary for kids) and Herb finds them. He then guids them part of their journey.
Who can they trust and will they make it?
This felt similar to Sam and Frodo, trying to get rid of the ring in LotR. But there’s enough difference between the stories.
I flew through this graphic novel. It’s fast paced and the beautiful paintings also make you want to keep reading!
It ends in the middle of their quest, I hope they make it!
Thank you NetGalley for providing me with this arc in exchange for my honest review.
January 2, 2025
2.5 ⭐️ I really wanted to love this and it looked so promising my and intriguing but the only thing I really loved was the art and the use of colors. It ends on a cliffhanger and is supposed to have 3 other volumes to accompany it but even for a kids graphic it felt unfinished in a way that wasn’t a cliffhanger but just missing something. The narration felt so strange at times and was worded like it wasn’t meant to be a kids graphic but then the dialogue was so simple that it was confusing with the complexity of the narrative. I think the overall message is good and it could’ve been great but the way the author brings the plot and characters to the reader isn’t well done and takes away from the experience overall.
August 23, 2024
This was so cute and I loved the art style!
September 29, 2024
This is really cute and I love the illustrations...but I'm not sure I LOVED it. I will continue with the series if I see the next one...but I would be ok if I didnt.
October 31, 2024
I’m really hoping to raise my star rating as I continue this series. This first installment doesn’t get into too much, but I think there’s a lot of ground work laid. The art was incredibly cute, but hard to follow art some times.
November 30, 2024
Welp
This was weird, confusing and kinda boring. Barely understood what was going on half the time. Nothing was explained and there were some weird jumps between events.
Cute art tho
This was weird, confusing and kinda boring. Barely understood what was going on half the time. Nothing was explained and there were some weird jumps between events.
Cute art tho
March 17, 2025
Haru is a little non-binary bird living in a post- apocalyptic world. He has friend issues, family issues, school issues, and existential crises - all of which are unrelated to their being non-binary. 'Cause life and magical monsters happen to everybody, right?
Displaying 1 - 30 of 190 reviews