When You Were Here

When You Were Here by Daisy Whitney was such a powerful book. It tackles the hard hitting subjects of death and coping, along with acceptance, first love, and growth.

I loved how flawlessly Daisy Whitney weaves in not only a new setting, but really a people's culture and way of life. It is a rare thing in many novels for this to be so authentic, but it just felt like I was right there next to Danny in Tokyo.

In addition to the intriguing setting, the story is told not only through writing, but there is a sense that there are many layers: through the letters left behind, the letters sent, photographs, emails. It all adds up to one bigger picture, even though the writing tells you everything you need to know.

"It makes me like Tokyo more, seeing it through your eyes."

I love the layers even the characters themselves bring with one another - one sees something they already know in a different way when another is there to experience it with them.

Also, Sandy Koufax is one of the coolest dogs ever - she has so much character and I just loved the role she plays for Danny. Additionally, I loved Holland, and I just constantly wanted to know more about her - what exactly was her story. Kana is very spunky and someone so many people can admire. She isn't afraid of what others say or think about her; instead she completely owns it.

When You Were Here is absolutely heartbreaking - beautiful, but heartbreaking none the less. It brought out all the feelings at so many points throughout the book. I loved Daisy Whitney's debut, The Mockingbirds, and its followup, The Rivals, but I think When You Were Here was even stronger than the pair. It was such an empowering story that had me completely engrossed the entire time.

What I Loved:
I do think When You Were Here is an excellent book, well-written and meaningful. Daisy Whitney considers cancer in a way I've not encountered before. The focus is less on the disease itself but how Danny's mom lived with the disease. Whitney brings When You Were Here to a sweet, uplifting conclusion, but one that does not feel overly optimistic, rather real and hopeful.

My favorite parts were after Danny went to Japan to find out about his mom's life when she was there, after receiving a note from the caretaker of the family's apartment in Japan about the disposal of her almost unused medications. Curious about why she wasn't taking them, angry that she may not have been trying her hardest to live until his graduation like she always promised, he decides to fly to Japan spur of the moment. Those chapters where he explores Tokyo were beautiful and made me want to go there even more.

In Tokyo, he meets the caretaker's daughter, Kana, a couple years older than he is (just graduated from high school). Kana is the best, so unapologetically herself. She dresses as crazy as our stereotypes of Japan, wearing boots a drag queen would envy and things like that. If anyone gives her a hard time, she gives it back, even to hissing at them on the streets. Immediately, she befriends Danny, determines to help him find happiness and to find more of it herself, since she no longer loves Tokyo and he does. Their friendship grows quickly and its strong and delightful. He needs her, and meeting her is like a gift his mom left for him. I also just love that this is one of the only examples of a strong male-female friendship in fiction. There's no sexual tension or chance that they'll date. They love each other as friends and nothing more, even though both are single.

What Left Me Wanting More:
What kept me from loving this book were the main characters, Danny and Holland. Not only did I not connect with them, but I feel an active dislike for them. Whitney does a good job of establishing their flaws, but I'm not nearly as forgiving as the average person. When the reader meets Danny, he's as angsty as Nastya and Josh from The Sea of Tranquility, which, in case you haven't read that, means angsty as fuck. Now, he does have good reason to feel this angst: father years dead, adopted sister estranged from the family, dumped by the girlfriend he loves, and mother recently dead, not having lasted to his graduation. I do feel bad for him, but the self-destructive way he reacts to it in no way endears me to him. The only times I like Danny are when he is with or thinking about his dog, Sandy Koufax. His love for her is what keeps me from hating him entirely, proving that he's a good person.

Holland, on the other hand, has a whole subplot going on about her, but I can't go into details because they would be spoilery. Suffice it to say that I think she treated Danny abominably and stupidly. Again, it makes sense why she did, but I still think it was messed up and I can't just forgive her for that. I found her hugely irritating besides. Except for that one plot point, she's a total manicpixiedreamgirl, made of perfection. Adding a sappy plot to make her not perfect didn't fix that for me. Also, that plot is something I intentionally avoid; had I known about it, I never would have read When You Were Here, so much do I not like that subject matter. That's totally a personal thing, however, and don't let my own distaste scare you off, since trusted friends have been loving this.

The Final Verdict:
All in all, When You Were Here is a beautiful novel, but one that I am not the ideal reader for. Though I do love darker contemporaries, I was not ready for another incredibly angsty character and I also feel distaste some of the subject matter. As I said, trusted friends have loved this, so don't write it off based solely on my opinions and my own personal biases.