Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing
Format: E-ARC
Number of pages: 272 pages
Publishing: October 28th, 2025
Source: Edelweiss +
Opening Line: "It was true that darkness's power had never really been undone, for as long as there are those who favor the night and relish the cold, it cannot be killed."
Haru begins with a glimpse of a past memory. The initial pages resemble aged photographs, yellowed with time. Secrets unfold, and a prophecy emerges, though I’ll refrain from sharing too many details to avoid spoilers. The series began with Spring and has now been followed by Summer and Fall. Each book should be read in order.
Just a little background to get you up to date. Haru is a non-binary blue colored bird, their younger sibling is a chick named Goose, and their mother is a bird ghost. Fall opens with Haru awakening, alone and in the darkness. Sad and frightened they begin to search for their friends, making a perilous journey across a great distance that ends in a cave.
Meanwhile, Yama (Haru's pig best friend), Herb (a mushroom) and Frei (a fly) are in the valley searching for Haru. We then return to Haru who encounters Hecate (Cate) a ghost cat who guides them on a journey through The In-between. At the same time, Goose is with their mother searching for a special kind of path that leads to an old gate. Each group is trying to reconnect with one another.
The illustrations within Fall express feelings of loneliness and isolation. There are full color pages of trees with leaves, an approaching storm and dark shadows, to name a few. Haru appeared very fragile and dismal in these images. Some of the themes that I've picked up on are darkness, sacrifice, fate, kindness, family and death. With the overreaching premise of how grief can be overwhelming and of not taking any shortcuts, that we must go through all the tough things and feelings. I loved how the darker and lighter shades of the artwork convey so much emotion. As a side note, the author has a Substack called The Wandering Pen where he goes into greater detail about writing Haru's journey and includes his artwork that is really worth a read. My favorite panel in the book is where there are mice sitting, singing, crying, hugging and reading while spirits appear above their graves. It gave off the feeling of peace and community. Fall was definitely my favorite of the series because of its hero quest, gorgeous illustrations, and an ending that culminates with an epic battle. Read the Haru series for the author/artists gorgeous illustrations and a story that will capture your heart.
I hope you'll check out all the other Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday posts at Greg Pattridge's blog HERE
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