Katie's Book Blog!!

When You Were Here by Daisy Whitney is just as awesome as all the reviews have been saying. I admit to being a little skeptical but I shouldn't have been. Daisy Whitney is a fabulous contemporary author and When You Were Here will not disappoint readers.When You Were Here is different from Daisy Whitney's previous books since it is told from a male point-of-view. I always worry when female authors write from a male perspective but Daisy Whitney nailed it! Danny was the perfect mix of sensitive, sweet, kind, and yet, totally still a teenage boy. He thought about sex and drugs and everything else that teenagers think about. He was far from perfect! He was grieving for his mother and he was completely lost. He always thought she would be around for his graduation but when she doesn't make it that far, Danny decides that he needs to know what happened. Why didn't she hold on just a little longer? So Danny heads to Tokyo on a crazy journey that reveals secrets, not just about his mom but about himself, and about Holland, the only girl he's ever loved.The characters in When You Were Here were all completely amazing. Danny, Holland, Kate, Kana, every last person that Danny came in contact with was so special. They all played a part in Danny's life and in his journey moving on after his mom's death. Holland wasn't easy to read and she so wasn't your typical love interest. Sure she was pretty but she was smart and she had this depth to her that was such a big part of why Danny loved her. Kate, Holland's mom, was like a second mom to Danny. She was best friends with his mom and she hated seeing what her death did to Danny. Kana was completely unpredictable and exactly what Danny needed. She showed him Tokyo like a native but with a fresh eye. The best part about Danny and Kana's relationship was that it was totally platonic. They never felt anything other than friendship for one another and you just don't see that enough in YA.I've never been to Tokyo and to be completely honest, I never really thought I would want to go there. However, after reading When You Were Here, it's shot to the top of my list of places to visit. The setting is one of the best things about When You Were Here. I truly felt like I was seeing Tokyo with Danny. All the places he visited and the things he saw were just so vivid. I would recommend this book for the setting alone!Things were not as they seemed with Danny and his family and I couldn't predict a single thing. Every secret was so well-guarded. I was taken by surprise so many times! I was really learning everything at the same time that Danny did. That helped me connect to him even more.Overall, When You Were Here is Daisy Whitney at her best. If you haven't read anything by her yet, I would recommend this one as a good place to start. I can't wait to see what she writes next!