Stay True - Hua Hsu

This is a beautifully written book about friendship, grief and identity. The author takes us on a real journey through his life and the loss of his friend, Ken. The way he builds his story is very honest. He doesn’t try to sugarcoat who is and what his life was like. In fact, he sometimes came off as a real jerk at times, as all of us are, which I appreciated. But the impact his friend’s death had on him is palpable and I found myself crying about his loss. It is a very terrible thing to lose someone you love, especially when it is unexpected. Losing someone you love when you’re young and still figuring out the world is especially cruel. How do you process the grief, anger and sadness? How do you move forward?

Hua Hsu is an incredible writer, someone who writes what he feels so completely, readers can’t help but feel as well. His love of music had me looking up songs and albums but also wondering when I lost my own love. Hsu’s meticulous attention to detail gives his story so much life. I felt like a specter hovering next to Hsu as he lived his life, watching him send faxes to his Dad in Taiwan, searching for albums in his favorite record store, and smoking cigarettes with Ken. Although I did not know him personally, I cried when I read about Ken’s passing. I felt sorrow for his lost chance at living, at how much his friends were completely changed by his death. I also cried for the author, whose confusion and despair came through as he struggled to process his friend’s death. Nothing feels forced or untrue. Everything feels like a life lived and experienced.

Although Stay True had your girl crying, I am so glad I read this book. I definitely recommend it.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Where to buy: The Lit. Bar Loyalty Bookstores Amazon

Hua Hsu, author of Stay True.

Photo courtesy of Bard College.