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Through My Eyes
Hotaka
When the tsunami strikes the Japanese seaside town of Omori-wan, the effects are utterly devastating. Three years later, much of what happened on that day is still a mystery. As Hotaka sets about convincing local performers to appear at the town's upcoming Memorial Concert, he finds himself increasingly haunted by memories of best friend, Takeshi, who perished without trace in the tsunami. Then his friend Sakura becomes involved in an anti-seawall movement, and all too quickly the protest gets serious. As the town and its people struggle to rebuild their lives, can Hotaka piece together what happened that day - and let go of the past?
224 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 1, 2017
7 people are currently reading
77 people want to read
About the author
John Heffernan
5 books7 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author with this name in the Goodreads database.
For the Australian author of YA fiction, see: John Heffernan
For the Australian author of YA fiction, see: John Heffernan
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
April 25, 2017
This was an interesting book that's told in the perspective of a 10 year old child whose life is turned upside down in light of a natural disaster. The way the story starts is so real, this child is simply enjoying his friend's pantomime like it's just "business as usual" and suddenly the town is on alert and from a hill top, he sees the water drawing out in prep of a tsunami that is about to hit - something he has learnt from class and his own family. Having read about tsunamis in the past, this story keeps you on the edge of your seat. Suitable and recommended to junior non fiction readers aged from 9 years and above.. many thanks to Allen & Unwin Publishers for sending me a review copy in exchange for my honest review..
January 2, 2019
This was an interesting book that’s told in the perspective of a 10 year old child whose life is turned upside down in light of a natural disaster. The way the story starts is so real, this child is simply enjoying his friend’s pantomime like it’s just “a normal day” and suddenly the town is on alert and from a hill top, he sees the water drawing out in prep of a tsunami that is about to hit, something he has learnt from class and his own family. My family are originally from Aceh and endured the effects of the Boxing Day Tsunami in 2004 so this story was real for me. It kept me on the edge of my seat and I feel this is a good learning experience for children. I say this suitable and recommended to junior non fiction readers aged from 9 years and above.. Many thanks to Allen & Unwin Publishers for sending me a review copy in exchange for my honest review.
- Jamal
- Jamal
March 26, 2018
Bland book! The characters were extremely two dimensional and were the average, everyday kids with average talents. I thought the book would focus more on the tsunami and what would happen to the coastal town, but the tsunami was over in about 20 pages. The book summary specifically said that it wasn't all about the tsunami, so it was my fault that I didn't read it. Still, I would have liked it if the tsunami stuck around for a longer time!! I did like the ending though, with the trio taking a stand against the seawalls by using graffiti.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 4, 2017
Being a major Japan enthusiast, I was psyched to have receive this in the mail. There were so many Japanese references scattered around in the book, which got me super excited. I taught myself a little bit of Japanese during the summer holidays and am glad I was able to pick up some of the words. It was great being able to learn about the different cultures and values of a country who, nowadays, is better known to have produce advanced technology and machinery. The novel brings about the true beauty of Japan - the people, ethnicity and more.
Loved this. It was such an immersive read. I've learned sooo much in a span of 200+ pages. This book not only talks about the horrific disaster that took place in Japan nearly six years ago, but the after effects of it all. The economy was in ruins, corruptions had taken place. All these affected the people of Omori-wan, and ultimately our beloved characters.
The main characters in this story were young and naive. They tend to be immature and make bad decisions, but they were all bloody brilliant for their age - taking on philosophical questions, viewing society in a whole new different perspective - Hotaka and his friends, in a way, were very similar to the golden trio from Harry Potter. Their friendship was what stood out most for me. They overcome problems together by having each other's backs despite sharing the same emptiness and grief from what had happened three years ago. We follow these characters and their journey as they grow to learn, teach and forgive themselves and the people around them. I especially loved Sakura. Her sass and wit just reminds me so much of Hermione. All three characters were very important and relevant to the story.
A poignant coming of age story about overcoming grievance and cherishing the people we have in our life. This book effectively highlights the after effects of a traumatic event and the struggles that came with it. Furthermore, the non-fiction aspect of this story really opened my eyes to what really happened during 3/11 in Japan.
Many thanks to the lovely folks over at Allen & Unwin for sending a copy over in exchange for an honest review! <3
Loved this. It was such an immersive read. I've learned sooo much in a span of 200+ pages. This book not only talks about the horrific disaster that took place in Japan nearly six years ago, but the after effects of it all. The economy was in ruins, corruptions had taken place. All these affected the people of Omori-wan, and ultimately our beloved characters.
The main characters in this story were young and naive. They tend to be immature and make bad decisions, but they were all bloody brilliant for their age - taking on philosophical questions, viewing society in a whole new different perspective - Hotaka and his friends, in a way, were very similar to the golden trio from Harry Potter. Their friendship was what stood out most for me. They overcome problems together by having each other's backs despite sharing the same emptiness and grief from what had happened three years ago. We follow these characters and their journey as they grow to learn, teach and forgive themselves and the people around them. I especially loved Sakura. Her sass and wit just reminds me so much of Hermione. All three characters were very important and relevant to the story.
A poignant coming of age story about overcoming grievance and cherishing the people we have in our life. This book effectively highlights the after effects of a traumatic event and the struggles that came with it. Furthermore, the non-fiction aspect of this story really opened my eyes to what really happened during 3/11 in Japan.
Many thanks to the lovely folks over at Allen & Unwin for sending a copy over in exchange for an honest review! <3
April 14, 2017
Heffernan has successfully captured the experience of living in the Japanese Tsunami disaster zone, without making it too depressing for his young audience. You can definitely tell he has done his research too. I look forward to sharing it with my students.
May 9, 2017
This book isn't about surviving in a natural disaster zone, it is about government corruption and protest. Incredibly disappointing to find a book aimed at young people which has no relevance to the topic it is meant to be covering, natural disasters. It was clearly written for political reasons, rather than sharing the experiences of others.
July 7, 2024
When a tsunami struck the village of Omori-wan, 11-year-old Hotaka tried to rescue the stranded elders with his friend, Takeshi. Unfortunately, Takeshi drowned and drifted away into the sea. It wasn’t until Hotaka was rescued that he knew what had happened to his friend. Three years later, still trapped in his best friend’s soul and grief, can Hotaka ever set his and Takeshi’s spirits free from the horrors of the past?
“Through My Eyes: Hotaka” was written by Australian young adult author John Heffernan. Based on the 2011 tsunami in Japan, the novel talks about the experiences of those who survived the tsunami through the fictional protagonist, Hotaka. After the tsunami, the desperation, sadness, and loss of the survivors hung in the air as the town tried to rebuild what was left. Three years later, Hotaka was in charge of convincing local performers to perform at the 3/11 Memorial Concert. As he does his job, the bad memories of everything, from the destruction of the waves to the loss of his best friend, come back. When his friend Sakura protested against a controversial seawall project, Hotaka was met with danger every day. It was only when he did the “leap of faith” that his late friend always did that he was finally free of the trapped spirit inside him.
This novel serves as a reminder of all the disasters Mother Nature has thrown at humankind. Millions of people have lost their lives throughout the history of natural disasters. Nevertheless, despite looking impossible, it is important for all of us to rejoice as one big community and to heal and restore the aftermaths of a tragedy. In my opinion, this book should be suggested to young readers aged 10 or older.
Reviewed by my son, 13 year-old boy
“Through My Eyes: Hotaka” was written by Australian young adult author John Heffernan. Based on the 2011 tsunami in Japan, the novel talks about the experiences of those who survived the tsunami through the fictional protagonist, Hotaka. After the tsunami, the desperation, sadness, and loss of the survivors hung in the air as the town tried to rebuild what was left. Three years later, Hotaka was in charge of convincing local performers to perform at the 3/11 Memorial Concert. As he does his job, the bad memories of everything, from the destruction of the waves to the loss of his best friend, come back. When his friend Sakura protested against a controversial seawall project, Hotaka was met with danger every day. It was only when he did the “leap of faith” that his late friend always did that he was finally free of the trapped spirit inside him.
This novel serves as a reminder of all the disasters Mother Nature has thrown at humankind. Millions of people have lost their lives throughout the history of natural disasters. Nevertheless, despite looking impossible, it is important for all of us to rejoice as one big community and to heal and restore the aftermaths of a tragedy. In my opinion, this book should be suggested to young readers aged 10 or older.
Reviewed by my son, 13 year-old boy
March 8, 2017
I received a copy of this title from Allen & Unwin for review.
Ten Second Synopsis:
When the wave hits, Hotaka and his friend Takeshi scramble to help others - but Takeshi is swept away. Three years later, Hotaka tries to organise a memorial ceremony to help the town grieve, but other more pressing problems are standing in the way.
The book begins the morning of March 11th, 2011 with Hotaka and his friend Takeshi on a school trip to the local puppet show. As the day unfolds and the earthquake hits, the reader is given an idea of how it might have felt to have experienced first the shock of the extraordinarily strong earthquake, the scramble to higher ground and then the chaos and confusion following in the wake of the giant wave. Rather than dwell on the actual disaster itself, the story soon moves on to three years later, as the residents of Omori-wan try to continue with their lives despite a lack of housing, the mental affects of trauma and an underlying sense of resentment from those who lost much toward those who lost little.
Hotaka and his friends Osamu and Sakura are charged with preparing a memorial concert for the fifth anniversary of the wave that will involve aspects of local culture, with the aim of helping the residents of Omori-wan to let go and move on. Hotaka discovers that he, of all people, has something that he must let go of if he is to move forward in life, while Sakura - who generally keeps her cards (and her past) close to her chest - is infuriated by government plans to build an enormous sea wall around the town to protect it from future tsunamis.
Events come to a head when Sakura takes matters into her own hands and begins a protest that snowballs to national attention. As threats from developers and local government start to hit close to home for the three friends, they must decide whether it is worth continuing to speak out for the sake of their town, or instead fall in line with the wishes of the government, as is the usual course of action.
Heffernan has done a good job here of highlighting the difficulties of the townspeople whose lives were irrevocably altered after the wave. The stress of inadequate temporary housing, the trauma of lost loved ones and the feeling of abandonment are made obvious through Hotaka's interactions with some of his less fortunate classmates. The story never veers from the perspective of a young person however, and the kernel of hope that Hotaka and others continue to show lifts the book from becoming depressing at any stage. The three young protagonists have diverse personalities and characteristics and while their differences do lead to conflict at times, the strength of their friendship pulls them through.
The book includes a timeline of the actual disaster at the end, as well as a glossary of Japanese terms, and overall I think this book would be a great starting point for any young person wanting to read more about this particular disaster in a fictional format.
Ten Second Synopsis:
When the wave hits, Hotaka and his friend Takeshi scramble to help others - but Takeshi is swept away. Three years later, Hotaka tries to organise a memorial ceremony to help the town grieve, but other more pressing problems are standing in the way.
The book begins the morning of March 11th, 2011 with Hotaka and his friend Takeshi on a school trip to the local puppet show. As the day unfolds and the earthquake hits, the reader is given an idea of how it might have felt to have experienced first the shock of the extraordinarily strong earthquake, the scramble to higher ground and then the chaos and confusion following in the wake of the giant wave. Rather than dwell on the actual disaster itself, the story soon moves on to three years later, as the residents of Omori-wan try to continue with their lives despite a lack of housing, the mental affects of trauma and an underlying sense of resentment from those who lost much toward those who lost little.
Hotaka and his friends Osamu and Sakura are charged with preparing a memorial concert for the fifth anniversary of the wave that will involve aspects of local culture, with the aim of helping the residents of Omori-wan to let go and move on. Hotaka discovers that he, of all people, has something that he must let go of if he is to move forward in life, while Sakura - who generally keeps her cards (and her past) close to her chest - is infuriated by government plans to build an enormous sea wall around the town to protect it from future tsunamis.
Events come to a head when Sakura takes matters into her own hands and begins a protest that snowballs to national attention. As threats from developers and local government start to hit close to home for the three friends, they must decide whether it is worth continuing to speak out for the sake of their town, or instead fall in line with the wishes of the government, as is the usual course of action.
Heffernan has done a good job here of highlighting the difficulties of the townspeople whose lives were irrevocably altered after the wave. The stress of inadequate temporary housing, the trauma of lost loved ones and the feeling of abandonment are made obvious through Hotaka's interactions with some of his less fortunate classmates. The story never veers from the perspective of a young person however, and the kernel of hope that Hotaka and others continue to show lifts the book from becoming depressing at any stage. The three young protagonists have diverse personalities and characteristics and while their differences do lead to conflict at times, the strength of their friendship pulls them through.
The book includes a timeline of the actual disaster at the end, as well as a glossary of Japanese terms, and overall I think this book would be a great starting point for any young person wanting to read more about this particular disaster in a fictional format.
April 10, 2020
Set on the coast of Japan, this book gives a look at the earthquake and following tsunami of 2011. Hotaka and his friend, Takeshi, are headed back to school when the alarm rings. They and their classmates head up the hill where Hotaka lives to avoid the tsunami. As the two boys leave their group to go get Hotaka's mom to bring the car, they see elderly people stranded. Takeshi wants to help and as they do they save all the elderly, but Takeshi becomes exhausted and is swept away by the water. Hotaka was hit by a deck and knocked unconcious. As he recovers he looks for Takeshi and his grandfather everywhere.
Three years later, we see how Hotaka and his town are recovering and his new friends, Osamu and Sakura. They are organizing a memorial event, they begin to question why money is being spent on a sea wall, that will probably not help, and how all of them are still dealing with the loss of their former lives.
If you are a historical or like stories of survival/ disaster this one's for you!
Three years later, we see how Hotaka and his town are recovering and his new friends, Osamu and Sakura. They are organizing a memorial event, they begin to question why money is being spent on a sea wall, that will probably not help, and how all of them are still dealing with the loss of their former lives.
If you are a historical or like stories of survival/ disaster this one's for you!
March 8, 2017
This is the first in a new series of Through My Eyes, this time focusing on natural disaster zones. Hotaka is a boy growing up in the coastal town of Omori-wan in Japan. In 2011 this town, and many others like it, fell victim to an earthquake, followed by a devastating tsunami. I can remember watching the footage of this event on television at the time and the book captures well the desperation of those who were trying to escape the wall of water and debris that flattened the town. This is just the beginning for this novel, as we then meet Hotaka and his friend Osamu a year later as the town prepares to hold a memorial concert one year after the disaster.
Hotaka is haunted by the memory of his friend, Takeshi, who did not survive the tsunami, and his friend Sakura is struggling with her own set of demons. Sakura is set on opposing a controversial sea-wall development, and her struggles threaten to endanger herself and those around her.
I found this story very engaging - the characters themselves were very sympathetic -and it was especially satisfying to read a female character who was strong, yet fragile; confident, but insecure. Sakura was fantastic to read, and I enjoyed the relationship that developed between her and Hotaka as the novel progressed. The way the children use social media to expose the issues and promote their cause was a great device, and showed how powerful things like YouTube and news blogs can be. It was also interesting to read about the struggles of real citizens to rebuild their lives after such a disaster. John Heffernan has clearly done a lot of research for this story and he has told it with care and attention to detail. There are some similarities to the plight of the people of New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina to be drawn here too.
The one objection I had was to some of the language the Japanese children used in the book. Some of what they said was a bit too "Aussie" for me - but perhaps that was to make the story a little more accessible for an Australian audience.
Even so, it's a small quibble about what is otherwise a terrific story. I am looking forward to reading the rest of the series as it emerges.
For ages 12 and up
Hotaka is haunted by the memory of his friend, Takeshi, who did not survive the tsunami, and his friend Sakura is struggling with her own set of demons. Sakura is set on opposing a controversial sea-wall development, and her struggles threaten to endanger herself and those around her.
I found this story very engaging - the characters themselves were very sympathetic -and it was especially satisfying to read a female character who was strong, yet fragile; confident, but insecure. Sakura was fantastic to read, and I enjoyed the relationship that developed between her and Hotaka as the novel progressed. The way the children use social media to expose the issues and promote their cause was a great device, and showed how powerful things like YouTube and news blogs can be. It was also interesting to read about the struggles of real citizens to rebuild their lives after such a disaster. John Heffernan has clearly done a lot of research for this story and he has told it with care and attention to detail. There are some similarities to the plight of the people of New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina to be drawn here too.
The one objection I had was to some of the language the Japanese children used in the book. Some of what they said was a bit too "Aussie" for me - but perhaps that was to make the story a little more accessible for an Australian audience.
Even so, it's a small quibble about what is otherwise a terrific story. I am looking forward to reading the rest of the series as it emerges.
For ages 12 and up
May 24, 2023
i loved this book with all my heart! but it is very very sad. i remember the heartbreak i felt after the main character's friend died. even though there were so many tragedies there were a few good things, like making new friends. i definitely recommend reading it because it was SO SAD!!! i guarantee you will feel the same sadness and heartbreak and pain and agony and despair i felt. if you want to cry you should read this immediately. its so!! such a good book!!
September 7, 2020
The 2011 Japan Earthquake and Tsunami, and Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster, seen through the eyes of young survivor, Hotaka, his mother, uncle and school friends, Sakura Tsukino and Osamu Fujita. A timeless, heart-felt tale, based on the lived experience of survivors - their lives smashed by Nature and the corrupted rebuilding process. John Heffernan always writes sensitively and beautifully.
April 28, 2021
Very good book
August 5, 2021
Told through the eyes of 10 year old Hotaka. A page turning account of life before and after a disaster hits the town. Very moving, highly recommend. 2011 tsunami
June 1, 2022
It was a very good book i was very sad with what happened with the friend in the start of the book but it was a very good book.
March 13, 2025
Hotaka talking to his dead friend really put me off this book. I did enjoy others in the series though.
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March 16, 2017When the tsunami strikes the Japanese seaside town of Omori-wan, the effects are utterly devastating. Three years later, much of what happened on that day is still a mystery.
As Hotaka sets about convincing local performers to appear at the town's upcoming Memorial Concert, he finds himself increasingly haunted by memories of best friend, Takeshi, who perished without trace in the tsunami.
Then his friend Sakura becomes involved in an anti-seawall movement, and all too quickly the protest gets serious.
As the town and its people struggle to rebuild their lives, can Hotaka piece together what happened that day and let go of the past?
As Hotaka sets about convincing local performers to appear at the town's upcoming Memorial Concert, he finds himself increasingly haunted by memories of best friend, Takeshi, who perished without trace in the tsunami.
Then his friend Sakura becomes involved in an anti-seawall movement, and all too quickly the protest gets serious.
As the town and its people struggle to rebuild their lives, can Hotaka piece together what happened that day and let go of the past?
November 20, 2017
A thoughtful and honorable response to the 2011 Tsunami off Japan.
Hotaka is resilient, hard-working, and still grieving, and his narrative voice offers hope.
Hotaka is resilient, hard-working, and still grieving, and his narrative voice offers hope.
April 14, 2017
This is a lovely story.
The tsunami parts are hard to read but it did also make me curious about tsunamis and I did watch some footage from the 2011 Japanese tsunami. (it was devastating to watch, it's both fast and slow)
Hotaka is a great character and it is lovely to watch him grow.
The tsunami parts are hard to read but it did also make me curious about tsunamis and I did watch some footage from the 2011 Japanese tsunami. (it was devastating to watch, it's both fast and slow)
Hotaka is a great character and it is lovely to watch him grow.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews