Another heart warmer from Ryan Hyde, who has excellent storytelling chops. While this tale of a road trip by Ru and Gabriel is more than a bit implausible (or is it?) it's still filled with good vibes. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. As always a positive read.

Rumaki Evans is thirteen years old, she’s gifted academically, Ru gets bored easily and she taught herself Euclidean geometry at age seven, she has an eidetic memory, and is about to start college. This means she has to move 150 miles from home, she stays with Paula Gulbranson and her son Gabriel. Ru has never had a friend before, Gabriel doesn’t fit in himself and she accepts him how he is and vice versa.

When Ru’s mother dies six weeks later, she will have leave college and go live with her Aunt Bitsy in Kentucky. Ru is sad and angry, and she doesn’t understand her feelings and Gabriel gets it. They decide to run away and go on a road trip, from California to Canada and so Ru can visit the Cosmic Campground, Aurora Borealis or the northern lights and both want to see Atlantic puffins. As Ru and Gabriel drive along they talk about everything, meet some interesting people, tell them a farfetched story about Ru being much older than she looks and gaze at the stars snuggled up in their sleeping bags and both question what their future holds.

I received a copy of Life, Loss, and Puffins from NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing in exchange for a review. Catherine Ryan Hyde likes to look at situations and life from different perspectives and angles and makes you think outside of the box. Could two teenage teenagers drive across America and into Canada with a little help, possibly and kids runaway all the time and if caught Gabriel is the one who’s going to get into the most trouble.

A story about being different to everyone else, both of the main characters can associate with this and acceptance, how teenagers deal with their feelings and adults often don’t listen, Gabriel's wise for his age and he explains the bond between mother and child to Ru, sky watching and dancing ribbons of light, and four stars from me.

To me there are so many times that this story is implausible. However, the friendship between Ru and Gabriel comes across as very believable. I found myself cheering them on and wishing that their journey is an adventure that fulfills their hopes and dreams. As always, Catherine Ryan Hyde tells a tale that is uplifting, heartwarming, and well-worth reading.

Easy to read, definitely a YA book.

Storyline was not something that seems possible, but it was still an easy read. They both need escape, found friendship in each other, and then sneaking across the Canadian border. Challenges, acceptance, life. Lots of life lessons taught, and lots of character growth as well.

Thank you NetGalley and Lake Union publishing for my E-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

3/5~4★
“ ‘I’m sorry. I’m just . . .’

‘You’re just what, Mom?’ I asked when I got tired of waiting for her to tell me.

‘I feel like this is it.’

‘Like this is it for what?’

She sighed deeply and dramatically before answering. ‘For your childhood, I guess. I feel like your childhood is ending.’

‘Interesting,’ I said.

‘You don’t agree?’

‘That it’s ending now? No. I don’t agree. I think my childhood ended when I was five.’ ”

I’m sure it did end then. Ru is 13 years old chronologically but is so “freakishly smart” (as she is told) that her knowledge and comprehension are far beyond that of most adults. The book opens with her addressing two girls after making the sit down to hear her life story. We don’t know who they are or care, but Ru dives right in and begins talking.

She tells us (and them) everything in the first person, and only a handful of time throughout the book are we reminded that she has an audience of two girls. It’s only at the end that she clears that up – sort of, but unconvincingly, I thought.

She’s an outsider at school, and when she starts college at the age of 13, she seems even more out of place. She still looks 13. She meets Gabriel, who is 17, and he seems to be a fellow misfit. He’s the son of the woman who takes in boarding students, arranged by Ru’s mother, since Ru’s so young. He wears eye makeup and paints his fingernails. He’s unique, but better still, he has an Atlantic puffin as the screensaver on his phone, and so does Ru! The both love Atlantic puffins.

Their bedroom shares a common wall and an air vent that carries their normal speaking voices, so the two of them chat at night privately. She has said that she has an eidetic memory and hyperthymesia, meaning she never forgets anything. She is inclined to lecture on any given subject, which isn’t always welcome.

She tells Gabriel about her memories of a happy trip with her late father to look at the night skies in the Mojave Desert. It is obvious she loved it, and the memory makes her happy. Gabriel asks if he can make a comment without annoying her. Of course.

“ ‘Your reaction to that beautiful feeling was to decide to study the formation of the universe and how stars and planets are born and die. You made the whole thing academic.’

‘Of course I did. That’s what I do.’


He didn’t answer.

‘I mean . . . should I do something different?’

‘I can’t decide that for you. But it’s something to think about.’

So I thought about it.

I thought about it so much that night that I only got a couple hours of sleep and I was super tired in all my classes the next day.

But here’s the problem: I ‘thought’ about it. I thought about how I have a problem with thinking too much.

Leave it to me to think I can solve a thinking problem by thinking.”

Ru’s mother keeps making excuses not to drive the 150 miles to the college on the weekends, as promised, so Gabriel and Ru hop in his little car and drive to Ru’s home.

When they arrive, who should come to the door but Aunt Bitsy, her mother’s sister, whom Ru can’t stand.

Ru’s mother is at death’s door with cancer. Six weeks after her diagnosis, Ru’s mother dies, leaving her in the care of Aunt Bitsy, who lives in Kentucky, far from the other home Ru has enjoyed with Gabriel’s mother and far from her college.

Ru considers running away, hiding, maybe making a bucket list of things to experience before she goes back to college. She may be freakishly smart, but she has real living to catch up on. Before you know it, the two have packed up his little car, waited until his mother has taken her sleeping pill, left her a note on the kitchen table, and decided to tick some things off Ru’s college list.

1. Camp in the darkest place in the country and see the night skies. (Ru elaborates – I’ll spare you.)
2. See the aurora borealis. (She made sure they had their passports.)
3. Meet an Atlantic puffin.

Their adventure is completely unbelievable (as are they, really), but it’s an entertaining ride and their growing friendship is nice to watch. I particularly liked Ru’s description of finding your people or your tribe as your herd. We are herd animals, and she has a practical turn of phrase.

Had Ru’s audience of two little girls been better explained (adoption, I think), and had the story not seemed to stop right in the middle, I’d have enjoyed it more. Still, it was a good read, and I thank #NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for a copy of #LifeLossandPuffins for review.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC of this book. Catherine Ryan Hyde has a wonderful way of pulling you right into her books. This was no different and I loved this story. It has a very coming of age feel to it and our characters were so special. The story was funny and heartbreaking but overall warmed my heart.

I have read and enjoyed several of Catherine Ryan Hyde's books, and I loved this one as well. She is generous with her character depictions, and reading her work will open your eyes to people with different life experiences, often traumatic ones. The characters in this book, R and Gabriel, form a delightful friendship and meet life-changing people on their road trip across the border. Highly recommended if you are looking for a comforting, cozy read. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
#Lifelossandpuffins

I’d like to thank Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘Life, Loss, and Puffins’ written by Catherine Ryan Hyde in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Rumaki Evans (known as Ru) is ‘freakishly’ brilliant and has won a scholarship at a prestigious university 150 miles from home. She lodges with new best friend Gabriel and his mother but no sooner does she get there than circumstances force her to leave. Rather than move to Kentucky to live with her miserable Aunt Bitsy, Ru and Gabriel decide to go on a road trip. They have three things they want to do, to go to Cosmos Campground to see the stars, watch the Aurora Borealis, and see Atlantic puffins face-to-face. But it’s not going to be easy as they’re both under-age.

‘Life, Loss and Puffins’ is the fifth novel I’ve read by Catherine Ryan Hyde and in my eyes she can do no wrong. From the beginning I was enthralled by the wonderful Ru and the relationship she formed with Gabriel. I loved the descriptions of the characters they met on their journey, Freddy the cook and his kind wife, Gladys who sneaks them across the border and her generous and friendly family, who all added to this wonderful story. Every step they took on their journey I was there with them until I reached the final few pages that were absolutely delightful and heart-warming, though I admit to having a tear in my eye. Absolutely brilliant!

I'd never read anything by Catherine Ryan Hyde before - but it's safe to say I really enjoyed this. I'd recommend it to fans of Lessons In Chemistry who want to see another way that a 'freakishly smart' young girl can end up trying to make her way through the world. Just enough sublimely ridiculous things happen to make the soul-touching parts of this book ring out really sweetly.

Another excellent book by Catherine Ryan Hyde! The main character is Ru, a smart girl-like "13 years old and a freshman in college" smart. Because she is so young a decision is made to house her in a private home, rather than adore, where she meets 17year old Gabriel, who is a little different and who quickly becomes her best friend. When tragedy befalls Ru's life she and Gabriel take a road trip to fulfill some of Ru's wishes, including seeing puffins and the Aurora Borealis. And what a trip it ends up being! They meet many people on this trip who help them in many ways.

You will grow to love the characters in this book and will hate to come to the end. Do yourself a favor and read it.

My thanks to Net Galley for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Catherine Ryan Hyde is an automatic read for me. I'm always excited to see a new book from her.

With this book, we experience life with Ru (short for Rumaki!!!) a 13 year old girl with an eidetic memory. Her mother has labelled her as “freakishly smart”. Ru is a character who is easy to draw into your heart. While she is factually smart, she is innocent of life experiences.

Her sidekick is Gabriel, a 17 year old boy who identifies as non-binary. Ru and Gabriel have an instant connection. They have total acceptance of each other as they embark on the journey of their lives. Their relationship is pure friendship. It is very unique.

I really enjoyed how this story develops. It probably borders on not being very realistic but that doesn't bother me. I read for enjoyment and entertainment. Both of these expectations are satisfied in the story. I learned from the story, about stars, about the Northern Lights, about spending time up by the Arctic Circle.

The story was well-written, the characters were well developed, their adventure was well documented. I finished the book with a warm and fuzzy feeling. Just what I expected.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the Advance Readers Copy.

This story is about meeting that person who understands you when the rest of the world can’t. This person knows what you are feeling and verbalizes things that are only in your mind. They know when to be quiet and when to engage you. They help you process your emotions and are just there when you need them the most.

Catherine Ryan Hyde’s books hold a special place in my heart because she is an amazing storyteller, touches my soul and makes me believe in the goodness in the world.

Ru Evans is extremely smart. She is so smart that she doesn’t fit in with her peers, doesn’t have any friends and it bored by the traditional education tract. At age 13, she is going to college and to make that happen, she needs to leave home and board with another family. This is where Ru meets Gabriel, the seventeen-year-old son from the boarding family. Although, not the same as Ru, Gabriel is different in his own way and just seems to connect with Ru. They begin to form a bond.

While Ru is attending college, her mother dies unexpectedly. Because of these circumstances, Ru can no longer continue boarding and attending college at the current location but must move in with her aunt. Ru’s relationship with her aunt is less than desirable and rather than face such a future, Ru decides to run away and Gabriel joins her on her adventure.

This becomes a bucket list trip for Ru and Gabriel, where they have amazing adventures and meet some interesting characters along the way. However, always in the back of their minds, is the sense that they will eventually get caught knowing that Ru is only 13 and Gabriel is 17. Despite this, their adventures are life changing and provide them with memories that will last a lifetime.

Thank you to NetGalley for this amazing book in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

#LifeLossandPuffins #CatherineRyanHyde

Another happy find in the Read Now section! I missed it when it became available to request. As so many other readers, I will absolutely pick up each title by this author. I don't know where she gets it but her stories are always engaging and contain wonderful characters and events.
This time we meet Ru, 13 and 'freakishly smart' as her mother once said. Ru is not happy with this because the only thing everybody always seem to remember is the word 'freak'. She's not a freak, she's just very clever. When unexpectedly faced with the horrible view of to have to go and live with her aunt Bitsy - who's absolutely unsuitable to care for a smart child, any child - she and her friend Gabriel decide to leave and to on an adventure. Gabriel is also called a freak because he doesn't look like a 17-year old is supposed to look in their town but he's kind and funny and Ru and him understand each other better than most people after a long life together.
And that's why they find themselves in some very interesting situations. They're clever, but not world wise and so they are lucky to meet some people they want to help them on their way.

Does this end well? See for yourself!

Thanks to Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for making this title available.

Ru is a thirteen year old girl whose mother describes her as “freakishly smart.” So smart that her mother reluctantly agrees to a plan to send Ru to a far away college where she will board with a woman and her seventeen year old son, Gabriel.

Because of her uniqueness, Ru is a lonely soul. Gabriel is also a bit of an outcast in that he likes to wear make-up and dress in an unusual style. The two feel an immediate kinship. When unexpected circumstances arise, Gabriel and Ru run away to accomplish a bucket list of things Ru wants to see … including the Aurora Borealis and Atlantic puffins. So, it’s off to Canada they go for the adventure of a lifetime.

Lots of interesting characters crop up along the way. Gabriel helps Ru learn to forget about being a genius, and to just be a person. She discovers the joy of having fun.

Overall, it’s a heartfelt, endearing story which is so typical of this author. As I look through my booklist, I find that I’ve read over 20 of Catherine Ryan Hyde’s books. So, yeah, I guess you could say she’s a favorite of mine!

Thank you NetGalley and publisher. Another fun read for me.

I found this book delightful and the dynamics between Ru and Gabriel entertaining and beautifully written. I was captivated by their friendship in this wonderful tale! I felt both characters were well developed. Hyde brought to life the best and worst parts of growing up, delivering it to you in a wonderful little package. Thank you to NetGalley and lake union publishing for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I'm a Catherine Ryan Hyde superfan and have read almost all of her books, so it is no surprise that I enjoyed Life, Loss, and Puffins. This is essentially a road trip adventure with some twists. I enjoyed the unique destination—the Northwest Territories in Canada. I dream of driving the Dempster Highway covered in the book, so this was a fun surprise as I read it. This novel will spark your wanderlust if you are a serious road-tripper and yearning to see the Aurora Borealis.

If you are already a CRH fan, note that this book feels a bit lighter than some of her fare. The friendship between the two main protagonists was refreshing in that it was just a friendship with no underlying motives. I also like that CRH included some personal bits in this book. From her bio, she states that she is an amateur astronomer and photographer, and she shares that love in this book.

This book was a fast read and would appeal to youth or adults.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an electronic ARC in exchange for a book review.

Catherine Ryan Hyde is one of those authors I consider to give me a comfort factor when reading, like putting on my favorite sweater or sweatshirt. Her latest addition entitled “Life, Loss, and Puffins” is no exception.

I enjoyed reading about Ru Evans and the friendship she develops with Gabriel. This book is slightly different from the author’s other books I’ve read, but only because Ru and Gabriel are relatively close in age. As the story progressed, I became absorbed in the road trip adventures Ru and Gabriel were having, but knew they couldn’t last. The last part of the book, while necessary, dragged slightly for me. However, I did like how the book ended.

Overall, I recommend this book. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for my ARC.

Catherine Ryan Hyde strikes again. Life, Loss, and Puffins is yet another moving, delightful, empathetic tale. This time we have Ru, a 13 year old genius trying to make her way through difficult times on her own, and Gabriel, a 17 year old outsider. They form a fast friendship and end up taking us along on their adventures, dealing poignantly with grief, loss, and hope along the way. I loved this story and these characters.

Thank you Catherine Ryan Hyde, Lake Union Publishing, Brilliance Audio, and NetGalley for providing this ARC for review consideration. All opinions expressed are my own.

Life, Loss and Puffins is a novel by award-winning American author, Catherine Ryan Hyde. Rumaki Evans is five when her mother describes her to someone as freakishly smart. What Ru hears is freak. She later tells people that was when her childhood ended. Ru has an eidectic memory and hyperthymesia, and is mostly bored at school, always smarter than her classmates, no matter how many grades she skips.

She’s so smart that, at thirteen, she is offered a full ride scholarship at a prestigious college. Her mother isn’t going to let her go there: it’s way too far to commute, but it’s her Grandma Mimi’s dying wish, and the student advisor finds a family with whom she can board. Paula Gulbranson will provide meals and treat her like family, and her seventeen-year-old son, Gabriel will drop her off at Wellington on his way to the State University.

With his painted nails and eye make-up, Gabriel is different, an outsider himself, but from the moment they meet, he and Ru connect as friends and remain so all their lives. College might not be quite the solution Ru was hoping for, but her astrophysics teacher is able to provide some perceptive answers to things that have troubled her, and a way to approach life.

But when her mother suddenly sickens and dies, Ru is faced with the prospect of living with the aunt she can’t stand, in Kentucky, a long way from her only real friend. She realises that, as a minor, she won’t have a choice, but decides if she can’t stick around near Gabriel under the radar, she’ll run away, live a bit of life, before she’s forced to conform.

Ru makes a College List, a list of three things she wants to do, see, experience, before she returns to her education. Gabriel jumps on board, offering to drive her across the country for star-gazing at the country’s darkest place, seeing the Aurora Borealis (where they are the only humans on eighty square kilometers of nothing). and meeting an Atlantic Puffin.

As they travel the country, they meet, help, and are helped by, a number of people, and Ru comes to understand more about herself: “All these years thinking I’m so smart, but only about stuff that isn’t very useful when you’re trying to have a life. It’s like I know all this stuff but all of a sudden none of it seems very important”, an observation that strikes a chord with this reviewer, whose mother would comment about her intelligence “Marianne’s brains are not for domestic use.”

Do things fall into place too easily for this pair? Maybe, but Ru notes that “Life has this way of letting these perfect events drop into their perfect slots at just the right moment. But there’s a catch to that kind of living. You have to be doing it right” and the pair is not averse to hard work or being generous and are game for new experiences.

Acceptance of people as they are is a big theme in this novel. Ryan Hyde always manages to warm the heart and uplift the soul; she often provokes serious thought but also provides humour. This time, she includes one of her own passions, astronomy, in the plot. Her characters easily endear themselves to the reader, and have wise words and insightful observations. Ryan Hyde never disappoints.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing.

Life Loss and Puffins a heartwarming novel by Catherine Ryan Hyde to be published on May 14th by Lake Union Publishing.

Catherine Ryan Hyde does it again, and believe me when I say this I have read many of her books and they do not disappoint. From My name is Anton to So long Chester Wheeler so when I hear she has a new one out I get excited.

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read this one early in exchange for a honest review.

This was a story of life loss and love and puffins. A story of two different souls but oh so alike. Ru was a 13 year old genius who came to know Gabriel 17 when she was staying with his family(well him and his mom) in order to attend college, like I said a 13 year old genius or as she liked to call herself freakishly smart.

After the incredible loss of Ru’s mom she was to go and live with her mean aunt Bitsy and when I say mean she was but anyway before going to live with her Ru and her friend Gabriel went on a trip, what they called the college list(like a bucket list) it was a lovely heartwarming story, some good some bad but a friendship that wouldn’t be broken.

CRH another five stars for this awesome book, thanks again NG, much enjoyed!!!