Life Loss and Puffins by Catherine Ryan Hyde is another hit, as usual, a highly emotive story is delivered. The setting of this story was my favourite, perfect for the winter season. If you are a fan of the author, do not miss this one, as there really is no negatives to mention here.

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC of this book on exchange for my honest review.

Life, Loss, and Puffins was an easy-to-read book that I didn’t have to think too much about. The storyline itself was not believable for me, but if you’re reading simply for the story and not to fact-check and poke holes in the plot, it was a laid-back, cute read. Ru and Gabriel’s friendship and commitment is admirable and a lovely idea.
It also made me want to pack up the car and go on a road trip (a little more prepared than they were) and take a vacation away from the world to see the Northern Lights.

I also forgot that the narrator was speaking to children multiple times while I was reading and had feelings about the sporadic way that the story was suddenly addressed to “girls” or “ladies,” etc.

If you are looking for a non-romance, wintery vibes, friendship story you’ve come to the right place!

Loved! Catherine Ryan Hyde delivers again! I could not put it down just like her other books. I felt like I was carried away!

Catherine Ryan Hyde did not disappoint in this book. This story was sweet and sad at the same time.
Ru is a very intelligent 13-year-old girl who lost her mother too soon. Ru’s mom agreed to have her go to college and stay with Gabriel, a 17-year-old boy and his mother.
Ru and Gabriel run away and complete a “college list” which they created like a bucket list.
The brother/sister friendship that is created between Ru and Gabriel is so sweet.
Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy for my honest review.

Catherine Ryan Hyde has the ability to create characters in impossible situations that just draw you in from the very beginning. After Ru loses someone she loves, she teams up with Gabriel to go on the adventure of a lifetime. Even though some parts of the story are hard to believe, I loved the characters and seeing how they grew and bonded during this journey. I read the story in 2 days and really enjoyed it.

Another character-driven entry by an author who understands craft and the human condition. Catherine Ryan Hyde does not disappoint.

I so hope this book was based on someone's life events and not 100% made up (although fabulous)! Ms Ryan Hyde has the best way of cutting through the BS of life to write about the things that matter on the inside of us. Just read.this.book, preferably with an open mind..

Catherine Ryan Hyde has outdone herself yet again! Such a great storyline. 13 year old Ru is wise beyond her years, or "freakishly smart" as her mom calls her. Ru feels no one understands her except her best friend, Gabriel. This was such a wonderful adventure to be able to follow along with them. This is a must read! Thank you to Netgalley and Catherine Ryan Hyde for the ARC to read and review

Life, Loss, and Puffins is a good read, but there were a few too many things I questioned as to the characters and storyline believability. That being said, it was an emotional and wondrous adventure with ups and downs, sadness and joy.

This is a story of childhood to adulthood that includes psychological and social challenges. The nervousness to a new school, people and environment. This is really a turning point of her life. The grief and loss. Going away, for adventure. Meeting people and learned from their experience. Like a leap of faith of finding what she really wants for herself and life. My favorite part is this line " I will never tell you to grieve her loss more, and I will never tell you you’re overdoing it. Your own grief is a path you know better than I ever will. I support you with not so much as a word. Like what Gabriel did, a brother who accompany and help her. What a friend he is.

I really like Catherine Ryan Hyde stories about life. Intelligent writing, everytime I read your story I always find something interesting that I didn't know about. Her character comes across as entirely believable. I also put myself in Ru's shoes to feel and to understand her feelings. This is really a good read. Unputdownable!

I went into this book blind, and I’m so glad I did. Ru is an intellectually gifted 13 year old who billets with 17 year old Gabriel and his mother when she starts university. Following a reflective conversation with her lecturer, and the unexpected passing of her mother, Ru runs away with Gabriel to complete her ‘college list’ road trip.

I found the unique narrative style a little off putting at first, but quickly fell into the rhythm, which provided a compelling insight into Ru’s thoughts and experiences. I loved the gentle commentary on friendship, loss, identity and maternal relationships, set against the backdrop of a road trip through the USA and Canada. The author has a beautiful way of describing characters and settings in a way that quickly immerses you in the story. I read this in a single sitting, and I’m looking forward to delving into Catherine Ryan Hyde’s other books.

Thank you Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy of this book.

I really enjoyed this book . This author is good at crafting a well rounded engaging heart touching story. She draws you into the story and melts your heart .
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me review the book

Catherine Ryan Hyde is one of my favorite authors for good reason: I learn something I didn't know from each of her books. Sometimes it is Free Climbing, as in "Take Me with You", others it is how to make a mosaic from broken dishes, sometimes about horses, and in this book, about eidetic memory, astrophysics, herd mentality, the Canadian Northwest, Puffins, and. simply, Awe.

Ru, (short for Rumaki) is thirteen and "freakishly smart". When she overheard her mother describe her like that at an early age, she thought it mean she was a freak. And in some ways, she is. Ru narrates in the first person, telling her story to someone. We don't find out to whom she is speaking until the end. The ending is disappointing, and rather rushed,,but the novel itself is stunning.

Ryan Hyde has a way of transporting you to another world. When i finished reading about the Northern Lights, I was disoriented to find myself at home, so strong was the imagery. Every single character, major ones like Gabriel, or minor ones like the Canadian border crossing guard are so fleshed out that you can see them. Ru's mother, her Aunt Bitsy, and their 80-year-old driver, even the floatplane pilot, all real.

lI loved this book. Thank you to Net Galley and Lake Union for an early copy.

I wish I never downloaded this book when it was up for grabs in the read now shelf. Couldn’t get into it and I don’t feel interested enough in the style of writing to try it again which is what I sometimes do with authors i know that I like.

I am a huge Catherine Ryan Hyde fan. I have read, and loved, more of her books than anyone else. This book is another winner. Rumaki Evans, better known as Ru, is one of the main characters. She is 13 years old and she is freakishly smart. Ru is getting ready to start college. Gabriel is the other main character. He is 17 and not freakishly smart. Ru and Gabriel become the best of friends- not in a romantic way at all but just best friends. Maybe it was because they both were just a little odd but who knows. I could go on and on but then this would become a book report instead of a book review. All of the characters are very realistic and the storyline captures your interest from the first page. I will definitely be recommending this book to anyone that will listen. What an interesting book. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an advanced copy for my honest review.

I loved this book. It is a heartfelt and touching novel with wonderful characters. The bond that Gabriel and Ru shared is one everyone hopes to have one day. This was a very fast read and I was happy to go on Gabriel and Ru’s adventure with them. The setting and descriptions are breathtaking. If you like a book with a lot of heart, look no further than Life, Loss, and Puffins.

Thank you NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for this digital arc in exchange for my honest review which is not affiliated with any brand.

I absolutely adored this book and the two main characters! The author did a great job of making characters you instantly like and following them was so much fun! The atmosphere and the characterization was top notch and I would be happy to read more from this author!

Ru Evans has one of the highest IQs in the world. At age 13, this is not necessarily a gift. It's even worse when she loses her mother, and is destined to go live with her unpleasant aunt. Her aunt plans on removing her from college where she takes advanced classes, and enrolling her in the grade that fits her age rather than her IQ. She will also not be allowed any contact with her friend Gabriel. Her aunt considers that Ru has no business being friends with a boy old enough to go to college.

Ru has a great desire to see puffins before she is forced to go live with her aunt and endure years of schooling she doesn't need. When Gabriel is also faced with an unwelcome future, the two of them decide to have one last adventure. They go on a road trip (destination: puffins). Along the way, they visit places of interest to them, have a few scares, and see the aurora borealis. I can't recommend this book too highly. Gabriel and Ru are unforgettable.

I received an e-arc from publisher Lake Union Publishing via NetGalley and voluntarily read and reviewed this book.

Life, Loss, and Puffins follows the unlikely friendship of 'Mensa smart' Ru, and 'regular smart' Gabriel; two university students whose lives cross path and a kindred spirit is found. Soon after meeting, Ru receives the news that her mother has died, and whilst she comes to grips with the loss and her grief, her new friend teaches her how to live.

Ru has grown up so intelligent that she feels alone, and meeting Gabriel gives her chosen family; whilst she is navigating her grief, and reflecting on the relationships in her life, it really holds a mirror up to the reader. Could I empathise with her intellectual superiority? No. Could I empathise with the feelings of growing up feeling misunderstood. Absolutely, yes. In a way I think most, if not all of us, can. Ru and Gabriel go on an adventure, to help Ru to deal with the changes in her life; and in a way I feel like I went on that adventure with them. I enjoyed experiencing the fun times, the uncertainty, and the general kindness that other people gave them along the way.

I did feel a little uneasy reading about two characters with such an age difference in this book, even with the author laying our minds at ease with the promise of this being a story of friendship, with no romance. After a few chapters I did feel a little more easy about the age difference. I did love the writing style of the book. It felt easy to read, without being simple. The plot line moved at a good pace, and I was immersed into the story; by the last few chapters I struggled to put it down!

This was such a wonderful book, the characters were so good. I didn’t want to put this down. I really enjoyed the book.