Excellent book. I always enjoy reading her books. The content of this book was very endearing, the building of his relationship with his professor especially.

There were many things I liked about this story. Michael Woodbine and his brother, Thomas, were in a firework accident when he was 7. He was left with many scars, and his parents gave him up to foster care (reasons to be revealed later in the story). He is adopted by the Woodbines, and they have a very nice family life together. However, Michael still struggles with his appearance, and never takes his shirt off in public due to scars. He also feels abandoned by his birthparents, and thinks they gave him up because of the accident and his scars. Michael is now 19, and pursuing a film making degree. On his first day in the filmmaking class, he meets Professor Drumming. Drumming has scars all over his face. However, his approach about his scars is different than Michael's, and the 2 form a bond. Drumming assigns his class the project of making a film- this project will be the only grade in the class. He reminds them that they should have something to say in the film for it to be impactful. After talking to Drumming, Michael decides to do a documentary on how people that struggle with how they look often feel less than and try to remain invisible.

As Michael begins his interviews, he meets Madeline. She is older than he is, and has scars of her own. He also meets many other wonderful characters, and we get to hear their stories. The character development is really well done, and I wanted to hear all their stories. Michael learns nuggets of wisdom from each individual he films, and he begins to grow in his confidence and self awareness.

This story is very relational, and that is what drives the plot. However, it is not a slow moving story- but one that the reader becomes immersed in because the relationships being developed are so well written. There are moments of tenderness, anger, frustration, acceptance, humor, and understanding that had me feeling all the emotions.

The only area I struggled with was when Michael and Thomas meet up. Michael has grown so much in his empathy towards others, and ability to see things from their perspective. However, I did not feel that this was demonstrated in his relationship with his brother. Although Thomas is a bit of a jerk, once Michael learned about what Thomas had been through his actions seemed very abrupt and almost unfeeling. This did not seem to gel with the Michael we were seeing evolve.

Overall, this was a well written, emotional story about the beauty and love we find around us, and accepting that it comes in all different ways. I look forward to reading another by Ms. Hyde as she always seems to be the perfect read when I want a bit more emotion in my stories! And she makes me think!!

Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the ARC. This is my honest and voluntary reciew.

Thank you Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

Michael is the main character in Catherine Ryan Hyde latest bestseller. He is involved in an accident and as a result has scarring from being badly burnt.
We go on a wonderful journey with Michael as he learns to begin to accept his scars and imperfections as well as recognising that others he meets throughout life also carry imperfections.

I really enjoyed being transported with Michael throughout this book.


Thank you for the opportunity to read this ARC in return of my honest review.

Catherine Ryan Hyde continues to write stories that touch people's hearts. I jump at the opportunity to read her books and know they will make me stop and think and perhaps be a more understanding person. This was excellent.

We tend to live life apologizing for our self-proclaimed failings. Society portrays what constitutes as the perfect body or what success means. If we don't measure up, we hide those 'imperfections. from the world. This book brilliantly rejects that viewpoint and turns tragedy into a life lesson.

Due to a firework accident when Michael was a child, he was badly burned and taken away from his parents. Fortunately he was placed in a loving foster home but the scars on the inside continued to fester while he was able to hide his outer scars.

When a film professor teaches Michael to be proud of what makes him different, that makes an imprint on his life. Instructor Robert Dunning wears his scars as a badge of honor daring others to judge him by proudly proclaiming 'Here I Am' and that mindset inspires Michael's film project. As his student film takes on a life of its own, Michael realizes that even deemed 'perfect' people are battling their own insecurities.

Catherine Ryan Hyde pens a poignant novel that readers will ponder long after finishing the final chapter. Thank you to #NetGalley and the publisher for the early edition of #MichaelWithoutApology in exchange for an honest review. The heartfelt novel is one of my favorite books I've read this year.

Michael Without Apology by Catherine Ryan Hyde is the story of Michael, a burn victim who had hidden his burns his whole life until he walked into his first film making class, his first day of college. There he met a man with burns worse than his, who let every one look their fill. It was not a moral failing, it was what it was. That opened Michael’s whole life. After a personal conversation with the professor, Mr. Dunning, Michael decided to make a film on this topice. He posted an ad on the bulletin board in the coffee shop but had just said, for persons not happy with their bodies,” and he got a wide variety of responses: A 103 year-old man who had shaken Adolf Hitler’s hand and always regretted he hadn’t spit at him; a tall man, very skinny, beyond skinny, who couldn’t seem to gain weight, Professor Dunning; and Madeline, a breast cancer victim who had had both breasts removed. From this he cobbled together interviews and produced a film: a good film. It opened all kinds of doors for him, not just in film making.

Michael had lived his entire life believing one thing and learning another. It happened time and again. Of course, he was only nineteen years old in the beginning. He was a virgin. Madeline took care of that, neither taking off their shirts, hiding their scars. Such a touching book, and very little about scars, as everyone has them in one form or another. He met people from his former life, learned to re-appreciate his adoptive parents, and he learned how to love himself and others. In the end all of us forgot about his scars as did he. He grew to be a good man. He had the beginnings but met the right people to move him along. Pulls at one‘s heart strings. As always Ryan Hyde knocks it out of the park.

I was invited to read Michael Without Apology by Lake Unions Publishing. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #LakeUnionPublishing #CatherineRyanHyde #MichaelWithoutApology

As always Catherine Ryan Hyde has brought us a tender and compassionate book about the human condition. This time it’s about body image and our acceptance of our scars and other flaws and those of others. It would be a great book for teenagers to read and discuss in class.

Her MC, is Michael, a freshman college student who wants to study film making. Due to a bad accident with an exploding firework when he was seven, he has bad scarring to his chest and legs. He has had a lot to deal with in his life and it was enjoyable to watch him develop into a confident young man through his film making and the people he met as a result. His story is told with empathy and sensitivity and, although I felt the last third dragged a little and could have been more compact, overall it was an insightful and thought provoking read.

Excellent book!! I read this in one sitting!!

Michael was only 7 years ago when his whole world changed in one minute. He was in an horrific accident with fireworks that scarred his body and got his biological parents thrown in jail. He went through many surgeries and got adopted by his foster family because his parents couldn't support him. But at the time he saw that as them not wanting him anymore, because his older brother got to go home to them when they were released from jail.

Now Michael is 17 years old and a Freshman in college. He's taking a film class for the first time, but his professor is the man who had the biggest impact on his life. Professor Dunning was in a fire when he was very young. He proudly wears his scars for the world to see. That alone made Michael feel comfortable showing what he's always hidden his whole life.

So when the class assignment is to make a film, Dunning encourages Michael to do a film about his image. Michael puts up a flyer looking for volunteers who feel unattractive to today's society to interview them for their stories. Seeing others with different body image issues really opens up his eyes like never before.

After the film is made, all sorts of things change for Michael, especially when people from his past emerge.

A must read!

*I received a complimentary copy of this ARC via NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for my ARC in exchange for my honest review. This book was published May 6, 2025.

This is the fifth book I’ve read by this author and they have all been either 4 or 5 stars!

Young Michael is involved in an accident and is left with burn scars. Fast forward to college when he meets film Professor Dunning who also has scars. It’s the first time Michael witnesses someone who invited people to stare at his scars. Michael decides to make a documentary titled “Here I Am” about scars we all carry, either physical or emotional.

“We go through our lives apologizing for things that either aren’t wrong at all or are totally out of our control…So, life without apologies is the theme.”

There is a perfect amount of humor, heartbreak, forgiveness and bravery in this story. Highly recommend. I loved this book and its message!

I have read several books by this author and loved each one. This one is no exception.
There is something about the way the author uses realistic, relatable issues that the characters have to get through that make these stories so profound on so many levels.
There were so many times when this story could have gone the easy route and not touched on difficult issues but thankfully, the author didn't flinch at bringing you there and making you feel all sorts of different emotions.
This story could be triggering for some people, or healing for others. There is a lot to take in. But overall, this was a remarkably engrossing, enlightening, wonderful story.
Enjoy!

This book was a nice and quick easy and fast read. I read and listened to it. The narrator was a good choice and fit the story.
It has a very good message about acceptance and not letting what others might think of your outward appearance hold you back. It did feel more like a full on lecture, rather than reading a book. The only other issue I had with the book was that every person he met, he learned something major and that is not real life. You might meet a few people that share something with you that is so moving or an idea that might change you but you aren't getting that from every single person you meet.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the book and audiobook arc.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher this ARC!
I absolutely love this author!
She always delivers a story that pulls at your heartstrings many times throughout the book!
I will absolutely be telling everyone about this one!

I couldn’t put this book down. It’s not as if it was a gripping, what will happen next, sort of thriller. It’s not. But it’s Hyde’s (no relation) usual superb examination of human nature and what it is to be human that compelled me to keep going.

In this case, Hyde looks at our relationship with our own, flawed bodies. And, as always, she exhibits such a deep understanding of how people think and feel. I really am in awe.

Michael’s relationship with his professor, Robert, as well as with Madeline, helps him to find his own peace with his scars. The unexpected turn that his film project takes, thanks to vague wording in his advertisement for volunteers, leads him on an eye-opening path to discovering that we all perceive flaws with our bodies, for a multitude of reasons. It is Hyde's sensitive handling of this idea that humanizes the story and gives the reader—any reader—a touchstone.

Not all of Hyde’s books have a romantic aspect; this one happens to, as Michael gains the confidence to allow himself to be loved, scars and all.

Possible Objectionable Material:
Drug use. Neglectful parents. Physical issues. Nudity. Some swearing. Sex between unmarried people. Death from a variety of causes. Trauma. Adoption.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an advanced reader copy in exchange for my opinion.

This book is also reviewed at https://biblioquacious.blogspot.com/2025/05/a-good-week-for-readers.html

This author is such an incredible storyteller - she writes honestly and realistically about the human condition. This novel, like the others, shines with wonderful characters and a unique plot. I couldn't put this one down.

Michael is a college freshman who was severely injured when he was 7 years old. The firework accident nearly ended his life. He has always hidden his scars - he didn’t swim or participate in anything that required him to take off his shirt!!

During his first film class, his teacher Robert Dunning, “ wears his own scars unapologetically. Robert encourages Michael to make a documentary that explores body image and self-perception.”

Finding volunteers for his documentary leads him to realize that almost everyone has experienced the feeling of not being good enough, pretty enough, thin enough, etc either from scars, being too thin, too fat, etc.

As he works with these people he himself finally learns to accept his body the way it is and not apologize for the way he looks!

There is much more to this novel as Michael meets a woman who becomes the love of his life - but they have limited time to be together.

He also has always wondered why his parents didn’t take him back after he was released from the hospital??

I found myself wishing EVERYONE could read this novel - it is a really remarkable story that left me feeling uplifted.

I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher through NetGalley. It was my pleasure to read and review this title.

Catherine Ryan Hyde does what she does best in her latest release and that's creating characters that you care about, and she brings out real emotions in the reader.

The beginning is 4th of July, and 7-year-old Michael has an accident with a firework that sends him to the hospital resulting in massive scaring on his torso and thighs. He is sent to foster care because of neglect by his parents and is adopted by the couple. Jump to Michael at age 19 taking a film class in college. The teacher becomes a mentor when Michael idolizes him for his honesty and no shame for his scars. It gives him confidence to produce a short film letting his subjects reflect on their imperfections and the weight of being perfect in an imperfect world. It's very moving as Michael learns about self-acceptance and forgiveness as he grapples with the past.

Another great addition to CRH's long list of books. Take this book, a box of tissues (just in case), and be prepared to be transported to the tragedies and triumphs in Michael's life.

Thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for an early copy.

The storytelling was excellent and I loved rooting for Michael. The storytelling was heartwarming, sad, touching and profound. It dragged a little here and there but I really enjoyed the content and message throughout the book.

What a fantastic book with a wonderful cast of characters and a message that will surely impact anyone who reads it! Michael is a college freshman taking his first film class. His past is traumatic - he was severely burned over his torso in a fireworks accident at age 7 leading to removal from his parents and adoption by a couple who love and support him. When he meets his film professor, he is shocked to see a man who also has burn scars that are visible on his face and hands. Yet his new mentor invites people to stare and teaches Michael to be unapologetic about how he looks. Thus, Michael decides to make his first film about body image. But his subjects and participants are very unexpected and Michael learns that body image has many different meanings. As he interviews his subjects and works on his project, he not only learns compassion but also finds his first love, experiences tremendous grief and begins to find a way to forgive his birth parents and heal from his trauma. I have to say that this review can’t possibly describe how beautifully written this book is. Body image issues are so prevalent but usually only addressed in self help books or silly rom coms. This author manages to capture and convey so many thoughts and emotions behind the issues. Michael is a very mature nineteen year old but he also has emotional scars as well as physical ones that he must come to terms with. The character development is fantastic and Michael’s growth is inspiring. I really loved this book and highly recommend it!
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. Opinions are my own.

Do you have anything about your body or your looks that bothers you or causes you to feel insecure? Michael Woodbine does. When he was seven, he had a terrible accident, and since that night, he’s never felt the same about himself. Michael Without Apology by Catherine Ryan Hyde struck me as an odd title until I got much farther into the book. Eventually, it made sense.

Michael has body image issues, to be sure. That begins to change, however, the first day he steps into Mr. Robert Dunning’s classroom. Mr. Dunning is obviously scarred, and he unashamedly and boldy invites the class to go ahead and look, because it’s impossible not to see him. This is the beginning of a turning point for Michael, who up until now has never removed his shirt for anyone, never gone swimming since his childhood accident, never dated. Now, in this class, he has an assignment: Come up with a topic and make a movie.

He puts up a sign looking for volunteers. Who would be willing to speak to the camera about their body image? The results are unexpected and incredibly enlightening. Michael finds himself changing his view of others and of himself. Not only that, but he falls in love.

This story revolves primarily around Michael and his emotional journey. His scars are not just physical; they are also emotional because of what happened after his accident. As a twenty-year-old college student, he must choose whether he can face his birth family and hear the truth.

As usual, the author has created a story that readers can probably relate to. Likely, it will touch many readers, because if we’re honest, hasn’t there been a part of ourselves that we haven’t wanted others to see or that we didn’t wish we could change? No apologies. Here’s who I am. That’s the lesson Michael is trying to learn to accept and to live.

Thanks to NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing, and the author for an ARC copy of Michael Without Apology. My thought and opinions are my own.

5 stars

I was excited to be able to read Catherine ryan Hyde's new book. She is one of my very favorite authors and i have loved the books she has previously written. I recommend her books to all my friends.

Description:
Michael Woodbine was seven years old when a near-fatal fireworks accident scarred him and led to his placement in foster care. Now a college freshman, he is still trying to hide the effects of his trauma from his classmates, his adoptive family, and himself.

When Michael signs up for a film class, he meets Robert Dunning, a teacher who wears his own scars unapologetically. Robert encourages Michael to make a documentary that explores body image and self-perception. Michael places an ad seeking people who feel unattractive and rejected by society—and is surprised to learn that this is essentially everyone. Although some participants are recovering from injuries or surgeries, others are dealing with more everyday factors like aging or the changes to a body from giving birth.

As he collects these stories—and finally tells his own—Michael feels more connected to the world than he ever has before. But he knows his journey of self-acceptance has one more his crushing doubts about why his birth parents wouldn’t fight to keep him.

My Thoughts:
Hyde delves deep into characters and brings them alive. Michael's scars were terrible and he was so careful to hide them from everyone. I loved his journey of revelation through making his documentary and how it affected his own life and many others. As with all of Hyde's books this one makes you think about how you react to the situation and question how to do better - how to be a better person. I cheered Michael on throughout and loved the plot and the characters. Once again, I will be recommending to my friends.

Thanks to Lake Union Publishing through Netgalley for an advance copy.

Catherine Ryan Hyde has become one of my favorite authors in recent years, and I recommend her books every chance I get. I wasn't so sure how I would feel about Michael Without Apology, but once I started reading it I just couldn't stop. Her books are so full of human connection, something we seem to be drifting away from in this high-tech world. This book was a bit of a tough read because of its traumatic issues, but such a worthwhile read. Thanks to NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing and the author for an advance copy to read and review.