What a truly wonderful and inspiring book. My heart is full. I love this author’s work. The main characters brought such wisdom and thought to this story. I highly recommend preordering it. This will be a book that will stay with me a long time.

Every time I read a new CRH book, it becomes my new favorite. So much about this book made me want to stand up and cheer. CRH writes a beautiful story of a mix of generations and race and so many other things going on in our world today. An abundance of love in this book. I hope if I make it to 92 that I have a Raymond or Luis in my life. Excellent read!! Thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for the ARC.

Have You Seen Luis Velez? is a wonderful story. When a misunderstood and slightly awkward teenage Raymond encounters an elderly woman in his New York City apartment, she is isolated and in need of help. As he learns her story, he is driven to find her missing friend. Throughout his search, he encounters many people who help and contribute in some way, enhancing not only his life, but hers as well. This is a really nice story about the kindness of strangers, about human nature, about race, class, family, and prejudice. I enjoyed it very much. I'm not sure who Ms. Hyde's target audience is with this one, but to me, it read much like a young adult novel. Regardless, it was a very nice read for me as an adult reader, with plenty of depth to keep me interested. There was a minor theme of sexuality in the book which felt a little misplaced, as I didn't quite understand how it added to the story and was never really resolved, but that is a minor issue for me. I've read Catherine Ryan Hyde's work before and always enjoyed her, and this book was no exception.

A chance encounter leads 17-year-old misfit Raymond Jaffe to the door of 92-year old Mildred Gutermann, a blind woman who is desperate to find Luis Velez. After finding numerous men named Luis Velez in the phone book, Raymond begins to track them down one by one and in doing so learns a lot about life, friendship and helping others.

Like other works by the author, this is an uplifting story about the relationships formed between unlikely friends. It is a gentle, feel good and ultimately uplifting novel.

Have You Seen Luis Velez was such an uplifting, and heartwarming book! I absolutely loved this book! Who wouldn't love a story about a 17year old male who befriends an elderly blind woman in their apartment building who is down to their last few pantry items,make daily visits to fill a social gap,assist with errands, and try to find out what happened to their regular caregiver who went missing??
Catherine Ryan Hyde has such a talent in her writing for bringing out the good qualities in people and giving us delightful,heartwarming,feel-good books,that remind us that even though many bad things in this world happen, there are also many good things happening. Such a positive book!

Thank you netGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book for an honest review

This was a beautiful story based on friendship, love, trust and tragedy. Read this book its just beautiful.

What a great book!? A tale of love, humanity, and acceptance that made me laugh, cry, and just feel hopeful that our world does have a chance to improve. I highly recommend this book to others.

Another 5-star story of life, love, emotion, humanity, and reality from Catherine Ryan Hyde. Her ability to engage the reader in such realistic yet sometimes unimaginable scenarios is one that always amazes me yet never surprises me. The insights into the human experience as revealed through, in this case, a teenage boy and elderly woman, is simply astounding. Once again, I find myself at the end of Hyde's work a more thoughtful and hopefully better human being, with a deeper understanding of perspective and prejudice, and the promise of a better world. One person at a time.

This book is a reminder to all of us, to look beyond the surface for people who need help - & then to act on it. How easy it is to pass someone by, when they are asking for assistance. In this case, the person who stopped to listen was also helped a great deal – which was totally unexpected by him. It is also about judgement : how much we are prepared to judge others, whether consciously or unconsciously. What we are prepared to condone in one person, yet condemn in another. [This can also work the opposite way . Arthur Rubenstein has told of how people of privilege can be judged by the rest of us. For example, when a very wealthy man told him of how talented his son was at playing the piano, he took no notice. (If it had been a poor man, he would have taken the time to help him.) When the man contacted him again, inviting him to stay, & asking him to hear his son play, he didn’t even reply to the letter. Years later, the man’s son did become a very good concert pianist - & Arthur Rubenstein then felt guilty that he had judged him because he was from a privileged background.] We all have preconceptions, acknowledged or otherwise, & this book may serve as an ‘eye-opener’ for us. It is a book to make one think, as well as make one feel - & hopefully a book to make one act...

Another winner from one of my very favorite authors!
This book is not just another piece of feel good fiction. It is inspirational.
A high school junior, a boy sensitive and caring about others, but very unsure of himself wishes to find his purpose and meaning in his life. His assistance to a ninety-two year old blind woman is gratifying but he does have negative experiences due to their friendship. With her guidance he learns to deal with it. Through her gentle influence he begins to believe her philosophy that every life has a value.
These beliefs are put to the test when a dear friend receives unjust treatment from the law. The good, the bad, the helpfulness and the prejudice all emerge.
Through it all, he finally arrives at the conclusion that life is essentially good, people are anxious to help, and no one should judge another.
How this all happens brings us a great story! A value or a moral can be found on many pages. I believe that Catherine Ryan Hyde's marvelous words and expressions in this novel will be quoted many times in the future.
Excellent book!

For fans of Catherine Ryan Hyde this book will not disappoint. She builds a beautiful story of friendship between a teenage boy and a blind 92 year old woman and teaches us so many poignant life lessons along the way. We see Raymond , the main character, develop from a gawky teenager to a beautiful caring young man. The other characters come alive and support the story in such a meaningful way. Ms. Hyde has a way of weaving a tale that is impossible to put down. For fans old and new, this book is a gem!!!

4.5 stars.

I've read Catherine Ryan Hyde's novels before and I knew this was going to be good. She did not disappoint. This book is about the friendship that develops between a 92-year-old blind woman and a 17-year-old boy. That sounds like an interesting enough premise but there's so much more to this story. By the end of the novel, the author has covered issues around ageism, belonging , racism, asexuality, family, friendship, divorce, justice system, and even quantum physics. All of these, plus much more shows up in this book. It's layered, interesting, touching and and deeply profound in places. Even though the dialogue feels didactic and stilted in a few places, to me, the overall book was so wonderful that I didn't care.

I highlighted many sections but here area few that really resonated with me:
I think you're the first person I've ever known...I might not say it right. We'll see...who really sees me. And I mean the whole thing of me, not just the part that fits with how they want to see me. And it seems weird to me, because the first person I met who really sees me for all of who I am ...you know.. can't see."

"When it comes to seeing what's important about a person," she said "I think it's possible that what our eyes tell us is only a distraction...."

I've heard sentiments like this before, but I really liked the distraction phrasing.

Life gives us nothing outright. It only lends. Nothing is ours to keep. Absolutely nothing. Not even our bodies, or brains. This 'self' that we think we know so well, that we think of as us. It's only on loan. If a person comes into our life, they will go again. In a parting of ways, or because everyone dies. They will die or you will die. Nothing we receive in this life are we allowed to keep. I am not some spoiled child who . will take my toys and go home because I do not wish to accept that this is the way things work."

A very interesting perspective (for me) on (not) giving up. I'm still thinking about this one...

"The world will still be a place where people do terrible things. But here's the thing about despair. We fall into despair when the terrible gangs upon us and we forget the world can also be wonderful. We just see terrible everywhere we look. So what you do . for your friend is you bring up the wonderful, so both are side by side. The world is terrible and wonderful at the same time. One doesn't negate the other but the wonderful keeps us in the game. It keeps us moving forward. And, I'm sorry to have to tell you this, Raymond, but that's as good as the world's going to get."

I loved every bit of this.

The thing that's magical about Catherine Ryan Hyde's novels is how they manage to feel light and profound at the same time. I'd say this is not a "hard to read" book but it's full, it's not lightweight, it's layered, and textured and manages to be sad without depressing and manages to be profound without leaving you broken. In fact, it leaves you hopeful about humanity for the most part. Or manages to really show you how the the world is terrible and wonderful at the same time.

What a joy to read. Huge thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy in return for an honest review.

This was a delightful read! The unexpected friendship between a 17-year old boy and a 92-year old blind woman is so heartwarming and emotional. Reading this story makes you realize that there really is no age, gender, or social status barrier when it comes to real friendship. I really enjoyed both main characters, and I connected with each one of them even though they were so different from each other. This novel can be a great read for all ages, but I think it would be a meaningful read for young adults. This story will make you smile, cry, and it will make you angry at times, but that is what makes it a great story. Thank you NetGalley for great read!

Lovely story about growing up, and being old. The characters stole my hearty and the story line was wonderful. Her stories always are heartwarming and entertaining.

Five stars plus five stars plus five more! This is one of my favorite books I’ve ever read. I love reading books from this author and now I love them even more. She tells a story with characters that are so real that they could be your neighbors or even in your family. They talk, interact as normal people. And the stories she tells bring you into them and don’t let you go just because the book ends. Raymond, a 16-17 year old young man is definitely the hero of this book. He’s not one of the popular kids at school. His very best friend is moving away and he’s not sure where he’s going to fit in. Oh, and his parents are divorced- it seems his mother is caucasian and his father is Afro-American. But that’s a minor issue in the story. I’m going to ask my almost 16 year old grandson if he will read this book - I think it’s that important. High school is a very difficult time and not everyone fits in the “popular kid” mold. But Raymond is a definite winner. In a few weeks I may go back and read this book again. Thank you, thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union for allowing me to read an advance copy for my honest review of this book.

When I started this book I wasn't sure I was going to like this story. But I fell in love with the characters and plot. This is a coming of of age tale, beautifully told through the voice of Raymond, a young man preparing to graduate from high school. Raymond feels he doesn't fit in, either at school, nor at home but this changes when he befriends a blind, elderly woman, Mildred Gutterman (Mrs.G), another tenant in his apartment building. Together they search for her former caretaker, Luis Velez, who has mysteriously disappeared. Raymond and Mrs.G work together to find Luis, and along the way, also find acceptance and friendship. On this journey, Raymond learns about himself and the man he is becoming.

This is a tale for modern times. This story touches on sensitive issues, such as racism, disabilities, and the importance of family.

The characters are wonderfully developed and have stayed with me long after I finished the book. Thank you, NetGalley, for this advance copy so I could share my honest opinion.

I so enjoyed this title. This is a very thought-provoking story that tugs at your heart. The characters in this story are interesting and human. The situations and characters behavior felt real. This story shows the kindness in the world as well as the prejudicial unkindness. The journey that Raymond makes is inspiring. I didn't want it to end.

Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union for an advanced read in exchange for this review.

Raymond is 17 and feels like an outcast.  His dad is remarried, and he feels like his mom and stepdad don't like him.  His only friend has moved away.  He soon befriends a 92 year old woman whose opening statement is "Have you seen Luis Valez?"  He soon finds himself on a mission to find him to help her.

Catherine Ryan Hyde writes heartfelt fiction, and this book is exactly that.  At first, I wondered if this was going to be a book where Raymond knocked on every door to find Luis with no such luck.  It's not even close.  Raymond's dear friend, Mildred, is blind and a survivor. Although she begins to rely on Luis for errands, she teaches him so much more about life.  What a touching story.

I read an ARC of this book provided by NetGalley.
Another inspiring piece of work by prolific author Catherine Ryan Hyde.
The plot is very simple. The first half of the book is about a 17-year-old boy’s search for Luis Velez, a man who had been providing regular assistance to a 92-year-old blind woman also living in the boy’s apartment building. But, without notice, Luis Velez was no longer helping the old woman, so the young boy befriended her and made it his business to find Luis Velez or find out what happened to him. The second half of the book deals with the ramifications of the boy’s findings.
The characters, it almost goes without saying in a book written by this author, are outstanding. The theme of the book can be summarized by saying: Life is tough, but you need to appreciate the good aspects of life and not be beaten down by the bad aspects of life that affect EVERYONE.
Reading this book strengthens one’s spirit and makes you want to be the better person that has a positive impact on other’s lives.

Wow! What an amazing book. It is going to the top of my Best Books of 2019 list. Raymond is a 17 year old boy who doesn't think he fits in anywhere. Not at home with his mother, step father and step sisters. Not with his father and step mother. Not at school after his only friend moves away. There is a stray cat that he feeds. Mildred is a 92,year old blind Holocaust survivor. When Mildred's caregiver stops coming around she is lost. When Raymond comes across her in his apartment building she asks "Have You Seen Luis Velez?" This book has so much feeling in it, my heart ached for many of the characters. I highly recommend this book and this Author. Thanks to NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing and the Author for allowing me to read and review this book.