Catherine Ryan Hyde is an author that has quickly captured my interest as a reader. She writes beautifully. Her stories are engaging, in-depth looks at humanity and she is a master at capturing the nuances and emotions of events that shape us as humans. Most of her books that I've read center around young adults who are "coming of age".

Stay is another masterpiece by her that highlights that dark and the light that drive us. It was gripping and emotional. I wish I could say it was sunshine and roses - but most of life is not like that. Hyde tackles depression and it's many variances in this book and offers a counterpoint to the despair and complacency that can overwhelm us.

I received an eARC from the publisher via Netgalley. This is my honest review.

Stay by Catherine Ryan Hyde is a very well written coming of age story about a young boy surrounded by a world of grown up problems in 1969. Hyde provides an unflinching look at society and right and wrong through the eyes of a 14 year old boy, Lucas. When hiking in the woods one day he stumbles upon a cabin and finds a woman unconscious. Little does he know this one act will change his life and others' permanently. Addressing issues of addiction, war, love, sadness, and even the disappointments of life is no easy task and Hyde does so effectively, while continuing to provide characters that are intriguing and thoughtful. I loved the highly relatable insight Lucas is given - for example, it is great to want to help people with their problems but why he finds this so draining is because he becomes too invested in their outcomes. As Lucas learns to accept that he is not in control of others' decisions he also finds a group of friends he can depend on as he faces life head on. I highly recommend this book, and am looking forward to more from this author. I received an ARC of this book, all opinions are my own.

This story is set during the Vietnam war and how soldiers were given drugs to make it through and the were addicted once they left. It is about a series of events and how people are affected. How we help each other even when we don’t think we can help ourselves.

This is not the first book of Catherine Ryan Hyde’s that I have read and it certainly won’t be the last. One thing that stands out to me in every book I have read is the life-lessons that the main characters learn or share with each other. This book touched me very deeply. I have so many highlights in it from all the gems I want to be able to remember! Lucas Painter is a 14 year old boy growing up in a troubled household where he is more ignored than paid attention to by either parent, and whose brother is in Vietnam. His best friend, Connor, is also a very troubled young man whose household is no better than Lucas’. In one of Lucas’ forays into the woods surrounding his town, he finds and befriends two dogs who become his running partners. Through them he also gets to know their owner, Zoe Dinsmore, in a most unexpected way.....he saves her life from a suicide attempt. Bringing these three characters together makes the whole story...how they depend on each other...how they help each other.....how their friendships change their future entirely. The conversations between the characters at times are both comical and philosophical in an off-beat way, which is endearing. I know that i can whole-heartedly recommend this book to others for their reading pleasure and maybe some enlightenment. Thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this book in return for an honest review, which this has been. #NetGalley #Stay

Catherine Ryan Hyde writes about the human spirit in a straight-forward and authentic, but deeply compassionate manner. She showcases her characters' resiliency, and how being or becoming part of a community inspires them to want to be better -- for themselves and those they have come to love. In Stay, employing her signature style, she explore several difficult topics, including suicide, addiction, and post-traumatic stress suffered by veterans. The result is an uplifting story, full of hope, about the futility of isolation, individual choices, and affording others the dignity to make their own choices.

Lucas does not want to be on the track team, but he does enjoy running in the woods -- precisely where his mother has told him not to go, warning him that he might get lost. His first-person narrative gives insight into his thoughts and feelings about the stressors in his life. He takes up running because he finds it impossible to "think any real thoughts at the same time. That was the whole point of doing the thing." His brother, Roy, is stationed in Vietnam, and his parents fight constantly. In fact, they are so busy fighting, Lucas feels that he is largely invisible to them. So he does go running in the woods and, in fact, gets lost. But he happens upon a cabin and a massive dog house, as well as not one, but two huge dogs. To his surprise, he realizes that the dogs just want to run and play with him. So he begins running with them every morning before school.

But one morning, Lucas discovers Zoe, the older woman who owns the dogs, lying in bed in the cabin, unresponsive. He runs home, telephones for help, and in doing so, saves her life. Lucas' choice to disregard his mother's order and make it his habit to run with the dogs each morning sets in motion a series of events that change the trajectory of Zoe's life, along with Lucas'.

Hyde reveals that Zoe attempted suicide because she has been living with the guilt and far-reaching repercussions of a tragedy that occurred years ago. She has deliberately isolated herself out in the woods, and has no desire to continue living. But when Lucas realizes that she still wants to end her life, but loves the dogs and wants them cared for, he angrily and bravely makes clear that he will not look after them when she is gone. Her attitude spurs his curiosity, and he learns about her shocking history and why she is so determined not to go on living.

The choice to continue living is a theme that Hyde weaves throughout the story, examining it through Connor's struggle with depression, as well as the problems his mother deals with, especially after his parents' marriage finally falls apart. Lucas is a true friend to Connor, and Connor's family problems trouble him greatly. He worries about Connor but is not sure how to help. He will not give up on Zoe, either, and gradually manages to forge a friendship with her.

Hyde details how Lucas learns life lesson from the cantankerous Zoe, who recognizes that Lucas is a boy who takes on everyone else's struggles, and tries to convince him that he'll "have a much happier life if you get a strong bead on what's your responsibility and what isn't." That advice informs his relationship with and desire to help Connor come to terms with his own dysfunctional family.

It also figures prominently in Lucas' relationship with his older brother, Roy, who returns unexpectedly from Vietnam, forever changed. Roy made choices in Vietnam that will impact him for the rest of his life, and Lucas discovers that Roy cannot be helped until he is ready to receive help. As with Zoe and Connor, Lucas learns about supporting a loved one, and facilitating their effort to receive assistance. Through Roy, Hyde challenges readers to consider the impact of war and, more particularly, the Vietnam War, upon warriors.

Hyde's characters, with all of their faults and flaws, are compellingly empathetic. The dogs play prominent roles in the story because of their connection to the characters and the ways in which the characters' feelings for and reactions to them illustrate the characters' core values and traits. Lucas' voice is heartbreakingly resonant, genuine, and thoroughly believable. She has crafted a lovely story about ordinary people facing extraordinary challenges with the best intentions and integrity, but who aren't equipped with the coping skills required to overcome the issues they face. But they do have resilience, as well as strength and courage that they are surprised to learn they possess.

Lucas' one choice sets in motion events that have far-reaching, multi-generational consequences, but Hyde passionately conveys that nothing in the lives of Lucas or his loved ones is a mistake. As always, Hyde's commitment to her subject matter and affection for her characters is evident, and she provides readers with difficult themes and complicated issues upon which to reflect, and ponder how they might respond to similar challenges.

Thanks so much to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this.

This is a heartwarming story about a young boy trying to navigate life's challenges; parents who argue constantly, a brother off at war, a friend dealing with depression plus all the normal challenges 14-year-old boys face like grades and girls. Lucas finds solace in the most unlikely places and people and learns a lot of tough lessons along the way but we get a chance to watch him grow and mature through it all. This was a very sweet book and I would definitely recommend it.

I love all of Catherine Ryan Hyde’s books and this one did not disappoint! The protagonist, Lucas, is a teenager the summer of 1969. His family life always seems to be in turmoil, as his parents are always fighting and his brother is in Vietnam fighting a war. His best friend, Connor, is also dealing with his own family issues, so he is often left meandering alone. One day, he decides to walk through the woods near his home and discovers a cabin where two dogs stand guard. In fear, he runs to keep the dogs from attacking him, but finds the dogs want to run with him.

After many runs with the dogs, he meets the woman in the cabin, Zoe. Zoe has had a rough life and chooses to live in the woods away from people. Her past haunts her and she has lost her will to live. As their friendship grows, Zoe finds that she actually enjoys having Lucas around. Her dogs also enjoy having him around and they look forward to the runs they go on together. He eventually brings his friend Connor to meet Zoe and they form a bond born out of tragedy a desire to belong somewhere.

This is a story about how past traumas can affect a person and the challenges they have with trusting people. I also loved that they were brought together because of the dogs in the story, Animals can be the conduit to bringing people together, and they have a way of bringing hope and healing to broken hearts. I highly recommend this book! Thank you, Catherine Ryan Hyde for allowing me to read an advanced reader copy.

Hey folks, daddy Steve here with a little doggiebook review. This time I'll be talking about Stay, a book by author Catherine Ryan Hyde.

This book is about so much more than just a teenager running with dogs, yet at the same time, they are very central to the story. What they bring to Lucas, the running teenager, is very close to what Malcolm brings to me. Things like peace and balance. They are not super present in the story, that is the book is not written from their point of view but throughout the whole book, they are there for Lucas.

I found the book to be thought provoking on many levels. About how one decision, seemingly unimportant at the time, can change a lot in your future but also about not dwelling too much on bad events. That last part also goes in line with what Malcolm has been teaching me the last four years. Don't live in the pas, enjoy the present.

Catherine Ryan Hyde also wrote Pay It Forward, on which a movie was made. I have not read the book or seen the movie, but we all understand the concept being paying it forward. There is quite a bit of that in Stay. Be good to others and don't give up on them, just as you should not give up on yourself.

I really enjoyed this book, another recommended read!

Huge thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publshing who provided a free eBook advanced reader’s copy in exchange for my honest review. This is as honest as it gets...

#Malcolmstories #doggiebooks

STAY by Katherine Ryan Hyde captivated me from the first page to the very last.
STAY is the first book I have read by Ms. Hyde but it will not be the last. When I hate to turn the last page of a book because I am going to miss the characters I met between the pages, I know I just finished a great book, one that will stay with me. STAY is such a book.

The book begins with 14-year old Lucas Painter, recounting how he spent the Summer of ’69. Lucas Painter is philosophical, mature and compassionate. His parents are distant and only connect with each other when arguing. For me, Lucas is a contemporary Holden Caufield (Catcher in the Rye).

Lucas's best friend from early childhood is Connor Barnes. Connor is not happy, perhaps clinically depressed, also shades of Holden Caufield. His family life is sad, his parents are sad and uncommunicative. His house is dark and dreary. Connor is also introspective and compassionate. Lucas is his only friend, Lucas is loyal, he is available and he is ready, willing and able to be there for Connor. Lucas is the friend we all wish we had and some of us are lucky enough to have.

Roy is Lucas’ brother, is a deeply troubled Vietnam Vet trying to recover from the damage Vietnam has done to his psyche and his body.

Zoe Dinsmore, a 55-year-old recluse with tragedy in her past that has left her racked with guilt and chemical dependency. Zoe and Lucas will stay with me for a long time; many of their thoughts, their actions and their relationship touched me deeply.

Zoe and the boys become friends, confidants; Zoe helps them and they help her.

Do yourself a favor, read this novel, it is warm, it is touching, it is thoughtful and it is life affirming. One of the best books I have read in a very very long time.

What a wonderful story. We follow Lucas, a small town boy in the summer of 1969. Lucas is dealing with adolescence, along with fighting parents, a depressed best friend, an older brother drafted and in Vietnam and a strange woman and her dogs in the woods. This is a powerful and loving story about this timeframe. Lucas is a memorable character and the kind of friend and brother we all want and all hope to be. A lot of dark topics are involved, but in a way that makes them somehow feel less so. Highly recommended.

3.75⭐️ Thank you NetGalley. CRH’s Take Me With You and Heaven Adjacent were 5⭐️ For me. This one didn’t quite rise to the level of those and I think it’s because this story, with the focus of one summer in the late 60s of a 14 year old, felt a bit YA to me.. Still I enjoyed it. I just think my experience so far with CRH books is I prefer the ones that feature an adult narrator.

“I felt as though Mrs. Dinsmore had pressed a key into my hand, and that key had just opened up some secret part of the universe that had always been a mystery to me. Sounds like an exaggeration, but I guess you’d have to know how utterly baffled I’d been by life up until then.”

Stay is the twenty-ninth novel by award-winning American author, Catherine Ryan Hyde. Lucas Painter comes across the cottage in the woods by accident. The large dogs sitting outside shock him into fleeing, even though he knows he can’t outrun them. But it turns out not only to be non-lethal, but to actually be a positive experience, one that allows him to clear his mind of everything that bothers him.

And Lucas has a lot on his mind. His brother is away at war; his parents argue all the time; and his troubled best friend Connor’s house isn’t the refuge a home should be. Lucas returns to the woods and repeats it, running with the dogs, regularly, until one day when the dogs are behaving strangely.

Lucas ends up saving a life, but the old woman he saves, Zoe Dinsmore is anything but appreciative. She’s the most anti-social person he’s ever met, and he needs to know why. What he learns doesn’t deter him from the cottage. He finds that with Zoe Dinsmore, he can ask questions about life that he simply can’t ask his parents, and he gets decent answers, even when she comments: “Whew,” she said. “It really is a tough place inside that brain of yours, isn’t it?”

Lucas finds that talking to Zoe gives him insight and empathy, and he’s a good enough friend to Connor that he can share. He comes to realise: “It’s really important,” I say, “when you’re thinking bad thoughts about yourself, to remember that they might turn out to be wrong.” Later he recalls: “…we had her when we needed her the most— when we were scared and lost and all the grown -ups around us were letting us down.”

Ryan Hyde has an extraordinary talent for conveying the feelings and emotions of a fourteen-year-old boy, and she succinctly and beautifully describes the situation. She tackles some big topics: suicide and addiction, and how they are managed. And she gives her characters lots of wise words: “If something works, I figure … just leave it alone. Let it be a thing that worked. Not everything needs to be picked apart for better understanding. Sometimes it’s okay to just say thank you in the quiet of your head and move along.” A wonderful, uplifting read.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing.

Love any book from Catherine Ryan Hyde!! She is s great storyteller! All her books capture your attention. This book was no different!

Go back to Summer 69, to a small town with big history
Meet interesting people
learn more about them, their pasts - their present times...

Power of hope, kindness, friendship

I sank into this book and truly enjoyed it!


By Pay It Forward Author,
I have read and enjoyed many other books by her

This book was a surprise to me. It was a very complex book that touched on a lot of problems that occur in every day life.. Loved all the characters especially Lucas who is the narrator. It gives all the feels. You see the consequences that can come from our choices. I was given an ebook from Net Galley and I really enjoyed it. Thank you. I will also post a review on Readers Coffeehouse in which Catherine Ryan Hyde is a founding author and I am a member. I would recommend this book to everyone who loves reading a good story.

When I was teaching 9th grade Honors English, I often used a quote by Moss Hart that describes the "umbilical cord being made of piano wire" when we were talking about the power of familial love. But what really determines a family? Is it only biology or can there be other connections that are every bit as strong? Hyde addresses this in her heartwarming novel of unlikely friendships and the beauty of actually listening and forging connections with others that aren't always related by biology. Fourteen-year-old Lucas stumbles upon a random cabin in the woods where two dogs become his running partners. A few days later he saves the life of their owner, a middle-aged woman with a dark past. Their friendship is forged slowly and sweetly as Zoe is "broken" and Lucas needs advice about navigating his own confusing life. It's touching and poignant with many flawed characters, but the heart of the novel shows us the power of humanity and ultimately, redemption.

Excellent book about the power of friendship and the importance of just being present for others. Loved the message about how even small moments have the potential to have lasting effects.

This is only the second novel I've read written by Catherine Ryan Hyde, but she writes such beautiful books that I will definitely be checking out her previous novels.

The main character in this book, Lucas Painter is a fourteen year old boy who is very thoughtful and caring for his age. The year is 1969 and his homelife is difficult as his parents fight all the time and his older brother Roy is away in Vietnam writing Lucas letter which show he is struggling with the trauma of combat. His best friend, Connor is anxious and depressed and becoming more reclusive by the day. To get away from it all Lucas likes to go running with two large dogs who live with a woman in a cabin in the woods. The woman, Zoe Dinsmore has isolated herself from the rest of the town after a catastrophic event seventeen years ago, however a medical emergency brings her into contact with Lucas and they unexpectedly become friends. They form that special sort of relationship found between grandparents and their grandchildren where Zoe looks forward to her visits from Lucas and he is able to talk to her about his worries and ask for advice. Soon Zoe is helping Connor and Roy to overcome their problems and get back control of their lives.

Such a lovely, heartwarming story, so beautifully told with wonderful characters. I especially enjoyed the epilogue showing what had happened to all the characters fifty years later - so nice to have that satisfying sense of closure.

In true form, Catherine Ryan Hyde delivers another outstanding story about the power of friendship and how much a simple kindness can do for a person.

Lucas Painter has a bigger load to carry than most fourteen-year old boys he knows. His brother is off fighting in Vietnam and his best friend Connor is spiraling into a deep depression with family issues. All this combines with his own difficulties at home as his parents continue to fight relentlessly. Lucas needs a relief from the pressure of his life, so he takes off running through the woods. One day while running, he comes across two large dogs. At first, he is scared but then the dogs start running with him and it becomes just what he needs. After a while he meets the owner of the dogs, Zoe Dinsmore. She has kept herself isolated from the rest of the town after a tragic event that rocked her life and everyone in the town. Lucas finds the chance in meeting Zoe to do something to help those closest to him and hopefully save a life in the process.

Each time I pick up a Catherine Ryan Hyde book I think to myself it can’t possibly be better than the last, but she proves me wrong every single time. Stay is a perfectly crafted tale of what it means to care for someone and love them enough to want them to stay in this world. Lucas has so much going against him, but he still tries to help those around him. He is such a rich and vulnerable character that the reader can’t help but want to follow along in his journey. He isn’t the only perfect character in the book; his relationship with every other character is perfectly laid out. Zoe is the character that probably has the biggest arc throughout the story and I loved seeing her grow and the advice she gives out was just right. The thing that makes the characters so relatable is the flaws they have, not even one of them are written as perfect and having their life totally together. The flaws bring out the best and worst in them and help move the story along. Each chapter brought a new struggle that Lucas faced that helped him to grow and be able to help those around him. The story moves quickly with tension at the right spots and the characters showing growth with the turning of the pages. I recommend this book to anyone that has enjoyed a Catherine Ryan Hyde book before and is looking for another great read. If you haven’t read anything by Hyde yet this would be a perfect one to get you started with a phenomenal author.

I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.

Stay is a story that will literally STAY . WITH. YOU.
The story was very well written. The characters were multi dimensional and well fleshed out.

I loved Lucas, the main characters and how he grew throughout the years and all of the diversity he faced. There are many lessons in this book , the most powerful one for me was hope.