Brave Girl, Quiet Girl by Catherine Ryan Hyde
I cannot say enough good things about this book. I experienced so many emotions while reading it. It really had me thinking about life, societal norms and things we take for granted.
As always, the author has developed characters that are relatable. I felt like I was there with them. I could feel their emotions, feel their ups and downs. At one point in the story, the question arises as to how long it takes to love someone. Could you love someone immediately? How much time is enough or not enough to know how you feel? Deep!
Societal norms. Not everyone grew up in the same environment. Not everyone thinks the way we do. We are all different and unique. And that is okay. Trying to understand that however, can sometimes require a bit of a learning curve.
This book will leave you breathless and wanting more. It is truly a wonderfully written story that will have you staying up late to learn the fate of all of the characters. Enjoy!!!

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for an Advance Reader Copy at my request in exchange for an honest review.

Once again Catherine Ryan Hyde uses her amazing writing-voice to give us a story that is both heart-warming and heart-wrenching. I have never been disappointed in one of her books as each one so clearly describes the characters, their personalities, and their inner thoughts as well as defines their place in the telling of the story. This book is definitely about the relationships between mothers and daughters, but it is also a story about compassion and learning the importance of being compassionate. Brooke is a young divorced woman with a two-year old daughter, Emma. Due to financial circumstances, Brooke finds herself moving home with her mother, with whom she has always had a tumultuous relationship. The character, Molly, is brought into the story when Brooke is carjacked and her daughter is endangered. Molly is a homeless teenager, thrown out of her home by her mother, and now living on the streets with her friend. But Molly has not become hardened to the life, and her compassionate nature brings her into the lives of Brooke and Emma. The way that the lives of the three become entwined plays out through the book by telling the story by alternating chapters through the voices of Molly or Brooke. Each come face-to-face with dealing with their relationship with their mothers, as their friendship grows.. Would definitely recommend to other readers. (4.5 stars if I could do the 1/2!!). I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing in return for an honest review, which this has been. #NetGalley. #BraveGirlQuietGirl

Two worlds collide with a carjacking. Single, divorced mom Brooke is temporarily living with her difficult mother as she tries to survive financially. Molly, a homeless teen, is barely surviving, living in a crate on the streets of Los Angeles. One night, Molly's car is hijacked with her two year old daughter, Etta, in the back seat. Miles away, Etta is discarded on the street, to be rescued by Molly, who protects her from the hostile environment and unsavory people until she can get her to safety to the police. Both desperate and alone, Molly and Brooke forge an unlikely and trusting friendship, over time. The reader is quickly drawn into the difficulties of a young mother barely surviving, living from paycheck to paycheck, and a young teen, thrown away by uncaring parents, who may be unkempt and dirty, but who is honest and caring. A lovely book--another winner by Catherine Ryan Hyde. 4.5 stars. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced ebook, for an honest review.

I read one of Catherine Ryan Hyde’s most famous books, Pay It Forward, years ago. I really enjoyed it and don’t really know why I didn’t check out any of her other books. Brave Girl, Quiet Girl is my third book of hers that I’ve read in the past year or so. All three of them are very good. Hyde has a way of writing a story that pulls you all the way in, heart and all! Her latest, Brave Girl, Quiet Girl, is a story about a young homeless girl, and a single mother struggling to make an independent life for herself and her two year old daughter. You learn a bit about what life is like for a person on the streets, but, I think more importantly, this book is about relationships. Mother/daughter relationships play an important role. Both characters have troubled relationships with their mothers. Can they work through their feelings about their mothers and form a new family to support each other? You’ll have to read for yourself to find out!

I received an ARC copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for my honest opinion. The story begins with a carjacking and the car that was stolen is carrying a two year old, Etta, in the back seat. The person who took the car leaves Etta in her car seat on a sidewalk where there are many homeless people. Molly, 16 and homeless, finds her and takes care of her until she can get someone to contact the police. In the meantime, Etta's mommy, Brooklyn, is going frantic not knowing where her baby girl is at. Brooklyn gets Etta back and forms a bond with Molly and really wants to help her get a home. It was interesting learning things about homeless people.

Catherine Ryan Hyde is an author who knows how to tell those lump in your throat stories that readers pass to their friends who then pass them to their friends. The central characters in BRAVE GIRL, QUIET GIRL live in drastically different circumstances, yet find themselves drawn together when this young homeless teen protects and returns a kidnapped toddler to her frantic mother. As they bond over care for the child, these women learn more about themselves and the world that has been forced upon them. An excellent story by an excellent author.

I picked up this book when I saw the author's name. I recently read her book 'Stay' and just loved it and wanted to read more by Catherine Ryan Hyde. I was not disappointed.

In this book a single mother, Brooke takes her daughter, Etta, to the movies and she was the victim of a carjacking. Brooke was thrown from the car, but the attacker drove off with Etta still strapped in her carseat. Brooke is shattered as she watches the car drive away with her baby.

Molly, a homeless teenager, finds the carseat with the baby strapped in, quite a distance away from where the incident happened. Although Molly lives in a crate, her protective instincts kick in and she takes the baby with her to her crate and shelters her while she figures out how to get her home to whoever she belongs to.

Thsi is a complex book that is not just about a stolen child, but the relationships between mothers and daughters, overcoming prejudices, doing the right thing, love and loss, and about trust. I found the story touching and developed an emotional attachment to the characters, both Brooke and Molly. The plot was believable and kept my attention. I really like the author's writing style and the themes she wrapped into the story.

Thanks to Lake Union Publishing through Netgalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

I love Catherine Ryan Hyde’s books and this story was filled with wonderful characters! Highly highly recommend!

Well written book in two voices. One a teenager who is growing up too fast and the other a mid-30s single mom of a toddler. The story brings together these two women through a traumatic experience when Brooke’s daughter ends up in the care of homeless teen Molly. The book explores mother daughter relationships and the different dynamics as Molly and Brooke figure each other out, tied together by their love for baby Etta.

I read it in about 24 hours and it grabbed me from the beginning. I kept thinking that Brooke was younger because she seemed very immature. And while I appreciated the focus on homeless teens I think that the book glossed over Molly’s vulnerability as a teenage girl particularly one with a good heart who is living on the streets. I felt like Etta’s character could have been more strongly developed. Overall though a good read. Appreciate the ARC through netgalley. This is the second book I’ve read by Catherine Ryan Hyde and I look forward to reading more. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4

Brave girl, quiet girl is book you'll love. You can't put it down. The characters will draw you into their lives and you'll feel like you know them. A carjacking with a small child and then help comes from a homeless teen. Very intriguing.

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
Expected publication date: May 19, 2020
Brooke is recently divorced, and has moved back in with her mother and her two year old daughter, Etta. Although the relationship with her mother is strained at best, Brooke is doing the best she can to ensure her beloved daughter has a stable life. One day Brooke is carjacked, and she watches the carjacker drive away—with Etta in the backseat. Miles away, homeless teen Molly finds the toddler strapped into a carseat and abandoned on the side of the road. Unable to call for help, she takes Etta with her to her homeless camp, where they live together for several days before Molly is finally able to reach out to a policeman who return Etta to an ecstatic Brooke. During the next weeks, Molly and Brooke bond over their broken relationships with their mothers, and their love and adoration of Etta. As their lives continue to intertwine, both women find friendship and forgiveness in the most unexpected of places.
Catherine Ryan Hyde is the author of over thirty-five books, and I am embarrassed to say I have only read two (Stay and Have you Seen Luis Velez) but both of those novels left such an impression on me, that I was thrilled to be able to experience this new story. Hyde has a way of writing novels that uplift you and that renew your faith in humanity and, let’s face it, we all need a little of that these days.
Brooke and Molly are from two different worlds, but they both find and bond over similar life experiences, and the love of a little girl. Although tragic in parts, this novel is also full of joy and hope, which is how Hyde portrays life and the human spirit in all of her novels, and it is the part that I feel, everyone can relate to- finding light in any darkness, and finding family in unexpected places.
The ending of this novel was predictable, as novels of this genre usually are, but that does not make it any less enjoyable. I loved learning about Brooke and Molly, and enjoyed watching them bond and form a relationship, moving beyond their biases and judgments and growing as people.
This novel is easy to read, but the subject matter is deep and thought-provoking. The paths our lives could take as the result of one simple choice, is reflected in Hyde’s newest work. I thoroughly enjoyed “Brave Girl, Quiet Girl” and I will make it a personal mission to read the remainder of Hyde’s novels that I have not yet experienced.

Last year, I read Have You Seen Luis Velez? and it ended up being a top ten 2019 here at Caffeinated, so I knew without a doubt I needed to read Brave Girl, Quiet Girl by Catherine Ryan Hyde. The author delivered a gripping, heartwarming tale of motherhood, acceptance and friendship.

I would love for everyone to read this author. Her stories pull you in and shed light on family situations, racisms, prejudices and more. She presents flawed, fleshed out individuals and sets them in situations that allow them to grow, learn, accept and find something more. Maybe not perfect, but to overcome.

Full review will post on May 18th and will be shared on all social media. A review will cross-post to Amazon & Goodreads. Link provided.

Brave Girl Quiet Girl


A tender and triumphant story of friendships and doing the right thing.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

SUMMARY
Brooke is a divorced single mom, financially strapped, living with her unhappy and very negative mother. Brooke’s life is shattered when she’s carjacked. Helpless and terrified, all Brooke can do is watch as her two year old daughter, Etta, still strapped in her car seat, disappears into the Los Angeles night.

Molly had been kick out of her parents home and has barely surviving on the street of LA She is stunned to find Etta, abandoned on a sidewalk in her car seat. Shielding the little girl from more than the elements, Molly must put herself in harm’s way to protect the brave and quiet little girl.

Out of one terrible moment, Brooke’s and Molly’s desperate paths converge and an unlikely friendship across generations and circumstances is formed.


REVIEW
BRAVE GIRL, QUIET GIRL is a touching chronicle of a sixteen year old girl living on the streets of LA trying to do the right thing. Molly, thrown out on the streets by her mother, is a courageous, determined and delightful character. The story is thought-provoking as well as entertaining.

CATHERINE RYAN HYDE’s has a way of writing with her heart, and particularly making her young characters come alive on the pages of her novels. Hyde’s characters alway rise to the occasion of resolving an untenable situation. In this case, it’s an abandon baby. Despite her own desperate situation, Molly cares for and ultimately is able to safely return Etta to Brooke.

The story not only explores teen homelessness, but it’s main focus is of friendships and mother-daughter relationships. Why did Molly‘s mother put her out on the streets in the first place? Why is Brooke’s relationship with her own mother just as difficult as Molly’s? Is there anything Brooke can do to help Molly?

My favorite part of the book was that both Molly and Brooke realize that they have no choice but to live through the stressfull situation they find themselves in. Neither had the time nor inclination to just give up or fall apart. Both were strong and determined. Like her other recent novels: STAY and What HAPPENED TO LUIS VELEZ Hyde has given us another tender and triumphant story.

Thanks to Netgalley and Lake Union for an advance reading copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Publisher Lake Union
Published May 19, 2020
Review www.bluestockingreviews.com

Brave Girl, Quiet Girl is a truly heartwarming novel. There is a wide range of themes found in this story: homelessness, mother-daughter relationships, friendship, kindness, prejudice, and intolerance. The novel encourages one to look beyond what’s on the surface to see what is within.

When Brooke first meets Molly, all she sees is a dirty street child and she bases her impression on those external factors. However, as she gets to know her, she realizes that Molly is a lot more than just her surface appearance. Molly also judges Brooke based on Brooke’s attitude towards Molly and she has a hard time getting beyond her initial perceptions. Then there is Bodhi who is a true friend to Molly despite his own limitations. With alternating chapters by Molly and Brooke, the story unfolds as each of them provides her version of events.

Brave Girl, Quiet Girl is ultimately an uplifting novel, well worth reading.

4.5 stars

There was much I liked about this book, including that it hooked me in right away. And although the highjacking was what basically started the whole story, most of the book was focused mostly on the relationship between Brooke and Molly and about family relationships in general. I really liked Detective Grace Beatty as she helped both Brooke and Molly see things in a different way. And while I wasn't a fan of Brooke's for much of the story (she had a hard time empathizing with others and was somewhat self-involved), I liked how she really learned to develop empathy for Molly and also to try to see things from another point of view. I also thought the author did a good job of revealing some of the challenges of being homeless, especially with the youth, and about how it's not always about drugs or addictions, and it's also not because of something the youth did. Sometimes their parents just suck. Without revealing any spoilers, Molly's mother was a real piece of work, but I'm glad that Brooke encouraged Molly to at least try, and then she met her mom FOR her. I think that meeting probably taught Brooke a lot about empathy. Brooke's mother wasn't exactly a bed of roses either and while I respect what Brooke did with her mom, I'm also glad that Molly encourages her at the end to, while not lean on her mother, to at least reach out to her. This strikes me as much healthier for all involved anyway. Overall, I thought this was a great book--another winner from Catherine Ryan Hyde. This was the second book I've read from the author and I am definitely a fan.

Thanks to #CatherineRyanHyde, #LakeUnionPublishing, and #NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Brooke and her two-year-old daughter Etta are currently living with Brooke’s mother in Los Angeles after her marriage ends in divorce. One day, when she and Etta are using her mother’s car she is carjacked. Her mother’s car zoomed away with the toddler still safely strapped into her car seat, leaving Brooke frantic with worry, panic-stricken and terrified at what could happen to her precious daughter. She files a report at the police station and spends her first night without Etta by her bedside, waiting for news from the police, jittery and distraught.
Miles away teenager Molly comes across an abandoned child quietly sitting strapped into her seat, but on a pavement near a main road, she is shocked to the core. She knows that she must protect the little girl who has a tear-stained face. She gently lifts the child out of her chair and sets off in the darkening night to shield Etta from danger. After being thrown out by her angry family, she is currently homeless and living with a friend in a wooden crate. By day she collects recyclable items to exchange for cash. That’s how she lives, day in day out. When her friend returns from his daily scavenging he sets out to find a phone to report a missing child so that the little girl can be reunited with her mother. First he gets the child a drink and some crackers. He warns Molly that a gang of three youths are looking for the baby to ransom her. Left alone and fearful when her friend fails to return, Molly moves from their home and finds another temporary safe home snuggling up to warm the girl.
This moving story about a desperate mother waiting and praying to be reunited with her missing baby and a scared teenager, herself abandoned and in danger from a marauding gang of youths, is both absorbing and thought-provoking. It is beautifully written with a very fine story that keeps you turning the pages as the two main characters both battle against the unhappy circumstances they find themselves in. I really empathised with both Brook and Molly, both down on their luck but determined to help each other achieve their dreams. Brooke’s character is nurturing, kind and brave. Molly is mature for her age and practical too. She misses her family, especially her two younger sisters so she loves to nurture Etta and had lots of skills to get her through her troubles. Both Brooke and Molly have opinionated mothers and this bonds the two generations together.
I loved the themes of motherhood and motherly love. The contrast is stark and heart-breaking. I also loved that these two females find friendship and trust across their age gap. They are similar in so many ways, caring, kind-hearted and compassionate, but also broken and vulnerable, albeit in different ways. What I loved most of all was the way the story fitted together leading to a terrific and very satisfying ending. These themes are a tried and tested recipe for success for Catherine Ryan Hyde and she is a masterful, compassionate and prolific author who never takes her foot off the gas or disappoints her readers so that they always look forward to reading her next little gem.
I received a complimentary copy of this novel from Lake Union Publishing through my membership of NetGalley. Thank you for my copy sent in return for an honest and unbiased review. This novel is a terrific read and will keep you turning the pages, wondering what will happen next. It’s a very well deserved and solid 4.5* review from me.

Brooke is driving her car when it gets hijacked with her two year-old daughter, Etta still in it. Etta is found by Molly, a teenager who has been living for months on the streets of L.A. Molly protects Etta and helps to reunite her with Brooke, which helps create a unique relationship between the three of them. This was my first Hyde book and I didn’t realize that she was such a prolific writer. This was just an okay read for me but I’m open to giving some of her other books a try.

This is a really wonderful novel about the complex relationships between mothers and daughters, and learning to look beyond your prejudices to see the good in people.

Homeless teenager Molly is living in a crate on the streets of LA after being thrown out of home by her religious family in Utah. Her world collides with that of single mother Brooke when she finds Brooke's two year old daughter Etta dumped on the street after Brooke's car was stolen with Etta inside. Brooke is recently divorced and back living with her negative, overly critical mother while she tries to get her life back on track and is totally distraught at the possibility that she may never see Etta alive again. When she first meets Molly all she sees is the dirty, disheveled street kid, not the brave and kind hearted girl underneath.

Catherine Ryan Hyde is especially talented at creating realistic characters complete with very human flaws and foibles and also in making us think about how we would react in the same circumstances. Neither Brooke nor Molly's mothers are very nice people, both prejudiced and judgmental about things they don't try to understand. Fortunately Brooke is more compassionate, although she has trouble believing Molly's story of how she became homeless and it takes a while for both Brooke and Molly to trust one another. This was a very engaging read with a heartwarming ending - highly recommended!

I am a fan of this author..and again she did not disappoint. I found myself cheering for our main character. This story is about friendship and acceptance. Molly is at a bad place in her life..and the reader comes to find out it’s not any fault of her own. How an unlikely friendship comes to solve her problems is the gist of the story. It’s heart warming and a good recommendation for mother’s of all ages.....good Mother’s Day gift. Quick read. Enjoy it...I did

I do not know how Catherine Ryan Hyde manages to reach into my soul and touch every bit of it with every new book, but she does. She has a stunning, not-of-this earth talent that touches every feel there is and leaves me wanting more. If she wrote 20 hours a day, it wouldn't be enough for me because her books are amazing.

Brave Girl, Quiet Girl is the story of Brooke, Etta and Molly and what a wonderful story it is! Molly is such a brave girl, living on the streets, trying to get through each day as best as she can with her few friends that help look out for her. Etta, what a sweetheart! Etta and Molly seemed to form an almost instant connection and it is what saved the both of them.

The book is told in alternating points of view - Brooke's and Molly's. Catherine Ryan Hyde plumbs the well of parental love, mother / daughter love, and also what can go wrong when a parent isn't willing to accept their child as they are. I found myself wanting to hug Molly and Etta so many times and I just kept thinking that I never thought Ms. Ryan Hyde would top Have You Seen Luis Velez? but I think this one has done that.

I would recommend this author's books to everyone. There is a warning though - you will want to read faster and faster to know what is going on, but then you will want to slow down because you don't want the magic that is Ms. Ryan Hyde's talent to stop. Each book has a lesson, but it never feels like you're being preached to. I always want more the minute I am done.

Huge thanks to Netgalley, the author, and publisher for allowing me an ARC at my request. All thoughts are my own and gratefully given.