4 heart-breaking stars

Catherine Ryan Hyde has a way of creating characters that become very real. Much of this book is from a young boy’s perspective and the writing is appropriately simple when we hear his story. At age 5, his survivalist father sells everything and moves them to an isolated cabin with no running water or electricity. He’s convinced the end of the world is coming and teaches Remy not to trust anyone, especially anyone with the government. Remy is taken away from everything he’s ever known and his best friend Lester.

Remy’s father teaches him to survive in the wild, but it is not a world that Remy enjoys at all and he’s very lonely. When he accidentally hurts himself, there are no doctors to treat his wounds. This life is bleak for him. Then his father doesn’t return from hunting one day and the supplies get dangerously low as winter is setting in.

The other perspective comes from Anne, a woman with a heart of gold who fosters children. She’s just had to let go of one foster and she feels like she needs to fill the spot with someone really needy. She finds that very needy child in Remy.

This story shows the real trauma that some children go through and what it takes to love them and work to heal them. Anne, her husband, and their two teenage foster children embrace Remy and work to build an amazing found family.

As usual, Catherine Ryan Hyde brings us a heartwarming and delightful read. A little boy is being tracked, having been abandoned in the woods and considered 'uncivilized.' Anne, mother to two adopted teens feels a call to foster one more child. A child who is not yet in the system because they cannot locate him.

What I love most about CRH's writing is the characters that she crafts. They are perfectly flawed and lovable in a way that makes you root for them and fills your cup by the end. It really is a breath of fresh air in this day and age. Same with Hyde's plot construction. It's comforting, cozy, yet compelling. That combined with my love of isolated settings and survivalism in books, made this a book I adored!

4.5 Stars for JUST A REGULAR BOY

I've read several books by Catherine Ryan Hyde and, while they usually seem to follow the pattern of pairing a child in distress with an unlikely adult companion, that is where the similarities end.

In this novel, 5 year old Remy is forced to live in the wilderness with his survivalist father as they both mourn the loss of Remy's mother. Conditioned to think that the world's societies are crumbling and all remaining humans will be killed or enslaved, Remy fears everyone outside their makeshift camp. But when he finds himself completely alone and must depend on others or die, he discovers the extremes in his father's thinking. Embraced by a foster family, with an especially determined and intuitive foster mother, Remy learns Life's actual truths. Yes, the world is a tough place and bad things happen, but when you are loved, validated, protected, and wanted, it can make all the difference.

Catherine Ryan Hyde never fails to amaze me with her unique stories. Once again her young protagonist is wise beyond his years but with an emotional fragility that only love can heal. The character development is excellent. The theme of trust vs fear is very strong throughout, making readers examine their own lives and insecurities.

If I had one criticism, I would say that the COVID theme with its "we're fine, we've been vaccinated" is a bit heavy handed at times. The author lives in California, where that is very much the way of thinking, but the story takes place in Idaho, where beliefs are more varied. I wish that ideology had been fine-tuned more to match the setting. Overall, though, this is a special book that I would definitely recommend to others.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This was such an emotional story that once you started reading you could just not put down. It was both sad, joyful, happy and makes you feel so bad for Remy. Remy was 5 when his mother passed away. Remy's dad, Roy, was a survivalist and once Remy's mother passed away his father just decided to pick up and move to a remote cabin in the woods with Remy. He taught Remy that everyone and everything was bad and it just wasn't a good world. When Remy's father passed away from a heart attack, after a couple of years, Remy had to learn to survive on his own, in the middle of no where. Remy decided he had to take the risk of being caught and maybe killed, as he learned from his father, because he just couldn't do it any longer. A loving Foster Family took him in and tried to teach and show him the world just wasn't as bad as his father told him it was. Will Remy believe them, will he learn to love and trust the world again. This was just a wonderful read and you won't be able to put it down from the 1st sentence. Thank you!

4.5 Stars

I always take the opportunity to read Catherine Ryan Hyde authored books. She has a formula that appeals to me. It usually involves a youth that is wise before their time, has endured much strife, and triumphs over adversity. There is profound dialogue and many touching moments. She executed these points on all fronts with aplomb.

This particular story involves a 5 year old boy named Remy. When his mother passes away, the father (who is a survivalist) sells the family home and moves with Remy to a bare bones cabin out in the boondocks...off the grid. The dad influences his son never to go near the road or to interact with the rare person who might drive by. He breeds a sense of distrust in his son and of the state of the world beyond their secret location. Without giving away the remainder of the book, suffice it to say that Remy experiences injuries, loneliness, extreme hunger, fear and despair before circumstances intervene to bring him back from the brink. My experience with this book was one of being riveted, in wonder at the compassion of human beings, and at times welled up with tears. Bravo, Catherine Ryan Hyde...you've done it again!

Thank you to Lake Union Publishing for providing an advance reader copy via NetGalley.

I really enjoy Catherine Ryan Hyde’s books, she comes up with such original stories. This one didn’t disappoint.
People have commented that the Covid storyline was unnecessary but Remy is being brought up by a survivalist father, (saying no more as don’t want to spoil story.) This is where the covid element in the story really works as Remy thinks his fathers talk has all come true.
Well worth reading.

This was a very riveting book. I really enjoyed the characters and storyline. Thank you Netgalley for allowing me to read this advanced copy. Looking forward to any new books by Catherine Ryan Hyde.

Finished ✔️ Just a Regular Boy by Catherine Ryan Hyde and I really loved it so much! 🤩🤩🤩

5 ⭐️’s
Publish Day: May 2nd, 2023
Kindle Unlimited: Yes
An orphaned boy raise by a survivalist wends his way into the real world in an novel about hope, fears, and found family
Absolutely LOVED this book
Catherine has a way of telling a story and making the reader love it.
I enjoyed all the characters
It was beautifully & brilliantly written
It was definitely engrossing in more ways than one
It was a beautifully interwoven story
I enjoyed and loved every little thing about this book
Won’t be my last book by this author
Yes, I’d recommend

#DeesReading #DeesRecs #DeesBookRecommendations #BookNerds #BookNerdProblems #BookNerdsUnited #BookProblems #BookProblems101 #BookNerds101 #Bookworms #BookwormProblems #BookwormProblems101 #BooksOfFacebook #DeeTheBookReviewer #DeesReadOfTheDay #DeesBookOfTheDay #DeesBookReviewsOfTheDay #BookReviewer #NewToMeAuthor #CatherineRyanHyde #ReadOfTheDay #BookOfTheDay #JustARegularBoy #NetGalley

I have felt very lucky in the last couple of years to be given the opportunity to read early copies of Catherine Ryan Hyde’s books. This is another winner. It is a story that includes a survivalist living off the grid, Covid, a troubled marriage, a very young child somehow surviving the unsurvivable. Remy and Anne are both wonderful characters. They will stay with me for a long time. Catherine Ryan Hyde knows how to tell a story!

JUST A REGULAR BOY by Catherine Ryan Hyde is a compelling and emotional story of a young boy raised off the grid by his survivalist father and his heart-wrenching journey back into civilization. Every new novel by this author becomes an instant favorite and this one is no exception. Remy Blake is just five-years-old when his recently-widowed, survivalist father, Roy, takes him to live in a remote cabin in the Idaho wilderness, forced to live in complete isolation. When Roy dies unexpectedly, Remy is left alone to fend for himself. After several years, their stockpile of food and supplies runs out and a desperate Remy knows he will have to make his way to town. When Anne, a mother of two adopted teenagers and a seasoned foster parent, hears about this silent, injured and terrified boy, she is determined to take him in despite what such a challenge might do to her own family. What follows is told from the alternating points of view of Remy and Anne as they try to navigate this new journey. As always, Catherine Ryan Hyde creates unique characters and unexpected relationships that touch the heart. The raw emotions and resilience of the characters were beautifully-written. I truly enjoyed this heartwarming and thought-provoking book and I highly recommend it. Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read and review and early copy.

Thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for access to this title. All opinions expressed are my own
TW: COVID-19, Death of a character, Generational Trauma, Scenes of hunting and killing an animal.

Once I start a Catherine Ryan Hyde novel, there is no way that I can physically put the book down. Her characters always hit their target right in the middle of my heart. Remy, an orphaned boy surviving in the woods, and Anne, the foster mother that takes Remy into the home she shares with her husband and two children kept me up past my bedtime last night. I liked this novel for its positive depiction of foster care. The characters and conversations were very realistic.

However, I did raise an eyebrow at police officials needing a child who had experienced trauma to revisit the scene of that experience.

Overall, a heartwarming story.

Expected Publication Date 02/05/23
Goodreads Review Published 04/04/23

#JustaRegularBoy #NetGalley.

Wow, this book is easily one of my favorites by Catherine Ryan Hyde. While the book is purely fictional, it had me greatly pondering and processing the great heartache, sacrifices, and joys of taking huge risks out of love. Many hard topics are included, while it is written with such great heart and gentleness that it leaves you with hope and inspiration.

Catherine Ryan Hyde writes books that people want to read. I've read many of her titles, she does not recycle stories, she does not have an off title, they all leave you thinking about them. Remember "pay it forward"? Yeah, that was her.

In JUST A REGULAR BOY, a young boy's life goes off the traditional family guidelines when his father, paranoid and not clearly planning, moves the two of them into the woods after his mother....the voice of reason in the family....dies. The boy must grow up quickly, he soon becomes the more rational of the family. Did I mention he's 5 yrs old when they move to an area where no one knows where they are? Their life has many unusual events, and then when he's 8, his father dies, leaving him to face survival on his own. That is the back story. The meat of the story starts when he tries to be "just a regular boy".

This was a GREAT, not good, GREAT book, as so many of her books are. I no longer read the story synopsis when she has a new title released. I know I'm going to love it.

This book hooked me from page one!
This is a story of a little boy, Remey, and the people that love him; some of them loving him the best way they know how. Remy embodies the essence of the word resilience and teaches us all a lesson in learning to embrace the world for its rights and wrongs. This book will captivate your heart and soul.

At five years old, Remy’s mother died and his father who has always had strong political beliefs and listened to conspiracy theories decides it is time to live off the grid. He purchases 175 acres in rural Idaho and they move into a shack with no running water or electricity. Three years later, his father dies leaving Remy all alone. Remy find his way to a town, but is to scared to ask anyone for help. He survives by stealing and hiding until one night he is hit by a car. He is placed with a foster family who supports him as he recovers from his physical injuries and the trauma he has endured. The story is told from Remy and his foster mother’s perspective.

Wow! This book was an emotional rollercoaster and made me think a lot about our society. The author did an amazing job developing the characters and setting the pace of the novel. There are some great discussion questions at the end of the book. It would make an excellent book club selection when it is published in May 2023. I would love for this to be made into a movie! This is a new author for me, and I will definitely check out some of her other books.

Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for providing a free copy of this book in return for my honest opinion.

I have read many if not all of the books by Catherine Ryan Hyde and have found them to be heartwarming and mind opening. This book "Just a Regular Boy" did not disappoint in that regard. I was thrilled that a new book was out and couldn't wait to read it. The story of Remy and his father was deeply moving and also very heartbreaking to read. The fact that a father would take a five year old boy into the wild to keep him safe and yet cause him more danger was unthinkable. Meeting Anne and her desire to foster children who might not have been fostered otherwise made me aware of all the people in real life who actually do that. I would have given it 5 stars if it weren't for the fact that I did find the story predictable unlike other books by the author.

Thank you Net Galley for allowing me to read the unpublished edition of this book

I really enjoyed this heart warming story. The first part of the story is about Remy first moving to the woods with his father at age 5 and how he has to survive, both with and without his Dad. Based on his Father's teachings, Remy isn't sure who he can trust. Then we go through the journey of Remy learning to trust again and his integration back into the real world. I really enjoyed the alternating viewpoints from both Remy and Anne. We got to know Remy's story as well as Anne's, including her husband and adopted children. Overall it was a heartfelt emotional story which I enjoyed reading.

Remy is a young boy who has been living in the wilderness with his survivalist father. When he is found, alone, starved, and mute, Anne, a mother of two adopted teens, steps up to foster Remy. Just a Regular Boy follows Remy and Anne as they navigate the complicated path of reintroducing Remy to regular life. This story hooked me from chapter 1 and didn’t let go. It is full of emotion, compassion, and grace. Amazing. 5 stars.

Catherine Ryan Hyde has woven a very interesting story about a 5 year old boy taken deep into the woods by his depressed and fanatical father. What life was like for this child, left without people or interaction. It is amazing how this kid lived on his own. He is adopted and you follow the child’s journey back to reality. It shows that there are some really good and brave people in this world.

With little Remi‘s dad Roy move them to a remote piece of land five year old Remi didn’t understand why he could never speak to his friend Lester again nor why they couldn’t just go home. His dad told him all kinds of scary reasons why they had to stay on this land and protect her self but a couple of years later when little Remi woke up and his dad was gone he thought he would be right back but unfortunately when he finally went to look for him he found him dead in the woods. although little Remi didn’t believe everything his dad told him he believed enough to be scared of other people and this is why even when he was close to a town he still did not venture in except to steal food from the local grocer. This is something the grocer did not like at all and started letting his dogs loose to chase little Remi this is why little Remi was in the middle of the road and got hit by a car. Weeks before residents had contacted the Boise child protection but they could not find him so when they learned he was in the hospital his social worker Ed Wayna knew the person to call. Ann Sebastian already had two adopted children Jane and Peter. So when Edwina called she immediately knew despite that she would still take the boy. She also knew there was a divide emotionally between her and her husband Chris so when he agreed instantly to take him in Ann was shocked but happy. She was told that the little boy didn’t talk only screamed when people came close to him so the first time she met the little boy against hospital rules she took her face mask off and this is when little Remi decided he would trust her but finding him a home was just the first step. That was still a whole wide world that this little boy was afraid of and Anne didn’t know if he was federal or just frightened. Slowly but surely through trial and error do not only ironed out the kinks but made memories in the process and although it wasn’t easy it made for such a great story! I feel like I am not doing this book justice I know when I read a Catherine Ryan Hyde book it isn’t going to be your typical thriller flair with dangerous twist but a story plotted with emotional curveballs and that was definitely the case with this book. there was so much heartbreak and drama in this book but it all gets paid back with good feelings and a pretty happy ending. Sometimes things have to get worse before they get better in this book is a great example of that what a great story I knew this author wrote awesome books but I really believe she has all done her self this time what a great great great book! I received this book from NetGalley and the publisher but I am leaving this review voluntarily please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.