Catherine Ryan Hyde always writes books with characters that are needing help in some way, along with loving and kind characters in the mix. I love that about her writing. Just a Regular Boy is about a boy who faces the challenges of living off the grid with his survivalist father, at the age of 5. I have read many of Hyde's books and the way she writes has always drawn me in. I need to care about the character(s) to keep going in the book, and as soon as you begin Just a Regular Boy, you will care about Remy. This book touches on some of the current issues in our country as well as the way people can become divided and fearful of the state of our world.

After his mother’s death, five-year-old Remy is taken away from everything he knows by a paranoid survivalist father who whisks Remy into the forest and teaches him to live on his wits. Frightened, overwhelmed, and missing his best friend and mother, Remy is forced to call his father Roy, gather wood, hunt, fish, and forage in the forest on his own.

Roy spouts paranoia about the outside world and warns Remy not to trust anyone, so when his father unexpectedly dies on the eve of Remy’s eighth birthday and the start of winter, he is once again thrown into turmoil. Supplies run low and the firewood his father always kept chopped has disappeared. Left with no choice, Remy tries to drive the old pickup but crashes and is badly injured. Now, he must walk out of the woods, face whatever is out there, or stay in the one-room cabin and die.

Desperation makes the decision for him, and Remy sets out, hoping aliens, or something worse. doesn’t get him. He finds a small village and raids the local store for food only to get chased back to the woods by the owner’s dogs. Hurt and out of strength, Remy holes up and is found by a foster mom who heard about the ‘feral boy’ from miles away and felt the need to help.

Anne takes him in without really talking it over with her husband or their two teenage, adopted children, and compromises must be made. Real-world issues such as Covid, mass school shootings, and family dynamics are explored in this heartwarming story. A family opens their home and hearts to a lost child who dreams of being a regular boy.

Another great novel by CRH. She takes her recurrent theme of a young person in trouble who gets help from an adult to a new level in this book. Remy, the five year old son of a survivalist, is taken to an isolated cabin in the mountains of Idaho to escape the coming apocalypse. They live off the land in total isolation until Remy's father dies and he is left alone. Remy is a "feral child" when he finally is united with Anne.
Anne copes with her childhood trauma by fostering needy children. She hears of the wild child in the mountains and comes to his rescue. Through much suffering and turmoil, they create a family.
This is a story of redemption and sacrificial love. It is a story of stereotypes that fade away in the light of reality. It is a story about taking a painful past and using it to help another. It is a story about being a regular boy, girl, man or woman even when you feel like you are different and inadequate. It is a great novel and one of my favorites from this author.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an advance reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

My Rating: 3+/5⭐️s
When I’ve been reading a lot of dark and deep books- I can always count on Ms. Hyde’s books to make things all warm and fuzzy again. Yes, it was distressing to read about Remy’s experiences while being isolated but him getting to join a family who loves and accepts for him was worth it.

Even though Remy’s dialogue was not always believable due to his age I still really enjoyed his parts of the book. I loved how fierce Ann was in living her kids and wanting to help Remy no matter his situation.

This is an uplifting story about love, family, trust, and resilience. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys fiction novels with a happy ending.

While children are resilient, Remy's childhood became a 'wild' ride after his mother's death. His father's extremist views were exacerbated after losing his wife. Fearing that society was out to get them, Roy sold everything and with his five-year-old son in tow, lived off the land.

Learning to mask his emotions, Remy suffers through loneliness and pain while trying to survive. Made fearful of interacting with society, Remy shies away from others while desperately seeking their camaraderie. When tragedy forces Remy to seek shelter, Anne and Chris are ready to help him weather the storm.

Thank you to #NetGalley and the publisher for the early edition of #JustaRegularBoy in exchange for an honest review. As a fan of Catherine Ryan Hyde's books, I eagerly awaited immersing myself in the story. It's a beautifully penned novel that's filled with heart and raw emotions. The author's charismatic characters will leave you rooting for them to succeed and sad to leave their world after finishing the final chapter.

I received a digital ARC from Lake Union Publishing through NetGalley.

I truly enjoyed this story. I felt each character’s emotions. I rooted and cheered for Remy.

You think you’ve read the best of Catherine Ryan Hyde, and then a new book comes along. This story of a young boy, brought to live in the wilderness with his unstable, paranoid father, is just heart wrenching. When the father dies, the boy is left alone to survive however he can, incurring injuries, fear and suffering along the way.
Remy’s journey was a difficult one, but the fear of the authorities and strangers, instilled by his anti government father, prevented him from reaching out for help. He bravely tried to do it on his own. Only a patient loving family, willing to take this damaged boy into their home, was able to slowly heal the physical and emotional damage done to him.
Ryan Hyde’s characters are always interesting and unique and her stories emotional, touching your soul. This novel had all of that. It was beautiful and when I got to the end, closed the book, I knew, she had done it again! Another five star effort. My thanks to NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing for the ARC. All comments are my own.

This is a great story, really playing with all your emotions.

It is a wonderful story of survival, determination, love and friendship.

This is one I could not put down.

Just a Regular Boy was a great read from an excellent author. You'll fall in love with Remy, a boy who lost his mom and a raised by a survivalist father who struggled with his grief and takes his son out to the wilderness to live a survivalist lifestyle. After he dies, Remy is left to fend for himself. This poor child has gone through so much but eventually he knows he needs to get away from the woods. He doesn't understand society or know how to interact with people. He's been told that society has collapsed and not to trust those in uniform. Enter Anne, the kind woman who fosters Remy. They both learn to trust each other and let each other in to their own worlds. Overall, a great read, heart warming and a beautiful show of humanity. Thank you net galley and the publisher for an ARC for exchange of an honest review.

This gripping and harrowing story reads like a work of non fiction.
Remy is a five year old little boy whose mother has passed away leaving a grieving father to raise his son alone. The father has strange and skewed ideas about the wold state of affairs. He is indoctrinating his son with his misconceptions. He is best described as a paranoid survivalist.

For this reason, he removes he and his son from all civilization. They move from a comfortable town in Idaho to a remote area way north in idaho in the middle of 175 acres of wilderness. The crude cabin has no conveniences. Remy dislikes the solitude snd severely misses his friend Lester. Still he is a resourceful little boy who learns fishing skills and fearful attitudes from his barely-communicative father, His situation eventually becomes desperate and he is forced to learn to survive in an extremely harsh environment while seriously-injured, cold, hungry and lost.

On the other hand is Anne who lives in town with her family and two large friendly dogs. Anne is a loving foster mom who loves and cares for the two teenagers, she and her husband have adopted. Her marriage though is on a bit is shaky ground. Still she considers taking another foster child since there is such great need. Then Anne gets wind of a possibly-feral child living wild in the forest. She is immediately drawn to the need and reaches out with determination to help.

After living alone in the wilds of northern Idaho, the boy is severely damaged both physically and mentally. . When in desperation he goes into a town to avoid starvation. Here, instead of asking for help, he steals food. He moves his makeshift campsite daily to avoid capture. His father instilled in him that all people are bad and will kill him given the chance. This was so frustrating because i wanted Remy to go ask for help. The power of a parent!

This is an easy, fast read with the plot of survival and parenting. I highly recommend.

Just a Regular Boy - Catherine Ryan Hyde

This gripping and emotional survival story alternates between 5-year old Remy and 40-year old Anne.

Remy is taken as a child to live at a remote cabin in the forest by his paranoid, obsessed father. Remy is a resourceful little boy who learns fishing skills and fearful attitudes from his barely-communicative father, but his situation eventually becomes dire, and he has to survive pursuit while seriously-injured, cold, hungry and lost.

Anne lives comfortably in town with her family and two large friendly dogs. A warm-hearted foster mum who loves and cares for her two teenagers, she wonders whether her marriage is still viable. When Anne hears of a possibly-feral child living wild in the forest, she dismisses her uncertainties, and reaches out with determination to help.

The terrified, badly-injured boy is eventually caught and treated by Emergency Services. Anne raises her hand to be his foster-mum, even though the nurses are saying that the traumatised boy is a lost cause. Anne and her family face the daunting task of learning to gain Remy's trust, and to guide him to participate in an entirely new way of life.

Competently-written light-reading, with an easy fast-moving linear plot of survival and parenting. The characters are unchallenging; most are well-intentioned, some have excellent people-skills. I enjoyed Remy's toughness-of-mind, and his willingness to trust Anne, and the way that Anne's family were supportive and accepting. A feel-good book that will leave you with wet cheeks!

This is the harrowing story of a young boy who endures an unbelievable life isolated in a cabin in the woods with his survivalist father. At the very young age of five, Remy is treated as an adult by his father, as they make a home in the wilderness of Idaho. His story does not end there, but continues as he fights his way to the civilization that he once knew. Catherine Ryan Hyde has written another compelling story of triumph over adversity in the life of a child. Such a good story.

Thanks to the publisher and to NetGalley for providing this advance copy to read and review.

Where do I start?! This book had all the feels and I turned page after page anxious to find out what was going to happen next! Honestly Remy is just a regular boy especially on the inside but when Anne first heard of his plight she felt the need to help him and help him she and her family did.
The book alternates from Remy telling her side of the story(his short life) and Anne sharing her side from the moment she met him and fell in love with this timid shy scared little boy was dealt a bad hand of life.
As most Catherine Ryan Hyde books I quickly become engrossed in the story and this one was no different.
Very quick read for me!! I’m really glad I didn’t push this one down further my tbr lost especially since this is my second CRH book in short period of time.
Yep I think I’m a fan!!
Thank you NetGalley and thank you to the publisher for the chance to read this one earlier than publication date!
Great book. Five Stars ⭐️

I’d like to see a sequel to this and a Netflix movie would also be nice.

I never have to read a synopsis before reading anything by Catherine Ryan Hyde because every single one of her books is wonderful. This is no exception and I absolutely loved it! I read it in just a couple of days as I was so invested in the story, the characters and felt every emotion whilst reading it. The story of Remy, a five year old boy taken by his Survivalist father to live in remote woods after his mother has died is both harrowing but heart-warming. Foraging for food and living in terrible conditions the young boy is discovered starving, unkempt and severely damaged both physically and emotionally following his three year ordeal. Taken in by Anne, a foster mum, Remy is returned to the 'real' world where the Covid pandemic is underway and he is further traumatised by the masks being worn by the medics trying to help him. The slow process of his healing brings hope and the loving care and words delivered by Anne are really touching. There is so much love and emotion in the story and this author is so skilled and kind in her writing when it concerns young children that it would be impossible not to be moved and ultimately uplifted by her stories. I highly recommend this book, a story that will stay with me for a very long time. My thanks to Netgalley and Lake Union for the opportunity to read this ARC and my review is entirely voluntary.

Just a Regular Boy, by Catherine Ryan Hyde

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced
Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0

Catherine Ryan Hyde has a gift for writing about quirky little boys with big hearts. Imagine being a child, taken off the grid by your father, and told that society has destroyed itself. With that context, what would it be like to re enter society three years later in the midst of a pandemic and when school shootings are so frequent they have become normal?

Just a regular boy is about Remy - a child who others perceive as a wolf boy - except for by Anne who is yearning for a child to rescue. It’s a compelling story about trauma and relationships and how we adapt to the realities of a cruel world. The story explores Anne’s savior complex and the joys and challenges of fostering and adoption. It also exemplifies how easily US society tends to write off “difficult” people without considering what the underlying causes are.

Hyde offers us a glimpse of the best of human nature and models some ideal ways we can respond to one another with compassion and healing.
It’s a good story and I read it during a vacation day.

#JustaRegularBoy #NetGalley

A heart wrenching story about a five year old boy who is being raised by a survivalist father.

This is my first novel by the author. The story takes place during the height of the Covid pandemic and deals with mask & vaccination issues.

There are several matters discussed in the book that make you pause and think about it. I loved Anne’s character and I think there are a very few people like her in real.

Thank you Net Galley for the ARC.

Remy was 5 years old when his mother passed away and his father decided to skip town and live a survivalist life, off the grid. They live in a remote cabin, far from the outside world without electricity and hunt and fish for their own food. Remy learned a lot of survival skills as a young child, growing up with his father but he also learned not to trust anyone.
This book was my first by Catherine Ryan Hyde and a sweet surprise. I loved Remy and was completely taken in by his innocence and strength. This story is thought provoking and fun to read. Human relationships are examined, and the characters are deep and well developed. I highly recommend this story. 4. stars.

I only discovered Catherine Ryan Hyde last year. Since then I have devoured every one of her novels, in a similar fashion to my uncle on a recent trip to an all-you-can eat Chinese buffet. Greedily, quickly, gluttonously, and with the occasional sighs of pleasure.
This plot centres around a survivalist father, who moves his 5 year old son to an isolated location, in order to survive the end of civilization, which he believes to be just around the corner. Following the death of his father, he is eventually returned to 'normal' society with a foster family,
In true Catherine Ryan Hyde style, this book is all warmth, connections, kindness and soul-food. I always find her work so validating, honest and raw, and this is no exception. I came away from it feeling hopeful, and soothed, and deeply connected to these characters. Go on reader, feast yourself!

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. Remy is living with his father in a world few have known. He has no comfort s if home that most people are used too. When his father passes away, he needs to survive. When Remy re enters the world, he is unsure. I enjoyed this book.

When I see the name Catherine Ryan Hyde I immediately without reading the summary I have to read. So when I saw this was available here on Netgalley I had to request

Just Like her other books I absolutely loved this book. This story was heartbreaking but captivating. I loved the characters which makes this story come to life.

Thank you Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing

All thoughts and opinions are my own and aren't influenced by anyone else