Catherine Ryan Hyde is one of my favorite authors for good reason: I learn something I didn't know from each of her books. Sometimes it is Free Climbing, as in "Take Me with You", others it is how to make a mosaic from broken dishes, sometimes about horses, and in this book, about eidetic memory, astrophysics, herd mentality, the Canadian Northwest, Puffins, and. simply, Awe.

Ru, (short for Rumaki) is thirteen and "freakishly smart". When she overheard her mother describe her like that at an early age, she thought it mean she was a freak. And in some ways, she is. Ru narrates in the first person, telling her story to someone. We don't find out to whom she is speaking until the end. The ending is disappointing, and rather rushed,,but the novel itself is stunning.

Ryan Hyde has a way of transporting you to another world. When i finished reading about the Northern Lights, I was disoriented to find myself at home, so strong was the imagery. Every single character, major ones like Gabriel, or minor ones like the Canadian border crossing guard are so fleshed out that you can see them. Ru's mother, her Aunt Bitsy, and their 80-year-old driver, even the floatplane pilot, all real.

lI loved this book. Thank you to Net Galley and Lake Union for an early copy.

I wish I never downloaded this book when it was up for grabs in the read now shelf. Couldn’t get into it and I don’t feel interested enough in the style of writing to try it again which is what I sometimes do with authors i know that I like.

I am a huge Catherine Ryan Hyde fan. I have read, and loved, more of her books than anyone else. This book is another winner. Rumaki Evans, better known as Ru, is one of the main characters. She is 13 years old and she is freakishly smart. Ru is getting ready to start college. Gabriel is the other main character. He is 17 and not freakishly smart. Ru and Gabriel become the best of friends- not in a romantic way at all but just best friends. Maybe it was because they both were just a little odd but who knows. I could go on and on but then this would become a book report instead of a book review. All of the characters are very realistic and the storyline captures your interest from the first page. I will definitely be recommending this book to anyone that will listen. What an interesting book. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an advanced copy for my honest review.

I loved this book. It is a heartfelt and touching novel with wonderful characters. The bond that Gabriel and Ru shared is one everyone hopes to have one day. This was a very fast read and I was happy to go on Gabriel and Ru’s adventure with them. The setting and descriptions are breathtaking. If you like a book with a lot of heart, look no further than Life, Loss, and Puffins.

Thank you NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for this digital arc in exchange for my honest review which is not affiliated with any brand.

I absolutely adored this book and the two main characters! The author did a great job of making characters you instantly like and following them was so much fun! The atmosphere and the characterization was top notch and I would be happy to read more from this author!

Ru Evans has one of the highest IQs in the world. At age 13, this is not necessarily a gift. It's even worse when she loses her mother, and is destined to go live with her unpleasant aunt. Her aunt plans on removing her from college where she takes advanced classes, and enrolling her in the grade that fits her age rather than her IQ. She will also not be allowed any contact with her friend Gabriel. Her aunt considers that Ru has no business being friends with a boy old enough to go to college.

Ru has a great desire to see puffins before she is forced to go live with her aunt and endure years of schooling she doesn't need. When Gabriel is also faced with an unwelcome future, the two of them decide to have one last adventure. They go on a road trip (destination: puffins). Along the way, they visit places of interest to them, have a few scares, and see the aurora borealis. I can't recommend this book too highly. Gabriel and Ru are unforgettable.

I received an e-arc from publisher Lake Union Publishing via NetGalley and voluntarily read and reviewed this book.

Life, Loss, and Puffins follows the unlikely friendship of 'Mensa smart' Ru, and 'regular smart' Gabriel; two university students whose lives cross path and a kindred spirit is found. Soon after meeting, Ru receives the news that her mother has died, and whilst she comes to grips with the loss and her grief, her new friend teaches her how to live.

Ru has grown up so intelligent that she feels alone, and meeting Gabriel gives her chosen family; whilst she is navigating her grief, and reflecting on the relationships in her life, it really holds a mirror up to the reader. Could I empathise with her intellectual superiority? No. Could I empathise with the feelings of growing up feeling misunderstood. Absolutely, yes. In a way I think most, if not all of us, can. Ru and Gabriel go on an adventure, to help Ru to deal with the changes in her life; and in a way I feel like I went on that adventure with them. I enjoyed experiencing the fun times, the uncertainty, and the general kindness that other people gave them along the way.

I did feel a little uneasy reading about two characters with such an age difference in this book, even with the author laying our minds at ease with the promise of this being a story of friendship, with no romance. After a few chapters I did feel a little more easy about the age difference. I did love the writing style of the book. It felt easy to read, without being simple. The plot line moved at a good pace, and I was immersed into the story; by the last few chapters I struggled to put it down!

This was such a wonderful book, the characters were so good. I didn’t want to put this down. I really enjoyed the book.

Happy Publication Day to one of my favorite authors! Another fabulous book by the great Catherine Ryan Hyde. She is the Queen of story telling and this book was great! Loved it! Made me feel all the emotions!! And I do hope I get to see the northern lights one day in person! On my bucket list for sure! Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this early release in exchange for my honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union publishing for my ARC in exchange for my honest review. This book will be published May 14, 2023.

This is the fifth I’ve read by this author and I’m a huge fan. I was immediately sucked in after reading the titles of the chapters, and I read it within a day.

This is the story of an unlikely friendship between Ru, a very intelligent, 13-year-old girl, and Gabriel, a 17-year-old, who is most himself when wearing eye make up and nail polish.

After the death of Ru’s mom, they run away to complete their “college list” which is a bucket list of 3 things they want to see before Ru returns to college. They meet interesting characters along their journey who help them complete their college list. But luck eventually runs out and they are separated. Read the fun YA novel to find out if they reconnect in the end.

This book had all the feels! You’ll laugh and cry and smile.

Life, Loss and Puffins started as if the main character was telling a story to some "girls". Either I missed it or it wasn't clear as to who these girls were. As the story of Ru unfolded, her love of space and astronomy became a focal point and since that is not on my list of things I understand, my interest was sidelined. By the time Ru and Gabriel were on their journey to see the Aurora Borealis I was ALL IN! THAT is something I understand (well, maybe not totally understand but I enjoy watching it from my home in Alaska). From this part of the book forward, every word was wonderful and I didn't want it to end. While at times I confused by the novel's direction, Ru and Gabriel's commitment to each other was a powerful elixir to forget ahead and share in their story.

🌌 Life, Loss and Puffins ~ Catherine Ryan Hyde 🌌

🌟 A huge thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for an advanced reading copy of this book 🌟

This was a read I really enjoyed that came at the perfect time of the year for me. Stumbled across this on NetGalley and have never read any Catherine Ryan Hyde before but was so drawn by the idea of the story, and I really enjoyed it. It follows 13-year-old Ru, a gifted child who has found herself off at university already, and struggling to navigate some huge and overwhelming changes in life. She forms a strong friendship with 17-year-old Gabriel, the son of the family she has to relocated to live with to attend college. Both have struggled in their own ways with their identities and with fitting in, and find in each other an anchoring friendship, which leads them to set off on a remarkable adventure.

I really liked the characters of both Ru and Gabriel and how their growing friendship helped them both.

I always go in blind when I get a Catherine Ryan Hyde book.
I know I will love the story, and learn or re-learn something.
The main characters are a young girl named Ru Evans and her new closest friend ,Gabriel
Ru is so super smart, that at thirteen she is enrolled in college and hoping that she will not be bored.
She moves to a boarding house near her university to live. This is where she meets Gabriel and they become fast friends.
But, when Ru's Mother dies suddenly, she finds herself having to leave her school and move to her Aunt's.
Not a chance that she will do this!
Living in the moment. Ru and Gabriel decide to begin to tackle their bucket list.
These two young people embark on an adventure that is nothing short of unbelievable,challenging and life changing experience!
How they do it is part of the journey for both these characters and myself. I really would love to go and see all they witnessed as will anyone who opens this book! It is an amazing story that will long stay with me!

Thank you to @NetGalley and to @Lake Union Publishing for allowing me to read and provide my own review. Outstanding!

Life, Loss, and Puffins is another heartwarming novel by Catherine Ryan Hyde. This one was a unique storyline that drew me in quickly. I finished it in a short afternoon.
Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher, for the ARC ebook I read to complete this review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

“Life, Loss, and Puffins” by Catherine Ryan Hyde was a sheer joy to read. It really touched my soul as many of the experiences in the novel were true in my own life. It is the story of two teens, a 13 year old female genius who’s own mother describes her as “freakishly smart” and a 17 year old gentle boy who identifies as Non-binary. They meet after the death of Ru’s mother when Gabriel and his mom become the host family for Ru as she enters university as a 13 year old. Through the pain of the sudden loss of her mother, she and Gabriel bond and form a deep connection that takes them on a thrilling and challenging adventure to see Puffins in the wild, and the Northern Lights. Following their unbelievable journey will leave you wishing you were right there with them! As with all great books there is a lesson about true friendship, acceptance and the importance of holding onto your dreams. The sheer beauty of the writing will touch your heart, bring on tears, as well as a few giggles. I did not want this book to end and I would give it more than 5 stars if I could!

Thank you NetGalley and Lake Union publishing for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I love Catherine Ryan Hyde's books she is an auto-buy author of mine because she always manages to give me all the feels. The main character in this one is thirteen-year-old Ru. Ru reminded me so much of my younger son, not just because they are both freakishly smart but because their attitudes and struggles are very much the same. Needless to say, I adored Ru. She is funny, charming and honest to a fault.

This book sucked me in right away and was such a fast-paced read I read it two sittings. Catherine Ryan Hyde never shies away from hard-hitting topics and in this one not only is Ru dealing with going away to University (she's 13 remember) but she's also dealing with her mother's unexpected death and then having to go live with a much hated aunt in Kentucky. Thankfully she has Gabriel in her corner. Gabriel is the seventeen-year-old child of the woman who allows Ru to board in her home while at school. Ru and Gabriel become fast friends having a connection like no other.

When Ru's aunt wants to take her to Kentucky Gabriel and Ru hatch a plan to make the three of her college list (not bucket list) wishes come true. Although sad in some parts this one also made me feel lots of joy and hope and was such a pleasure to read. All. The. Stars.

This author’s books are always solid reads. This dealt with the loss of a mother which was relatable for me. I enjoyed the Canadian descriptions. Thank you NetGalley for this ARC.

Very engaging story about a child genius and where she fits in the world on her quest to experience life and have fun. Different from the author’s previous works and unique set up.

Another heartwarming book by this Author. How I love her writing and how you become a part of the journey of her characters. Ru (a freakishly smart 13 year old) and her friend Gabriel have the adventure of a lifetime in this book. You may be sad in parts and you will be happy. Loved the ending. You must read this book. Looking forward to this Author’s next book with bated breath. Thanks to NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing and the Author for allowing me to read and review this book.

Loved this book. From the very first paragraph, I was in for the ride and sped along the adventure with Ru and Gabriel. This is a perfect palette cleanser for anyone just needing a good friendship road trip story. The title tells you everything except maybe how much you'll enjoy it.