Ru Evans is super intelligent, easily bored & just thirteen. School is not doing it for her (her habit of correcting the teachers doesn't help either!) When she gets accepted by a college, her single mother eventually agrees to her boarding with a woman & her son, Gabriel. He is not one of the cool kids.- Eye shadow & nail varnish are his form of expression. Unexpectedly the pair get on very well together. Gabriel tries to introduce Ru to the concept of having fun! When Ru's mother dies & she faces the horror of living with her dreadful Aunt Bitsy she & Gabriel set off on a trip that takes them from California to the North West Territory in Canada.

This was a book that I dipped in & out of for a while before it grabbed me & wouldn't let go. I loved the relationship between Ru & Gabriel. Their adventures & experiences were magical & I finished the book with a smile on my face. Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this lovely book.

Heart-tugging, sweet, and uplifting!

Life, Loss, and Puffins is a heartfelt, tender tale that takes you into the lives of Ru, a brilliant thirteen-year-old girl attending her first year of college whose life gets turned upside down when her mother suddenly passes, and Gabriel, a teenager who impulsively gives up his studies to take his new friend on a road trip to the north to fulfil some of her wish list of things she really wants to see and do.

The writing style is sentimental and sensitive. The characters are quirky, multilayered, and endearing. And the plot is an impactful coming-of-age tale of life, loss, family, friendship, grief, heartache, support, love, taking chances, introspection, and self-identity.

Overall, Life, Loss, and Puffins is an alluring, empowering, entertaining tale by Hyde full of heart, hope, and healing that does a wonderful job of delving into all the complex dynamics of relationships while also highlighting the incredible power of friendship.

Catherine Ryan Hyde consistently delivers captivating stories that never fail to impress. Her latest novel, "Life, Loss, and Puffins," is no exception. This gripping tale follows a remarkably intelligent young girl who forms a close bond with a nonbinary young man while staying with his family in order to attend college at the age of 13. Tragically, her mother passes away unexpectedly during her first semester, leaving her with no choice but to move in with her aunt. Their relationship is strained, as her aunt only takes her in out of obligation to her late mother, lacking warmth and connection. Together, they devise a plan to escape and embark on a journey of self-discovery, facing challenges and experiencing unforgettable adventures along the way. "Life, Loss, and Puffins" is a compelling narrative that explores themes of identity, resilience, and the power of human connection.

This book was the perfect sweet story that I didn't know I needed. It became the perfect reprieve from an overwhelmingly full week. Catherine Ryan Hyde beautifully developed each of the characters you meet as the story unfolds whether they are a small or large part of the story. At the center of the story are two main characters - Ru, who is entering college at just 13 years old and Gabriel who is just about to turn 18 years old. They meet when Gabriel's mom agrees to offer a non-traditional housing arrangement for Ru in her home instead of the college dormitory.

Told as a flashback, what unfolds is a story of two young people finding their place in the world around them. Through a crazy road trip, both Ru and Gabriel figure out how to be more comfortable in their own skin. It's a story about growing up and maturing. It's a story that reminds us that love stories aren't always of the romantic nature and that family isn't just about blood ties.

If you have ever felt like an awkward teenager; if you have ever felt like you've had to grow up before you should have; if you want to be reminded that there is good in the world - I encourage you to pick this one up.

Thank you to Catherine Ryan Hyde, her publisher and NetGalley for providing an advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest feedback.

It seems Catherine Ryan Hyde specializes in putting forth the stories of minorities of the society - those misunderstood people who live in the fringes of society. Her recent book "Life, Loss and Puffins" is yet another insight into the minds of two such people.

There is Ru Evans, a gifted genius, who got admitted into college recently - and she is only 13 years old. As the college is 15o miles away from her home, the college directs her into a supervised household where she can board and and will be looked after by the elder of the house as well. Having gone through her life till then with no real connection to any person - not even her mother - her relationship with Gabriel, the boy who is the son of her host, feels like a breath of fresh air to her. Gabriel's unique interests make most people uncomfortable, which in turn leads him to live a secluded life as well.

When circumstances push her away from Gabriel, both of them make an impulsive decision to run away from home and take a journey to watch intense night skies, auroras and Atlantic puffins. This journey teaches Ru all that she has been missing about life- particularly the joy of families that one forms through connections of the heart. How does this travel influence her? Why does it influence that?

The entire story is told in the first person narrative and the style helps Hyde to push her readers into the unusual minds of certain unusual people. Not only Sheena but the few occasional glimpse we get of Gabriel is enough to show us his beautiful world. The crisp and taut dialogues keep the story moving forward constantly with no loss in pace. What's more impressive is the fact that, inspite of the crisp narration, Hyde still managed to evoke emotional responses for the ordeals the characters go through.

I can't recommend this book enough to people who would love to read something insightful and inspiring. It's a lovely story told with a lot of heart and the ending particularly touched my heart. Do check this book out definitely.

Catherine Ryan Hyde is one of my favorite feel good authors. Her books always feature characters who have good hearts and kind souls and through her books she puts a little bit of good into the world. There are some books that are best described as “a hug for your heart” and all of the ones I’ve read by Ms. Hyde qualify as that.
Ru Evans is 13 years old and “freakishly smart” (her mother’s words. She’s so smart she’s already graduated high school and is planning on starting college 150 miles away from home. Her Mom agrees as long as Ru lives in a boarding house instead of a dorm. Ru moves in to the house and quicker becomes friends with Gabriel, the 17 year old son of the woman who runs the house. With both of them being outsiders and never having friends they quickly find solace in each other and form a close sibling like relationship. When tragedy strikes and the unthinkable is on the horizon, Ru and Gabriel decide to take off on an adventure of a lifetime, crossing state lines and the Canadian border and meeting wonderful strangers on their journey to see the aurora borealis and Atlantic puffins. This story is one of found family and learning to live life instead of just observing it and it will have you laughing, crying, and cheering on Ru and Gabriel.
While I enjoyed the bulk of this I hated the way it was narrated. It opens with Ru talking to two girls but we don’t know who her audience is and while some people might be ok with that, it set a very poor tone for me. Anytime she broke from the story to talk to her audience broke me out of the trance the rest of the story had me in and I found it to be a jarring contrast. Aside from that I loved everything else about this. Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for an advanced copy of this. I’m sorry it took me so long to get to it. Life, Loss, and Puffins hit the shelves on May 14th.

Life, Loss, and Puffins really is the perfect name for this heartfelt book by Catherine Ryan Hyde. It's a beautiful read that's heartwretching yet heartwarming, all at the same time. It really is one of those novels that will have you laughing and crying by turns. And while I liked the ending, I wish it had been tied up just a bit more neatly.
Ru Evans is a certifiable genius. She knows this because her Mother said so. She also knows because she's preparing to enter university even though she's only 13 years old. Soon she meets Gabe and they become best friends. So, when tragedy strikes and she needs a great escape, they decide to take a road trip to the great North. And what an escapade it is!

I love every single book by Catherine Ryan Hyde, she always makes me feel alive, with every new character and story. her stories are always so real and have a great thing to show.

Life, Loss, and Puffins The Story of Ru is a 13 years old very smart who has excelled in every single school and now is ready to go to college, she has to move away from her mother to study not knowing that maybe it will be the last days she will ever see her.

This is one of the hardest parts of the book, I didn't understand why Ru's mother did that, I know you do not want your kids seeing you like that, but hey you're giving her trauma for lifetimes to come, not allowing your daughter to be with you in your final days.

Ru embarks on a new life in her new school, and that's when she meets Gabriel a teenage boy who will become her best friend and confidant, making this friendship so strong and unique that will last for many years.

Ru's character was very lovable I enjoyed her so much, she was smart, funny, and at times a little chaotic but she made this book and experience so worth it, her aunt was a pain in the neck, I despise her, how can you hate a 13-year-old kid for christ sake but people are weird anyway.

Fantastic, wonderful, many tears were rolling this book is everything I ever loved and I ever expect from Catherine's books.

Thank you, NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the advanced copy of Life, Loss, and Puffins
in exchange for my honest review

Rumaki Evans is freakishly smart. Ru overheard her mother telling someone that when she was five. She's now thirteen and about to start college. Ru has been accepted to a very prestigious university with a full-ride scholarship, the only problem is that it is 150 miles away from home. The University has a program where it matches students with a family in a live-in situation. Sounds perfect to Ru, her mother isn't too sure about the whole college thing.

Ru is paired with a mother and her son, seventeen -year-old, Gabriel. Through her friendship with Gabriel, Ru is for the first time able to feel accepted for who she is while encouraging Gabe to be himself.

Hyde is my feel good author. Her books explore the messiness of humans and how love and friendship bridge the gap in relationships. Ru and Gabriel are at a crossroads in their lives, their current situations are untenable and both are longing for adventure and independence. Some may suggest that their ability to achieve items on Ru's bucket list as impossible, yet their philosophy of "right place, right time', gets them there.

Thank you to the author, Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley, for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. My apologies for the delay in posting this review, I had a bit too much going on.

This is the first book I've read by this author, but it won't be the last. This story of two teenagers who both don't fit in and are not bothered about peer pressure, but are both deeply content to have found a safe harbor of friendship in the other is wonderfully written, with depth and honesty. Themes of acceptance, dealing with feelings and coping with adults - who often aren't really listening - all while finding and being true to their own self: This is a book for both young adults and grownups, both can learn much.

2.5 stars
I love CRH and was so excited about this book coming out. Her books always make me think about what I would do in that situation and give me big feels.
None of that happened in this book. I read it like a cute novel about a brilliant girl who loses her mom and goes on a grand adventure. Nothing more, nothing less.

This book is everything and more. I fell such a kinship and connection to Ru being different and not seen as "normal." This book is relatable to anyone reading it and as well as any themes typing the story together, I love and enjoy reading anything by Catherine Ryan Hyde! This is definitely her best book yet!.

Ver much recommended!

THanks to Chatherine Ryan Hyde, Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Already available

The writing of Catherine Ryan Hyde never disappoints. She is quite gifted at writing stories that touch the heart, and at creating characters so rich and full that, over the course of the story, they become as real to you as someone sitting beside you.

I love both of the young characters Gabriel, 17, and Ru, 13. Gabriel is quiet, a bit awkward, knows who he is but fears other won't accept him. He has learned some of the ways of the world. Ru is freakishly intelligent yet naive in interacting with people and the world.

It is wonderful to watch their connection with each other grow, and their impact on each other increase with each turned page. We all should have a person who is our "herd"!

An easy and engaging read, I highly recommend this book. You'll be glad you read it.

My thanks to Lake Union Publishing for allowing me to read an ARC of this book through NetGalley. All opinions in this review are my own and are given freely. Publication was 5/14/24, so go get your copy now

Many thanks to Net Galley and Lake Union Publishing for an ARC of this book in exchange for a review.
Catherine Ryan Hyde pulls her readers into another heartwarming story.
Ru is 13 years old, extra intelligent, she is starting college, she is going rent a room with a family who live near the college and that is where she meets Gabriel. Gabriel is 17 and like Ru he is different, different to anyone she has known, they get each other and quickly become friends.
At the start of the college year Ru’s mum becomes unwell and sadly dies. Ru tries to bury her grief, she dreads going to live with her horrid aunt.
Ru and Gabriel come up with an escape plan, a road trip to Canada where Ru will be able to see the Atlantic Puffins she so loves, they also plan to do some star gazing. Their bond grows stronger, silence often their form of communication as they know what one another is thinking and feeling, making words unnecessary.
These two young people are living in the moment, through their eyes we see the stars and much more. This is an emotional heartwarming story of loss, friendship, courage and trust. Catherine Ryan Hide’s fans will love this book, which I highly recommend.

Thank you to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Catherine Ryan Hyde is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. Reading one of her books to me is like childhood and Saturday mornings lying on the couch watching cartoons. You can just open the pages and slide right in..

This is a story about a "freakishly" smart girl and how she meets her best friend and together they deal with life and love, oh and they both love puffins. That's it and everything. A feel good story that I should have picked up sooner!
Enjoy!

I received an electronic ARC from Lake Union Publishing via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

I connected with Ru and Gabriel from the beginning of the story. Both of them just wanted different experiences, but did not know how to go about them. Through their journey, they learned about life, and grew up together. I’m not supporting the fact that the story was about two underage teenagers running away together. I kind of wish that more was written about the aftermath of everything. However, the story that was told was beautifully written.

This was a quick read about loss and the trust that can be found in humanity if you look for it. Ru already has so many obstacles to overcome being that she is incredibly intelligent. Smart enough to start university at age 13. Not only does she grow up fast in intelligence, but in life as well because she also becomes orphaned at 13.
Ru can remember everything she has read, seen or heard but she still isn't emotionally aware. She used toys to find out how they were made, not to play with or have fun. Only until she meets Gabriel does she realize she might be missing out. At the ripe old ages of 13 and 17, these two decide to take an adventure and escape their realities. And this is where the book gets a little iffy because they do escape over the US border into wilderness of Canada. The imagery is described beautifully even if the context is a bit questionable.

First who could not love a books with chapter titles such as:
When a Toucan Met a Penguin
Rusty Metal Kangaroo Pouches
Throw me a Lifeline Named Gladys Through the Blowing Snow
Toto, I think we are in Kentucky


Catherine Ryan Hyde has written some deep down big hearted characters and some low down mean and nasty ones. She has created the most unbelievable believable situations and then turned them on their head and asked the reader to to be the arbiter of all the unfairness that these wonderful kids are going to encounter. If you have a shred of compassion this book is going to rip your heart to pieces but it also going to give you just enough room to hold onto hope for Rumaki Evans and Gabriel Gulbranson. They are kids, so different, so bright, eccentric - he has a smile with a secret message that could change her world. She has the mental acuity that could upend any adult in any situation.

“Because a good storyteller doesn’t leave gaps” I have to leave it here and just encourage you to read this remarkable story about two totally extraordinary kids. Many thanks to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for a copy of another wonderful book by Catherine Ryan Hyde.

I received this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.
What can I say Catherine Ryan Hyde never disappoints! I really liked this book from the first page. I really liked how the whole format of the book was telling a Ru telling a story to two young girls (although not sure who they were even after finishing the book). I definitely recommend this book along with all of Catherines other books!

I started on another wonderful adventure when I opened the pages of this book. All of Catherine Ryan Hyde's books are like that. They take me to a place I didn't even know I wanted to go and I get introduced to amazing characters that I long to be friends with. So much wisdom and advice are freely given within the pages, to anyone who is open to receiving it.

Catherine Ryan Hyde is one of those author that I automatically read. I don't even need to know what the story is about, I just know that I've got to read it. I know it's going to be that good!

Ru and Gabriel are a couple of misfits who miraculously find each other and set out on a grand journey. Each of them are there to save the other. As they check off items on their bucket lists, they are lucky enough to meet a bunch of people who look out for them and become the families they don't have. I loved being a part of all of their experiences and loved the relationship that grew between these two main characters.

I highly recommend Life, Loss, and Puffins. I loved it and I think you will to. If you haven't read any of CRH's books yet, you really need to add her books to you TBR list. They are all wonderful!