I’ve not read any of this authors books before but requested this one on NetGalley as seen that quite a few people were excited about it and I was curious.

Not my typical genre of book but I thought it was very moving. Ru’s mother passes away and I felt the way that this was written about was very sensitive and touching. Having lost my own mother around 8 years ago, I found it very relatable that Ru was having trouble believing that to be true.

Many thanks to #NetGalley for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

I love Catherine Ryan Hyde's books. Her character relationships are interesting and unexpected. She brings the characters to life and they seem to grow through the differences in one another. In Life, Love, and Puffins, "freakishly smart" thirteen-year-old, Rue and her nonbinary seventeen-year-old friend, Gabriel run away and set out on a road trip to experience three specific adventures. They ditch their cell phones to avoid being caught and rely on "old-fashioned" means for the needed information. We meet several characters along their journey and the descriptions of the landscape and experiences are well written. I particularly enjoyed their time in the wilderness.

That said, this book fell flat for me. I struggled to get through it (I read about a quarter of it in the fall and then came back and started it over in the spring). I didn't understand why Rue is telling the story to two girls instead of just telling the readers. I was uncomfortable with normalizing the friendship of two teens of such different ages and genders in close proximity and an especially vulnerable girl. I was also uncomfortable with normalizing a thirteen-year-old girl and a seventeen-year-old boy running away. Even though Ru's aunt was not a loving figure, she was committed to making sure Ru had her basic needs met and that she was safe. And in general, while I appreciated Gabriel's personality, I didn't really love any of the characters, except maybe the puffins. Who doesn't love puffins?

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is another great book by Catherine Ryan Hyde. Ru is a fourteen year old genius fast tracking to University. Her mother, however doesn't quite share Ru's enthusiasm and seems to want to put the brakes on Ru's education by keeping her at home. However, Ru's determination wins through and her mother arranges for Ru to board with another single mother and her son Gabriel close to the Uni. Ru and Gabriel become fast friends, despite him being older. There is no physical attraction between them, just two outliers identifying a kindred spirit.
The friendship kicks off an adventure neither of them are fully prepared for and which will have repercussions.
There isn't a lot more I can say without giving away the plot, but I really admired the fact that the book explored a platonic male/female relationship. It gently skirted around sexuality without it becoming a distraction from the story and it was told in a way that will restore faith in humanity and having dreams and aspirations.
For me the only downside was what felt to be quite an abrupt ending, I wanted to know so much more!
Thank you Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this digital ARC.

As Cathine Ryan Hyde has become one of my very favorite authors, I was happy to grab this new book. Ihaven't read a single one of her books that I didn't love and this one was no exception. It certainly has an interesting title and a beautiful cover.

Description:
Freakishly smart. That’s the unwelcome box Ru Evans is put into for life. After all, she taught herself Euclidean geometry at age seven, has an eidetic memory, and is about to enter college at thirteen years old.

Boarding at a house near campus 150 miles from home, Ru meets seventeen-year-old Gabriel, an outsider himself who, like Ru, has trouble making friends—until they form a fast sibling-like bond. Finding a relatable someone in the world to talk to is a first for both of them.

But when Ru’s mother dies and the threat of living with her miserable aunt looms, Ru hatches an escape. It’s an impulsive road trip that takes Ru and Gabriel from California to Canada, where Ru can fulfill her ultimate to see Atlantic puffins in the glorious wild.

Mile by mile, Ru discovers the joy of friendship, found family, dark night skies, and the aurora borealis, and she basks in going from being a smart person to just a person. Though she knows they’ll be in trouble when they’re caught, for the short time they are navigating twist by twist of an unknown road, the freedom is liberating, and she is living for what feels like the first time.

My thoughts:
This was an intriguing story from start to finish. Ru was such an interesting character. There aren't many who can manage college at age thirteen. Even with the intellectual ability, fitting in socially would be such a challenge. Then when she lost her mother my heart just went out to her. Ru and Gabriel's adventure was astounding and exciting. And it all jumped off the page in such a way that it seemed very real. I loved the writing. Hyde is scuh a good storyteller and it flows so well. This is a heart-warming story of friendship, grief, and coming of age.

Thanks to Lake Union Publishing through Netgalley for an advance copy.

This is one of my favorite authors and I just love the character's she write about. This book is no different and was just such an enjoyable read. This is a must read and believe me when I tell you, you won't be able to put it down. I just love her books and can't wait for her next book. Thank you NetGalley.

Catherine Ryan Hyde has done it again! Whenever she writes a new book I know that I’ll want to read it because they are always so good. I’ve probably read more of her books than any other author. Life, Loss, and Puffins is the story of 2 kids that are different and unique from the norm. Gabriel is 17 and likes to wear makeup and polish his nails, Rumaki (Ru) Evan’s is 13 and is freakishly smart. Although there’s an age difference, I believe their differences is what makes them become best friends. After the death of Ru’s mother from lung cancer, the 2 kids decide to go on an adventure. This is sort of their bucket list before Gabriel has to start college. And what an adventure they go on! They definitely have more courage than I ever would have. It was nice learning what it was like on their trip, I almost felt like I was along for the ride although I’m not sure I could have handled all that cold! In the end, it was nice to read that they had both remained friends and that Ru had actually made her own family by taking in 2 girls who had gone through similar circumstances as she had. It was a nice story that showed that even when you are a little different, you still can be considered normal and I loved that. I’d like to thank NetGalley for the arc that I obtained off the Read Now section. I really enjoyed reading this and for anyone who hasn’t read a book by this author, I highly recommend they do. They are all so very good and I’m giving this book a 4 star rating.

Wonderful is the word for Life, Loss, and Puffins by Catherine Ryan Hyde. Great characters and truly touching moments.

This was a nice story I would have enjoyed it more if I had heard a bit more about the adoption of her 2 little girls and to hear a bit more about her future

Life, Loss, and Puffins, by Catherine Ryan Hyde, is one more example of the author's outstanding abilities as a novelist. She creates characters, often young people, who are so nuanced and believable that it is hard to believe they are not real. Her plot is paced to introduce the characters, move the story forward, and conclude in a way that satisfies the reader. In some ways, this is a coming of age story, but it is so much more in that it reflects the author's faith in the human spirit and our ability to grow and surpass obstacles. Each of her novels, including this one, has made me laugh and cry within pages of each other. This particular story combines themes of difference, loss, friendship, family, and acceptance. One of my measures of a great novel is when you cannot imagine the story or characters as being different from what was written. You love as is. I've read several books by Catherine Ryan Hyde and she has never disappointed me. This is a 5 star read, and I urge readers to pick it up. Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Press for the opportunity to read a digital ARC. It was a pleasure!

“The reason we got so brave and adventurous is that within every living soul is the instinct to live—really live—before you die.”

Captivating, clever and life affirming. Two teenagers go on a road trip to escape reality and find stars, the aurora borealis and puffins. It’s not the normal story of disaffected youth out to avoid authority. Ru and Gabriel are wise beyond their years, endearing and responsible, making friends along the way. Their openness and adaptability allows them to meet the people who can help them on their way. It’s a delightful story I’d recommend to readers of John Green’s stories of clever teenagers, grief and magical travel experiences.

The book starts as a woman telling her story to two girls, one of whom is Tess, and she warns them she will be oversharing. This framework reappears a couple of times, but we never know how old she is now or who she’s talking to. It can’t be daughters because she says they’ve known each other for a couple of weeks now. They are definitely teenagers because she tells them not to roll their eyes at her. The only way I eventually decided they must be colleagues is by searching the word ‘girls’ (I have an e-book version), and the narrator comments that it’s only taken two bathroom breaks and a lunch to nearly reach Canada in her story. It doesn’t become clear until the very last chapter who she’s telling her story to and why. In fact, it wouldn’t surprise me if a lot of people don’t completely ignore the strange comments to the girls in earlier chapters and won’t remember who she was talking to after closing the book.

A highly intelligent girl goes to university on a scholarship at the age of thirteen. Ru’s mother initially doesn’t want her to leave home because she is so young, but once she’s gone, her mother cancels the very first weekend home without any explanation. Fortunately for Ru, she is staying with a family, the Gulbransons, whose 17-year-old son Gabriel is just starting at a different university. He is also a loner, who wears make up and nail varnish, and enjoys silliness to counteract Ru’s seriousness. The two bond over shared conversations, rolling their eyes at the adults and the coincidence of an enthusiasm for puffins.

The language is very simple, like a YA, with
occasional inexplicable metaphors such as Gabriel’s mum “doled out smiles like she was paying debts.” On the other hand the description “I felt like an overcooked noodle” is just perfect and every chapter ends with a minor cliffhanger, making me want to read on.

Ru has an eidetic memory and hyperthymesia. The latter isn’t explained, but the apparently unusual combination means that she remembers everything. At university, her first new friend is her astrophysics professor, a young woman, Ms Stepanian. Ru makes a smartarse comment about knowing that everything that’s taught in astrophysics is inevitably wrong.

There are also inconsistencies in Ru’s tone of voice. One moment she’s a moody teenager, the next she’s a clever know-it-all. For instance, she says they were in “her big auditorium-style teaching room. Or whatever you call that in college. Sorry. What can I tell you? It was only my second day.” But why doesn’t she use the correct term now, when she has learnt what it is really called? Ru’s tone of voice doesn’t ring true for a gifted student, possibly autistic. Highly intelligent children tend to use language that is more adult than their actual age, often rather stiff and formal. To have Ru throwing ‘like’ into every sentence and talking like a Disney Channel teenager feels contrived. Later she doesn’t do this.

After several weeks when her mother has cancelled their weekends together due to ‘flu’, Ru overhears her landlady’s phone conversation advising someone to tell their daughter the truth. She persuades Gabriel to drive her home to visit. When they get there, her aunt opens the door and her mother looks like death warmed up. Eventually she is persuaded to tell the truth.

The truth
I know there’s the word ‘loss’ in the title, but I really do think publishers should give trigger warnings about something life-shattering that could easily have serious personal impact on their readers’ lives, especially if those readers are teenagers or younger. Subjects like cancer and suicide, family illness and death will inevitably have affected some readers at a more personal level that may still be very raw. To be confronted with that with no warning can be traumatic, but even if it’s not, I think readers have the right to know what they’re getting themselves into when reading a book. The blurb does mention that Ru’s mother dies, but not how. I feel that cancer should be explicitly mentioned to give due warning for those who would rather avoid the subject.

Names
In another over-analysing complaint, why did the author choose the adults’ names of Ru’s mother and aunt as Mitzy and Bitsy? Why? It’s an odd piece of whimsy that adds nothing, particularly as neither of them are at all whimsical characters. Quite the opposite.

Likewise, the dean’s assistant at the university Ru escapes to when forced to live at her aunt’s is named Bella McGonigal. There are millions of names in the world. Why did the author choose one that is so close to Professor McGonagall in Harry Potter? Why? It’s as if she intended to change it later, but forgot. Also, Ru’s adviser at the university is Rita Wilson. Again, why that name? Rita Wilson is the name of a famous actress and Tom Hanks is her husband.

Disclaimer: Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for sending me a free digital ARC. My review reflects my unbiased opinion.

You HAD me at CRH, Road Trip, and Puffins.
No one does road trips better than Catherine Ryan Hyde!

Master storyteller and author of over 40 books, Catherine Ryan Hyde, returns following A Different Kind of Gone with her latest dazzling and heartwarming tale, LIFE, LOSS, AND PUFFINS. Discover the meaning of JOY!

Adventure, grief, loss, friendship, memory, identity, and hope abound in this full-of-heart road trip to remember, with characters who linger long after the book ends.

Ru Evans is highly intelligent, teaching herself Euclidean geometry at age seven, with an eidetic memory. She is about to enter college at age thirteen. (Think Young Shelton).

She will be boarding at a house near campus, 150 miles away from home. There, she meets 17-year-old Gabriel. He is different, like her. They bond and become fast friends. He is like a big brother she never had. She is delighted to finally meet a relatable friend.

However, Ru's mother dies, and she is devastated. The loss, grief, and worry about how she will survive without her. She cannot live with her horrible aunt.

Ru and Gabriel come up with an escape plan. A ROAD TRIP from California to Canada where Ru can finally see Atlantic puffins! Everything she wants to see before starting college.

Setting off on their daring adventure, Ru and Gabriel discover the joy of living in the moment. While they anticipate the consequences of their actions, they are now immersed in a world of intriguing characters, each with unique wisdom and charm. They are a dynamic duo who can communicate without words and have a deep understanding of each other.

A young girl with dreams and ambitions, she is enamored by astrology and wants to see and know everything, to take it all in. Will she finally get her wish to see the Aurora Borealis, stars, nature, and Atlantic puffins?

LIFE, LOSS, AND PUFFINS is an emotional and remarkable story with CRH's signature style. A huge long-time fan of the author, she is a gifted master storyteller and unlike any other author. You can tell the author loves to travel, a lover of nature and life and the human complexities between the words on the pages. Full of analogies, symbolisms, and lovely metaphors.

Lyrical and thought-provoking, I enjoy how the author creates multi-generational characters in desperate situations and finds a way for them to learn, grow, flourish, and light up the world and learn something along the way.

"If you want a piece of advice, always choose to live your life in a way that promotes awe."

I adored seeing the world through the eyes of these two—all the stops along the way and the fun chapter titles. Awe-inspiring!—a beautiful coming of age uplit story that will steal your heart. A favorite author, I always look forward to her next masterpiece to transport me. Always an adventure. I highly recommend LIFE, LOSS, AND PUFFINS and all CRH books.

An ideal pick for book clubs and further discussions. (Book Club questions included).

Thanks to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for the pleasure of a gifted digital advanced reading copy for an honest opinion.

Blog review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 5 Stars
Pub Date: Date: May 14, 2024
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"It wasn't until after the ink had dried on my birth certificate that she found out rumaki is actually a hors d'oeuvre people make for parties with chicken livers, water chestnuts, and bacon."

I. Loved. This. Book. Ru is a “freakishly smart” 13-year-old girl who has just started college. She meets a kind, 17-year-old non-binary boy named Gabriel and he quickly becomes her one and only true friend. This is one of those books that is very difficult to review without spoiling it for others. So I'll just write that Life, Loss, and Puffins touched my heart at times and made me laugh at others.

I highly, highly recommend it to all readers!! (I just wish it was the start of a series!)

HUGE thanks to both #LakeUnionPublishing and #NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an early copy of Life, Loss, and Puffins. The expected publication date is May 14, 2024.

#Friendship #ComingOfAge #CatherineRyanHyde

📖 43 / 100 in 2024
✍️ Contemporary Fiction
⭐️ 4.5 (rounded up for Goodreads)

Life, Loss and Puffins by Catherine Ryan Hyde
just released on May 14, 2024

for readers who enjoy books with....

eidetic memory, friendship duos, trauma, high IQ, stars, road trips, chance encounters, solitude, coming of age, wilderness, death of a parent, first person POV, letter-writing, young protagonist, freedom, Euclidean geometry, and northern lights

(Thank you to @netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for the advance digital ARC copy!)

Newly orphaned Ru, who is also new to college at the age of 13, chronicles the first year or so of her grief journey, her burgeoning sibling-like friendship with Gabriel, and what it feels like to understand and befriend her giftedness.

I had to set aside my feelings about the narrator (Ru) breaking the fourth wall... in the first few pages I thought I might not decide to read this arc after all, but then I remembered the character Sam from the Netlflix show Atypical. With a renewed sense of who the protagonist might be, and the idea of seeing inside a mind that works differently than mine, I picked the book up again with a fresh perspective, and then could not put it down.

Simple and affecting, I loved the combination of this plot with this genre. While it could easily have been written as a YA romance with just a few tweaks, I’m so glad it wasn’t. Life, Loss, and Puffins turned out to be an endearing and fresh take on found family that felt pure of heart.

The relationships Ru forms throughout the novel are so special. Even I, a hater of first-person POV, had to admit this was the best way to convey the importance and depth of Ru’s realizations about herself, other people, and her concept of the world.

Gabriel’s character was particularly well-developed; his connection with Ru feels very much like the friendship of Grey’s Anatomy’s Meredith and Cristina. The parallels between the two of them experiencing the wonders of the world alongside the wonders of finally having someone who understands you were an absolute delight to read.

4.5 stars rounding up to 5.
This was a really sweet book about friendship, travel, being different but being yourself. I felt a strong connection to both Ru, the 13 year old "freakishly smart" kid, and Gabriel, the 17 year old boy who often didn't felt he fit in. The story was told in the way of an older Ru telling it to 2 girls, about the same age Ru was on her adventure.
Ru was book smart and Gabriel was life smart, so together, with a bit of help along the way, they undertook an experience of a lifetime. Some of it was a little unrealistic, but I just took it in good faith and went with it. Would have been 5 stars for me if we had more information about the girls Ru was talking to.
I enjoyed every minute of reading Life, Loss and Puffins.

Catherine Ryan Hyde is one of my favorite authors. She just has this way of writing about difficult topics without it being upsetting or triggering.

In this book she writes about Ru, a so called freakishly smart 13 year old who goes to live with another family in order to attend college. The family she stays with has a 17 year old son who is also misunderstood by many.

The bond of friendship the two develop is wonderful despite the age and gender differences.

The characters are so well written that I felt I knew them.

The only thing that could have improved the story was if we learned more than was written about how their life looked many years later.

You can't go wrong with a Catherine Ryan Hyde book.

Thanks to netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for the arc.

My sincere thanks to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read Life, Loss, and Puffins by Catherine Ryan Hyde. I give my unbiased opinion of the book in the following review.

Ru Evans is "freakishly smart". At least that's how Ru's mother describes her. She is bored in school and her mother finally consents to letting her go to a college 150 miles from home. There she boards with The Gulbranson's and instantly hits it off with 17-year-old Gabriel. There is no crush or romantic attraction, they are more like siblings. Gabriel also stands out and is misunderstood because he likes to wear eyeliner, fingernail polish and keep his hair long. He and Ru develop a bond where they can even communicate without words. When Ru's mother dies unexpectedly, she faces going to live with a not so nice aunt in Kentucky. Rather than meet this fate, she and Gabriel hatch a plan to run away with several goals. They want to go to a dark place and observe the stars; visit the Arctic Circle and experience seeing the Aurora Borealis; and see an Atlantic Puffin up close. Amazingly enough, they are able to slip away without being followed. The rest of the book is about their adventure and its consequences.

I enjoyed this book, as I have several other Hyde books. She has an easy to read no nonsense way of writing that draws the reader in to the story. I was invested in Ru and Gabriel's adventure even though it seemed kind of farfetched. I loved them referring to themselves as a "herd" and how they had such a close connection. The description of their trip into Canada was detailed and interesting.
It was hard to imagine young people undergoing such a trip. The only thing I wished more as I finished the book was a little more about where they ended up and what they were doing. Overall, it was a very good read and I know a lot of people I plan to recommend it to.

Thirteen-year-old Rumaki Evans, a gifted student with an eidetic memory, starts college but moves in with Paula and Gabriel. After her mother's death, Ru is sent to live with her aunt in Kentucky. Feeling misunderstood, Ru and Gabriel run away on a road trip to see the Northern Lights and Atlantic puffins. Along the journey, they discuss life, meet people, and contemplate their futures, highlighting themes of friendship, acceptance, and the struggles of being different.

Life, Loss, and Puffins, by Catherine Ryan Hyde is a story of friendship at its core. There are many accompanying themes woven through this story of a 13-year-old prodigy, Ru (Rumaki, much to her embarrassment) and Gabriel, a 17-year-old binary person who became the only friend she had ever had. For many reasons they took off to complete her college (bucket) list which included seeing the stars from the darkest place they could find, seeing the Aurora Borealis, and traveling to the East Coast to see puffins. They managed the first two before they were apprehended.

As always, Hyde makes this story about human beings, first and foremost. Both of these people are oddities and know it. They are both lonely and become friends in the most strange of circumstances. When they are separated, Ru tried to get in touch, but, as it turned out, Gabriel’s mother thwarted all her attempts. The first thing he did (he was eighteen by then) was to find her. They lived their lives as best of friends. What could make a story better than have it be about an abiding friendship. Thanks, again, Catherine Ryan Hyde for a very readable book about real things.

I was invited to read Life, Loss, and Puffins by Lake Union Publishing. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #LakeUnionPublishing #CatherineRyanHyde #LifeLossAndPuffins

This is such a good book. I've never been disappointed in a book by this author. Her books leave you feeling so much better. There is always a life lesson in them and many tears on the journey between the pages.

In this book I went all the way to Canada. A trip I'll never forget. In the bitter cold to see the aurora borealis.

Ru and Gabriel became fast friends when Ru and her mother met him and his mother to decide whether she, Ru, could stay with them and go to a prestigious college at the young age of thirteen. Ru was what her mother called "freakishly smart." And she really was. After she loses her mother, Ru and Gabriel decide to take off on an adventure. There are a few places they want to see.

The things that Ru and Gabriel experience are so wonderful. Along the way things just seem to fall in place for them. They work and earn cash to help them pay for gas. They meet people who change their lives. They help others also. They are good and kind kids. Ru is only thirteen and Gabriel is seventeen, almost eighteen. Things just seem to work for them. They are best friends.

After they go through a lot of things at the Canadian boarder coming back into the states things take a different route. Things don't go quite as they had planned. Gabriel is arrested. Ru is taken back by her aunt. Things just aren't going so good.

This author will definitely capture your heart in this breathtakingly beautiful story and not let go. It so full of meaning and heart. Filled with wisdom also. Like making you understand the true bond between a mother and child. I suppose even in a bad relationship there is a bond there. You lived in her for nine months.

You truly don't want to miss this book. If you love good clean reads with so much heart and soul then this is one you will love. It will stay with you too. So many good life lessons involved in Ms Hyde's books.

Thank you #NetGalley, #CatherineRyanHyde, #LakeUnionAuthors, for this ARC. This is my own true thoughts about this book.

Five big stars. It's just beautiful. Just have some Kleenex handy as you will need them.

This was fabulous. I love the way the story was told and I love Ru's mindset about most things. Gabriel is great too. I am a smidge confused about the end but maybe that is on me. I would highly recommend this and will definitely check out this author's other work. 4.5 stars