BOOK REVIEW – Just a Regular Boy by Catherine Ryan Hyde

Expected publication: May 2nd 2023 by Lake Union Publishing

A deeply moving and satisfying novel from Catherine Ryan Hyde!

Storytelling at its best!

“Out there is chaos, the collapse of society, and so much to be afraid of. All that matters is freedom.”

These are just some of the things five year old, Remy Blake’s survivalist father preaches to him. Now he’s being raised off the grid by his father in the middle of nowhere.

The story is told from Remy as well as another character, Anne’s point of view. Anne is a nurturing mother of two who is dealing with the recent loss of a foster child her family loved who is no longer in their care. Anne also has some childhood issues she hasn’t yet dealt with.

Just a Regular Boy was a heartwarming and at times heart wrenching read. Catherine Ryan Hyde is skilled at getting readers to empathize, sympathize, and understand her characters. She writes with such emotional honesty and appears to have a great understanding of people. She creates characters you can’t help but cheer for. Many I wish I knew in real life. Her animal characters always brighten my day too.

I picked this up with the intention of just reading a few pages. About 10 pages in I realized I didn’t want to stop reading as I really wanted to see how things worked out.

This moving story takes place during the height of the Covid pandemic and deals with relevant issues in a sensitive way.

A story about grief, loss, love, friendship, and the different kinds of family. A hopeful and inspiring read.

Catherine Ryan Hyde is the author of more than forty books. It has been a while since I’ve read one of her novels. I read quite a few of them a few years ago and loved them all. Many of the stories have stayed with me.

After thoroughly enjoying this novel, I can’t wait to catch up on any that I may have missed!

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this novel. All opinions are my own.

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