Catherine Ryan Hyde

I am really starting to like the YA books that are being told from the guys point of view. Becoming Chloe was an impulse pickup from the library based solely on the cover ( I know I shouldn't do that), but I am so glad that I grabbed it. We meet Jordan "Jordy" at the beginning while he is listening to someone having sex; he soon realizes that it really isn't consensual and that there is a rape keeping him awake.
Enter Wanda"Chloe" Johnston, she was the girl being raped and as she drops into the cellar that Jordy has been squatting in they end up forming a tentative friendship.
Chloe as she becomes known puts off this simpleminded vibe, like even though something is bad, she just doesn't get it ( take the rape for example). Jordy then becomes ill and even though you would think that Chloe wouldn't know what to do, she gets the medication that he needs to make him feel a little better. After she takes care of Jordy they run into a few problems with having the money to support themselves and Jordy does what he feels he needs to just to make sure they survive. They end up close to Jordy's home and we get to meet his parents ( and I use that term lightly). His mom and dad don't like that Jordy is gay and apparently the head would that caused Jordy so many problems in the beginning is due to one of his parents 9 you can probably guess which one).
I really don't want to give too much more away, but Jordy and Chloe end up staying with this old man and his dog until both of them pass on. Then Jordy sets out to show Chloe that the world is beautiful, and during this time they see so much. While Driving across the country they meet a few nice people and then when their truck breaks down they meet even nicer people that give them rides. I really liked when they arrived in Kentucky ( could be because I live there), they met some amazing people and I have to say that Randy Banyan may have been one of my favorite people that they met.
I loved how the book took me to all the places that I have never seen and I got to see the beauty in the world right along with Chloe and Jordan. Though they do run into some "ugly" out there, the book wouldn't be real without it. The ending of the book left me confused and wanting to know more, so that is why I gave it 4 stars instead of 5.… (más)

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 their "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 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.… (más)

I picked this book up as a bargain e-read on Amazon. It sounded interesting and was all of $.99 so I bought it. I'm really glad that I did! It was a fantastic book about 9-year-old Grace (some editions seem to list her as 10, but this one said 9) and the struggles she faces as well as how she pulls together everyone in her apartment building.

I found the characters to be incredibly realistic and full of life. I found that I was able to completely immerse myself in their world and finished the book in about 2-3 days, which for an e-read is rather quick for me. E-reads for me tend to be books I read when out and about and I don't have a physical book, but I just couldn't stop reading this one!

Sure, I would've liked to have known more about some of the other tenants in the building, but this book was focused on Billy and on Grace. The rest, no matter how influential, were side characters.

I'm looking forward to reading more by this author.… (más)

I picked this book up as a bargain e-read on Amazon. It sounded interesting and was all of $.99 so I bought it. I'm really glad that I did! It was a fantastic book about 9-year-old Grace (some editions seem to list her as 10, but this one said 9) and the struggles she faces as well as how she pulls together everyone in her apartment building.

I found the characters to be incredibly realistic and full of life. I found that I was able to completely immerse myself in their world and finished the book in about 2-3 days, which for an e-read is rather quick for me. E-reads for me tend to be books I read when out and about and I don't have a physical book, but I just couldn't stop reading this one!

Sure, I would've liked to have known more about some of the other tenants in the building, but this book was focused on Billy and on Grace. The rest, no matter how influential, were side characters.

I'm looking forward to reading more by this author.… (más)