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4.02 AVERAGE
4.02 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Would have been 5 stars except for the lack of explanation for who the two young girls were that Ru was narrating to.
challenging
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The story was interesting and not boring- the book was just not my style. Ending was good and was not a DNF = just not me!
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse
Moderate: Cancer, Death of parent
I liked this a lot ... it may have been a little too close on the heels of "Counting by 7s" to feel super unique to me (also had a young girl, super smart ... although not THIS smart, orphaned, connecting with someone/others). Honestly, I think the "Book Club Questions" at the end (of the Kindle copy, not in audio) made me think about things, reflect back, delve deeper and appreciate it all more. There WOULD be quite a few things to discuss in a bookclub setting.
I'm not sure how much this will really stand out in my memory though. It always seems a little convenient to have such a gifted MC ... I don't personally know of any 13-year olds who are attending college. I'm sure there are a few child geniuses out there, but that just takes it a step back from "real" for me.
I went with the audio, very good narration, perfect voice for Ru ... while technically she is older and telling this story, not to us, the reader, but to two girls. Very conversational tone. Easy reading.
Loved the chapter headings, and that they were included in a Table of Contents in Audible and Kindle ... I don't have a hard copy to see if it has a TOC (so many don't these days). This is one where the TOC is enjoyable to glance over, remember what was in each chapter, and fun/clever little statements (Chapter 2: The Point of a Study on Pointing. Chapter 3: An Inch for the Flat-Earth Theory. Chapter 4: When a Toucan Met a Penguin. Chapter 9: Rusty Metal Kangaroo Pouches. Chapter 10: Clouds are Clouds, Which is not Always the Good News. Chapter 11: Shhhh-Don't Disturb the Universe...) See, aren't those fun to read? I love chapter headings, especially when they are original and nudge the memory as to what was in that chapter.
Content Concerns: No proFanity. Dealing with death. A non-binary character. Two underage kids taking off (in "Ban This Book" one mother wanted [book:From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler|3980] pulled from school library shelves because those kids ran off to the local museum! What would she think of this???)
I'm not sure how much this will really stand out in my memory though. It always seems a little convenient to have such a gifted MC ... I don't personally know of any 13-year olds who are attending college. I'm sure there are a few child geniuses out there, but that just takes it a step back from "real" for me.
I went with the audio, very good narration, perfect voice for Ru ... while technically she is older and telling this story, not to us, the reader, but to two girls. Very conversational tone. Easy reading.
Loved the chapter headings, and that they were included in a Table of Contents in Audible and Kindle ... I don't have a hard copy to see if it has a TOC (so many don't these days). This is one where the TOC is enjoyable to glance over, remember what was in each chapter, and fun/clever little statements (Chapter 2: The Point of a Study on Pointing. Chapter 3: An Inch for the Flat-Earth Theory. Chapter 4: When a Toucan Met a Penguin. Chapter 9: Rusty Metal Kangaroo Pouches. Chapter 10: Clouds are Clouds, Which is not Always the Good News. Chapter 11: Shhhh-Don't Disturb the Universe...) See, aren't those fun to read? I love chapter headings, especially when they are original and nudge the memory as to what was in that chapter.
Content Concerns: No proFanity. Dealing with death. A non-binary character. Two underage kids taking off (in "Ban This Book" one mother wanted [book:From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler|3980] pulled from school library shelves because those kids ran off to the local museum! What would she think of this???)
hopeful
informative
relaxing
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Pablum. Beach read.
adventurous
informative
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
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.
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.
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
"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
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