A review by shelleys_book_nook
A Different Kind of Gone by Catherine Ryan Hyde

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

Catherine Ryan Hyde is not one to shy away from tough topics...In this case, it is domestic violence. The characters were so real and I felt so bad for them and I cared about what happened to them. I was also really proud of them and how brave they were, it really made me think about how lucky I am. I absolutely adored the way Norma delivers her wisdom and, as always, one of the best parts of the book is the way Catherine Ryan Hyde writes dialogue. The author also adds animals in her stories, usually dogs and horses and A Different Kind of Gone is no exception. I love how the author makes the animals characters as well.

What I especially liked about this story was how it focused on women helping women and how domestic violence doesn't just affect the victim but their children, extended family and friends as well. Even after the violence has stopped and the women and children flee, it reverberates throughout the family for years. The questions raised in this story really made me think and I can't imagine what I would do if I were in this situation. Part of the story is also commentary on today's news networks, they report what people think and not what people know. As with most of this author's work, I will be thinking of this book for a very long time to come. The book is powerful, poignant, thought-provoking and absorbing, I read it in a couple of sittings. This one deserves all the stars.