Leaving Blythe River: A Novel Paperback – May 24, 2016

This book is outstanding! All of her books are so good, they leave me in a good place after I read one of them. This one is staying with me. I loved the characters, all of them! Catherine did a good job researching many of the story's key details. She is my absolute favorite writer of all time.

I enjoyed reading this book about a teenage boy coming of age in the wilderness. It's about his relationship with his parents and specifically his father whom he does not get along with. It's ironic that he comes of age in the wilderness living with his father as he did not want to be there. I felt the story was a little slow at first but the 2nd half was exciting and adventurous. There are some interesting characters in the book that the author describes well.

It kept my interest the whole way through this book. I felt like I could relate. It's a story about this 17 year old who had a father who cheated on his mother. The boy hated his father. When the son went to visit, the father went for a run and neverreturned. The adventure continues when this very shy boy had to go into the wilderness to find his dad.

Ethan Underwood has so many feelings plaguing him as insecurities. He is an awkward teen, too short, too young looking, intelligent but doesn't know it. After a devastating event, his world is turned upside down. Due to family complications he is sent to the wilderness of a small Wyoming town to spend time with his father who has betrayed him and his mom. It is a coming of age story when dire circumstances make him grow up fast and he becomes strong as a result. I won't be a spoiler but this one is a must read for adventure lovers. I couldn't put it down!

Ethan Underwood is seventeen, but looks 12, is uncoordinated and afraid of his own shadow. His dad, Noah, is bigger than life, an extreme athlete that doesn’t have much use for his scrawny son. When Noah and his wife separate, circumstances leave Ethan spending the summer with his dad in Blythe River. Ethan and his dad don’t have much to say to each other, in fact Ethan hates him at the moment and longs to be back in New York. When his dad goes out trail running in the mountains and doesn’t come back, a search is set up, but is Noah in the mountains or did he run off and leave Ethan to fend for himself? When the search is called off, Ethan isn’t ready to throw in the towel, so with help from his neighbor, Sam, who runs a pack outfit and another neighbor, 70 year old Jone, they set off into the mountains on a journey to find Noah. But will they be too late? A story of courage in the midst of fear, love in the midst of hate, and hope in the most dire of circumstances, once again Hyde pulls at our heartstrings and brings a cast of characters to life, characters that we have a hard time leaving behind on the pages.

In a world that's been high jacked by political,.economic, and racial divisions Catherine Ryan Hyde's books gives breath to compassion and empathy. It gives me hope for the human race. All of her books are well written and have memorable characters. I'm thankful she is a prolific writer too!

Probably would be a good read for a teenager. As a senior adult I found it “dumb downed” to the point of wanting to quit reading.

CATHERINE Ryan Hyde just may become my favorite author. The characters in this book are loaded with personality. Ethan is a typical teenager whose life is compounded by a self- absorbed father he hates. This makes for an excellent read. I know teens like this and the plot kept me reading way past my bed time. I'm going to work on getting my friends hooked on this author also.