Every once in a while I read a book that I really enjoy but I lack the words to give it the review it deserves. This is one of them.

This is the tragic story of Remy, which turns out better. Remy is the 5 year old son of a Survivalist father. His mother has passed away and his father turns to flight mode to escape the “ conflagration” which is sure to come. They live in the woods. The father dies and Remy is left on his own, to turn into a wild child. A wild child suffering unbelievable PTSD.

Anne is a woman whole likes to foster impossible children, to atone for psychological issues from her formative years. Predictably, she takes in Remy. At this point, Remy is a very damaged 8 year old child. Physically and mentally. And completely bewildered.

The story is told in alternate voices of Remy and Anne. Each version of the story is compelling on its own. Parts of the storyline seem to be predictable, yet at the same time unrealistic. But that did not stop me from turning pages.

I love Remy's character. I just want to hug him. He is a bright little boy who suffered so much. Anne's character is a little harder to warm up to. At times her relationship with her husband is tenuous. Their 2 children, Peter and Janie (former foster children, who were adopted) cautiously welcome Remy into their fold.

A lot is going on in the background of this story besides Remy's rehab. The pandemic (masks and vaccinations are mentioned) and a school shooting. Some reviewers have mentioned that this seems like overkill. But, realistically, life in the world happens around us every day. Even to those who are trying to recover from the worst thing in their world so far. Life during the pandemic was tough for everyone. I saw one review mention that the author was pushing her own agenda. Mentioning the pandemic and the procedures (masking, health questions, vaccinations) does not constitute an agenda. It was just the facts of life during the pandemic that affected the whole world.

This story highlights the plight of damaged foster children and the people who foster them. It’s a very difficult undertaking…..sometimes with good results, sometimes not. It really touched my heart when Remy says to his new Mom: “Thank you for keeping me,” he said. Just like a normal boy.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the Advance Readers Copy.

3.5…I enjoyed this book, but it was not my favorite Catherine Ryan Hyde book. It is a story about a father who is a survivalist. He takes his 5 year old son into the wilderness and teaches him how to survive, because he believes the world is coming to an end.

Parts of the book were very unbelievable to me. I think if Remi would have been older than five when his father took him, the story may have seemed more realistic, and I would have enjoyed it more. Some of the things that Remi was forced to do at five years old really seemed impossible.

I did enjoy Just a Regular Boy more as the story moved along. In the beginning I almost gave up. That being said I did become attached to Remi and Anne. Hyde has a way with fleshing out her characters making you fall in love with them.

If you are a Catherine Ryan Hyde fan definitely read this. As always when I am finished with one of her new reads it is disappointing because I have to wait awhile for a new book to come out.

Thank you NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

LOVED this story. This is only the second book I’ve read by this author and am fast becoming a big fan of her work. Perfect points of view from the characters; I love how we were able to see inside a child’s mind, his feral life, and the family waiting to ‘bring him home’.
Congratulations to Ms. Ryan Hyde and a big thank you to Net Galley allowing me early access to this awesome work!

Every book I read by Catherine Ryan Hyde becomes my new favorite. I don’t know how she always seems to find new unique ideas, but she does. Her characters do not remain characters for every long once I start reading. They become real people that I care immensely about. As in her previous books, she wrote a beautiful emotional story that broke my heart at the same time it was uplifted and rejoicing.

All people are all flawed and sometimes do not intentionally mean to cause the harm on others that they do, especially on their family, but they are harmed none the less. We carry the hurt within us, even though we fight to let it go. I believe this is at the root of this book, Just A Regular Boy. Due to harm caused, Remy is put in a terrible situation and also saved from it.

As in previous books, Ms. Hyde explores themes of relationships between children and older adults as mentors and friends, that family can be so much more than blood ties, healing is possible, forgiveness and knowledge are freeing, and it is okay to not be okay (because we all are not okay in some way).

This book is definitely in my top 5 of 2023. I know that even though I have read it early in the year. I highly recommend! It was a page turner for me and if I could, I would have read continuously, very anxious to read to the conclusion.

I want to thank Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for giving me the immense pleasure of reading the advance reader copy, with no obligation to write a review. My review is written freely as a hobby, and is totally my own opinion, not influenced by receiving the ARC.

This was a heartwarming, raw and wonderful story that will stay with you for awhile. I couldn't put this book down. She had me from beginning to end. I felt like this was a well paced book and found it so easy to get through even with the tense moments. I would highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a heartwarming book.

Thank you NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for allowing me to read this ARC in advance for my honest opinion.

Using the Covid period as the setting for this book, Remy is told by his father that the end is coming and that they need to look after themselves away from everyone else. Not only has Remy's mother died recently, but now he is also taken away from everything he knows including his best friend. After a long journey they arrive at their destination, in complete darkness. Waking up the next morning, cold and hungry, Remy is utterly confused. With his father's firm guidance he is immediately forced to learn how to survive and to "grow up".

Remy is days shy of his eighth birthday when he finds his father's dead body. Completely isolated from the world, he has to find a way to survive. With dwindling supplies, he makes a desperate attempt to get some more food and water.

Navigating his return to the great unknown of civilisation, including hospital treatments for the injuries he's sustained, he is suspicious of other people - are the friends or enemies?

The story of Anne is told in parallel and how she is longing for another foster child, someone who needs her. Via her contacts she hears of the feral boy, and her instinct tells her that she needs to help him.

The story is highly emotional, heartbreaking, and sometimes frustrating. Remy is definitely NOT just a regular boy - but with the love and care from Anne and her family he has a future ahead of him, where he is properly loved and supported.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for this eARC.

This isn’t the type of book I’d usually choose to read although I’m so glad I did. The reviews swayed me, and after reading the premise of this book I thought I’d give this a go. I found this to be a thought provoking read which was beautifully written. After his mother’s death Remy and his father, who is a survivalist, go into the wilderness and live very much off the grid. I think the author portrayed her characters so well, especially their thoughts, feelings and emotions that I could picture them in my mind when reading. This is a book that really pulled at my emotions and at times it was quite an emotional read, and other times very heartwarming and uplifting. I really liked the author’s writing style and how she told Remy and Anne’s story. I liked all the characters with the exception of Remy’s father, and loved the ending which I felt was a perfect fit for the book. If you want a book that grabs your emotions, where you’re just rooting for a young boy to survive then this is definitely the book for you. I’d look to reading other books by this author when I can.

4 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

2 ⭐️⭐️. Where do I start?! First off, this is my third book by Catherine Ryan Hyde. The other two were both 5 stars for me so I was really excited to receive an advanced copy of this one.

Let me start with what I did like. I don’t want to make this whole review negative. I really enjoyed the storyline itself. The first 40% was so good. I loved Remy from beginning to end. What a sweet and courageous little boy. Roy (his dad), well he was “off his rocker” so obviously didn’t like him. Anne, Chris, Peter and Janie - liked all of them. I loved how protective Anne was of Remy and how she wanted to help him before she even met him. His bond with her was a very sweet part of the book.

Now let’s get into the negatives. Oh Catherine! Why oh why did you have to go all Covid crazy in this book?!?! We lived through it…and masks/vaccinations were forced on so many people, it’s not something I want to go back and read about. Looking back at the synopsis, there is ZERO mention of Covid. To be honest, if I had known it would obsess over Covid I would never have chose to read it. It didn’t start until around 40% but once it started, it was OVERKILL. Again, no mention in the synopsis but from 40% to the end I kept track and here’s a rundown of Covid comments: Masks/face coverings were mentioned 27 times, vaccinations mentioned 4 times and Covid mentioned 7 times! Not only was it mentioned but it was obvious how the author feels because there were comments about being unmasked ONLY if vaccinated and making sure to show that vaccination card. Let’s not forget “pull up that mask and cover your nose” 🙄. Honestly I absolutely HATE when an author uses their book to push an agenda. I’m very, very disappointed in this author. Let me add that I’m not saying Covid couldn’t be mentioned at all but it was OVER THE TOP!!! Even in the last chapter she had to get one more mask comment in there!

Sadly, I felt like the ending dragged on and on. By 65%, I was ready to just be done with it, but I forced myself to push through and finish. Unfortunately, I don’t recommend this one.

Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

To see my other reviews, check out my Instagram and Goodreads pages:
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*Goodreads - Cherihy808

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

That’s what Remy Blake has been taught by his survivalist father. Raised off the grid in the middle of nowhere, his own survival skills not yet honed, Remy is days shy of his eighth birthday when his father unexpectedly dies. As seasons pass, supplies run out, and fending for himself grows more desperate, Remy sets out on foot, unprepared for the great unknown of civilization.

Just a Regular Boy is a truly uplifting story about resilience, trust, family & love. The story will pull at your heartstrings and will stay with you long after you finish reading. Remy is a character that I won’t forget! A superb read…highly recommended.

Thank you to Netgalley, and the publisher for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

We meet five-year-old Remy just as, following the death of Remy’s mother, his survivalist father moves the two of them to the middle of nowhere. Remy is taught by his father to fend for himself in a harsh environment; skills that prove to be vital when his father passes away just a couple of years later. Left alone in isolation, Remy survives as best he can, before reluctantly having to approach the society his father has convinced him has collapsed.

In the meantime, we also meet Anne, whose motivation as a mother is to foster and care for children whom nobody else thinks can be helped. When she hears rumours of a “wild boy”, she knows that she will be willing to do whatever she can to help this child, even if it won’t be easy.

What follows is a heart-warming tale of love and family, even in the most difficult of circumstances. Remy and Anne, as well as the characters that surround them, are brave and imperfect and ultimately looking for human connection. The story flows along at a nice pace, and I would certainly read more by this author.

My thanks to the author, NetGalley, and the publisher for the arc to review.

Thank you NetGalley for an early copy of Just a Regular Boy by Catherine Ryan Hyde in exchange for an honest review. (Out May 2, 2023.)

I did not want to put this book down! I found myself picking it up every chance I got. Despite how utterly heartbreaking it was, this was also a heartwarming book, filled with enough healing, hope, and resilience to help you through all of the trauma and helplessness Remy endured. But be prepared to read this with a box of tissues in hand!

Reading this, you can’t help but want to hug Remy, and wish to put yourself in the story so that you could be there for him. But I’m so glad he eventually had Anne. Catherine created such a special bond between them.
I definitely want to read more by this author.

Review also posted on my Goodreads and will soon be posted on my bookstagram account (@bookishlee_kaci.)

Just a Regular Boy is a beautiful, heart-warming story about found family and the grapple with understanding the sometimes scary, yet beautiful world in which we live.

Admittedly, I struggled to get into it at first - primarily because of the believability of the main character due to his young age. I found once I let that go, I was able to more easily get immersed in the story (although I do wish the author had aged him up a few years).

Once the story started to really come together I struggled to put it down. The growing relationships between the main character and his new family were beautiful and by the end of it I couldn't convince my eyes to stay dry.

It wasn't a perfect book - aside from the age issue I also found some of the dialogue to be a little clunky at times, however, overall, I did really enjoy it and would highly recommend, particularly for those who love stories based on found-family.

This is the first I have read from this author and I will definitely be looking through her backlist to read more.

Thanks to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for this ARC

Catherine Ryan Hyde knows how to guide readers on a journey of self-discovery through stories. I have had some of my most existentially profound thoughts and feelings while reading her books. Her skill in character development is unmatched, as is her development of theme. Read this beautiful bpok about this sweet little boy whose life is shaken like dice until he endures the most unlucky roll. Let Hyde take you on this boy’s journey and you will be reminded of what is really important in life. Bravo! Thanks SO much to NetGalley for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!

If the author is Catherine Ryan Hyde, I just grab the book because I know it will be amazing. Her characters jump off the page and into your life. She never fails to tug at my heart. In this book the character Remy is one I will never forget. Here's the book's description:

<i>"Out there is chaos, the collapse of society, and so much to be afraid of. All that matters is freedom.

That’s what Remy Blake has been taught by his survivalist father. Raised off the grid in the middle of nowhere, his own survival skills not yet honed, Remy is days shy of his eighth birthday when his father unexpectedly dies. As seasons pass, supplies run out, and fending for himself grows more desperate, Remy sets out on foot, unprepared for the great unknown of civilization.

He is found—near feral, silent, and terrified—in the small rural town of Blaire. To Anne, a nurturing mother of two adopted teenagers who’s still dealing with her own childhood rejections, Remy is not a lost cause. Just a challenging one. As Remy cautiously adapts to his new foster home, his family wants nothing more than to reassure him that he can trust the world. But to do so, they must first reexamine how much they trust the world themselves, and how much they should. As Remy’s journey into the real world begins, figuring out how to navigate it becomes a path they will have to learn to walk together."</i>

Remy was so brave! No child should have to face the monumental hurdles he had to deal with. I could not put this book down; I devoured it. The book moved at a good pace and there were a lot of tense moments. Highly recommended to anyone - I really can't think of anyone who would not like this book.

Thanks to Lake Union Publishing through Netgalley for an advance copy. This book will be published on May 2, 2023.

I found Just a Regular Boy to be another wonderful and beautiful story by Catherine Ryan Hyde. Five stars.

This story was very deeply emotional story that kept me going. I truly enjoyed it and would definitely recommend this to others.

I always love Catherine Ryan Hyde’s books, and this was no exception. She has a way with character development that draws you in, even if the story line isn’t supper exciting. Couldn’t put this book down. Thank you Netgalley Anna Lake Union Publishing for prerelease copy of book for honest review

Loved this book ! Remy is taken by his survivalist father “off the grid” and then expects him to have the survival skills most adults don’t have. When the father dies, Remy has to figure out how to save himself and decide who he can trust.

Anne is the mother of two teenagers who were adopted after she and her husband fostered him. Her marriage is struggling, but when she hears about this child she feels she has to help him. Will this make or break her marriage!


This is another excellent book by Catherine Ryan Hyde! Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Catherine Ryan Hyde always writes books with characters that are needing help in some way, along with loving and kind characters in the mix. I love that about her writing. Just a Regular Boy is about a boy who faces the challenges of living off the grid with his survivalist father, at the age of 5. I have read many of Hyde's books and the way she writes has always drawn me in. I need to care about the character(s) to keep going in the book, and as soon as you begin Just a Regular Boy, you will care about Remy. This book touches on some of the current issues in our country as well as the way people can become divided and fearful of the state of our world.

After his mother’s death, five-year-old Remy is taken away from everything he knows by a paranoid survivalist father who whisks Remy into the forest and teaches him to live on his wits. Frightened, overwhelmed, and missing his best friend and mother, Remy is forced to call his father Roy, gather wood, hunt, fish, and forage in the forest on his own.

Roy spouts paranoia about the outside world and warns Remy not to trust anyone, so when his father unexpectedly dies on the eve of Remy’s eighth birthday and the start of winter, he is once again thrown into turmoil. Supplies run low and the firewood his father always kept chopped has disappeared. Left with no choice, Remy tries to drive the old pickup but crashes and is badly injured. Now, he must walk out of the woods, face whatever is out there, or stay in the one-room cabin and die.

Desperation makes the decision for him, and Remy sets out, hoping aliens, or something worse. doesn’t get him. He finds a small village and raids the local store for food only to get chased back to the woods by the owner’s dogs. Hurt and out of strength, Remy holes up and is found by a foster mom who heard about the ‘feral boy’ from miles away and felt the need to help.

Anne takes him in without really talking it over with her husband or their two teenage, adopted children, and compromises must be made. Real-world issues such as Covid, mass school shootings, and family dynamics are explored in this heartwarming story. A family opens their home and hearts to a lost child who dreams of being a regular boy.