Every single Catherine Ryan Hyde novel is different, yet each one contains similar themes. These include adolescent children in difficult, abusive or painful situations, often suffering at the hands of adults, parents or societal problems. In each, there is a strength within that helps them thrive and survive. Also in each, there is one person who makes a difference by behaving in an alruistic and kind way.

And yet in each moving and beautiful book, we find out about free climbing, dogs, horses, veterinary medicine, art. and any number of other interesting subjects we may not know a lot about.

Boy Underground is a historical novel about the days following Pearl Harbor and its effect on a 14 year old California farm boy.. Steven Katz lives with unloving, uncommunicative parents. He has no friends until he meets a Japanese boy at baseball tryouts and his life changes. Suki introduces him to Ollie and Nick and the four become fast friends.

As always in a Ryan Hyde novel, all the characters are three-dimensional and very real. The interior monologues of the boy are also accurate and relatable. And her descriptions of climate and scenic beauty will paint a picture in your mind.

I don't know how she can produce such a succession of wonderful books so frequently, but I for one am a loyal follower, waiting impatiently for each new one. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

In 1941, Steven Katz is a 14 year who is having a very hard time in school until he meets Ollie, Nick and Suki. They bond on an overnight camping trip, Although when they return from their camping trip the world has changed… World War II has started, Nicks father is arrested, Suki ( being Japanese) is treated as an outcast by the town , Ollie enlists and Steven has to hide Nick from the Police.
These boys saw each other as friends not with racism, homophobia,or injustices. These are boys handling these subjects better than most adults then and now .
Catherine Ryan Hyde brings such emotion and a gentleness to the subjects of tragedy , homophobia, racial injustices, love and loss.
Everytime I finish one of her book I am amazed at how much it makes me want to do better , be better, and each and every book of hers becomes part of me,

Boy Underground is a captivating coming of ages tale set in a California farming town in the wake of World War 2. Four friends find themselves at a crossroads: one enlists, one flees, one is relocated, and one falls deeply in love and does everything he can to make things right. It is through the narrator's eyes that we are shown this world of nationalism, bigotry, and finding your way in a world that will not have you.

I appreciated so much about this book, but it reads as if it were a young adult novel, due to the fact that the majority of the story revolves around the main character's teen years. As a YA novel, this book hits all the marks and is exceptional, and I would think that many young men would want to read this coming of age story, even though it is not directly marketed toward a YA audience. Given the subject matter, I am surprised that I never fully emotionally connected with the story, which is why I deducted one star (though I can't specifically pinpoint what could have made it more emotionally engaging for me). That being said, Catherine Ryan Hyde has written a beautiful, heartfelt story about love and friendship and I recommend it!

CW: homophobia, racism, death

Advanced copy provided courtesy of Lake Union publishing via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a good book, but it just had something missing for me. It took me a while to read, which also tells me that that I wasn’t excited enough to keep picking it up to see what was happening in it. It’s possibly just that I wasn’t in the right mind frame for this type of book at the moment. However, I am sure others will enjoy it.

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

Boy Underground by Catherine Ryan Hyde has depth and meaning. It is a wonderfully developed story based on teenagers growing up in the 1940s. Racism, death, love and hate, war, sexual identity and communication are among the topics dealt with deftly. I feel like I really got to know these boys through their struggles.

Another Catherine Ryan Hyde book that did not disappoint. Make sure to have a box of Kleenex nearby, when you get to the end of the book. This is a coming of age story about beautiful friendships, loving relationships, loyalty and tolerance for all people. It takes place in rural California during WWll.

Steven, Nick, Ollie and Suki have formed an unusual bond towards each other. They all come from different backgrounds with not much in common, but that doesn’t stop them from being inseparable and always looking out for one another. I loved being a witness to Steven’s growth throughout the novel. He becomes more confident and braver as the story progressed.

The story is narrated by Steve Katz. He is the savior of the group. His friend Nick has told him that things have to be”level” to really have a good relationship with someone. If one person is the savior and the other person never saves, then the relationship won’t work. Two people in a relationship have to be on “even” ground. What great advice! Steven realized at the end of the book that though he always tried to save everyone, what he was really doing was trying to save himself.

Thank you NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for an ARC of Boy Underground for an honest review. It will be available the the public December 7, 2021. Make sure to mark this one in your calendar it might be your favorite read of 2021.

This is out of my regular genre but well worth the read. Packed with emotion and tenderness these characters come to life on the page. Such a great look into the human psyche.
Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book

I was engrosed in this book from the first page and couldn't put it down. It is narrated by Steven, a 14 year old in 1941, when the US joined WW2 after an attack on Pearl Harbour. Steven comes from a somewhat priviliged white family but has made friends with sons of farm hands, Suki, Nick and Ollie. Suki is Japanese, at a time where all Japenese people were relocated to camps, Nick was accused of a crime he did not commit so is hiding from the police, Ollie at almost 18, enlists early to war and Steven has beliefs that his family disapprove of. The story follows Steven until the end of WW2 in 1945, and then we jump to the present (2019). This is a story of friendship, loyalty, prejudice and hardships of growing up. Very emotional story well worth the read.

Catherine Ryan Hyde has a way of writing stories that stay with you for a LONG time. This is one of them! This is a story of Stephen that is beautifully told. Stephen doesn’t fit in with the other members of his family, and when he finally makes friends with a group of boys who allow him to be himself, life seems to get better. Little does Stephen know, but their lives will soon be turned upside down because of the war. What a wonderful book!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.

I am a big fan of Catherine Ryan Hyde, and have enjoyed most of her books immensely. When I saw the synopsis of this book, I was sure I wouldn't enjoy it as it had a historical setting of the 1940's during the Pearl Harbor attack. However, it isn't a war story, but rather a story of a teenage boy coming to grips with who he truly is, and who his parents are not.
As usual, Catherine Ryan Hyde presents in-depth characters, struggling to know who they are, and what their role is, in their families, and in life.

I am a Catherine Ryan Hyde fan and I encourage you to read this book and go back and read her other novels if you haven't already. Ms. Hyde takes on difficult topics and develops her stories in such a way that you never finish a book without having learned something new!

Catherine Ryan Hyde is one of my favorite authors, and I was very excited to read Boy Underground, her newest book. It did not disappoint! I loved this book so much! It was unlike any of her other books in that it was historical fiction, written like a memoir. It was a coming of age story, full of so much tenderness, love, pain, and wisdom. Once I started reading it, I simply could not put it down. I absolutely adored this novel! Thank you to Net Galley for giving me the opportunity to read an advance copy. This, in my opinion, is Catherine Ryan Hyde’s best book yet.

This was a really lovely story. It's about friendship, race, intolerance, love and so much more. I really loved the friendship between the four young men. It was touching the way that they grew to support one another. They all had things they were hiding... or not open about but they welcomed each other.

Steven, the main character, was quite remarkable. I liked the way he thought and really appreciated the way that he stood up for his friends despite overwhelming push back from his family. He's strong and determined and loyal.

The author has written with care and attention about the Japanese internment during the war. It is written from the perspective of a young white man, but he's always clear about the things he doesn't understand or feels he should have thought of. It was like actually being in the mind of a young person who was struggling with living in two worlds.

I would gladly recommend this book to anyone. Well-written, well thought out, authentic and important.

In 1941, fourteen year old Steven Katz has made friends with 3 sons of men who work on his father's farm. This is not socially acceptable to his family, especially because one of his friends, Suki, is Japanese. As the war goes on, Manzanar, a Japanese relocation camp is built nearby, Steven's friend Ollie joins the army and Nick, who Steven has feelings for, is in trouble with the law. Steven struggles with his feelings, and his family, and tries to protect his friends.

This is my first book by this author and I am so looking forward to catching up with the many of hers that I haven't read yet. Boy Underground is a wonderful story, narrated by Steven who was a young teenager when the US entered WW2 following the attack on Pearl Harbour in December 1941; he is narrating from years hence and the story is so well told. Many difficult subjects are covered and I was amazed at the author's scope and intelligent writing. With thanks to NetGalley and the publishers and author for the opportunity to read and review an e-ARC of this title.

Life is constantly in motion. Forever changing. We bend and sway in response........never realizing the transformation taking place within us.

Steven Katz never knew that trying out for the baseball team in high school would actually hit a lifetime homerun for him. It's here in the heat of Owens Valley, California in 1941 that Steven will meet Suki Yamamoto, Ollie, and Nick sitting on a picnic bench near the field. All are tall, lanky fourteen year olds except for Ollie who is seventeen. An immediate friendship takes place.

But a solid bond will form as the boys plan to hike together in the Sierras. The trails are rough and the steep terrain almost unexpected, but they make it to the crystal blue lake. When they make it back down to the trail head, the world will have changed. It's the 7th of December and America has been attacked by the Japanese at Pearl Harbor. Nothing will ever be the same for these boys.

And to add to the chaos is the reality that FDR signed the War Relocation Authority in which Japanese living in America were sent to camps. Suki and his family will be relocated to Manzanar. Ollie will volunteer for service and Nick will be accused of a crime that he did not commit. And Steven will become an outcast in his own family because of his beliefs and his personal choices.

It is mindboggling to even imagine the long corridors that exist in the mind of Catherine Ryan Hyde. She creates stories that are so brilliant and so painfully human time and time again. Her characters range from all ages and from all backgrounds depicting joyous triumphs to gut-wrenching realities. Boy Underground is especially poignant. Through the character of Steven, she allows us to experience the global nature of the world in meltdown mode through war. And then through the voice of this young boy, we hold snippets of the aftermath of the breakdown of his soul. Beautifully rendered. A must read.

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to Lake Union Publishers and to the talented Catherine Ryan Hyde for the opportunity.

Very good read. Wasn't sure if I'd enjoy but I love her other works so I said why not and I'm so glad I did .excellent reading

It is 1941 and fourteen year old Steven Katz, the son of a wealthy, conservative farmer, is desperate to make his father proud of him. He turns up at the baseball selections for team play. He sees one of the Japanese boys ready for his try-out who fails miserably. They get talking and it is at this point that Steven meets Itsuki Yamamoto, soon to become his saviour. Suki introduces Steven to his friends Ollie, aged seventeen and Nick, the same age as both Steven and Suki. Before meeting these three boys Steven had become aware that somehow he didn’t fit in with his old friends who he had made when he was much younger. But with Suki, Ollie and Nick he feels safe, cared for and excited about the opportunities he will have with his new pals. He knows better than to mention his new friends to his family. His new friend’s families are not like his and his parents would not be happy for him to associate with these sons of labourers. It is a matter of class and his family knew they might be judged and even ostracised if Steven were seen with friends below his social status.
The group of four teenagers quickly become really close. Soon Steven realises he has feelings for Nick. He is confused but Nick seems to like him and that is just fine for him. They meet every day at school and share their news. They even go camping, hiking up the Sierra Nevada Mountains and swimming in a lake although it is the 6th of December and is snowing.
Then the tragic news breaks. Pearl Harbour has been bombed and the US enter World War 11 in a fight against the Japanese. Ollie has enlisted into the army and is on his way to the war by sea. A secluded area has been turned into an internment camp called Manzanar. All Japanese families are rounded up, including Suki who was born and bred in America. Nick has been framed by his own father with a false claim that he has committed a serious assault that may turn into a murder charge. His father produces a so-called witness and the hunt is on for Nick to face charges. Steven shields Nick in an isolated and deserted root cellar on his farm. He tends to his needs in the darkness of the night, visiting him daily with food, drink and other necessities, only saying goodbye to him after Nick’s father is goaled for the crime he is proved to have committed. Nick flees to his mother but continues to write to Steven.
The story continues in 2019 and Steven narrates the story of his boyhood and adolescence as a ninety four year old man looking back on his life. He also tells the story of what happened after the war ended. He reunited with his friends and was loyal to them. His friendships had proved to be lifelong and were celebrated by annual get togethers.
This poignant story is perhaps the best of Catherine Ryan Hyde’s thirty two novels, numerous short stories, and even non-fiction books. Every novel is a new opportunity for you to discover her magical and stunningly beautiful writing for both adult and young adult readers. She knows her craft inside-out and is a prolific author; one that will never disappoint you. All of her novels are unique, new and fresh. I am in awe of her huge talent and always wait eagerly for a new title to be available. This story examines modern and age old issues such as racism, warfare, homophobia, injustice, friendship, loyalty and social stigma. It is both heart-warming and heart breaking. I always learn something from Catherine’s novels. This time it was about the persecution of the Japanese which Steven compared with Hitler and his persecution of Jews, Poles, Gypsies and other non-Aryans.
I received a complimentary copy of this novel from publisher Lake Union through my membership of NetGalley. It was sent to my Kindle in return for an honest and unbiased review and I would like to thank them for my copy of the novel. It’s an all-round 5* review from me and the parts I loved best of all were how Steven framed his life and how the author actually rounded off her novel. Be alert for surprises, you may shed a few tears but you’ll certainly enjoy your whole reading experience.

I am never disappointed with a book by Catherine Ryan Hyde. Boy Underground was no exception. It was wonderfully written, engaging, heartfelt and I felt so invested in the characters. She was able to touch on so many difficult subjects and tied them together well. The lesson that family is not who you are born to, but really those you choose or who choose you to love is clear as well as how important it is to protect those we love and to stand up for them. I highly recommend reading Boy Underground.

Oh this book! Catherine Ryan Hyde never disappoints. This one is about 15 year old Steven hiding his best friend, Nick who happens to be the young man he loves (boy) in an old root cellar (underground) on his father's farm. His other friend, Olly is off in the Pacific to fight in WWII and the fourth of the friends, Suki is at an internment camp for the Japanese.

As usual Catherine Ryan Hyde writes a thought provoking story that pulls at the heartstrings. I loved these boys and felt heartsick when they were sad and I was delighted when they were happy. This book is so beautifully written and is so very emotional on many fronts. It also deals with many issues such as coming out, racism and prejudice because of social class to name a few. The romance part of this book really had me hoping that Nick and steven would end up together. You'll have to read this to find out if they do. This book is so emotional it really moved me and will stay with me for a very long time.