Just a Regular Boy is another well crafted, emotional novel by Catherine Ryan Hyde. This book pulled me in at the beginning and kept me engaged to the last page. After Remy’s mother dies, when he is 5 his father takes him to a remote cabin to escape the world he fears. After his father dies there and leaves Remy alone, Remy must learn to survive. His re-entry into the world we know is difficult but against all odds is possible. This is a book filled with fear, loneliness, survival, and learning to trust and help others. Just a Regular Boy is a worthy read.

'You look at the world, see it for exactly what it is, and then make this conscious choice to be a part of it.'

Remy is just five years old when, having recently lost his mother, his father, decides to escape the threats of society and 'enslavement' to authority, to become a survivalist. Roy takes Remy with him to a small cabin in the remote woodlands, determined to be done with society and its imminent downfall. Remy is relied upon to carry his weight by doing chores and living 'like a man' within Roy's egalitarian ideals. When Roy unexpectedly dies, the real story of survival begins.

Told in a dual narrative, we learn that Anne has been ignoring her troubled marriage and instead concentrates on finding another child to foster; to prove that no child is truly unlovable. Anne soon learns, after Remy moves in, that actually it's everyone who is fighting for their own survival, 'We walk around thinking we're different from everybody else. Thinking it's just us.'

'Just a Regular Boy' is a very engaging and readable book. Written during the COVID pandemic, when we were all scared and isolated, for me it clearly draws parallels with how people isolate in fear, lash out like angry wounded animals and resent what society has inflected upon them. However, the realisation is that bad things happen, sadly, around us every day but we need to choose to move past them and not give them extraordinary credence or consideration. 'You look at the world, see it for exactly what it is, and then make this conscious choice to be a part of it.' My only slight criticism is I believed Remy articulated his thoughts and emotions well beyond a small child's capability. However, I would definitely recommend this as a short, thoughtful read with lessons for all of us.

Remy is brought up by his father as a survivalist in the woods. When his father suddenly dies, Remy is left on his own. After he is found, it takes the patience and strength of foster mother, Anne, to help him recover and become himself again.

This was quite the tale of recovery and emotional support. It was a unique plot, heartbreaking, but also hopeful. The first half is much different than the second half; a before and after. Both parts were page turners. Once Remy is rescued and his recovery begins, you can’t wait to see how it ends. It shows the power of love and family.

“He didn’t want to be a free man. He didn’t want to be any kind of man. He wanted to be a child, and be cared for as a child.”

A Regular Boy comes out 5/2.

A thought-provoking, emotional story. I fell hard for the main character, Remy, who survives three years in the wilderness before he is nine, only part of which is with his survivalist father. This is such a tough and tender look at trauma, and the steps we must take to begin the healing process. I won’t forget Remy anytime soon.

This is just such a heart-wrenching tale of Remy, a five year old boy who is taken to live in a basic off the grid hut in the wilderness by his survivalist father, Roy, after his mother dies. Roy tells Remy society will collapse soon and he must beware other people who will only want to hurt or kill him. When Roy dies suddenly, Remy is left alone and terrified. He’s worried he’s not yet able to survive on his own but he’s even more terrified of looking for someone to ask for help.

Remy is eventually found outside a small rural town, living in the woods with a broken leg and other injuries, stealing food when he can. Rather than send him to an institution, a foster carer, Anne agrees to take in the traumatized and injured boy. She knows it’s going to be a long road and it will be tough on her marriage and her other two adopted children but also knows no one else will take him.

Catherine Ryan Hyde always writes such wonderful characters and Remy and Anne are no exception. Roy is more difficult to understand, particularly how his delusions about the end of the world lead him to so abjectly neglect of his young son’s welfare. Told in both Remi's and Anne's voices, it’s a wonderful tale of how Anne and her family gradually bring a broken boy back into the world he has been taught to fear, but it’s also about Anne’s journey with Remy which ultimately helps her to better understand herself and strengthen her marriage.

I really enjoyed this at times heartbreaking at times redemptive tale of a young scarred and scared little boy. A tale of real love, sacrifice and found family. Remy will steal your heart!

My only issue I had was the gratuitous and abundant talk of masks and vaccines. It was totally unnecessary to this story.

I will definitely be adding more Catherine Ryan Hyde to my library!

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic review copy received in exchange for an honest review.
Expected publication date: May 2, 2023
Catherine Ryan Hyde has a way of writing powerful, emotional novels that hit you right in the feels. The author of “Pay It Forward” (and forty four other books, by the way) again pulls on the heartstrings with her newest novel, “Just a Regular Boy”.
When Remy is five years old, his mother passes away and his father, devastated by her loss, moves himself and Remy into a secluded cabin in the wilderness. Remy’s father is convinced the world outside is about to implode, and the only way to stay safe is to stay away from everyone and everything and live a life off the grid. When Remy’s father dies, Remy is eight years old and does everything his father taught him in order to stay alive, including staying away from people. But eventually he’s discovered and he’s brought into the care of Anne and Chris, who want to provide the right kind of environment for Remy. But with a boy as traumatized as poor Remy is, the responsibility could prove to either make, or break, Anne and Chris’ marriage.
Similar to “Room”, the main protagonist is young Remy, and he narrates his portion of the novel in his own words. The reader is able to see the world through the boys’ eyes, bringing into perspective the honesty, naiveté, and unwavering trust young children have. Anne, who becomes the boy’s foster mother, narrates the other portion of the novel, and it is through this that the reader is able to experience the joys, and horrors, of bringing a traumatized soul into your life, and your marriage.
Obviously, I loved Remy and immediately felt sympathy for him. Anne, too, has her own demons, leading her to bring the most traumatized kids into her home. The two connect from the beginning, and the ending is predicted right from page one.
Ryan Hyde manages to highlight the struggles of foster care, as well as the benefits, in a completely nonjudgmental and honest way. The stigmas Remy faced, through no fault of his own, is heartbreaking and the only way to end the novel is the way Ryan Hyde did- in an authentic and heartwarming way.
Ryan Hyde’s books are always good for a light read, full of positivity and hope, and there is no better time than now to pick up one of her novels (and I highly recommend “Just A Regular Boy”). For anyone who has ever struggled with finding their place, and finding love and family, it will connect on a deep, emotional level.

Another great read from Catherine Ryan Hyde! This story focus on Remy, whose father is a survivalist and who takes him into the isolated wilderness after his mother dies when Remy is only 5 years old. Remy eventually meets up with Anne, who has fostered several children and who — along with her husband — has adopted two of them, and a truly heartwarming story of human resilience and innate kindness then begins. The characters in this novel are well-developed and very easy to connect with, and the plot line will keep you turning pages. All in all, this was an excellent read . . . as are the other books by this author that I have read.

This was such a wonderful book that I didn’t want it to end. I kept wanting to see how Remy’s life would turn out!!

Ms. Hyde’s greatest strength is her incredible characters. Once again she delivers a heartfelt story, this time about a young boy, Remy, who was “Just A Regular Boy” until his mother passed away. As if that isn’t traumatic enough, his increasingly paranoid father, a survivalist, sells their house and takes 5 y/o Remy into the absolute wilderness in Idaho. No electricity, no water, nothing but a small log cabin with 2 bunk beds and a wood stove.

Roy spends the next couple of years brainwashing Remy into thinking that everyone in the world outside their little camp will kill him if he is caught. He thinks the world is about to come to an end and he describes what I would call a “Walking Dead” type of scenario. Can you just imagine the horror that this little boy has been made to imagine!!

When Roy dies of a heart attack Remy tries to continue on, fishing, using up the rest of the supplies, going into town to steal food. Eventually he no longer cares what happens to him and he ventures into the small town outside of Boise.

Anne has fostered and cared for other children, she has adopted two, and her husband initially thinks that Remy is too much to take on. However once Remy’s personality starts to shine, the entire family loves him. When the police finally track down his father’s remains he is able to have closure and move on. The help of his best friend from “before”, Lester, and his mother are very instrumental in helping both Remy and his adoptive parents to understand how he was “before” and they also help to nurture him.

This was such a heartbreaking story – that a father would choose to inflict this on his son is a travesty.

This is only by second book by this author but I will be sure to be reading her backlist.

Recommended to EVERYONE!!

I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher through NetGalley. It was my pleasure to read and review this title.

A five-year-old boy, Remy is taken away by his 'Survivalist' father to live in the wilderness, as he feels that it is the only place where they would have freedom. He manages to convince his little boy that people in uniform are not to be trusted.  The boy struggles in the cold, hunger, loneliness, and battles injuries. He loses track of time too. There he lives from ages five to nine without talking to anyone and surviving on the bare minimum, till his need for survival makes him come close to the town, particularly after his father's demise.  He is termed as a wolf boy and a wild animal till he is placed in the foster home of Anne and Chris who have their own backstory for what makes them foster on a regular basis.  The book is a story of how he blends back into society and start trusting it again despite the world having its own challenges like the aftermath of the pandemic, rampant shooting in schools, and other challenges. 

The underlying theme of the book is fear and how "human beings cope and learn to live with their eyes open, see the world as it is and make a conscious choice to be a part of it"

My favourite part of the book was when Remy asks Anne alluding to his father,  " If I know he was wrong, and I know what he did was a bad thing for me, does that mean I'm not supposed to love him and be sad he died?" 

I felt that line holds true for most human races when we love and hate in equal parts. 

While the premise of the story was extremely good, I was a tad disappointed in its handling by the author who I admire a lot, having read many of her books.  Considering the little boy's trauma for four years of his life, his transition from a wild boy to a 'regular boy'  was too smooth to render it interesting or true.  There wasn't much conflict from the time he is taken in by Anne which makes it too fictional and unrealistic.  It was also 'dialogue-heavy' and I felt it was moralizing and pontifying in places- particularly the words coming out of the therapist.

My first thought after finishing this book was I wish I could give it ten stars. I loved this book so much that I read it in a single sitting. I love Catherine Ryan Hyde books and have read everything she has ever written. I would read a grocery list if she wrote it! Please don’t read too much into the blurb, it’s not really about a survivalist, it’s about what it did to a five to eight year old boy emotionally and how a nearly broken Anne helps bring him back and how he also healed her. in his own way. Anne and Remy really grow and learn from each other.

This one is from two points of view, we have five-year-old Remy and his foster to adopt mother Anne. Remy’s situation broke my heart but by the end of the book he and Anne and their family helped put the pieces back together again. It was such an emotional story, it was intense and sad but also very compassionate. I will be thinking of this story for years to come. I hugged the book when done.

Once again, I am sad to get to the end of one of Catherine Ryan Hyde’s books. This is the story of Remy. When Remy was 5, his father took him deep in the woods and they lived in seclusion and fear. When Remy is finally able to emerge, the world is a scary place. Remy shows so much courage and is able to eventually find a loving circle of people. Loved this book so much!

4.5 ⭐️
Another lovely story by Catherine Ryan Hyde.

Remy is just a boy of 5 when his survivalist father, who’d gone off the deep end after the death of Remy’s mother, takes them deep into the wilderness to live off the land, as far from people as possible.

<spoiler>From the very first moment, he seems to expect Remy to be right up to speed with things, throwing him right into the deep end to sink or swim. It could be argued that he does both- sinks, and swims. The traumas he endures- and the fact that he DOES endure them- first having to step up and take care of himself and his father, when his father seems unable, and then having to take care of himself, when his father is no longer there. </spoiler>

Some really good insights into trauma, understanding, empathy (CRH is my go-to for stories that both depict and foster feelings of empathy), and the ways we can help each other heal. All wrapped in a story that is also enjoyable to read.

*I was provided with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.*

4 heart-breaking stars

Catherine Ryan Hyde has a way of creating characters that become very real. Much of this book is from a young boy’s perspective and the writing is appropriately simple when we hear his story. At age 5, his survivalist father sells everything and moves them to an isolated cabin with no running water or electricity. He’s convinced the end of the world is coming and teaches Remy not to trust anyone, especially anyone with the government. Remy is taken away from everything he’s ever known and his best friend Lester.

Remy’s father teaches him to survive in the wild, but it is not a world that Remy enjoys at all and he’s very lonely. When he accidentally hurts himself, there are no doctors to treat his wounds. This life is bleak for him. Then his father doesn’t return from hunting one day and the supplies get dangerously low as winter is setting in.

The other perspective comes from Anne, a woman with a heart of gold who fosters children. She’s just had to let go of one foster and she feels like she needs to fill the spot with someone really needy. She finds that very needy child in Remy.

This story shows the real trauma that some children go through and what it takes to love them and work to heal them. Anne, her husband, and their two teenage foster children embrace Remy and work to build an amazing found family.

As usual, Catherine Ryan Hyde brings us a heartwarming and delightful read. A little boy is being tracked, having been abandoned in the woods and considered 'uncivilized.' Anne, mother to two adopted teens feels a call to foster one more child. A child who is not yet in the system because they cannot locate him.

What I love most about CRH's writing is the characters that she crafts. They are perfectly flawed and lovable in a way that makes you root for them and fills your cup by the end. It really is a breath of fresh air in this day and age. Same with Hyde's plot construction. It's comforting, cozy, yet compelling. That combined with my love of isolated settings and survivalism in books, made this a book I adored!

4.5 Stars for JUST A REGULAR BOY

I've read several books by Catherine Ryan Hyde and, while they usually seem to follow the pattern of pairing a child in distress with an unlikely adult companion, that is where the similarities end.

In this novel, 5 year old Remy is forced to live in the wilderness with his survivalist father as they both mourn the loss of Remy's mother. Conditioned to think that the world's societies are crumbling and all remaining humans will be killed or enslaved, Remy fears everyone outside their makeshift camp. But when he finds himself completely alone and must depend on others or die, he discovers the extremes in his father's thinking. Embraced by a foster family, with an especially determined and intuitive foster mother, Remy learns Life's actual truths. Yes, the world is a tough place and bad things happen, but when you are loved, validated, protected, and wanted, it can make all the difference.

Catherine Ryan Hyde never fails to amaze me with her unique stories. Once again her young protagonist is wise beyond his years but with an emotional fragility that only love can heal. The character development is excellent. The theme of trust vs fear is very strong throughout, making readers examine their own lives and insecurities.

If I had one criticism, I would say that the COVID theme with its "we're fine, we've been vaccinated" is a bit heavy handed at times. The author lives in California, where that is very much the way of thinking, but the story takes place in Idaho, where beliefs are more varied. I wish that ideology had been fine-tuned more to match the setting. Overall, though, this is a special book that I would definitely recommend to others.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This was such an emotional story that once you started reading you could just not put down. It was both sad, joyful, happy and makes you feel so bad for Remy. Remy was 5 when his mother passed away. Remy's dad, Roy, was a survivalist and once Remy's mother passed away his father just decided to pick up and move to a remote cabin in the woods with Remy. He taught Remy that everyone and everything was bad and it just wasn't a good world. When Remy's father passed away from a heart attack, after a couple of years, Remy had to learn to survive on his own, in the middle of no where. Remy decided he had to take the risk of being caught and maybe killed, as he learned from his father, because he just couldn't do it any longer. A loving Foster Family took him in and tried to teach and show him the world just wasn't as bad as his father told him it was. Will Remy believe them, will he learn to love and trust the world again. This was just a wonderful read and you won't be able to put it down from the 1st sentence. Thank you!

4.5 Stars

I always take the opportunity to read Catherine Ryan Hyde authored books. She has a formula that appeals to me. It usually involves a youth that is wise before their time, has endured much strife, and triumphs over adversity. There is profound dialogue and many touching moments. She executed these points on all fronts with aplomb.

This particular story involves a 5 year old boy named Remy. When his mother passes away, the father (who is a survivalist) sells the family home and moves with Remy to a bare bones cabin out in the boondocks...off the grid. The dad influences his son never to go near the road or to interact with the rare person who might drive by. He breeds a sense of distrust in his son and of the state of the world beyond their secret location. Without giving away the remainder of the book, suffice it to say that Remy experiences injuries, loneliness, extreme hunger, fear and despair before circumstances intervene to bring him back from the brink. My experience with this book was one of being riveted, in wonder at the compassion of human beings, and at times welled up with tears. Bravo, Catherine Ryan Hyde...you've done it again!

Thank you to Lake Union Publishing for providing an advance reader copy via NetGalley.

I really enjoy Catherine Ryan Hyde’s books, she comes up with such original stories. This one didn’t disappoint.
People have commented that the Covid storyline was unnecessary but Remy is being brought up by a survivalist father, (saying no more as don’t want to spoil story.) This is where the covid element in the story really works as Remy thinks his fathers talk has all come true.
Well worth reading.

This was a very riveting book. I really enjoyed the characters and storyline. Thank you Netgalley for allowing me to read this advanced copy. Looking forward to any new books by Catherine Ryan Hyde.