I got into Ryan Hyde a few years ago, and I bought this one in my quest to work through her back catalog. Unfortunately, it sat in the dreaded TBR for far too long. As this is well-reviewed, I will keep this review fairly short.
While naïve about some things in life, Ethan is intelligent and thoughtful, and he’s also very witty. I loved the way he interacted with those around him. The characters and the storyline work so well together, and I loved the setting. I enjoy reading about people pushing themselves to the limit in an outdoor setting, and Ethan was no exception. While his task wasn’t easy, he persevered, and those around him pushed him to succeed. Overall, this is an enjoyable read in an idyllic setting with a young man whose perseverance shines through.
Leaving Blythe River is available on Amazon for $1.99, it’s enrolled in KU.
About the Book:
Seventeen-year-old Ethan Underwood is totally unprepared to search for his father in the Blythe River National Wilderness. Not only is he small, scrawny, and skittish but he’s barely speaking to the man after a traumatic betrayal. Yet when his father vanishes from their remote cabin and rangers abandon the rescue mission, suddenly it’s up to Ethan to keep looking. Angry or not, he’s his father’s only hope.
With the help of three locals—a fearless seventy-year-old widow, a pack guide, and a former actor with limited outdoor skills—he heads into the wild. The days that follow transform Ethan’s world. Hail, punishing sun, swollen rapids, and exhausting pain leave him wondering if he’s been fooled yet again: Is his father out here at all? As the situation grows increasingly dire, Ethan realizes this quest has become about more than finding his dad.
From the bestselling author of Pay It Forward comes a story of nature revealing human nature—the trickiest terrain. Navigating an unforgiving landscape, Ethan searches himself for the ability to forgive his father—if he finds him alive.
Rae's Reading Lounge 
Terrific review, I like books about the wilds and nature.
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