Seven Perfect Things by Catherine Ryan Hyde

☆☆☆☆☆
.PDF, 255 pages
Expected Publication: May 4th 2021 by Lake Union Publishing

About the Book:
Thirteen-year-old Abby Hubble lives in an unhappy home in the Sierra Nevada foothills where her father makes life miserable for her and her mother, Mary. One day Abby witnesses a man dump a litter of puppies into the nearby river. Diving in to rescue all seven, she knows she won’t be able to bring them home. Afraid for their fate at the pound, she takes them to an abandoned cabin, where all she can offer is a promise that she’ll be back the next day. To grieving widower Elliot Colvin, life has lost meaning. Looking for solace, he retreats to the hunting cabin he last visited years ago, before his wife’s illness. What he discovers is not at all what he expected: seven puppies and one determined girl with an indomitable heart. As Abby and Elliot’s friendship deepens, Abby imagines how much better her life—and the puppies’ lives—would be if her mother were married to Elliot instead of her father. But when Abby’s father moves the family hundreds of miles away, Abby and her mother must decide how long they’re willing to defer happiness.

My Review:

This was such a riveting, emotional, and enlightening read. I have been a fan of Catherine Ryan Hyde for twenty plus years and she rarely disappoints. There is just something that draws me to dysfunctional family stories, especially with young girls coming of age as main characters. In Ms Hyde's's Seven Perfect Things you see a married woman not only struggling with the dysfunction of her abusive marriage but also the trials and tribulations of the child of that marriage. 

This book, of course, has you cheering for Abby and her mother and it sets getting help in a positive light because the protagonist (and her mother) gets help as soon as she's able and reaches out to the community at large to do so. And as Abby works through dealing with her abusive father, it was enlightening to discover there are many forms of abuse and different ways to read every situation. It is a heart tug with emotional rollercoasters and twists and turns. It keeps you on the edge wondering if there will be a happy ending, which means you just can't put this one down. As always, I can't wait to see what Ms Hyde has in store next. I don't think you can go wrong reading any of her work, kudos again, Catherine.

Disclosure:
Thank you NetGalley, Catherine Ryan Hyde and Lake Union Publishing for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an impartial review; all opinions are my own.

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