book review take me with you

REVIEW: Take Me With You by Catherine Ryan Hyde

TAKE ME WITH YOU by Catherine Ryan Hyde is an entertaining coming-of-age, adventure novel full of family values and addiction awareness. It hit one of my favorite tropes, which is “travel challenges”. I didn’t expect it to be mostly from the male point-of-view, but it was an agreeable difference.

It’s TBR Challenge day with Wendy the Super Librarian and time for me to visit the other challenge participants. I love doing this every month!

Why was this in Dorine’s TBR? I’m drawn to travel stories. We love to camp, and RVing across country is something I’ve always wanted to do. The mention of Yellowstone in the blurb grabbed me.

My favorite trope may seem odd, but I’ve read several books during the last two years that use travel challenges as a plot device, which in turn shows the characters’ growth by how they handle them. Travel is one of the themes on my blog because I love the idea of gradually writing about our own travel adventures. This novel just kept getting better as I read, because the outdoor challenges became more important as the story progressed. That also added appeal to the second part of the novel when I grew wary of where it was going.

I read romance or women’s fiction as the bulk of my fiction, but I also enjoy coming-of-age stories. What intrigued me most about this book is its male point-of-view with a lack of female protagonists. There were a couple female cameo appearances, but this is significantly about father/son relationships. Not romantic in any way, it’s more about the love of family – related by blood or adopted through friendship.

Science teacher August Schroeder takes his motorhome across country every summer. He budgets for gas and expenses for those months. He’s very excited about this year’s trip as well as a bit melancholy about not sharing it with his favorite person. Naturally, August is extremely disappointed when his RV breaks down. The local mechanic, Wes, understands August’s desire to continue his trip, but the repair costs will probably end his dream. Wes also has a dilemma. Can they come to an agreement that satisfies both parties?

August can’t believe Wes asks him to take his sons with him. Wes has a couple days to find his kids a place to live while he serves a jail sentence until September. Wes wants his boys to have an adventure instead of landing in foster care. Seth is the oldest and can take care of his younger brother Henry. August is a teacher, so he seems like a reliable choice. Not that Wes has an alternative if August refuses. Lucky for Wes and the two boys, August accepts. How can he refuse? His dog Woody loves the idea.

That’s just the first three chapters but there’s a lot more to this story. August has issues that reflect what the boys face with their dad. But August handles his issues in a more mature manner, which in turn teaches the boys how to live. Where the novel goes after Wes is released from jail is a complete surprise. That’s all I’m going to say so I don’t spoil it for you.

There were times when I doubted the dialogue. It’s not always believable. Seth can be a bit pretentious and cloying for a twelve-year-old boy. Since I liked the story and characters, I could ignore the hiccups. Seth and Henry are engaging kids and I couldn’t help but feel deeply for their situation. They bring the best out of August and help him cope with something that has been holding him back from enjoying his life. As a step-mom of two boys (now grown men), I could easily relate to Seth and Henry. They teach August as much as August teaches them, which makes their daily jaunts engaging.

I loved following their journey and wish this book was longer. That surprises me because I’m usually drawn to novels less than 300 pages. At 351 pages, I wanted more time RVing. The places they traveled made me anxious to go there. The locations I’ve experienced first-hand were fun to revisit, as well as accurately described.

One of the things I really enjoyed were the chapter titles. For example, “August, Standing Still” was the first chapter where August’s RV breaks down. Chapter two is “This will sound crazy” which is where Wes tells August what he wants from him. Each chapter gives a hint to what’s significant about it. It was fun to try to guess what will happen next based on the chapter title.

Catherine Ryan Hyde is best known for her book, PAY IT FORWARD , a philosophy I admire. The cover for LEAVING BLYTHE RIVER is how I discovered this author, which is another book I reviewed on my blog if you’re interested.

If you love books that highlight travel, then you’ll enjoy TAKE ME WITH YOU . I especially enjoyed the boys and how August becomes a catalyst for their future. TAKE ME WITH YOU is good family drama featuring imperfect characters with huge hearts. I’m anxious to find my next Catherine Ryan Hyde novel to add to my collection.

Review by Dorine, courtesy of The Zest Quest. Digital copy purchased by me from Amazon .

Take Me With You by Catherine Ryan Hyde Category: Coming of Age Fiction Publisher: Lake Union Publishing (July 22, 2014) Rated 4 out of 5

Tell me your favorite novels featuring travel so I can add to my pile!

Mmmm….sounds interesting.

It is! Catherine Ryan Hyde spins her stories in an intriguing way. If you like coming-of-age stories, then you might enjoy her style. Leaving Blythe River is similar — that it offers some unusual conflict.

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Mary E. Trimble

Captivating stories from the american west to west africa.

Book Review: Take Me With You

Take Me With You by one of my favorite authors, Catherine Ryan Hyde, is a heart-warming novel that reminded me to cherish the moment, to savor it, and to keep it locked in my heart.

August Shroeder, a high school science teacher, is facing life alone. His nineteen-year-old son was killed in an automobile accident, and he’s divorced from his wife. August and his son had planned to go camping at Yellowstone this summer, but now August plans to go alone and take his son’s ashes instead. He’ll be gone the entire summer.

August sets out in his RV but has the misfortune of a breakdown while still in California. A mechanic hauls the rig to his shop and begins the repair. Toward the end of the few days it takes, the mechanic asks a favor of August. Would August take the mechanic’s two sons with him? It’s a strange request, but the man confesses that he’s facing a three-month DUI jail sentence and he has no where else to leave the boys. It’s just the three of them—the boys’ mother is no longer in the picture. The mechanic offers to not charge for the repairs if August could take the boys with him.

The older boy, Seth, 12, is a bright, precocious boy. His little brother, Henry, 7, is timid with a cartoon-mouse voice on the rare occasions when he does speak. August has gotten to know the boys during the last few days because they’ve played with his little Jack Russell terrier. It’s an unusual request, but he reluctantly agrees.

The three of them set out on a joint adventure. They see it all—Zion National Park, Bryce Canyon, Grand Teton National Park, Yellowstone National Park where, as a science teacher, August could explain the geothermal areas to eager listeners, then on to Arches National Park, the Navajo Nation and finally the Grand Canyon.

The trip ends, but not the bond that has developed between them.

The story skips to eight years later. Another trip has been meticulously planned, another transformative journey that will change their lives forever.

I loved this book. I especially enjoyed the interaction between August and the boys. I delighted in the camping scenes. I’ve camped all my life, starting when I was 10 days old. We now camp with a truck/camper, which is similar to camping with an RV. I often felt as though I was with them seeing the sights and enjoying life on the road. This novel is one of many that I’ve enjoyed by this author. I highly recommend Take Me With You.

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Take me with you by catherine ryan hyde.

August Shroeder, a burned-out teacher, has been sober since his nineteen-year-old son died. Every year he’s spent the summer on the road, but making it to Yellowstone this year means everything. The plan had been to travel there with his son, but now August is making the trip with ...

Introduction

August Shroeder, a burned-out teacher, has been sober since his nineteen-year-old son died. Every year he’s spent the summer on the road, but making it to Yellowstone this year means everything. The plan had been to travel there with his son, but now August is making the trip with Philip’s ashes instead. An unexpected twist of fate lands August with two extra passengers for his journey, two half-orphans with nowhere else to go.

What none of them could have known was how transformative both the trip—and the bonds that develop between them—would prove, driving each to create a new destiny together.

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Recommended to book clubs by 16 of 16 members.

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I thought it was very poignant. The relationship that developed between August and the two boys over one summer provided them all with hope that spanned many years. The ending was open, maybe there was... (read more)

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Take Me With You (Hyde)

Discussion Questions We'll add specific questions if and when they're made available by the publisher. In the meantime, use these LitLovers talking points to help start a discussion for Take Me With You ...then take off on your own: 1. A journey in literature is a classic metaphor for an inward journey (think The Odyssey ). In what way is August's trip in Take Me With You an emotional or psychological one? Describe August Schroeder's state of mind at the beginning of the novel and how he changes by the end of the trip. 2. What kind of father is Wes and what is his relationship with his sons? 3. Why does August initially decline to take Seth and Henry with him to Yellowstone? What causes him to change his mind? Is it simply a matter of money? 4. How would you describe the two boys, Seth and Henry, and their relationship as brothers. Why doesn't Henry talk? 5. Then there's Woody—can't forget him. How does he fit into the mix? 6.Talk about the budding relationship among August and the Seth and Henry. Trace its development as they open up to one another. What did you find most affecting? 7. What role does the natural world play in this book in terms of healing? If you are a hiker or spend time outdoors, how well does Catherine Ryan Hyde epict the wonders of Yellowstone National Park? Does the fact that the author herself is a lover of the outdoors—as a kyaker, hiker, and dog lover—come through in her writing? 8. Addiction plays a large part in this novel: both August and Wes suffer from it. How does August work through his own problems with alcohol, and how does he help the boys understand their father's addition? 9. How does the trip eight years later repeat similar themes of the first trip? What has changed—or who has changed—and in what ways? 10. The book asks an important question about what consititues family. Is family what you are born into, or can you create your own? If so, how? 11. Were you satisfied with the novel's conclusion? ( Questions by LitLovers. Please feel free to use them, online of off, with attribution. Thanks .)

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Take Me with You

Catherine Ryan Hyde | 4.38 | 44,745 ratings and reviews

Ranked #39 in National Parks , Ranked #53 in Alcoholism — see more rankings .

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Take Me with You

Catherine ryan hyde. lake union, $14.95 trade paper (400p) isbn 978-1-4778-7001-3.

Reviewed on: 04/28/2014

Genre: Fiction

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Take Me With You Library Binding – Large Print, December 1, 2014

• Print length 461 pages
• Language English
• Publisher Center Point Pub
• Publication date December 1, 2014
• Dimensions 5.75 x 1.5 x 8.75 inches
• ISBN-10 1628993928
• ISBN-13 978-1628993929
• See all details

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Product details

• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Center Point Pub; Large Print edition (December 1, 2014)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Library Binding ‏ : ‎ 461 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1628993928
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1628993929
• Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.45 pounds
• Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.75 x 1.5 x 8.75 inches
• #38,499 in Family Life Fiction (Books)
• #148,622 in American Literature (Books)
• #159,102 in Action & Adventure Fiction (Books)

About the author

Catherine ryan hyde.

Catherine Ryan Hyde is the author of more than 40 published and forthcoming books.

An avid hiker, traveler, equestrian, and amateur photographer and astrophotographer, she has a published book of photos, 365 DAYS OF GRATITUDE: PHOTOS FROM A BEAUTIFUL WORLD.

She is co-author, with fellow author and publishing industry blogger Anne R. Allen, of HOW TO BE A WRITER IN THE E-AGE: A SELF-HELP GUIDE.

Her novel PAY IT FORWARD was adapted into a major motion picture, chosen by the American Library Association for its Best Books for Young Adults list, and translated into more than 23 languages for distribution in over 30 countries. The paperback was released in October 2000 by Pocket Books and quickly became a national bestseller. Simon & Schuster released PAY IT FORWARD: YOUNG READERS' EDITION in August of '14. It is suitable for kids as young as eight. A special Fifteenth Anniversary Edition of the original PAY IT FORWARD was released in December of '14

LOVE IN THE PRESENT TENSE enjoyed bestseller status in the UK, where it broke the top ten, spent five weeks on the bestseller lists, was reviewed on a major TV book club, and shortlisted for a Best Read of the Year award at the British Book Awards. Both BECOMING CHLOE and JUMPSTART THE WORLD were included on the ALA's Rainbow List, and JUMPSTART THE WORLD was a finalist for two Lambda Literary Awards. WHERE WE BELONG won two Rainbow Awards in 2013 and THE LANGUAGE OF HOOFBEATS won a Rainbow Award in 2015.

New Kindle editions of her backlist titles FUNERALS FOR HORSES, EARTHQUAKE WEATHER AND OTHER STORIES, ELECTRIC GOD, and WALTER'S PURPLE HEART are now available. Also available is THE LONG, STEEP PATH: EVERYDAY INSPIRATION FROM THE AUTHOR OF PAY IT FORWARD, her first book-length creative nonfiction.

More than 50 of her short stories have been published in The Antioch Review, Michigan Quarterly Review, The Virginia Quarterly Review, Ploughshares, Glimmer Train and many other journals, and in the anthologies Santa Barbara Stories and California Shorts and the bestselling anthology Dog is my Co-Pilot. Her stories have been honored in the Raymond Carver Short Story Contest and the Tobias Wolff Award and nominated for Best American Short Stories, the O'Henry Award, and the Pushcart Prize. Three have been cited in Best American Short Stories.

She is founder and former president (2000-2009) of the Pay It Forward Foundation, and served on its board of directors for over 20 years. As a professional public speaker she has addressed the National Conference on Education, twice spoken at Cornell University, met with Americorps members at the White House and shared a dais with Bill Clinton.

For more information and book club questions for most backlist titles, please visit the author at catherineryanhyde.com (Note: The newer titles have book club questions included at the back of the book.)

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TAKE ME WITH YOU

by Carolyn Marsden ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 1, 2010

An orphanage for abandoned girls in Naples after World War II is the setting for this tale of two girls, now about 11, who have been there since they were babies. Susanna’s father was an American nero , a black man; Pina—short for Giuseppina—has golden curls and rosy skin and a mother who has left her at the istituto but will not let her be adopted. Every Sunday after Mass couples visit the istituto to look over prospective daughters, and each week Susanna and Pina are left behind. The longing for parental affection, while the obvious theme, is still curiously at a remove from readers, even as Susanna tries to find a response to the tall, gentle black American sailor who is her father, and Pina tries to track down her mother in the slums of the city. There’s too much telling and not enough showing, despite alternating chapters that follow each girl in the third person, and a lot of cliché—a severe old nun and a kind postulant, for example. Despite the intriguing concept, this effort falls flat. (Italian glossary) (Historical fiction. 8-12)

Pub Date: March 1, 2010

ISBN: 978-0-7636-3739-2

Page Count: 176

Publisher: Candlewick

Review Posted Online: Dec. 28, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2010

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES | CHILDREN'S FAMILY | CHILDREN'S HISTORICAL FICTION

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BOOK REVIEW

by Carolyn Marsden

WRECKING BALL

From the diary of a wimpy kid series , vol. 14.

by Jeff Kinney ; illustrated by Jeff Kinney ‧ RELEASE DATE: Nov. 5, 2019

Readers can still rely on this series to bring laughs.

The Heffley family’s house undergoes a disastrous attempt at home improvement.

When Great Aunt Reba dies, she leaves some money to the family. Greg’s mom calls a family meeting to determine what to do with their share, proposing home improvements and then overruling the family’s cartoonish wish lists and instead pushing for an addition to the kitchen. Before bringing in the construction crew, the Heffleys attempt to do minor maintenance and repairs themselves—during which Greg fails at the work in various slapstick scenes. Once the professionals are brought in, the problems keep getting worse: angry neighbors, terrifying problems in walls, and—most serious—civil permitting issues that put the kibosh on what work’s been done. Left with only enough inheritance to patch and repair the exterior of the house—and with the school’s dismal standardized test scores as a final straw—Greg’s mom steers the family toward moving, opening up house-hunting and house-selling storylines (and devastating loyal Rowley, who doesn’t want to lose his best friend). While Greg’s positive about the move, he’s not completely uncaring about Rowley’s action. (And of course, Greg himself is not as unaffected as he wishes.) The gags include effectively placed callbacks to seemingly incidental events (the “stress lizard” brought in on testing day is particularly funny) and a lampoon of after-school-special–style problem books. Just when it seems that the Heffleys really will move, a new sequence of chaotic trouble and property destruction heralds a return to the status quo. Whew.

Pub Date: Nov. 5, 2019

ISBN: 978-1-4197-3903-3

Page Count: 224

Publisher: Amulet/Abrams

Review Posted Online: Nov. 18, 2019

GENERAL GRAPHIC NOVELS & COMICS | CHILDREN'S FAMILY

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by Jeff Kinney ; illustrated by Jeff Kinney

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BECAUSE OF WINN-DIXIE

by Kate DiCamillo ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 1, 2000

A 10-year old girl learns to adjust to a strange town, makes some fascinating friends, and fills the empty space in her heart thanks to a big old stray dog in this lyrical, moving, and enchanting book by a fresh new voice. India Opal’s mama left when she was only three, and her father, “the preacher,” is absorbed in his own loss and in the work of his new ministry at the Open-Arms Baptist Church of Naomi [Florida]. Enter Winn-Dixie, a dog who “looked like a big piece of old brown carpet that had been left out in the rain.” But, this dog had a grin “so big that it made him sneeze.” And, as Opal says, “It’s hard not to immediately fall in love with a dog who has a good sense of humor.” Because of Winn-Dixie, Opal meets Miss Franny Block, an elderly lady whose papa built her a library of her own when she was just a little girl and she’s been the librarian ever since. Then, there’s nearly blind Gloria Dump, who hangs the empty bottle wreckage of her past from the mistake tree in her back yard. And, Otis, oh yes, Otis, whose music charms the gerbils, rabbits, snakes and lizards he’s let out of their cages in the pet store. Brush strokes of magical realism elevate this beyond a simple story of friendship to a well-crafted tale of community and fellowship, of sweetness, sorrow and hope. And, it’s funny, too. A real gem. (Fiction. 9-12)

Pub Date: March 1, 2000

ISBN: 0-7636-0776-2

Page Count: 182

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2000

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

More by Kate DiCamillo

by Kate DiCamillo ; illustrated by Carmen Mok

by Kate DiCamillo

by Kate DiCamillo ; illustrated by Julie Morstad

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Emotional novel-in-emails reveals siblings' abuse, growth.

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this book.

Take Me With You When You Go explains some geograp

Young people are affected but not defined by their

Bea and Ezra, are not everyone's idea of great tee

Bea and Ezra's race is not mentioned, but a few ph

Bea and Ezra's stepfather, Darren, regularly hits

Ezra and Bea share stories with each other about t

Teens frequently say "f--k," "s--t," and "ass."

One of the teens was fired from Starbucks. London

A teen gets drunk at a party and kisses a boy she

Parents need to know that Jennifer Niven and David Levithan's emotional novel Take Me With You When You Go depicts a brother and sister who endure verbal and physical abuse. For years, Bea (age 18) and her younger brother Ezra (14) have been hurt and belittled by their stepfather, Darren, while their mother…

Educational Value

T ake Me With You When You Go explains some geographical details about St. Louis, Missouri, and offers an impression of high school and college life. It also details domestic abuse and its long-lasting effects.

Positive Messages

Young people are affected but not defined by their parents; they can forge their own life path.

Positive Role Models

Bea and Ezra, are not everyone's idea of great teen role models, but their devotion to each other, their self-awareness, and their inner strength make them inspiring. Ezra and Terence are gay and in a reationship. Terrence's parents are loving and supportive of their son and Ezra, perhaps despite some discomfort with the boys' romantic attachment. Bea and Ezra present as White. Terrence is Black. Race is not one of the social issues addressed in this novel, but diverse families are represented.

Diverse Representations

Bea and Ezra's race is not mentioned, but a few physical details, and the front cover illustration, give the idea they are White. We know that Terrence is Black because his mom attends a Black Women's Action Group meeting, and Ezra says he is the only White person when he attends church with Terrence's family. Race is not one of the social issues addressed in this novel, but diverse families are represented. Ezra and Terence are gay and in a reationship.

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Violence & Scariness

Bea and Ezra's stepfather, Darren, regularly hits the children and intimates them by destroying their possessions. Most of the violence in the novel is mentioned in the past tense, but two scenes in the novel depict Darren threatening Ezra with a gun in a crowded movie theater, and beating him on the ground in front of Terrence's family's home. Readers also learn that one of Ezra's childhood friends is the victim of domestic violence, including her brother breaking her jaw.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

Ezra and Bea share stories with each other about their first kisses. Bea reveals that she slept with her high school boyfriend, Joe, and has also slept with her new boyfriend. Ezra and Terrence are boyfriends but no sexual activity bewteen them is described. Other teens make out at a party. However, there are no graphic descriptions of sex beyond a few details about tongue kissing.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Products & Purchases

One of the teens was fired from Starbucks. London has Avengers toys. Boys play Xbox.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

A teen gets drunk at a party and kisses a boy she doesn't even like. Bea feels so upset at one point that she wishes she could get drunk indefinitely. Teen girl reveals that her dad is a "raging alcoholic, emphasis on the raging."

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Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Jennifer Niven and David Levithan 's emotional novel Take Me With You When You Go depicts a brother and sister who endure verbal and physical abuse. For years, Bea (age 18) and her younger brother Ezra (14) have been hurt and belittled by their stepfather, Darren, while their mother shows little love or empathy for her children. Readers learn on page one that Bea has run away. The siblings keep in touch through secret email accounts (the story is told through emails), and their fears and the damage done to them are exposed through those email messages. The novel depicts intimidation and violence against children, including an incident where Darren pulls out a gun in a crowded movie theater, and another where he beats Ezra in front of onlookers. Readers also learn that a friend of Ezra's, Jessica, identifies with Ezra because her father is a "raging alcoholic" and her brother broke her jaw. Take Me With You When You Go also includes a good deal of swearing (the "f--k," "s--t," "ass"), descriptions of teen kissing, and the mention of sex (though there is no graphic sex in the book). This novel offers some challenging content, but Bea and Ezra’s growth is inspiring. Through their letters over eamil they dig deeply into their family history and learn about the ways abuse has affected all of their relationships. New self-awareness gives them the tools to form better friendships, and their love for each other lights their way out.

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What's the Story?

When TAKE ME WITH YOU WHEN YOU GO begins, 18-year-old Bea has run away from home. Her younger brother Ezra is left to bear the brunt of the anger of their abusive parents, Anne and Darren, as they ransack Bea's room and treat Ezra and Bea's boyfriend, Joe, like criminals. The boys know nothing about Bea's whereabouts. Before long, Bea reaches out to Ezra via a private email account and asks him to get one as well so that they can stay in touch. Bea reveals to Ezra that she left at the urging of MG (which stands for Mystery Guy), a man she met online. Ezra is afraid that Bea's MG will turn out to be a creep, and in fact he's not the person she expects. Meanwhile, Ezra's situation is dangerous in different ways from Bea's. He leaves home as well, but Darren is a violent threat. He tracks Ezra to a movie theater and pulls out a gun. In another scene, Darren knocks Ezra to the ground and beats him in front of Ezra's boyfriend Terrence's neighbors. All the while, Bea and Ezra keep up their correspondence, sharing stories, offering support and validation, and helping each other understand the damage that has been done to them. Their deepening connection shows them what they need to move forward.

Is It Any Good?

This emotional novel told through a brother and sister's emails to each other turns a painful story into a compelling page-turner that's a pleasure to read. Co-authors Jennifer Niven and David Levithan are expert at creating relatable characters and feelings, and it's fascinating to watch these fictional siblings navigate trust issues created by years of their stepfather's cruelty. Take Me With You When You Go tackles very challenging material, yet the characters' deep love for each other, and the ways they come of age -- and come out strong -- leave the reader quite hopeful. There are also answers to years of questions to be (at least partly) revealed.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about the way Bea and Ezra's relationship changes in the course of Take Me With You When You Go. What's their communication like early in the book? How have they changed by the end?

If you had a friend who experienced domestic abuse, what would you do? Who could you talk to about that?

This book is a modern epistolary novel: a story told through letters (in this case, email). Have you read other books like this? What do you like (or not) about the way the story unfolds?

Book Details

• Authors : Jennifer Niven , David Levithan
• Genre : Coming of Age
• Topics : Brothers and Sisters , Friendship , High School
• Book type : Fiction
• Publisher : Knopf
• Publication date : August 31, 2021
• Publisher's recommended age(s) : 12 - 18
• Number of pages : 336
• Available on : Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
• Last updated : August 12, 2021

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