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Have You Seen Luis Velez? by Catherine Ryan Hyde is a novel that completely sweeps you off your feet. The characters are relatable and interesting, while the story is constantly evolving and intriguing at the same time. Also, the book examines the theme of sight and perception on many levels that it really makes you think long after reading.
Title: Have You Seen Luis Velez?Author: Catherine Ryan Hyde
Also by this author: Brave Girl, Quiet Girl
Publisher: Lake Union Publishing
Genres: Adult Fiction, Contemporary
Publication Date: May 21, 2019
Rating:
From New York Times bestselling author Catherine Ryan Hyde comes a moving novel about two strangers who find that kindness is a powerful antidote to fear.
Raymond Jaffe feels like he doesn’t belong. Not with his mother’s new family. Not as a weekend guest with his father and his father’s wife. Not at school, where he’s an outcast. After his best friend moves away, Raymond has only two real connections: to the feral cat he’s tamed and to a blind ninety-two-year-old woman in his building who’s introduced herself with a curious question: Have you seen Luis Velez?
Mildred Gutermann, a German Jew who narrowly escaped the Holocaust, has been alone since her caretaker disappeared. She turns to Raymond for help, and as he tries to track Luis down, a deep and unexpected friendship blossoms between the two.
Despondent at the loss of Luis, Mildred isolates herself further from a neighborhood devolving into bigotry and fear. Determined not to let her give up, Raymond helps her see that for every terrible act the world delivers, there is a mirror image of deep kindness, and Mildred helps Raymond see that there’s hope if you have someone to hold on to.
❃ I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. ❃
Review: Have You Seen Luis Velez? by Catherine Ryan Hyde
What makes Have You Seen Luis Velez? so fascinating is the mesh of so many characters that are of differing abilities, ages, and backgrounds. The book is told from the perspective of Raymond, a black teenager who is finding it hard to fit in at home and at school. His quest to help a 92 year old blind neighbour turns into an unlikely friendship, and helps Raymond see the world and its people in a completely new light. Each of the characters has their flaws, but the fact that they are all so eager to see things from one another’s perspectives without prejudice makes the book a real learning experience.
❀ Fantastic Coming of Age Novel
As the plot moves forward, Raymond meets quite a few different people named Luis Velez. As he continues to track down the whereabouts of his friend’s caretaker, Raymond learns new information about the world and how he fits into it. Also, there are so many layers to the novel that when the plot moves past what happened to Luis Velez and what happens next, Raymond seems to come full circle in his understanding. This is a fantastic coming of age novel that should definitely be considered a YA crossover.
❀ Many Lessons to be Learned
Have You Seen Luis Velez? by Catherine Ryan Hyde is a novel that teaches its readers about quite a few different ways of seeing the world. At the forefront is perceiving without the use of sight, and there are many lessons to be learned from both Millie and Raymond. It is both heart-warming and shocking to read at times. One that I highly recommend!
About Catherine Ryan Hyde
I am the author of more than 30 published and forthcoming books.
I'm an avid hiker, traveler, equestrian, and amateur photographer, and have released my first book of photos, 365 DAYS OF GRATITUDE: PHOTOS FROM A BEAUTIFUL WORLD.
I am 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.
My 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.
About Lori
Avid reader. Contributor to The Candid Cover. Educator.
Great review! 🙂
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Thank you, Raven! <3
I like the way you broke up your review in three parts.
Thank you!
This sounds so so precious. I love stories like this, even though I know i will probably ugly cry a few times.
It is definitely an emotional read, but there is so much positivity in the novel that it is well-balanced.
Great review! I have already queued this book to read, I love the author 😄
I am looking forward to reading the author’s other books. I am glad that you love her! 🙂
This sounds like a very good book, I’ll definitely need to read it
This book sounds like an intriguing and a fantastic read.
Sounds like a lot of connection between characters in this book.
Great review. This book has me intrigued!