REVIEW: Don't Let Me Go by Catherine Ryan Hyde

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Synopsis

Former Broadway dancer and current agoraphobic Billy Shine has not set foot outside his apartment in almost a decade. He has glimpsed his neighbors—beautiful manicurist Rayleen, lonely old Ms. Hinman, bigoted and angry Mr. Lafferty, kind-hearted Felipe, and 9-year-old Grace and her former addict mother Eileen.

But most of them have never seen Billy. Not until Grace begins to sit outside on the building’s front stoop for hours every day, inches from Billy’s patio. Troubled by this change in the natural order, Billy makes it far enough out onto his porch to ask Grace why she doesn’t sit inside where it’s safe. Her answer: “If I sit inside, then nobody will know I’m in trouble. And then nobody will help me.” Her answer changes everything. (Via Goodreads)



Review

I think part of why Don’t Let Me Go was such a disappointment to me is because it felt like a bait and switch. I was not familiar with Catherine Ryan Hyde's other works so when I read the summary, specifically the last line:

Her answer: “If I sit inside, then nobody will know I’m in trouble. And then nobody will help me.”

I got the impression that the book would have an element of mystery. I definitely did not think it would be a thriller, that was clear. I thought that it would be more in the vain of Mary Kay Andrews' The Weekenders, where there is a central mystery that propels the action within a more domestic fiction.

This was certainly not what Don’t Let Me Go is. Don’t Let Me Go is a bland, sappy and predictable bit of fluff. I know there are many people that enjoy this type of reading! It is frequent book club fodder and a favorite among those who read for comfort and good feelings. I am just not one of those people so for me this was very disappointing and I did return it as soon as the credits were read.

Don’t Let Me Go is basically the book equivalent of chicken noodle soup. It is not the most exciting soup, you know exactly what it will taste like because you have had it a thousand times before. Most of the time you prefer something more interesting or at least a chicken noodle with some type of spin to it but when you want that comforting taste you know it will warm you right up.


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