Allie and Bea by Catherine Ryan Hyde

I discovered Allie and Bea by Catherine Ryan Hyde by reading a review of this novel on Carole's Chatter (a blog I follow) last year. I decided right then and there that I wanted to read Allie and Bea for myself.

I'm so glad that I listened to the unabridged audio version Allie and Bea by Catherine Ryan Hyde and narrated by Lauren Ezzo and Janet Metzger as it was definitely worth the read.

What did I like about Allie and Bea by Catherine Ryan Hyde? Bea (an elderly woman) and Allie (a 15 year old teenager) are two good people from different backgrounds and generations, who've been thrown together by happenstance and also by circumstance beyond their control. I found each of their individual stories compelling... Plus, enjoyed reading how they came together to form a strong bond and friendship that feels more like the bond of family. 

I live in California. So with that in mind, I enjoyed reading about all the stops Allie and Bea make along the coast of California as they head north towards the Canadian border. I have visited many of the cities and stops they make along the way, which was fun to read about as they made their journey north.

I liked the characters and the storyline. The writing was well done. I also liked the narrators for Allie and Bea by Catherine Ryan Hyde.

I did find Allie and Bea by Catherine Ryan Hyde to be predictable. It ends on a happy note, which I didn't mind... This is definitely a feel good novel in the end, which I didn't mind either. However, the storyline's predictability factor was probably the main reason I gave this novel a lower rating. I also felt like a few of the scenes in this novel didn't ring true to me on how they'd turn out in real life. 

Overall though, I really enjoyed Allie and Bea by Catherine Ryan Hyde.

The following is a summary for Allie and Bea by Catherine Ryan Hyde from Audible:

Bea has barely been scraping by since her husband died. After falling for a telephone scam, she loses everything and is forced to abandon her trailer. With only two-thirds of a tank in her old van, she heads toward the Pacific Ocean with her cat - on a mission to reclaim what's rightfully hers, even if it means making others pay for what she lost.

When fifteen-year-old Allie's parents are jailed for tax fraud, she's sent to a group home. But when her life is threatened by another resident, she knows she has to get out. She escapes only to find she has nowhere to go - until fate throws Allie in Bea's path.

Reluctant to trust each other, much less become friends, the two warily make their way up the Pacific Coast. Yet as their hearts open to friendship and love from the strangers they meet on their journey, they find the courage to forge their own unique family - and begin to see an imperfect world with new eyes.

I am giving Allie and Bea by Catherine Ryan Hyde a rating of 3 stars out of 5 stars.

Listening time for Allie and Bea by Catherine Ryan Hyde is 10 hours, 35 minutes.

Until my next post, happy reading!