Michael appears handsome to others, but, at 19 years old, he’s never gone swimming without a t-shirt or showered in the locker room with the other boys. On his first day of film class, his professor has scars that can’t be hidden with a shirt. He points this out and says there is no shame. Michael gets the idea that for his student film assignment, he can interview other people who have issues with their bodies. He quickly finds that almost everyone dislikes some part of their appearance, and the people he interviews for his film covers a variety of those topics: Too skinny, too many pregnancies, age, scars from surgery. By sharing these personal stories, it helps give other perspective and to know they are not alone.

I teared up more than once. There were a couple things that strained credulity, but I really enjoyed the characters, their journeys, and what they had to say about their experiences.

NetGalley provided an advance reader copy, which RELEASES MAY 6, 2025.

Catherine Ryan Hyde is one of my favourite authors. Her work is always honest, sometimes raw, but gripping. This book is no exception. Michael was seven when an accident involving fireworks scarred him badly and led to his being put in foster care. His scars were bad enough for him but even worse is not knowing the reason his parents abandoned him. There is heartbreak, humor, romance and the beginning of self awareness and self acceptance. Beautiful story.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Michael, a nineteen year old student decides to make a film about body image for his class project. When he was seven, he had an accident with fireworks and was disfigured. As he interviews people the documentary becomes much more about acceptance of your self and others. The story was fast paced and teary at times.

Thank you to Lake Union and NetGalley for the digital early copy.

Through the perspective of the titular character, Michael, and a narrative told partly in flashback, we learn in detail the ramifications of his childhood trauma, adoption and abandonment issues but, despite the heavy subject matter, the book never strays into 'trauma lit' territory. The portrayal of Michael's childhood issues remains wistful and sensitive - the writer has a light touch, without trivialising the things that he has experienced, to paint in broad strokes a picture of a young man growing into himself - being set partly on a college campus, I was reminded of the same bittersweet tone of the film 'Good Will Hunting', the similar journey to understanding oneself that Will goes through, I could definitely categorise this novel as something of a Bildungsroman, and the novel satisfyingly concludes with Michael, grown-up and successful, a father himself.

Thanks you to netgalley and the publishers for the complimentary eArc.

Catherine Ryan Hyde does it again. It is a beautiful story about tragedy, love, and forgiveness. The reader meets Michael as a young boy when a tragic accident changes the trajectory of his life. The reader follows Michael as he attends college, creates films, falls in love, and becomes successful.
It is hard not to fall in love with the characters and root for Michael. I highly recommend this story; it will make you feel good about life and humanity

This is the first book I have read by Catherine Ryan Hyde and i have found a new favorite author. I love books that make you feel things and Michael without Apology was so well written I thought it was a memoir until I saw who wrote it.

When Michael was a kid, he had an accident that changed his appearance and his life forever. Fast forward to years later when Michael is a young man with autism who is navigating his first day of college. He meets a professor who challenges his way of thinking and leads him down an aspiring path.

This timeline jumps around to different times in Michael's life but is easy to follow and doesn't have more characters than is necessary to tell the story. This story is incredible! In navigates several tough topics, such as scarring, how we see our selves versus how others see us, how being a human is hard, how we all have things we dislike about ourselves, age-gap romances, second changes at love, adoption, child neglect, and being unapologetically yourself. This is one of those stories that everyone needs to read!

Special thanks to Catherine Ryan Hyde and Lake Union Publishing for working with NetGalley. I received this Advance Reader a copy in exchange for my honest opinion and review. This book has a publish date of May 6th 2025.

Another great novel by CRH. I read all of her books as they are released. I am always surprised that she finds meaningful issues to bring to my attention.
Michael without Apology deals with body dysmorphia. Michael suffered a disfiguring injury as a child that caused him to withdraw from emotional connections and hide his body from others.
Michael is inspired by a professor who has very obvious facial disfigurement and is very open and unapologetic about it. Michael learns during the process of making a short movie for his class that everyone has anxiety about his appearance and that there is no shame in being who you are.
Highly recommended.

Loved this book about accepting who we are, flaws and all. This is a tender hearted story about people embracing themselves and others for every part of them, the good, the bad, the ugly. Learning to love ourselves no matter what and extending that love to others. Thanks to NetGalley, publishers, and of course the amazing Catherine Ryan Hyde for this ARC in exchange for my review. This author never disappoints!

Michael is a 19 year old college student whose life is changed on the first day of his freshman film class when his professor, with burn scars all over his body, invites his students to stare and get their fill, with the words "this is me, get used to it."
When Michael, who's own chest and thighs are covered with burn and graft scars decides to make his film about body image we dive deep into subjects of self discovery and acceptance, empathy, grief and taking risks.

This is my third book by this author and I have enjoyed them all. They do at times come off as a bit like a Hallmark movie, but I'm ok with that. I loved many of the characters here, especially the 103 year old WW2 survivor, and the relationship between Michael and his professor was very well done. If you have enjoyed the authors previous books you will love this one too, and if you haven't read any and enjoy stories that are both heartwarming and heart wrenching, give this a try.

Thank you to net galley and Lake union publishing for the e galley in return for an honest review.

Catherine Ryan Hyde is so underrated. She really knows how to tell a story. I loved this book so much!

The book talks a lot about body image and accepting yourself. A great message! I highly recommend this one!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to Netgally and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
I love Catherine Ryan Hyde and I was so excited to learn she had a new book on Netgally! This book has everything that i have loved in every book of hers that I've read. The heart break, the overcoming of obstacles, new perspectives, and putting your heart back together without you even realizing it happened.
This is a book about love and loss and overcoming things that are holding you back from living your best life. I loved it.

Michael’s story fascinated me. The story teaches us to accept ourselves as we are, with our flaws and virtues. The drama surrounding the biological parents was shocking. The way the protagonist handles his emotions draws you into his anguish as he tries to find himself amid the trauma caused by irresponsible adults.

Full review to come on Goodreads and Amazon. Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for a review copy.

“Being a person takes practice.”

“It’s not a secret, it’s not a scandal, it’s not a moral failing. It just is.”

WOW! Michael Without Apology is a beautiful story about self-acceptance. Will most definitely stay with me for a long time.
Michael Woodbine’s life certainly has not had an easy life.
When he takes a film class and decides as his project to use his own experience as the topic of his documentary, more than he ever expected happened.
Emotionally raw story that really made me stop and think. We all carry “scars” but do we accept them?

Thank you NetGalley, Lake Union and Catherine Ryan Hyde for the opportunity to read this very thought provoking story.

I always jump at the chance to read one of Catherines books when they become available on net galley as ARCs as I love her as an author! This book was great just as I expected it to be! :)

I always enjoy Catherine Ryan Hyde’s stories and I was delighted to receive an advanced copy of her latest book ‘Michael Without Apology’.
This was a book that tugged at my heart. It’s was a very moving story of a teenage boy trying to sort out his insecurities and find his place in the world. Then he started college and found inspiration from one of his teachers who became his friend.
Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

Yet another 5-star read from Catherine Ryan Hyde... And what better way to explain the phenomenon of how each tale seemingly gets better than from one of the characters in Michael Without Apology, Mr. Dunning...? Hyde is able to "shine a light on humanity that makes the (reader) see it differently." She's able to make her readers "feel more human while at the same time making them feel that being human is not bad news..." Michael Without Apology is unapologetically the next recommended addition to your library, without any hesitation.

This follows the tone of Catherine Ryan Hyde’s other books, tapping into the human kindness of individuals and matching them in relationship with unlikely companions.

I was walking in a shopping center recently and a sales woman invited me to try an eye serum “to help remove the appearance of wrinkles.” As I declined her offer, I thought, “I’ve earned these wrinkles. They are part of who I am. They reflect wisdom and resilience.”

In Michael without Apology, Michael is a film student whose teacher on day one helps him to understand that being a person takes practice. The teacher, Prof. Dunning has extensive scarring and invites the students to take it in and get through their initial shock. He has come to terms with his appearance because his injury was through no fault of his own and not a sign of moral failing. Michael, who has his own scars (emotional and physical) to deal with, decides to make a film about showing up as who you are, without apologizing for not living up to standards set by society. He forms relationships with people from different generations and life experiences, listening to and amplifying their stories.

Perhaps because the main character is a young adult and CRH’s writing style, this felt like it was a book more suited to YA. It also seemed to lack racial diversity. Parts of it felt rushed and lacked details for example, I did not feel like I got to know one of the characters in the initial film. And while much of the first part of the book focused on the stories of people in the film, the following films were only talk about without the same level of detail.

I appreciate the message in this book and the little life lessons that CRH is known for. It is a sweet story and an easy vacation read that moved me to tears at points.

I love Catherine Ryan Hyde! I want to be her friend! The characters in her books are kind, selfless and caring. We need more people like these in our world. This story is about a college student named Michael. He's given an assignment to make a film. The film can be about anything he wants. He thinks he's going to make a film about scars but the film becomes about so much more than that and takes on a life of its own. I wish she'd publish the film along with the book! I would give it 10 stars if I could!

This book is sad and beautiful and not one that I will soon forget. This book explores different variations on vulnerability not only with the human body but with emotions and relationships as well. I was immediately drawn into this story and could not put it down. I felt so bad for Michael many times during this book, but the way he grows and processes his feelings is superbly done. This is beautifully written and thought provoking.

Thank you NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.