Wanderers (Wanderers, #1)

by Chuck Wendig

[shannonmiz]

You can find the full review and all the fancy and/or randomness that accompanies it at It Starts at Midnight .

4.5*

Not only did I read this whole 800 page book in a pretty reasonable amount of time, I enjoyed every minute. And if you take nothing else away from  my review, take away that. It seems intimidating when you first begin; I was certainly intimidated. But I shouldn't have been. It was engaging, entertaining, and I never once felt it drag. 

We start out in a quaint Pennsylvania town (not unlike my own, if we're being honest- the beginning is set not far from my area) with a young woman who has no idea that she's quite literally going to stumble upon the end of the world when she finds her younger sister in a trace-like state. The book begins with Shana and her sister, and they feel like the epicenter throughout. But we also experience several other very key players' points of view as the book goes along. I didn't know that I would care for or about them when I first read their chapters, but shortly knew I had been wrong. Each character was incredibly well developed, and each had a role to play in the greater story. No one is a throwaway, so fret not. 

The plot itself is incredibly gripping. The author delves into a lot of big issues that would likely become extra relevant in the event of an actual plague. People in crisis are often unsure of what to do and who to turn to, and this both brings out the best and worst in people. The author explores this in several arenas: a grab for political power (in a series of individuals who are not unlike those we're witnessing in real-time); religion being used as a manipulation tactic; fame being used to influence. 

Of course as the story goes on, there's a ton of gray morality and thought provoking questions presented. What would you do in some of the characters' shoes? Is it okay to be selfish or selfless at the end of days? And that's really just the tip of the iceberg as the secrets unfurl. There were admittedly a few places that the story could have been cut down just a bit, but as a whole it was incredibly well-paced and well-thought out and I enjoyed it wholly.

Bottom Line: This epic novel explores who people can and will become when their backs are against the wall, when there's nothing left to lose. It's honest and realistic, and therefore utterly terrifying.