Wanderlove

Left me with a goofy grin and an itch to travel!

At first cover glance, wanderlove appears to be a feel-good book. Peaceful, hopeful, wishful… but what the cover does not say is that readers will be taking a trip into Central America and fall in love with not only the scenery but also the characters. Which is a travesty because wanderlove was absolutely perfect for anyone with that itch to travel!

THE GOOD BITS

{Bria} I think our shoes have got to be the same size because I swear we travel the same wavelength! Her artistic nature resonate so close to home with me. It is hard when one’s talents gets crushed by someone else, and I admire Bria as she struggles to figure out if art is worth giving up over a stupid boy. I adored the sketches scattered throughout the story – and I think that anyone with creative juices can easily sympathize with Bria.

{A journey worth a thousand steps and a few scrapes} I think Bria had the most perfect travel experience – not because she had booked an official tour, but because she had the balls to throw away the travel guide and truly embrace the backpacking lifestyle. I have never been anywhere nearly exciting, but I know several people who have – and seriously I can picture Bria, Rowan, and Starling quite easily. I would probably be in the same “uncool and untried” state as Bria, and I hope to be just as fortunate to meet the “cool travel kids” to take me under their wings.

{Sweet bud of a romance} Delicious, delicious tension – and I totally LOVED how Kirsten Hubbard handles Bria and Rowan’s relationship! I am all for the friends-first philosophy, and watching Bria and Rowan get stuck together against both their better judgments is totally worth the wait! The combination of Rowan’s mysterious past and Bria’s love-gone-wrong one created an impressive wall that they each had to break down. My favorite scenes involve them sitting in a hammock and simply talking.

THE BAD BITS

{The “no strings attached” storyline} I braced myself for Bria to be a wild child, especially at the very beginning since I did not know what to expect from wanderlove. I can understand why Bria might choose to use Central America as a way to nurse a broken heart – but, given how much Bria and I are like mind-twins, I simply cannot fathom meaningless hookups for her. While I am glad that this storyline did not take that direction, I do not quite understand why it entered into Bria’s travel itinerary.

THE OVERALL

I left wanderlove with a big, goofy grin on my face – and perhaps a few more dreamy-eyed thoughts about when I would follow Bria’s footsteps into the world. wanderlove makes the allure of traveling all the more tangible for anyone who dares to make it happen, and it also reminds us that sometimes the best travel plans are those left to where the wind blows or the heart desires.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Amazing story

The way it was written, the relatable storyline, and the diverse characters all make this a wonderful book! Very inspiring!

An irresistible, adorably written YA novel. My Overall Thoughts

An irresistible, adorably written YA novel.

My Overall Thoughts/Impressions: First off, I'd like to thank the publisher and Netgalley for letting me review this book.

I had heard great things about this book and had been dying to read it for months so when I got the e-galley, I was absolutely ecstatic. This book seemed like it would be absolutely incredible.

After forty pages, I was beginning to wonder if I would be the one who wouldn't like this novel. However, after a few more pages, that fear quickly dissipated. I absolutely adored this book. I don't really know why. I can't pin down one aspect of this novel that I especially liked...I just liked everything in the novel as a whole. Every aspect of this novel combined together and created an incredible read.

I read this in one sitting and was thoroughly intrigued the entire time. This was Hubbard's sophomore novel and was the first novel I read by her. I can firmly say that this won't be my last novel by her either.

I loved the way this novel was written. I loved the characters. And I loved that the novel centered around two vagabond travelers--the good girl trying to go bad and the bad boy trying to go good. That right there hooked me.

In Summary: A beautifully written contemporary realistic young adult novel that I highly recommend. This novel is definitely one of my favorites of the year.

Warnings/ Side-notes: Minor swearing with a few instances of some heavier swearing. Some references to drugs and sex. However, this novel is still relatively clean. It's definitely one that some people might not want to read. However, I really enjoyed it and thought it was relatively clean.

The Wrap-up: I really enjoyed this novel. It lived up to the hype. This novel was one that I really loved and am glad that I got to read. Definitely recommend this one.

Love,

Danica Page

Wow . . . it's been a while since I read a contemporary novel I

Wow . . . it's been a while since I read a contemporary novel I enjoyed this much. I loved every page, every word of Wanderlove. It swept me away on a whirlwind of foreign visits and believable characters and sweet relationships. I love Bria's journey of personal growth and her adventures with Rowan and Starling--so real and natural.

The storyline pulled me in from the very beginning and held me all the way through. The combination of incredible writing, interesting artwork, and foreign travel make this an absolute jewel of a story. I was sorry to finish. Now, I feel like packing my bags and experiencing the world. Maybe someday . . .

I haven't read Like Mandarin yet, although it's been on my TBR list forever. I'll definitely be bumping it up on my priority list!

Bria's finally taking a chance--she's doing something just for h

Bria's finally taking a chance--she's doing something just for her that other people don't actually think she has the guts to do on her own. However, a guided tour through Central America with a group of middle-aged, fanny-pack wearing tourists isn't exactly what she had in mind. Then she takes the ultimate leap and sets off on and adventure with backpacking siblings Starling and Rowan. Traveling this way, Bria just might find what she's been looking for all along...

The characters in Kirsten Hubbard's sophomore YA novel captured my full attention from page one. Bria is trying so hard to break out of the shell that she's put herself in and find her way in a world that's disappointed her. She let a boyfriend and friends dictate who she thought she was and now she's struggling to figure out what she wants to do with her life. She's already abandoned her art school dreams and her friends abandoned their travel plans. Her journey is really unique and captivating. The side characters also added a lot of flavor to the story. From Rowan and Starling to the overbearing travel guide, Marcie, and the Swedish bad boy, Jack, each character has a special place in the story and thus Bria's journey.

The combination of travel and art in this novel really captivated me. I adored all of the descriptions of the places that Bria went and Hubbard's writing really took me there. I felt like I could really "see" the places in my imagination and it gave me quite the itch to go back to Central America and travel like Bria, Rowan, and Starling. I've also found recently that I really enjoy art/artists in books (well, really, Graffiti Moon made me think that I might and this book proved it). There's something about that being included in a book that adds a layer that I really appreciate.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I would highly recommend that you check it out. It's worth every moment that you spend immersed in its pages and then some. The beautiful writing, settings, characters, and artwork make this a great springtime read (but be warned, it will probably give you or reignite the travel bug...).

Kirsten Hubbard made a fan out of me with her debut, “Like

Kirsten Hubbard made a fan out of me with her debut, “Like Mandarin”, which took the relationship between two girls and exposed the intricacies of female friendship – be it as teenagers or adults – with a deftness and sincerity that took my breath away. In “Wanderlove” she lays bare a different kind of love and experience with the same insightful, personal brush.

Bria discovers the world of backpacking, a place the author clearly loves dearly, much the same way the majority of readers would experience it – as a novice. She asks the embarrassing questions, wears the wrong clothes, and generally feels like she sticks out like a sore thumb. Creating a character who enters this world accidentally and without any preparation helps us readers dip our toes in slowly too, and damn if I didn’t want to put the book down at least half a dozen times to book a plane ticket.

Yes, Kirsten’s feel and descriptions of Central America are lovely and vibrant. I want to go there. I want to stuff clothes for 2 weeks in a bag and not talk to a soul except the ones beside me, to take pictures and learn history and breathe earnestness and beauty.

That is a wonderful side effect of “Wanderlove”, but it is not the book’s heart and soul.

Instead of the love between girlfriends (as with “Like Mandarin”) or even romantic love between a boy and a girl (which is present – and totally swoonworthy - in “Wanderlove”), the book is about figuring out how to love yourself. Bria is coming out of her first serious relationship, which while not outwardly abusive, left her a bruised shell of the girl she had been. She’s an artist, but somewhere along the way, she let him take that away from her too. She goes to Central America to do something, to prove to her ex that she doesn’t need him to be successful, but mostly to run away from all of the decisions she doesn’t want to face, all of the future realities that aren’t as rosy as she once believed they could be.

Bria pictures the trip as exciting, something out of a travel brochure, but what she finds is a bunch of middle-aged folks being herded from one place to another with no room for exploration, no place to expand and grow.
Then she meets Rowan and his sister Starling, experienced backpackers, wanderers, runners from pasts, who invite her along for a week and a half of unsupervised travel and freedom.
Along the road from Guatemala to Belize, Bria and Rowan get to know one another, discover that not talking about the past doesn’t make it go away, and yes, fall in love.

Bria is a fantastic character. We all hide things, ignore them and pretend they’ve gone away while instead they just fester, or believe that the only way to protect ourselves is not to care about anyone or anything ever again. What she learns is a lesson that it takes some people a lifetime to understand – that we can’t run from who we are, and embracing the pain and the beauty of our experiences is the only way to move forward. Rowan, a boy also searching for redemption, for the strength to be a better human being, for a place to call home, is the perfect compliment. Starling is a deeply developed secondary character. She’s so clear in my mind, so perfectly formed. I would read another volume with her in the leading role.

I adore this book. Kirsten has knocked it out of the park with “Wanderlove,” which is even better than her debut and leaves me breathless in anticipation of what she’ll offer up next.

Wanderlove has definitely brought back the itch for traveling fo

Wanderlove has definitely brought back the itch for traveling for me. I LOVE to travel. I take pride in exploring other cultures, living like their people, and seeing all the places tourist groups neglect. I've been to some East Asian countries such as Malaysia and South Korea, and let me tell you, without an open mind and living the moment, some of my memorable experiences wouldn't have happened.
This is why I loved Bria! She had an adventurous soul, it just took her a while to figure it out. Going to Guatemala on your own, for your first overseas trip? that takes some courage! I saw the country through her eyes. The local markets, the people, their food (especially that!) and the exhilarating feeling of exploring and experiencing things you wouldn't have had the chance to find and do if you hadn't traveled there. Kristen Hubbard is a fantastic storyteller! I loved how she mixed up normal narration with journal entries, and drawings by Bria. I felt like I was touring with Lucy, seeing things through her eyes, the drawings were definitely a plus for me, they gave the book more life and gave us insight into what was on Lucy's mind and what affected her emotionally.
Because of some situation, Bria ended up backpacking (apparently the 'real' way to traveling) with Rowan. Their time together was just fun to read. The sarcasm, the bickering, the slow friendship between them was all enjoyable. Of course we all know what will eventually happen between them, but the build up was overall entertaining. I haven't read Kristen's debut novel "Like Mandarin" but her love for traveling, creativity, and likable writing made me add her novel to my priority reading pile! I would highly recommend Wanderlove to any travel enthusiast and obviously any contemporary lover!

Best YA Contemporary book I've read in a LONG time

Disclaimers: I received this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for this honest review.

Reading a book like Wanderlove always makes me stop and sit quietly after I've finished. I think about what I've just read, what it means, what might happen next, but mainly just think, "Wow. That was really good." Books like this also make me strive to be a better writer. To see what good writing really looks like and to experience the impact a book can have on a reader.

This book also sort of made me depressed. Depressed that I didn't do more traveling in my youth before I settled down. I wish that I would've packed a bag and left for Guatamala like Bria did. If you're young and reading this, travel. I did a bit before college (Amsterdam, Spain, France), and am glad I did. It's worth the money and the time. Be adventurous and make some amazing memories and create some great stories for yourself.

So, what are the events that lead Bria up to taking this trip by herself? Well, she and her boyfriend, Toby, broke up. We don't know a lot about Toby, except for a few scattered mentions by Bria. She was supposed to take the trip with her two best friends, Olivia and Reese, but they bailed on her, citing the fact that it was too soon after Bria's breakup for her to be a good travel partner. Great friends, right? She was going to go to art school, got accepted and everything, but for whatever reason, she doesn't go. So, Bria decides to book herself an all-inclusive, group travel session for three weeks on the Mayan Road. But things don't go as she plans.
As readers, we're dumped right into Bria's story. Here's what we know:

She's 18
She applied to art school but didn't go
She had a boyfriend, but they broke up
She's stopped drawing completely
She's going to Guatamala. Alone
As the book goes on, we discover (through small flashbacks) about the things that have driven Bria to make the decision she has. Her boyfriend was royally screwed up and she's trying to escape everything she can. Hubbard is one of the most talented and brilliant writers of YA Contemporary I've come across. I'm not kidding when I say that I was with Bria every moment of her journey.I felt what she felt, experienced what she did, and wanted to be along with her, backpacking through Central America alongside Starling and Rowan. The beaches were beautiful and the experiences more so.
Hubbard's talent at EVERYTHING is spellbinding. The voice she gives to Bria is funny, snarky, and instantly likable. I wanted to hurry up and read this story to know everything that happened, but at the same time, didn't want it to end (there was actually a day my Nook didn't work and I thought I was going to die because I didn't get to read any more Wanderlove! Yes, I realize that's slightly pathetic). She didn't have to go into long descriptions or heavy scenes showing the reader what a complete jerk Toby was. She did it by dropping small comments made by Bria or quick memories. She did the same thing with the relationship between Bria's parents. In one line I knew EXACTLY what kind of home life she had and the dynamics between her mom and dad.
The ending is complete and fits the character and story perfectly. I found myself with Bria and feeling her anxiousness and then disappointment.I felt her reluctance and joy. I smiled and sighed with contentment. I have never been more "there", both mentally and emotionally, in any book than I was in that one s

Last year, I was one of the first people to receive a Like Manda

Last year, I was one of the first people to receive a Like Mandarin ARC, Kirsten’s debut. I fell for that book hard. Maybe because it was set near my town of Wyoming or that it was strictly about friendship—something I had been craving at that time.

So when I heard that Kirsten’s sophomore novel was about traveling, I was ecstatic. Ask any of my friends and family, and they’ll tell you that I want to travel. That I want to visit every historical place on this world, go to Antarctica (Madeleine L’Engle’s Troubling A Star is one of my favorite books) to dine with penguins, to go to Central America and speak their language (My Spanish? No bueno.), to go to Europe and backpack around every country I can.

According to Rowan, Starling, and Bria, I’m inflicted with Wanderlove. And I couldn’t be happier, even if the farthest I’ve traveled is to Baja, California. (I will go farther, I swear, I will!)

I love Kirsten Hubbard’s writing so much that I was never scared to begin Wanderlove and find out I didn’t like. I trusted Kirsten so much that I completely forgot that Wanderlove was in a different boat than Like Mandarin. All I could think about was: “Wanderlove’s on NetGalley and it’s read now omg omg omg. iPad, where are you?!”

Because, y’know, I’m always losing the iPad.

Bria Sandoval is someone I connect to—not the rotten relationship part, but the art part. The longing to get far away. The fact that she has Hispanic heritage (high five!) That she doesn’t know a lot of Spanish. It was so easy for me to read about her journey.

And Rowan? Omg, swoon. I freaking loved him. I believe I was thinking “Kiss him” after they met. Because kissing is awesome. And he’s cute, but a jerk; he has flaws, so he’s not perfect.

I really liked all the characters. Hubbard does an amazing job with making her characters 3D, and after finishing her books, I want to read it again because I miss the characters so bad.

AND THERE ARE DRAWINGS! drawings are awesome.

Wanderlove is recommended. Everybody should read this. But a warning: you might be inflicted with wanderlove afterwards—I was! Still am. I want to go backpacking around central America.

Wanderlove is an irresistible, beautiful love story. I really wo

Wanderlove is an irresistible, beautiful love story. I really would like to thank Kirsten Hubbard for sharing a part of her life with me. I'm so jealous ( Kirsten Hubbard will know what I mean by this statement) but it's a good jealous. Knowing that Wanderlove came from Hubbard's real life experience made this novel come alive for me, and the love between Bria and Rowan had me wanting to grab a backpack and find my Rowan. Yes, as I said, this is an irresistible and beautiful love story.

Bria is eighteen, and on her way to Central America to reinvent herself. The ex-boyfriend she centered her life and future around, has just taken it all away. Bria decides it’s time for a I-don't-care-attitude, cut loose have some fun, love only when its meaningless, frame of mind. When Bria gets to Central America, she meets Starling and Rowan. So she trades in her middle age wannabe vagabond for the real backpackers’ experience with bad boy Rowan. Bria is definitely going get a real experience, and it comes in a love wandering Rowan.

Rowan is a backpacking bad-boy with a pass, and he’s going to teach Bria the real meaning of his vagabond lifestyle. Bria wants Rowan's perpetual anticipation way of life, but what Rowan and Bria will find is the antidote to their wandering hearts.

Wanderlove is a beautiful, melt-your-heart romance. It's also about trusting, respecting, and learning to be true to who you really know you are—to love yourself first. I recommend Wanderlove as a love story adventure must read.

Book Review: Wanderlove by Kirsten Hubbard

This was a lovely coming of age story set in front of the backdrop of Latin America. Kirsten Hubbard takes us on a journey along with Bria as she sets off to escape her her realities of an emotionally abusive relationship, self doubts and all the baggage that's holding her back.


As she travels through Central America, meets other backpackers, and experiences the wonders of other cultures, gorgeous scenery and most importantly the joy of her own dreams, she slowly begins to leave all of that baggage behind and find herself.


The characters are all believable and honest. The setting is so amazing that I regret never having the opportunity to experience the world as Bria does. And the will they/won't they romance between Bria and Rowan kept me wondering until the end.


For those who have wonderful memories of traveling or simply dreams of going where the road leads...this book is a wonderful journey of the spirit and imagination and teaches us all that even if lost...we can find our dreams again.

Wanderlove

First and foremost, this book makes me want to travel the world. Just pack and bag and go. Never look back, and never have any regrets. This book was exactly what I needed right now. I am not going to go in to detail of what I have been going through, but this book the world's biggest smile on my face!

You meet Bria! Boy where do I even begin with Bria.... She is a 18 years old and she is going to travel to Central America to see the world. She signs up for a group tour but ends up going off on her own with a couple backpackers. Now that takes guts. I never could have do that...this is why I think that Bria is one strong women. I mean she has no idea what she is getting into. And she just takes this adventure by the horns and goes with it. Sometimes I wish that I was like this. Don't get me wrong, I am very strong willed, but I am nothing compared to Bria. But Bria is running away from something/someone. She needs to start to figure things out like where her life is going to go, or how is she going to pay for her next meal.

Well during this adventure she meets Rowan. And Rowan is what you can call the good guy that wants nothing to do with you type.....literally... He just wants to be friends and nothing more. I can't stand it when guys say that! I mean you know you want more, and you know it is going to end up being more so just give in. :)

This story defiantly has its ups and downs. It has its twist and turns and everything else that a great books should need. I would defiantly recommend this book to anyone that wants to get away from all the drama that the real life deals you. It will take you to a far away land so you can find your "Wanderlove."

Leaves you wanting to pack your bags (in a good way)

Reading books about travel, especially spontaneous and outrageous travel, makes me want to pack my bags and go. Through the eyes of Bria, even the bad and ugly seems to shine in a brighter, more attractive light. She is able to see the beauty of the world in practically everything, and living this trip through her voice was wonderful. The traveling, however, is only the surface of the book. Both Bria and Rowan are working through their own issues. No matter how much they try and keep their past lives from one another, little by little things slip out and start unraveling.

I loved Bria's unwavering respect toward Rowan's privacy. Even when she didn't have much of a reason to trust him any longer, she still refused to let people talk about his past without his say so. I loved Rowan's pension for quoting books he's read. Both have let the world around them and their experiences impact who they are in away, that despite the issues and trouble they've been into in the past, I was almost jealous. I wanted to be one of them, and to see and experience the world like they do.

The conversations about judgment and being judged were impacting to me as well. Their conversations were mostly about travel; just because you're a backpacker doesn't mean that you're poor; and just because you travel on guided tours doesn't mean you aren't well traveled. I think their opinions and conclusions are applicable in many areas. They were also very human about it as well. Even once reaching these conclusions about not judging, Bria still struggled with it, misjudging Starling from beginning to end.

Of course there is the budding relationship. I loved the pace that Bria and Rowan moved at. Both of them were going through some major healing, dealing with their own issues. I loved that much of that healing was done together, and that made their relationship seem all that more real and sweet.

No text was provided for this review.

No text was provided for this review.