Pages: 352
Publication Date: March 13, 2012
Type: ARC, won
Are you a Global Vagabond?
No, but 18-year-old Bria Sandoval wants to be. In a quest for independence, her neglected art, and no-strings-attached hookups, she signs up for a guided tour of Central America—the wrong one. Middle-aged tourists with fanny packs are hardly the key to self-rediscovery. When Bria meets Rowan, devoted backpacker and dive instructor, and his outspokenly humanitarian sister Starling, she seizes the chance to ditch her group and join them off the beaten path.
Bria's a good girl trying to go bad. Rowan's a bad boy trying to stay good. As they travel across a panorama of Mayan villages, remote Belizean islands, and hostels plagued with jungle beasties, they discover what they've got in common: both seek to leave behind the old versions of themselves. And the secret to escaping the past, Rowan’s found, is to keep moving forward.
But Bria comes to realize she can't run forever, no matter what Rowan says. If she ever wants the courage to fall for someone worthwhile, she has to start looking back.
Kirsten Hubbard lends her artistry to this ultimate backpacker novel, weaving her drawings into the text. Her career as a travel writer and her experiences as a real-life vagabond backpacking Central America are deeply seeded in this inspiring story.
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This book is lovely.
It's adorable and heart-warming without being cheesier than a goopy box of Kraft M&C.
It's deep and thoughtful, but not in a way that feels contrived, or thrust upon you.
It's funny in a wonderfully natural way, a way that feels like real teenage humor, not some adult's idea of what a witty teenager would sound like.
It's chock-full of ridiculously beautiful drawings by the author herself.
And it fills you with an untamable longing for adventure, infects you with your own case of Wanderlove, makes you want to discover everything this world has to offer.
I adored it.
6 comments:
You manage to say so much in so little. I adore this review. ;) Honestly, I hear nothing but praise when it comes to this book and I think it's finally about time that I bought a copy. I can't wait to read it myself. :)
Great review you said it perfectly! I'm so happy you loved this book too! I definitely want to go on my own adventure now.
Traci @ The Reading Geek
It wasn't just you, I've heard many wonderful things about this book. Anyway, I love how gentle and poetic your review is.
I'm not really a fan of contemporaries, but I must admit that this one is very tempting.
Now I must read this. It sounds wonderful! (Also, I dislike being THRUST INTO SYMPHATHISING OR LOVING THE MAIN CHARACTER. This sounds right up my alley :D )
Like Sam said, short review but you said a lot! I've ONLY seen amazing things being said about this one and I can't believe I haven't read it yet. It's on my next book order for sure!!
This book looks like it's just universally appealing -- I've yet to hear anything bad about it, which is great. Except now your review made me want macaroni and cheese.
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