Review: Wanderlove

Wanderlove by Kirsten Hubbard 
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Format: Kindle Ebook 
Pages: 335
Source: NetGalley 
Release Date: March 13, 2012 
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★★★★☆

It all begins with a stupid question:

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 into 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

Wanderlove is easily one of the most funny and adventurous stories I have had the privilege of reading this year. Three things in particular stood out about this book to me: (1) Kristen Hubbard’s writing style=hilarious, (2) The characters are so relatable and realistic, (3) There is a ton of wisdom packed into this quick read.

As far as writing styles go, Kirsten Hubbard has one of the most funny ones that I have ever seen! I was constantly giggling and smiling. If you read Wanderlove, expect to be thoroughly entertained from page one!

“At last, a woman excuses herself from the group and approaches me. She’s got knobby knuckles and pearly, lacquered nails. She reminds me of a velociraptor.” – Wanderlove

Bria, the main character of this story, is extremely easy to relate to. Describing herself as an “introverted hanger-back,” all I was thinking was “THAT’S SO ME!” I felt like I was on this journey with her, growing and learning. The newness and wonder of it all was beautiful to me.

As far as scenery goes, I’ve never been to the places in the book, but they sure seemed authentic to me. I’ll admit I even looked up Laughingbird Caye, and guess what!? It’s real! It is clear that Hubbard did some research (maybe even first hand?) for this one. Authenticity in travel fiction is a must!

The ending was left open, but very satisfying. Quite honestly, it was exactly how I wanted it to end. Wanderlove is a simple, yet beautiful adventure of self-discovery, love, and healing. Think Eat, Pray, Love for teenagers! I fell in love with this book from page one.