Reviews

Wayward Son by Rainbow Rowell

bhnmt61's review against another edition

4.0

Book Two of the Simon and Baz trilogy. Simon gave up all his magic at the end of the first book, and he can’t figure out how to be without it. Penelope has had enough of his depression, so she decides the three of them are going to America. They can visit her boyfriend Micah in Chicago and check on their friend Agatha in San Diego.

There are so many things to not like about this book. Are we just ignoring all the things they stole, the property they destroyed, the hotel rooms they broke into, the carjacking? Baz draining cats? And why the heck were they in the US anyway? I mean, I know the reasons given in the book, but as an authorial choice for the series, it just doesn’t make much sense. (Anyone else a Richard Jury fan? I never read another after he spent a book in New Mexico.) And the totally lame non-ending. C’mon.

Normally any one of those things would have been enough to turn me off a book, but for some reason I ended up really enjoying this. I’m still not sure how Rowell did that. I guess you just don’t take it seriously. It helps that I love these three characters, and especially Simon and Baz. And some of the Brits-in-America humor was, uh, spot on (even though Rowell is from Nebraska). To my surprise, I’m looking forward to the next one.

grclnntt's review against another edition

adventurous funny slow-paced

3.5

bettielovesbooks's review against another edition

3.0

The cliffhanger made knock a whole start,I don’t necessarily want everything tied up nice and neatly, but this just felt unfinished.
I did love Shepherd and the dialogue.

vanamo_sys's review against another edition

adventurous funny fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

Otherwise really good book but i really really didn't like Simon's fantasy racism. The way he talks in his POV was really off putting.

omegageek's review against another edition

adventurous funny hopeful lighthearted mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

thrunowandthen's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

batmanbussy's review against another edition

4.0

3.5/5

fun! good handling of mental health and relationship issues.

i love these characters <3

natalie_is_reading's review against another edition

4.0

It was okay!! Quite decent!! Did not ruin my favorite book! I was warned it wasn’t great but you know what I liked it! Plot was ~interesting~ and no one knows how to communicate with each other but they were still the characters I know and love. Didn’t do anything crazy to my perception of everything which was my main thing. I’ve heard the third is quite good and brings it all together, so let’s go!

wieso_auch_immer's review against another edition

adventurous lighthearted tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

eringow's review against another edition

adventurous challenging funny lighthearted fast-paced

• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5