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3.97 AVERAGE
3.97 AVERAGE
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
read this in april 2021 and severely disliked it.
(also I believe this was my first book that was vaguely smutty)
(also I believe this was my first book that was vaguely smutty)
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
adventurous
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
adventurous
emotional
reflective
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Drug abuse
I’m really conflicted with this one because I have read many of Sara’s other books and have really enjoyed them but this one fell flat for me.
- Peyton first of all, was the dullest character I have ever read about. She didn’t have anything to her that was remotely memorable and she was painfully boring to read from.
- I didn’t like how the book was structured with Peyton’s life before and after Canada. There were so many inconsistencies and I couldn’t imagine how easy it was for her to just go on a jolly to canada without been questioned profusely about it. I preferred the after chapters, and the before chapters weren’t nice considering the bullying Payton experienced.
- I felt like this book is directed for a much younger YA audience and had some really cringey language and overly used cliches.
This one just wasn’t for me.
I received this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
- Peyton first of all, was the dullest character I have ever read about. She didn’t have anything to her that was remotely memorable and she was painfully boring to read from.
- I didn’t like how the book was structured with Peyton’s life before and after Canada. There were so many inconsistencies and I couldn’t imagine how easy it was for her to just go on a jolly to canada without been questioned profusely about it. I preferred the after chapters, and the before chapters weren’t nice considering the bullying Payton experienced.
- I felt like this book is directed for a much younger YA audience and had some really cringey language and overly used cliches.
This one just wasn’t for me.
I received this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Peyton King is seventeen and already feels like her life has gone wrong. She never had any friends and was bullied at school so started sixth form with one goal in mind: to make friends. She achieves her goal but loses herself. After a life-changing, traumatic incident she decides she needs to just go somewhere, anywhere so she books a one way ticket to Canada.
We have all been there. That feeling of wanting to run away from everything is so relatable especially in 2021 when travelling is not an option! This was a perfect read to escape reality with Peyton and feel free for a little while! I would love to go to Canada and ‘have the awe’ (my new favourite quote). Destination Anywhere is a coming of age novel about self-acceptance and true friendship; in all its different forms.
The dual timelines and contrast between past and present allowed Peyton to be reflective and compare the healthy relationships she makes in Canada with the detrimental relationships she had previously. Peyton is self-aware and, with the benefit of hindsight, self-critical. There’s no part of this book that condones running away to another country or (TW:) substance abuse instead the character re-examines the decisions she made trying to figure out how she got there but she still thinks that the roots of her problems is that there is something wrong with her. It takes a trip half way around the world, six strangers and a lot of self-reflection to realise there’s nothing wrong with her and the reason she was so deeply unhappy is that she was not being herself and doing what she loves or wants to do.
It’s when she has stopped seeking out friendship that it finds her. Seva, Maja, Beasey, Khalil, Lars and Stefan, the group she meets at the hostel, are kind, accepting and protective; even as strangers they sense that Peyton is a little lost and want to help her because they like her! They all offer different types of friendship but they are patient, respectful, open and gentle. They give her the space and the opportunity to confide in them, to choose to come with them and to be friends. It’s a really special and beautiful dynamic. There are so many beautiful quiet moments of tender friendship in this book and it’s an important reminder that the opportunity to make friends doesn’t begin and end at school!
I love Sara Barnard’s writing and there are so many quotes to live by in this book! One of my favourites from Maja (asides from the amazing cake analogy): “You can’t set your self-esteem by other people. It is never your fault if people don’t see what’s good in you.”
Peyton King is seventeen and already feels like her life has gone wrong. She never had any friends and was bullied at school so started sixth form with one goal in mind: to make friends. She achieves her goal but loses herself. After a life-changing, traumatic incident she decides she needs to just go somewhere, anywhere so she books a one way ticket to Canada.
We have all been there. That feeling of wanting to run away from everything is so relatable especially in 2021 when travelling is not an option! This was a perfect read to escape reality with Peyton and feel free for a little while! I would love to go to Canada and ‘have the awe’ (my new favourite quote). Destination Anywhere is a coming of age novel about self-acceptance and true friendship; in all its different forms.
The dual timelines and contrast between past and present allowed Peyton to be reflective and compare the healthy relationships she makes in Canada with the detrimental relationships she had previously. Peyton is self-aware and, with the benefit of hindsight, self-critical. There’s no part of this book that condones running away to another country or (TW:) substance abuse instead the character re-examines the decisions she made trying to figure out how she got there but she still thinks that the roots of her problems is that there is something wrong with her. It takes a trip half way around the world, six strangers and a lot of self-reflection to realise there’s nothing wrong with her and the reason she was so deeply unhappy is that she was not being herself and doing what she loves or wants to do.
It’s when she has stopped seeking out friendship that it finds her. Seva, Maja, Beasey, Khalil, Lars and Stefan, the group she meets at the hostel, are kind, accepting and protective; even as strangers they sense that Peyton is a little lost and want to help her because they like her! They all offer different types of friendship but they are patient, respectful, open and gentle. They give her the space and the opportunity to confide in them, to choose to come with them and to be friends. It’s a really special and beautiful dynamic. There are so many beautiful quiet moments of tender friendship in this book and it’s an important reminder that the opportunity to make friends doesn’t begin and end at school!
I love Sara Barnard’s writing and there are so many quotes to live by in this book! One of my favourites from Maja (asides from the amazing cake analogy): “You can’t set your self-esteem by other people. It is never your fault if people don’t see what’s good in you.”
For the most part, I enjoyed this book. I loved how Canada was Peyton’s destination and where most of the book took place. It’s set in a Now and Then format for most of the story – which works so that we understand why Peyton suddenly left her life for a new country with absolutely no plan. There, she meets a group of travelers in a youth hostel who seem to be drawn to her and she quickly connects with them. There are a few snags here and there, due to Peyton’s anxiety, but the group ends up traveling partway across Canada together before heading off to their original destinations.
Peyton’s character portrayal was very real and raw. While she could seem annoying, I felt her pain with her insecurity and anxiety over having and keeping friends. The negative thoughts could easily take over and cause her to push herself away from these new friends she made in Canada, whereas in the past in England the same thoughts caused her to compromise herself and lose herself because she so badly wanted to fit in. To me, she was very realistic and her frustration with her parents was something that I felt was totally valid, as they wouldn’t listen to her or remove her from the bullying situation in secondary school, then to not understand why she felt the need to run away.
WHAT I LIKED
There was a lot to like about this book. For my part, Peyton’s character. Again, while she can seem annoying because she has the same repeated, insecure thoughts… those thoughts are very real for someone who struggles with anxiety. I know because I get the same way – feeling as if I annoy those around me by just being there, wondering if they really like hanging out with me, etc. It’s not pretty, but it’s real and there’s a lot of taking steps forward, but then going two steps back when something triggers your anxiety. So I applaud the portrayal of anxiety in this story, without it being actually a diagnosis, because many people aren’t.
Aside from Peyton, I enjoyed her group of friends in Canada. While some of them were a little underdeveloped (which made it confusing to remember some of them) they were all a fun little group with their own pasts and reasons for traveling. Khalil and Seva were two of my favorites, as they were very sweet and protective of Peyton (especially Seva) but also knew how to have fun and tease their friends.
WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE
Obviously, I wasn’t fond of (and that’s putting lightly) of the group of friends Peyton hung out with in her first year of college. Flick only cared about herself and was obsessed with her boyfriend, Eric (who was a jerk), Casey was passive about everything, and Travis was just disgusting. There were two others, I think, but they weren’t mentioned enough to remember. However, Peyton was desperate to have friends and let herself follow what they did which led to drinking, drugs, and lose herself and who she was.
What irked me the most was the sex between Peyton and her boyfriends. I don’t usually complain about this element in young-adult fiction, but for some reason it bothered me with this book. While I get why it’s relevant for Peyton’s past self, I felt like it the description of it happening was a little unnecessary (it wasn’t graphic, but still) whereas things could’ve been more implied. And obviously her relationship with Travis was just toxic to begin with, but again, I get that it was relevant to how she lost herself. What bothered me more was when she engaged in sex with one of the boys she met in Canada (not spoiling who). First of all, they just met and it wasn’t an insta-love kind of meet, nor was there that level of chemistry between them. And secondly, which I feel is more important, is that this dude was at least five years older than her and Peyton is only seventeen.
LAST THOUGHTS
Despite everything I didn’t like about this book, it was good otherwise. Again, I did enjoy the portrayal of Peyton’s personality dealing with anxiety that was caused by bullying, as well as her journey across Canada with a ragtag group of international travelers. It’s just that one element that I didn’t like that kind of made me give an ugly face at the book and go “why though?” It was also hard to keep track of all the names in each group of friends which made it hard to get into, but it was better after a few chapters.
The ending was very cute and I love how that came about, though I kind of wanted to know more about what happened after the ending. Of course, I do enjoy those endings so I can’t be too mad. In any case, if you enjoy characters with anxiety and learning to find themselves, as well as learning what real friendship is about, I’d recommend this book.
Rating: 3.75 stars
Peyton’s character portrayal was very real and raw. While she could seem annoying, I felt her pain with her insecurity and anxiety over having and keeping friends. The negative thoughts could easily take over and cause her to push herself away from these new friends she made in Canada, whereas in the past in England the same thoughts caused her to compromise herself and lose herself because she so badly wanted to fit in. To me, she was very realistic and her frustration with her parents was something that I felt was totally valid, as they wouldn’t listen to her or remove her from the bullying situation in secondary school, then to not understand why she felt the need to run away.
WHAT I LIKED
There was a lot to like about this book. For my part, Peyton’s character. Again, while she can seem annoying because she has the same repeated, insecure thoughts… those thoughts are very real for someone who struggles with anxiety. I know because I get the same way – feeling as if I annoy those around me by just being there, wondering if they really like hanging out with me, etc. It’s not pretty, but it’s real and there’s a lot of taking steps forward, but then going two steps back when something triggers your anxiety. So I applaud the portrayal of anxiety in this story, without it being actually a diagnosis, because many people aren’t.
Aside from Peyton, I enjoyed her group of friends in Canada. While some of them were a little underdeveloped (which made it confusing to remember some of them) they were all a fun little group with their own pasts and reasons for traveling. Khalil and Seva were two of my favorites, as they were very sweet and protective of Peyton (especially Seva) but also knew how to have fun and tease their friends.
WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE
Obviously, I wasn’t fond of (and that’s putting lightly) of the group of friends Peyton hung out with in her first year of college. Flick only cared about herself and was obsessed with her boyfriend, Eric (who was a jerk), Casey was passive about everything, and Travis was just disgusting. There were two others, I think, but they weren’t mentioned enough to remember. However, Peyton was desperate to have friends and let herself follow what they did which led to drinking, drugs, and lose herself and who she was.
What irked me the most was the sex between Peyton and her boyfriends. I don’t usually complain about this element in young-adult fiction, but for some reason it bothered me with this book. While I get why it’s relevant for Peyton’s past self, I felt like it the description of it happening was a little unnecessary (it wasn’t graphic, but still) whereas things could’ve been more implied. And obviously her relationship with Travis was just toxic to begin with, but again, I get that it was relevant to how she lost herself. What bothered me more was when she engaged in sex with one of the boys she met in Canada (not spoiling who). First of all, they just met and it wasn’t an insta-love kind of meet, nor was there that level of chemistry between them. And secondly, which I feel is more important, is that this dude was at least five years older than her and Peyton is only seventeen.
LAST THOUGHTS
Despite everything I didn’t like about this book, it was good otherwise. Again, I did enjoy the portrayal of Peyton’s personality dealing with anxiety that was caused by bullying, as well as her journey across Canada with a ragtag group of international travelers. It’s just that one element that I didn’t like that kind of made me give an ugly face at the book and go “why though?” It was also hard to keep track of all the names in each group of friends which made it hard to get into, but it was better after a few chapters.
The ending was very cute and I love how that came about, though I kind of wanted to know more about what happened after the ending. Of course, I do enjoy those endings so I can’t be too mad. In any case, if you enjoy characters with anxiety and learning to find themselves, as well as learning what real friendship is about, I’d recommend this book.
Rating: 3.75 stars
This book is, put simply, a warm hug.
After dealing with bullying and fake friends for her entire adolescence, 17 year old Peyton has had enough. She needs to get away. So she does just that. She books a one way ticket to Vancouver and hops on a plane to the other side of the globe.
Alone and trying to work out how her life went wrong, she stumbles across some other soul searchers and ends up with the adventure of a lifetime. On a road trip across Canada she experiences all sorts of wonders and beauty. Perhaps most importantly she discovers what real friendship is and starts to find herself in the process.
Sara Bernard's writing was so easy to fall into that I devoured this book in a single sitting. I loved that the narrative switched between the road trip and Peyton reflecting on her life. Peyton is one of my favourite YA protagonists I have read in a long time. She is flawed but she is able to admit that, which goes a long way to helping her put herself back together. It was refreshing to see a character deal with her problems in this way and I loved it. All of the other characters was so likeable and wholesome and wonderful I just wanted to pluck them out of the pages so I could join their little roadtrip family.
Bonus points:
The slow burn romance was everything.
Friends that are a family give me life.
Khalil and Beasey have my heart.
I loved this book and will definitely be re-reading it.
Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillan for the e-Arc.
After dealing with bullying and fake friends for her entire adolescence, 17 year old Peyton has had enough. She needs to get away. So she does just that. She books a one way ticket to Vancouver and hops on a plane to the other side of the globe.
Alone and trying to work out how her life went wrong, she stumbles across some other soul searchers and ends up with the adventure of a lifetime. On a road trip across Canada she experiences all sorts of wonders and beauty. Perhaps most importantly she discovers what real friendship is and starts to find herself in the process.
Sara Bernard's writing was so easy to fall into that I devoured this book in a single sitting. I loved that the narrative switched between the road trip and Peyton reflecting on her life. Peyton is one of my favourite YA protagonists I have read in a long time. She is flawed but she is able to admit that, which goes a long way to helping her put herself back together. It was refreshing to see a character deal with her problems in this way and I loved it. All of the other characters was so likeable and wholesome and wonderful I just wanted to pluck them out of the pages so I could join their little roadtrip family.
Bonus points:
The slow burn romance was everything.
Friends that are a family give me life.
Khalil and Beasey have my heart.
I loved this book and will definitely be re-reading it.
Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillan for the e-Arc.
adventurous
hopeful
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes