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3.97 AVERAGE
3.97 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
I loved this book. I recommend it, I feel like there are probably better books with this concept.
I fell in love with all the characters that were introduced while Payton was in Canada. I shipped Beasey and Payton so hard. I had also never read a book with such harsh drug use and drug paraphernalia.
The book alternates between two different times. (Before) This takes place in the past, before Payton runs away to Canada. (Now) takes place in the present, the current time of the story. Originally, I didn't think I would be a fan of this writing style because I have never read anything that had changed from past to present. After staring the book, I started to love the Time changing. I felt it was put in all the right moments.
I normally have a hard time with unrealistic scenarios. (So, a book where a girl who lived in England runs away to Canada because she isn't happy with her friends. Then while she in Canada her parents were like "it's okay just come back when you're ready" Then she makes friends with these super cool people and learns how to have real, good friends.) Didn't seem like a book I would enjoy but it definitely surprised me, because it was so much more than that. There was so much more that went into it.
I fell in love with all the characters that were introduced while Payton was in Canada. I shipped Beasey and Payton so hard. I had also never read a book with such harsh drug use and drug paraphernalia.
The book alternates between two different times. (Before) This takes place in the past, before Payton runs away to Canada. (Now) takes place in the present, the current time of the story. Originally, I didn't think I would be a fan of this writing style because I have never read anything that had changed from past to present. After staring the book, I started to love the Time changing. I felt it was put in all the right moments.
I normally have a hard time with unrealistic scenarios. (So, a book where a girl who lived in England runs away to Canada because she isn't happy with her friends. Then while she in Canada her parents were like "it's okay just come back when you're ready" Then she makes friends with these super cool people and learns how to have real, good friends.) Didn't seem like a book I would enjoy but it definitely surprised me, because it was so much more than that. There was so much more that went into it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug use, Toxic friendship
Minor: Sexual content
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Einfach nur WOW. Was habe ich da gerade gelesen? Ich glaube, eines der besten Bücher in meinem ganzen Leben!
Peyton hat genug, genug von ihren Fake Freunden, von der stressigen Schule, von allem und sich selbst, und bricht aus, springt in den nächsten Flieger: Von Großbritannien nach Vancouver, Kanada. Dort leben schließlich die glücklichsten Menschen und ein wenig Glück hat die Siebzehnjährige wirklich nötig. Als sie auf Beasey und einige andere Backpacker trifft, gelangt sie auf eine Reise nicht nur quer durch das Land, sondern zu sich selbst, und findet das, was sie glaubte, nie haben zu können: wahre Freundschaft.
Leute, ich kann gar nicht in Worte fassen, wie umwerfend das Buch in meinen Augen ist. Es strahlt so viel Wärme aus. Immer weiterzulesen, tiefer zu tauchen, fühlt sich an wie Nachhausekommen – einfach nur schön. Angefangen bei unserer Protagonistin Peyton King, deren Leben geprägt durch Mobbing echt nicht leicht war: Ihre Vergangenheit wird so authentisch erzählt, dass man denkt, sie sei eine reale Person. Immer wieder schwangt die „Kameraperspektive“ (nenne ich es mal) zwischen Gegenwarte, dem Hier und Jetzt, und dem, was bisher geschah. Immer wieder hatte ich Angst, mehr über das zu erfahren, was Peyton zu gestoßen ist. Ihre Probleme sind dabei mehr als nur real, und das machte es mir auch so leicht, mich mit ihr zu identifizieren. Viele Dinge, die sie fühlt, fühle und fühlte ich auch schon mal in meinem Leben. Diese Zugänglichkeit ist wesentlich, um sich in dieser Geschichte fallen zu lassen und genau das schafft die Autorin. Peyton macht eine unglaubliche Charakterentwicklung durch. Man hat richtig Spaß, ihr dabei zuzugucken und sie anzufeuern. Man freut sich über die kleinen Erfolge und leidet mit ihr mit bei Misserfolgen oder nur allzu menschlichen Entscheidungen, die nicht immer gut waren. Und auch die Backpackertruppe ist durch weg ein sympathischer, quirliger Haufen, den man einfach nur lieben muss! Natürlich gibt es auch ein paar Charaktere, die nicht gerade mit ihrem Charme glänzen, aber die wirkliche Welt wird ja auch nicht nur von gutherzigen, verständnisvollen Menschen bevölkert.
Die Geschichte an sich gestaltet sich eher als ruhig und weniger turbulent. Der Fokus liegt auf Peytons Reise und Entwicklung, wie sie Freundschaften schließt und versucht, ihr Leben wieder in den Griff zu bekommen. Dabei gab es aber keine einzige Sekunde, in der ich dachte: „Langweilig!“. Im Gegenteil, die Seiten schwirrten nur so an mir vorbei. Ich habe es in jedem Moment gefühlt und wollte gar nicht, dass es zu Ende geht. Und ja, ein wenig feucht waren meine Augen wirklich, als ich die letzten Seiten las. Mich bewegte die Geschichte so unheimlich und ganz viel Energie und Stärke habe ich ebenfalls daraus gesogen. Sara Barnard wusste anscheinend einfach, wie sie es schreiben muss. Denn wie sie schreibt und ihre Charaktere diese innere Reise erleben lässt, ist nicht nur authentisch, sondern einfühlsam zugleich. Bei mir hat sie einen Nerv getroffen – und es kommt nicht oft vor, dass ein Buch das schafft. Denn manchmal habe ich das Gefühl, ein Herz aus Stein zu besitzen. Aber Peyto, oh Peyto, sie ist eindeutig mein Wow-Moment, sie hat mein Herz erweicht! Diese (Lese-)Zeit mit der wundervollsten Gruppe und dem Wohnmobil Justin war ein Erlebnis, dass ich nicht missen möchte.
Aber müssten hier nicht noch ein paar kritische Worte kommen? Kann ja nicht alles positiv gewesen sein, oder? Hm, na ja. Die Sache ist die: Ich habe wirklich überlegt, aber mir fällt beim besten Willen nichts, absolut nichts ein, was mich gestört hätte. Keinen Schimmer!
Nicht ohne Grund bekommt dieses Buch von mir nicht nur 5 von 5 kuschligen Lagerfeuern und eine riesige, dicke, fette Leseempfehlung, sondern auch einen Platz in meinem Herzen.
Peyton hat genug, genug von ihren Fake Freunden, von der stressigen Schule, von allem und sich selbst, und bricht aus, springt in den nächsten Flieger: Von Großbritannien nach Vancouver, Kanada. Dort leben schließlich die glücklichsten Menschen und ein wenig Glück hat die Siebzehnjährige wirklich nötig. Als sie auf Beasey und einige andere Backpacker trifft, gelangt sie auf eine Reise nicht nur quer durch das Land, sondern zu sich selbst, und findet das, was sie glaubte, nie haben zu können: wahre Freundschaft.
Leute, ich kann gar nicht in Worte fassen, wie umwerfend das Buch in meinen Augen ist. Es strahlt so viel Wärme aus. Immer weiterzulesen, tiefer zu tauchen, fühlt sich an wie Nachhausekommen – einfach nur schön. Angefangen bei unserer Protagonistin Peyton King, deren Leben geprägt durch Mobbing echt nicht leicht war: Ihre Vergangenheit wird so authentisch erzählt, dass man denkt, sie sei eine reale Person. Immer wieder schwangt die „Kameraperspektive“ (nenne ich es mal) zwischen Gegenwarte, dem Hier und Jetzt, und dem, was bisher geschah. Immer wieder hatte ich Angst, mehr über das zu erfahren, was Peyton zu gestoßen ist. Ihre Probleme sind dabei mehr als nur real, und das machte es mir auch so leicht, mich mit ihr zu identifizieren. Viele Dinge, die sie fühlt, fühle und fühlte ich auch schon mal in meinem Leben. Diese Zugänglichkeit ist wesentlich, um sich in dieser Geschichte fallen zu lassen und genau das schafft die Autorin. Peyton macht eine unglaubliche Charakterentwicklung durch. Man hat richtig Spaß, ihr dabei zuzugucken und sie anzufeuern. Man freut sich über die kleinen Erfolge und leidet mit ihr mit bei Misserfolgen oder nur allzu menschlichen Entscheidungen, die nicht immer gut waren. Und auch die Backpackertruppe ist durch weg ein sympathischer, quirliger Haufen, den man einfach nur lieben muss! Natürlich gibt es auch ein paar Charaktere, die nicht gerade mit ihrem Charme glänzen, aber die wirkliche Welt wird ja auch nicht nur von gutherzigen, verständnisvollen Menschen bevölkert.
Die Geschichte an sich gestaltet sich eher als ruhig und weniger turbulent. Der Fokus liegt auf Peytons Reise und Entwicklung, wie sie Freundschaften schließt und versucht, ihr Leben wieder in den Griff zu bekommen. Dabei gab es aber keine einzige Sekunde, in der ich dachte: „Langweilig!“. Im Gegenteil, die Seiten schwirrten nur so an mir vorbei. Ich habe es in jedem Moment gefühlt und wollte gar nicht, dass es zu Ende geht. Und ja, ein wenig feucht waren meine Augen wirklich, als ich die letzten Seiten las. Mich bewegte die Geschichte so unheimlich und ganz viel Energie und Stärke habe ich ebenfalls daraus gesogen. Sara Barnard wusste anscheinend einfach, wie sie es schreiben muss. Denn wie sie schreibt und ihre Charaktere diese innere Reise erleben lässt, ist nicht nur authentisch, sondern einfühlsam zugleich. Bei mir hat sie einen Nerv getroffen – und es kommt nicht oft vor, dass ein Buch das schafft. Denn manchmal habe ich das Gefühl, ein Herz aus Stein zu besitzen. Aber Peyto, oh Peyto, sie ist eindeutig mein Wow-Moment, sie hat mein Herz erweicht! Diese (Lese-)Zeit mit der wundervollsten Gruppe und dem Wohnmobil Justin war ein Erlebnis, dass ich nicht missen möchte.
Aber müssten hier nicht noch ein paar kritische Worte kommen? Kann ja nicht alles positiv gewesen sein, oder? Hm, na ja. Die Sache ist die: Ich habe wirklich überlegt, aber mir fällt beim besten Willen nichts, absolut nichts ein, was mich gestört hätte. Keinen Schimmer!
Nicht ohne Grund bekommt dieses Buch von mir nicht nur 5 von 5 kuschligen Lagerfeuern und eine riesige, dicke, fette Leseempfehlung, sondern auch einen Platz in meinem Herzen.
A) Get this girl into therapy. She at MINIMUM has PTSD from years of bullying, and reads as neuro-divergent in more ways than that as well. Running away to travel alone in a foreign country isn’t going to effectively teach her coping mechanisms??
B) I truly hated her relationship with Beasey. The fact that his age was never mentioned squicked me out - she was 17 and he could’ve been anywhere between 18 and 25 and there’s a very clear line at which the age difference there becomes not okay
B) I truly hated her relationship with Beasey. The fact that his age was never mentioned squicked me out - she was 17 and he could’ve been anywhere between 18 and 25 and there’s a very clear line at which the age difference there becomes not okay
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I’ve had this book borrowed from the library for a while, so it was really exciting to me that I finally picked it up! Especially considering I had the German translation, which on top of that had almost 400 pages.
I didn't know what to expect going into this book, because I'd never heard of it before. It was some random book I'd found at the library when I was in one of my rare "What if I tried reading books in German again?" phases, though I did know the author beforehand. And while there were certain things I didn't like, overall, it was a pleasant surprise!
The story had two timelines. In timeline one, the present, Peyton had very spontaneously decided to temporarily leave her life in England and fly to Canada. She’d dropped out of school, stole her dad’s credit card, and wanted to leave the uncertainty and sadness of her life behind. While in Canada, she met new people, ones that taught her what real friendship (and also romance) looked like.
In timeline two, the past, Peyton explained what exactly had happened to make her take that drastic step of literally fleeing halfway across the globe.
What surprised me the most was how little I disliked this way of storytelling. Usually, I don’t like it when books are split into present and past, because I always end up not caring much about the chapters set in the past and find myself wanting to skim-read. That desire was missing here. While it was very easy to figure out what exactly happened from a certain point on even before it was truly revealed, I still didn’t find the past chapters pointless. They added a depth to it that I think wouldn’t have been there quite as much if there’d only been a focus on the present, and made me a lot more understanding towards Peyton’s actions and decisions.
Peyton as a character wasn’t technically someone I cared about deeply, but I do think that our shared experiences as lonely, friendless teenagers resulted in me not being bothered by her actions as much as other people might be. Don’t get me wrong - she did a lot of things that made me roll my eyes, like fleeing to Canada in October without so much as a coat and then being surprised by it. She was also naive to a degree that should’ve been impossible with her past experience. But she was also incredibly, painfully relatable.
The discussions Barnard created about friendship and about how far people would go to have them, even if they had to completely lose themselves in the process, was my absolute favourite thing about this book. Basically, Peyton had gotten bullied relentlessly for years at her old school, so when she started over at a new one, she was determined to not be alone anymore and to find connections with her peers. She ended up befriending a group of people that wasn’t good for her and that she barely even liked half of the time - but she was so terrified of being alone and being a victim again that she ignored all the red flags and did things she wasn’t proud of.
The contemplation that Peyton had about friendships made me very emotional. I’ve never had friends, especially not ones that I’d trust and that I was close with, so the desperation and loneliness she felt hit me deep in my core. To be honest, it almost made me depressed, because it made me yearn for it so hard I wanted to cry . If I’d read this as a teen, I probably would’ve felt hopeful and maybe bittersweet about the future; but as an adult in their late twenties, that was impossible.
Regardless of those sad feelings it conjured up in me, I loved the way Barnard talked about Peyton’s desire to have friends - even if those friends weren’t good for her. That’s what I meant when I said that my experience with loneliness and lack of friends made me understand her better - because despite the fact that as an adult, it is very easy to say that she acted stupid and should’ve known better and questioned her friends more, I just know in my heart that I would’ve done the exact same thing as her if I’d been in her situation as a teenager. I would’ve immediately given my true self up if it meant I could have friends to hang out with.
Plot-wise, I do think that logic was thrown out the window at times. Realistically, Peyton probably wouldn’t have even been allowed to enter Canada, or get a room in a youth hostel without a parent. Admittedly, I wasn’t quite all too aware of that and have only learnt about it from other reviews - I’ve only gone to another country alone once in my life when I was underage, and nobody there even asked what my intentions were -, but now I can’t unsee it and it bothers me.
On top of that, Barnard barely acknowledged how much worse it could’ve gone for Peyton. A 17-year-old teenager, going to another country without so much as a plan, could’ve easily fallen into the wrong hands. That’s what I meant when I said Peyton was naive - she became friends with pretty much the first people she met in the hotel and didn’t even question their intentions. I know that the atmosphere in youth hostels is rather laid-back and friendships are forged more easily, but I would’ve appreciated an acknowledgement of the potential danger. Without that, a teenager might pick up this book and think this is the greatest idea ever, without thinking about the negatives.
To be honest, I feel like this book offers very differing reading experience depending on where in your life you are. As a teenager, it’s inspiring and might awaken wanderlust. As an adult, you are way more reserved - I actually found myself on Peyton’s mum’s side at times, which was a very odd feeling to be having.
The story was also a bit rushed. You didn’t really get to experience the road trip too much and see the characters become close to each other. Before you could even blink, everyone was friends and two weeks had passed. At most, Peyton would talk about the places they’d seen, but it was always a bit on the outside; you were told about their adventures more than you were shown them. It definitely could’ve benefited from slowing down and taking the time to actually have the reader join the trip.
That too-fast pace also made the side characters a bit underdeveloped, which was something about the novel I didn’t like. Peyton met six people in Canada that she went on a road trip with, and some of them were barely explored at all. Especially these two guys named Lars and Stefan felt more like they were just thrown in there to have more people; I didn’t even realise that they were a couple until I was quite some way into the story, and I am usually quite attuned to queerness. So when Peyton talked about how close she was to the others and how much these friendships meant to her, it didn’t feel authentic to me.
Personally, I also don’t think there should’ve been a romance, because it undermined the message of the book a bit. Because at the end of the story, Peyton was closest to her love interest Beasey, and she took it way harder to be leaving him behind than any of the other five, and that made it seem like friendship is way less important than romantic love. The impact of the story would’ve been much bigger if everything had stayed platonic.
It didn’t help that Beasey wasn’t an exception to the rule of underdevelopment. I never really understood why he and Peyton even fell in love with each other. At first, he didn’t even register as a potential love interest - partly because I didn’t go into this book expecting a romance, and partly because I thought for a while that he and Khalil , his best friend, were a couple (which made the fact that I didn’t recognise the actual queer couple kind of hilarious). Even later, when Peyton talked about how he was her best friend, insinuating that she was much closer to him than any of the others, I didn’t understand where that came from. Because while he might have been mentioned more often than the others, I didn’t see the deeper friendship/budding romance that he had with Peyton.
It didn’t help that I never learnt how much older than Peyton he was, which made me also too uncomfortable and nervous to enjoy the romance to begin with. It was mentioned a lot that Peyton was the youngest at seventeen and that the oldest were about 25 years old, but I didn’t know where in that age range Beasey fell. It was impossible for me to even consider rooting for the romance as long as that uncertainty prevailed.
Overall, I really liked the discussions around friendship in this book, that was definitely a highlight for me. It was also engaging and at parts hopeful and inspiring (if you didn’t look at it through a too realistic lens). However, the characters were a bit too underdeveloped and the plot could’ve done well with slowing down a little. And the romance really wasn’t necessary and undermined the message of the story in my opinion.
I didn't know what to expect going into this book, because I'd never heard of it before. It was some random book I'd found at the library when I was in one of my rare "What if I tried reading books in German again?" phases, though I did know the author beforehand. And while there were certain things I didn't like, overall, it was a pleasant surprise!
The story had two timelines. In timeline one, the present, Peyton had very spontaneously decided to temporarily leave her life in England and fly to Canada. She’d dropped out of school, stole her dad’s credit card, and wanted to leave the uncertainty and sadness of her life behind. While in Canada, she met new people, ones that taught her what real friendship (and also romance) looked like.
In timeline two, the past, Peyton explained what exactly had happened to make her take that drastic step of literally fleeing halfway across the globe.
What surprised me the most was how little I disliked this way of storytelling. Usually, I don’t like it when books are split into present and past, because I always end up not caring much about the chapters set in the past and find myself wanting to skim-read. That desire was missing here. While it was very easy to figure out what exactly happened from a certain point on even before it was truly revealed, I still didn’t find the past chapters pointless. They added a depth to it that I think wouldn’t have been there quite as much if there’d only been a focus on the present, and made me a lot more understanding towards Peyton’s actions and decisions.
Peyton as a character wasn’t technically someone I cared about deeply, but I do think that our shared experiences as lonely, friendless teenagers resulted in me not being bothered by her actions as much as other people might be. Don’t get me wrong - she did a lot of things that made me roll my eyes, like fleeing to Canada in October without so much as a coat and then being surprised by it. She was also naive to a degree that should’ve been impossible with her past experience. But she was also incredibly, painfully relatable.
The discussions Barnard created about friendship and about how far people would go to have them, even if they had to completely lose themselves in the process, was my absolute favourite thing about this book. Basically, Peyton had gotten bullied relentlessly for years at her old school, so when she started over at a new one, she was determined to not be alone anymore and to find connections with her peers. She ended up befriending a group of people that wasn’t good for her and that she barely even liked half of the time - but she was so terrified of being alone and being a victim again that she ignored all the red flags and did things she wasn’t proud of.
The contemplation that Peyton had about friendships made me very emotional. I’ve never had friends, especially not ones that I’d trust and that I was close with, so the desperation and loneliness she felt hit me deep in my core. To be honest, it almost made me depressed, because it made me yearn for it so hard I wanted to cry . If I’d read this as a teen, I probably would’ve felt hopeful and maybe bittersweet about the future; but as an adult in their late twenties, that was impossible.
Regardless of those sad feelings it conjured up in me, I loved the way Barnard talked about Peyton’s desire to have friends - even if those friends weren’t good for her. That’s what I meant when I said that my experience with loneliness and lack of friends made me understand her better - because despite the fact that as an adult, it is very easy to say that she acted stupid and should’ve known better and questioned her friends more, I just know in my heart that I would’ve done the exact same thing as her if I’d been in her situation as a teenager. I would’ve immediately given my true self up if it meant I could have friends to hang out with.
Plot-wise, I do think that logic was thrown out the window at times. Realistically, Peyton probably wouldn’t have even been allowed to enter Canada, or get a room in a youth hostel without a parent. Admittedly, I wasn’t quite all too aware of that and have only learnt about it from other reviews - I’ve only gone to another country alone once in my life when I was underage, and nobody there even asked what my intentions were -, but now I can’t unsee it and it bothers me.
On top of that, Barnard barely acknowledged how much worse it could’ve gone for Peyton. A 17-year-old teenager, going to another country without so much as a plan, could’ve easily fallen into the wrong hands. That’s what I meant when I said Peyton was naive - she became friends with pretty much the first people she met in the hotel and didn’t even question their intentions. I know that the atmosphere in youth hostels is rather laid-back and friendships are forged more easily, but I would’ve appreciated an acknowledgement of the potential danger. Without that, a teenager might pick up this book and think this is the greatest idea ever, without thinking about the negatives.
To be honest, I feel like this book offers very differing reading experience depending on where in your life you are. As a teenager, it’s inspiring and might awaken wanderlust. As an adult, you are way more reserved - I actually found myself on Peyton’s mum’s side at times, which was a very odd feeling to be having.
The story was also a bit rushed. You didn’t really get to experience the road trip too much and see the characters become close to each other. Before you could even blink, everyone was friends and two weeks had passed. At most, Peyton would talk about the places they’d seen, but it was always a bit on the outside; you were told about their adventures more than you were shown them. It definitely could’ve benefited from slowing down and taking the time to actually have the reader join the trip.
That too-fast pace also made the side characters a bit underdeveloped, which was something about the novel I didn’t like. Peyton met six people in Canada that she went on a road trip with, and some of them were barely explored at all. Especially these two guys named Lars and Stefan felt more like they were just thrown in there to have more people; I didn’t even realise that they were a couple until I was quite some way into the story, and I am usually quite attuned to queerness. So when Peyton talked about how close she was to the others and how much these friendships meant to her, it didn’t feel authentic to me.
Personally, I also don’t think there should’ve been a romance, because it undermined the message of the book a bit. Because at the end of the story, Peyton was closest to her love interest Beasey, and she took it way harder to be leaving him behind than any of the other five, and that made it seem like friendship is way less important than romantic love. The impact of the story would’ve been much bigger if everything had stayed platonic.
It didn’t help that Beasey wasn’t an exception to the rule of underdevelopment. I never really understood why he and Peyton even fell in love with each other. At first, he didn’t even register as a potential love interest - partly because I didn’t go into this book expecting a romance, and partly because I thought for a while that he and Khalil , his best friend, were a couple (which made the fact that I didn’t recognise the actual queer couple kind of hilarious). Even later, when Peyton talked about how he was her best friend, insinuating that she was much closer to him than any of the others, I didn’t understand where that came from. Because while he might have been mentioned more often than the others, I didn’t see the deeper friendship/budding romance that he had with Peyton.
It didn’t help that I never learnt how much older than Peyton he was, which made me also too uncomfortable and nervous to enjoy the romance to begin with. It was mentioned a lot that Peyton was the youngest at seventeen and that the oldest were about 25 years old, but I didn’t know where in that age range Beasey fell. It was impossible for me to even consider rooting for the romance as long as that uncertainty prevailed.
Overall, I really liked the discussions around friendship in this book, that was definitely a highlight for me. It was also engaging and at parts hopeful and inspiring (if you didn’t look at it through a too realistic lens). However, the characters were a bit too underdeveloped and the plot could’ve done well with slowing down a little. And the romance really wasn’t necessary and undermined the message of the story in my opinion.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Drug use, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Alcohol
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Toxic relationship
Minor: Death, Sexual content, Car accident
Also CW for drug overdose
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Not my favourite by Sara Barnard... (That title goes to A Quiet Kind Of Thunder) but this was still one of the more engaging YA books I've read recently. Sara Barnard is one of my favourite UK YA writers in general
Destination Anywhere gave me another solid read. It tackled some really important subjects like peer pressure, drugs, consent and just what people would do for a sense of belonging.
The reason I rated it quite as low as I did was the inclusion of Illustrations... They just felt a bit juvenile for the topics covered, although I guess you could say that they showed the gap between the main character and the world that she was inhabiting. Still, it was a bit jarring whenever the darker themes and charcoal drawings nestled together, and that bought me out of it sometimes. I'd still recommend it though.
Destination Anywhere gave me another solid read. It tackled some really important subjects like peer pressure, drugs, consent and just what people would do for a sense of belonging.
The reason I rated it quite as low as I did was the inclusion of Illustrations... They just felt a bit juvenile for the topics covered, although I guess you could say that they showed the gap between the main character and the world that she was inhabiting. Still, it was a bit jarring whenever the darker themes and charcoal drawings nestled together, and that bought me out of it sometimes. I'd still recommend it though.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug use, Toxic friendship, Alcohol
adventurous
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
this book was just so bland.. i never finished it and i really don’t feel like picking it up anymore so i will just dnf it
I received a copy via Net Galley.
Peyton spent 5 years at school being bullied so when it is time to start sixth form she is excited by the prospect of starting again and the chance to make friends where no one knows her past. However, the friends she does make might not be the best for her. When something happens Peyton decides to change her life and goes on a trip to Canada leaving everything behind.
This story is told with a then and now narrative. We get to see Peyton develop a friendship with a group that is not healthy for her as she starts drinking and taking drugs in order to fit in. We then get to see her min Canada as she travels around the country with a group of true friends. I think Peyton's desire to make friends and fit in is something that everyone can relate to.
I really enjoyed the travel aspect and enjoyed hearing about the different parts of Canada. I would have liked to have seen a bit more of the side characters that Peyton met in Canada. I would have also really liked to have seen a bit more of what happened when Peyton finally returned home.
Overall I really enjoyed this story. I've read all of Sara Barnard's books and I like how she writes about difficult topics in a way that feels realistic.
Peyton spent 5 years at school being bullied so when it is time to start sixth form she is excited by the prospect of starting again and the chance to make friends where no one knows her past. However, the friends she does make might not be the best for her. When something happens Peyton decides to change her life and goes on a trip to Canada leaving everything behind.
This story is told with a then and now narrative. We get to see Peyton develop a friendship with a group that is not healthy for her as she starts drinking and taking drugs in order to fit in. We then get to see her min Canada as she travels around the country with a group of true friends. I think Peyton's desire to make friends and fit in is something that everyone can relate to.
I really enjoyed the travel aspect and enjoyed hearing about the different parts of Canada. I would have liked to have seen a bit more of the side characters that Peyton met in Canada. I would have also really liked to have seen a bit more of what happened when Peyton finally returned home.
Overall I really enjoyed this story. I've read all of Sara Barnard's books and I like how she writes about difficult topics in a way that feels realistic.