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3.76 AVERAGE
3.76 AVERAGE
I have very mixed emotions about this book which why I have it 3.5 stars. There were things I liked and didn't like, but I think the biggest problem for me was that I no longer felt connected to the character like I did in Passenger (and that's probably just me and not the book, I'm not sure...I think if I had read them back to back I would feel differently), and I found myself struggling to get through the story.
So I'll break this review into (what I felt) were the pros and cons of this book.
Cons:
I'm starting with what I didn't like because I want to finish the review on a high note. I think what I disliked most was that there were certain scenes where I felt like the lines were taken straight from a Tumblr or Twitter SJW post. Now, I'm not saying a writer shouldn't project any of their political or social views into their work, that's part of what makes writing a platform for opinions and beliefs. But the way these parts were written, to me, felt less of providing a purpose to the story and more of just the author trying to squeeze in her social media posts. For example, the scene where we first meet Li Min and Nicholas thinks she wants to kiss him, Li Min voices that "it can be hard for men to believe they are not all gods walking the earth, as so many women are forced to fall at their feet." While a snarky response could be expected of Li Min given her personality, it felt more of a "let's throw in a typical aggressive feminist line that puts down men and treat it like girl power." The other example is when Julian is described as having his white male privilege near the end of the book when he can't understand why there are separate lines for treating white and black survivors. While I think this is important to address because that ignorance does exist, it just felt poorly executed or, again, like a social media post using the opportunity to #checkyourprivilage.
I didn't care for Sophia in Passenger and nothing in this book changed that sentiment. Li Min felt like a typical bland secondary girl character who has been through some rough times and now she's a badass.
I still feel like I don't completely grasp the astrolabe and the time travel concept in this series, but I'm not sure if that's because of the writing and development or just me.
Pros: I love the writing style that Alexandra has. Her descriptions and details leave no doubt that she puts her heart and soul into writing these books, and they feel very beautiful and rich. The longing between Etta and Nick is heart breaking and sweet and to finally have them reunite had me almost in tears. The plot twists surrounding Rose was definitely an added bonus and I'm glad the prologue allowed us to glimpse Etta searching for reconciliation and closure with her mother. Henry was a fantastic father and I'm so glad he turned out to be good and caring, as I was worried he would be a villain. Julian was hilarious and I'm glad we had to him to provide comedic relief alongside Etta's sassiness. And Etta is just hardcore and wonderful! I love her so much and she is very believable as a person. Her mixture of emotions, her weak times and strong times, her moments of fear and bravery, are what makes up an ideal heroine.
All in all, I would definitely recommend this series to anyone who is a fan of time travel and romance and adventure. I can also say these are books I would read again. While I didn't feel as connected to Wayfarer as I did with Passenger, I have to give Alexandra Bracken a round of applause for creating such a breathtaking world, and I look forward to reading her other works, starting with the continuation of The Darkest Minds series.
So I'll break this review into (what I felt) were the pros and cons of this book.
Cons:
I'm starting with what I didn't like because I want to finish the review on a high note. I think what I disliked most was that there were certain scenes where I felt like the lines were taken straight from a Tumblr or Twitter SJW post. Now, I'm not saying a writer shouldn't project any of their political or social views into their work, that's part of what makes writing a platform for opinions and beliefs. But the way these parts were written, to me, felt less of providing a purpose to the story and more of just the author trying to squeeze in her social media posts. For example, the scene where we first meet Li Min and Nicholas thinks she wants to kiss him, Li Min voices that "it can be hard for men to believe they are not all gods walking the earth, as so many women are forced to fall at their feet." While a snarky response could be expected of Li Min given her personality, it felt more of a "let's throw in a typical aggressive feminist line that puts down men and treat it like girl power." The other example is when Julian is described as having his white male privilege near the end of the book when he can't understand why there are separate lines for treating white and black survivors. While I think this is important to address because that ignorance does exist, it just felt poorly executed or, again, like a social media post using the opportunity to #checkyourprivilage.
I didn't care for Sophia in Passenger and nothing in this book changed that sentiment. Li Min felt like a typical bland secondary girl character who has been through some rough times and now she's a badass.
I still feel like I don't completely grasp the astrolabe and the time travel concept in this series, but I'm not sure if that's because of the writing and development or just me.
Pros: I love the writing style that Alexandra has. Her descriptions and details leave no doubt that she puts her heart and soul into writing these books, and they feel very beautiful and rich. The longing between Etta and Nick is heart breaking and sweet and to finally have them reunite had me almost in tears. The plot twists surrounding Rose was definitely an added bonus and I'm glad the prologue allowed us to glimpse Etta searching for reconciliation and closure with her mother. Henry was a fantastic father and I'm so glad he turned out to be good and caring, as I was worried he would be a villain. Julian was hilarious and I'm glad we had to him to provide comedic relief alongside Etta's sassiness. And Etta is just hardcore and wonderful! I love her so much and she is very believable as a person. Her mixture of emotions, her weak times and strong times, her moments of fear and bravery, are what makes up an ideal heroine.
All in all, I would definitely recommend this series to anyone who is a fan of time travel and romance and adventure. I can also say these are books I would read again. While I didn't feel as connected to Wayfarer as I did with Passenger, I have to give Alexandra Bracken a round of applause for creating such a breathtaking world, and I look forward to reading her other works, starting with the continuation of The Darkest Minds series.
The sequel and finale to the series is as well written as the first. I don't want to spoil anything but my emotions were in turmoil throughout this book. The author revealed truths to Etta and tore our hearts open with sympathy, hurt, compassion, love, and happiness. The rollercoaster of emotions never faded and we hoped that maybe Etta would find her place. That maybe not all travelers were scoundrels. That maybe there was a future out there for her.
Wayfarer is a wonderful fictional trip through history spanning thousands of years and crossing the globe. It is not all shiny, rose-tinted history but the truthful depiction of disease and death that so many faced. It brings a level of realness to the book that makes the reader more invested in what's happening to their beloved characters.
I found myself enjoying the sequel even more than the first, so overall this series is wonderful. Be prepared to be hit in the gut with feelings. I cannot prmise that you won't shed a tear. But believe me, this series is worth it. It was a very satisfying conclusion to a well written, riveting and emotionally taxing (in the best way) duology.
Highly recommended to young adult/teen readers who are fans of historical fiction. This is so well written and fascinating that I believe most people who pick it up will be a fan, even if they don't normally gravitate towards historical books.
Wayfarer is a wonderful fictional trip through history spanning thousands of years and crossing the globe. It is not all shiny, rose-tinted history but the truthful depiction of disease and death that so many faced. It brings a level of realness to the book that makes the reader more invested in what's happening to their beloved characters.
I found myself enjoying the sequel even more than the first, so overall this series is wonderful. Be prepared to be hit in the gut with feelings. I cannot prmise that you won't shed a tear. But believe me, this series is worth it. It was a very satisfying conclusion to a well written, riveting and emotionally taxing (in the best way) duology.
Highly recommended to young adult/teen readers who are fans of historical fiction. This is so well written and fascinating that I believe most people who pick it up will be a fan, even if they don't normally gravitate towards historical books.
Good story
A decent story and full of action and some amazing locations, but it was a bit hard to follow. There were times where an action scene would skip parts and I felt like I had missed something. It also felt like there was information not given in full that was needed. Good series, but not something I think I’ll return to! Glad I read it though.
A decent story and full of action and some amazing locations, but it was a bit hard to follow. There were times where an action scene would skip parts and I felt like I had missed something. It also felt like there was information not given in full that was needed. Good series, but not something I think I’ll return to! Glad I read it though.
I... I don't have words to describe my feelings.
I loved Passenger, but this one. THIS ONE. I'm still looking from the broken pieces of my heart, and I don't know if I'm gonna find it one day. One of those pieces will stay locked in this book forever, I know it. I do as much as I know I'm curently crying my soul out.
What to say? The plot just got better and better in this sequel, the characters were amazing. Nicholas and Etta? YES PLEASE. They nearly killed me, Alexandra Bracken nearly killed me. Everytime something bad happened, I couldn't stop reading. Even though my eyes were filled with tears and I was sobbing my nose out.
This story is amazing.
This writing is amazing.
Everything about this book is amazing.
It might be one of the most beautiful, intense and incredible thing I've ever read.
So now I'm going to go to sleep, my head full of wonderful stuff.
I loved Passenger, but this one. THIS ONE. I'm still looking from the broken pieces of my heart, and I don't know if I'm gonna find it one day. One of those pieces will stay locked in this book forever, I know it. I do as much as I know I'm curently crying my soul out.
What to say? The plot just got better and better in this sequel, the characters were amazing. Nicholas and Etta? YES PLEASE. They nearly killed me, Alexandra Bracken nearly killed me. Everytime something bad happened, I couldn't stop reading. Even though my eyes were filled with tears and I was sobbing my nose out.
This story is amazing.
This writing is amazing.
Everything about this book is amazing.
It might be one of the most beautiful, intense and incredible thing I've ever read.
So now I'm going to go to sleep, my head full of wonderful stuff.
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
"...Life itself was uncertainty, and the only remedy to its madness was to act boldly."
Wayfarer follows Etta and Nicholas' search for the all too desired Astrolabe, split by centuries apart, both of them fight their way to find each other amidst the gruesome search for the only thing that could help fix time.
Etta finds herself orphaned from her original timeline, away from Nicholas, and possibly alone. Still, the search for the astrolabe never leaves her mind, since her priority is now trying to fix everything to its timeline before Ironwood changed everything. She now sides with the Thorns, despite the fact that they chased after Nicholas and herself, she is on their midst, being so close now to the astrolabe.
Nicholas and Sophia on the other hand, they are searching for Etta, trying to find the last common year on which she might have landed, through their futile search, they encounter Li Ming, a mercenary stealthy girl, who ends up being one of their most valuables ally, especially when they encounter The Shadows..
It's amazing that it's the first book I've read so far that has an African American as main character, and one of the main points of view in which the book was written. The female characters are beyond badass, they are unique, and with traits that distinguished one from each other. We have Li Ming and Sophia, their relationship builds out beautifully, fom their first encounter to the last one.
Each of them grew from their experiences, even though Etta and Nichloas are away from each other throughout most of the book, the love they have for each other is the thing that drives them toward their ultimate goal.
We also get a look or a quick glimpse of Julian Ironwood, presumed dead so long ago, but very much alive.
It was hard for me to know this was the ending. I nearly thought that there was going to be a love triangle here, but I liked that there wasn't, Julian and Etta helped each other, just because they needed each other to fulfill thei goal.
I liked Passenger most, I found some parts of Wayfarer a bit dull, or unnecesary to the plot. It took me ages to finish it, I guess it lacked a little bit more executement, and I felt like some parts just dragged forever. Overall, I liked it, great ending, amazing characters.
The fact that there's so much awareness on the predjudice PoC is treated with throughout the times they traveled, how Nicholas felt aware of the color of his skin, makes you aware of the things that are happening today, that shouldn't be happening.
Overall, the ending for this duology was unexpected, and it made me tear up a little bit at the end.
Enjoyable for anyone who loves reading about time travel.
Wayfarer picks up two weeks after Passengers left off, following Nicholas and Etta as they journey through time in a quest to get back the astrolabe, the original timeline, and each other. Both are helped by unexpected travellers and civilians alike. I don’t want to say any more in case haven’t read Passengers, the first novel yet, so let’s just get to the review.
I really liked this book, definitely as much as the first one if not slightly more. I found the plot fast paced and compelling, and the stakes felt a lot higher than they did in the first book. I was really invested in Etta’s success. As a history nerd I enjoyed the settings of this novel more than the first. I got to see lots of times and people I was learning about in my history classes, as well as other moments in history that I found interesting. I also really liked where this book took the characters. We got to see Nicholas in what I think is more of his natural setting, and by that I mean he didn’t have Etta to influence the way he made decisions, so we got a chance to see how he did things on his own. Don’t worry, he’s still insufferably honourable, in the best way. I also really liked the Etta we got to see in this book. While in the first one I was on board with Nicholas’s perception of smart, tough, fiery Etta, even though I didn’t get to see it as often as I wanted to, in this novel I really got to see her stand her own. She was so badass and strong, it was a really nice thing to see. I really enjoyed her character. I also really liked some of the minor characters in this novel, though I won’t go into too much detail about which until I get to the spoiler section because I don’t want to reveal anything you guys don’t already know.
I don’t think I have too many more spoiler free thoughts, so I’m going to cut to the chase and give this novel 4.5 stars. I really loved it, and would definitely recommend it. Now let’s discuss things a little deeper.
I also really liked Sophia, Henry, Li Min, and Julian. Now, I usually hate when authors bring characters back from the dead. It just usually feels lazy to me, because either a) the character was dead when the novel started and I therefore have absolutely no connection to them, or b) I was upset that the author killed off the character, but I respect the decision to do it. I just usually lose faith in a writer who brings a character back from the dead. In this case however, I really did like the character she brought back. Julian was funny, and a welcome bit of tension-relief in this book. I really think he added to it, and I appreciated his character. He was incredibly amusing and entertaining. Sophia also grew on me the more I read. I really liked how she put up with absolutely no shit, and I feel like her and Nicholas came together in a really organic way. It didn’t feel forced to me. I just found her to be a really interesting and complex character. Li Min took me by surprise. She was so badass! (I know I say that a lot about the ladies in this book, but that’s because it’s true. I have no regrets.) I loved her backstory and definitely want to learn more about her, and I just really liked her. prequel series about Li Min and her time as a time travelling pirate perhaps?
I’m going to give Henry his own paragraph because I have a little bit more to say about him, and it’s going to branch off into a discussion about Rose. First, I am so tired of the “I am your father” trope. I really am. That being said, this the third (fourth?) time Bracken has used a trope I absolutely hate and managed to make me really enjoy it. I really liked Henry, much more than I expected to. When he was introduced I was really worried he was going to betray Etta, and steal the astrolabe or try to hurt Nick or something. The entire time I was reading I was just waiting for him to betray her. But then he didn’t. He was actually just a genuinely good dad, which surprised me and made me happy all at once, because the more I read about him the more I really wanted him to be good to Etta. I actually really liked the Thorns in general, for the same reason. I was convinced they were going to betray her, but they turned out to be a family and I really liked that. I liked how Etta’s decisions began to depend what was best for these people, and not just herself.
On that note (how selfless Etta is), I want to discuss her opposite, Rose. I think the way Rose’s arch was supposed to work in this book was that she is painted as the villain throughout most of it, and than at the end we learn she knew what she was talking about and she did what she thought was best for her daughter, and she was going to be redeemed in some way. I assume though that overall Bracken was trying to create a complex, anti-hero type character in Rose, and I think she succeeded. Personally, I really don’t like Rose. I think she was a bad mother, and a bad person, and from the moment it was revealed she killed Alice I knew I couldn’t get on board with her, but I did see the complexity Bracken was trying to create. I understood the complexity of Rose’s choices by the end of the novel, and while I didn’t like her character I felt like I understood her, and I appreciate that. Still, she would definitely win the award for ‘Person I would most like to punch in the face’ for this novel.
I already talked briefly about how much I enjoyed the plot of this novel, but I do want to go into a little more detail for it. I really liked the glances into history we got to see, because I feel like this book travelled to more specific instances in time than the first one. One thing I wasn’t as fond of was the fact that all those moments were altered. I liked them in response to the plot, seeing how much one choice can change everything, but as a big history nerd I wanted more accuracy. Still, I really enjoyed the race for the astrolabe, the way all the characters paths crossed throughout the book, and how the decisions they made were so morally grey. Was it right to destroy the astrolabe? Should Nick have created new passages? I really enjoyed how there was no right answer here.
For some of my thoughts on specific parts of the book, and for my complete review, click here: https://notacriticblog.wordpress.com/2017/02/13/wayfarer-book-review/
Think that's all. I would definitely recommend both the first book and this one for anyone whose a fan of history, fantasy, time travel, well written female characters, touching romance, and a general good read.
I really liked this book, definitely as much as the first one if not slightly more. I found the plot fast paced and compelling, and the stakes felt a lot higher than they did in the first book. I was really invested in Etta’s success. As a history nerd I enjoyed the settings of this novel more than the first. I got to see lots of times and people I was learning about in my history classes, as well as other moments in history that I found interesting. I also really liked where this book took the characters. We got to see Nicholas in what I think is more of his natural setting, and by that I mean he didn’t have Etta to influence the way he made decisions, so we got a chance to see how he did things on his own. Don’t worry, he’s still insufferably honourable, in the best way. I also really liked the Etta we got to see in this book. While in the first one I was on board with Nicholas’s perception of smart, tough, fiery Etta, even though I didn’t get to see it as often as I wanted to, in this novel I really got to see her stand her own. She was so badass and strong, it was a really nice thing to see. I really enjoyed her character. I also really liked some of the minor characters in this novel, though I won’t go into too much detail about which until I get to the spoiler section because I don’t want to reveal anything you guys don’t already know.
I don’t think I have too many more spoiler free thoughts, so I’m going to cut to the chase and give this novel 4.5 stars. I really loved it, and would definitely recommend it. Now let’s discuss things a little deeper.
Spoiler
Alright, so first let me just say how much I love Etta and Nick. Those two are so strong together, and so dedicated to each other, it just warms my heart and makes me extremely jealous at the same time. Especially when Sophia said Nick had betrayed Etta, and Etta didn’t immediately jump to feeling betrayed and heartbroken and realized how ‘she had been so wrong about him’. God I’m so tired of that. Give me more female characters who trust their true loves so much that they know immediately, like Etta did, that he was doing what he could to survive, and nothing more. “…The only betrayal would be hers, if she believed he was doing anything other than finding a way to survive” (395). Yes my love, have faith in him. And how when Sophia told Nick what she did, he knew right away that Etta wouldn’t fall for it. That is faith, trust, and a real connection. God bless. Another little thing I absolutely loved was how she knew right away that it was him on the beach, even though they were I-don’t-know-how-far apart, and Nick was all thin and poisoned. Its times like this that really got me to believe all the times they talked about how deep and strong their connection was.At first I rolled my eyes whenever either of them would talk about their intimate bond, but then I read things like this, and I believed them. Bracken does it right. She tells us about their bond, but she also shows it, in their trust and need to return to each other. I want more couples with this much faith in their loved ones.I also really liked Sophia, Henry, Li Min, and Julian. Now, I usually hate when authors bring characters back from the dead. It just usually feels lazy to me, because either a) the character was dead when the novel started and I therefore have absolutely no connection to them, or b) I was upset that the author killed off the character, but I respect the decision to do it. I just usually lose faith in a writer who brings a character back from the dead. In this case however, I really did like the character she brought back. Julian was funny, and a welcome bit of tension-relief in this book. I really think he added to it, and I appreciated his character. He was incredibly amusing and entertaining. Sophia also grew on me the more I read. I really liked how she put up with absolutely no shit, and I feel like her and Nicholas came together in a really organic way. It didn’t feel forced to me. I just found her to be a really interesting and complex character. Li Min took me by surprise. She was so badass! (I know I say that a lot about the ladies in this book, but that’s because it’s true. I have no regrets.) I loved her backstory and definitely want to learn more about her, and I just really liked her. prequel series about Li Min and her time as a time travelling pirate perhaps?
I’m going to give Henry his own paragraph because I have a little bit more to say about him, and it’s going to branch off into a discussion about Rose. First, I am so tired of the “I am your father” trope. I really am. That being said, this the third (fourth?) time Bracken has used a trope I absolutely hate and managed to make me really enjoy it. I really liked Henry, much more than I expected to. When he was introduced I was really worried he was going to betray Etta, and steal the astrolabe or try to hurt Nick or something. The entire time I was reading I was just waiting for him to betray her. But then he didn’t. He was actually just a genuinely good dad, which surprised me and made me happy all at once, because the more I read about him the more I really wanted him to be good to Etta. I actually really liked the Thorns in general, for the same reason. I was convinced they were going to betray her, but they turned out to be a family and I really liked that. I liked how Etta’s decisions began to depend what was best for these people, and not just herself.
On that note (how selfless Etta is), I want to discuss her opposite, Rose. I think the way Rose’s arch was supposed to work in this book was that she is painted as the villain throughout most of it, and than at the end we learn she knew what she was talking about and she did what she thought was best for her daughter, and she was going to be redeemed in some way. I assume though that overall Bracken was trying to create a complex, anti-hero type character in Rose, and I think she succeeded. Personally, I really don’t like Rose. I think she was a bad mother, and a bad person, and from the moment it was revealed she killed Alice I knew I couldn’t get on board with her, but I did see the complexity Bracken was trying to create. I understood the complexity of Rose’s choices by the end of the novel, and while I didn’t like her character I felt like I understood her, and I appreciate that. Still, she would definitely win the award for ‘Person I would most like to punch in the face’ for this novel.
I already talked briefly about how much I enjoyed the plot of this novel, but I do want to go into a little more detail for it. I really liked the glances into history we got to see, because I feel like this book travelled to more specific instances in time than the first one. One thing I wasn’t as fond of was the fact that all those moments were altered. I liked them in response to the plot, seeing how much one choice can change everything, but as a big history nerd I wanted more accuracy. Still, I really enjoyed the race for the astrolabe, the way all the characters paths crossed throughout the book, and how the decisions they made were so morally grey. Was it right to destroy the astrolabe? Should Nick have created new passages? I really enjoyed how there was no right answer here.
For some of my thoughts on specific parts of the book, and for my complete review, click here: https://notacriticblog.wordpress.com/2017/02/13/wayfarer-book-review/
Think that's all. I would definitely recommend both the first book and this one for anyone whose a fan of history, fantasy, time travel, well written female characters, touching romance, and a general good read.
Honestly, I didn't like this book. It took me almost a month to complete, not once did I really think about it when I wasn't reading it (which ALWAYS happens when I read an amazing book), and I haven't really thought about it since I finished it. Honestly, with a few added events from this book, the first would have been an excellent stand alone novel. This one didn't really add anything for me. Just a lot of time hopping and sadness and annoyance and confusion and it was just all around messy. I don't think the person at the end who got the fancy new power (trying to be as unspoliery as possible!) should have gotten the power that they did. It made no sense. Someone else would have been way more logical. Also, the epilogue didn't sit too well with me. I mean, okay, it should a sympathetic side to another character but I think it would have made more sense as a prologue and someone else should have been visited *coughcoughnicksmomcoughcough*