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A review by sunny_reads
The Wanderer by
(ARC copy kindly provided by the publisher through NetGalley)
I found this debut novel by Josie Williams perplexing and enjoyable. What originally drew me to this release was the premise of the story - I mean who doesn’t love a good star-crossed ghost/mortal love story?
However, 'The Wanderer' was so much more nuanced than that. It invited me to consider mortality and the value of life, combining more realist fiction with that of the supernatural in order to create a surprising Teen/YA read.
I initially found the book hard to get into as I felt Maggie leaned a little too heavily into the “Not like other girls” stereotype that is so prevalent in the Teen/YA genres. However, as I continued and got to read a little more of Maggie’s POV, I found myself relating to her more and more.
As for Ryder, he was both lovable and antagonizing - seriously, sometimes I would find myself audibly whisper ‘AGHHH!’ under my breath while reading his POV. And yet this is exactly the kind of audible response to characters that make those specific characters feel so real!
Overall, I really did like this book; full of romance and the paranormal - well, what’s not to like?
I found this debut novel by Josie Williams perplexing and enjoyable. What originally drew me to this release was the premise of the story - I mean who doesn’t love a good star-crossed ghost/mortal love story?
However, 'The Wanderer' was so much more nuanced than that. It invited me to consider mortality and the value of life, combining more realist fiction with that of the supernatural in order to create a surprising Teen/YA read.
I initially found the book hard to get into as I felt Maggie leaned a little too heavily into the “Not like other girls” stereotype that is so prevalent in the Teen/YA genres. However, as I continued and got to read a little more of Maggie’s POV, I found myself relating to her more and more.
As for Ryder, he was both lovable and antagonizing - seriously, sometimes I would find myself audibly whisper ‘AGHHH!’ under my breath while reading his POV. And yet this is exactly the kind of audible response to characters that make those specific characters feel so real!
Overall, I really did like this book; full of romance and the paranormal - well, what’s not to like?