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A review by bkwrm1317
Wanderers by Chuck Wendig
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
My first novel by Wendig, Wanderers is a lot for a chronically ill, disabled person, in a world with an ongoing pandemic (maybe more than one) and folks who choose to no longer believe in it.
Published in 2019, it’s like Wendig predicted the future. A global pandemic sparked by bat to human contact in Texas, fungal parasitism that caused humans to slowly devolve into dementia, political upheaval and a coup by extremist (and extremely racist and xenophobic) right-wingers, characters using religion to manipulate the masses (and someone behind it who doesn’t really even believe), artificial intelligence deciding who to save, and why.
I enjoyed the writing, it was clean and polished and well-constructed, but the first 2/3 or so of the novel felt extremely plodding, and like it could have been tightened up quite a bit for a more punchy and impactful reader experience. There was good character development, but not many of the characters felt fully fleshed out/like real people, particularly for a nearly 800 page novel.
Check CWs, as there are MANY for this novel.
Pacing: slow/medium. First 2/3 of the novel are quite slow with moments it picks up, final 1/3 or so is medium-paced nearly throughout.
Published in 2019, it’s like Wendig predicted the future. A global pandemic sparked by bat to human contact in Texas, fungal parasitism that caused humans to slowly devolve into dementia, political upheaval and a coup by extremist (and extremely racist and xenophobic) right-wingers, characters using religion to manipulate the masses (and someone behind it who doesn’t really even believe), artificial intelligence deciding who to save, and why.
I enjoyed the writing, it was clean and polished and well-constructed, but the first 2/3 or so of the novel felt extremely plodding, and like it could have been tightened up quite a bit for a more punchy and impactful reader experience. There was good character development, but not many of the characters felt fully fleshed out/like real people, particularly for a nearly 800 page novel.
Check CWs, as there are MANY for this novel.
Pacing: slow/medium. First 2/3 of the novel are quite slow with moments it picks up, final 1/3 or so is medium-paced nearly throughout.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Terminal illness, Violence, Xenophobia, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Gore, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Dementia, Grief, Religious bigotry, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Suicide