Sometimes you have to get lost to find yourself. I feel as though I could chatter on and on about Wanderlove by Kirsten Hubbard. While reading Wanderlove, I wanted to pack a few of my belongings and set out for the unknown. I wanted to see the world. Seriously, the most exotic place I have ever been is Canada.
Wanderlove
Bria, on the tail of ending an unhealthy relationship, decides to visit Central America for a few weeks before she begins college. Alone. Upon landing, the wandering backpackers become much more interesting, as the travel group Bria signed up for, the Global Vagabonds, is not full of attractive young people, but olds! Bria leaves the beaten path – ready to leave good Bria behind and let bad Bria cut loose. Rowan, the backpacker boy Bria travels with wants to leave his bad boy days behind – but they keep catching up to him.
What I love MOST about Kirsten Hubbard’s sophomore novel, Wanderlove, is that Bria completely changes. I LOVE LOVE LOVE CHARACTER GROWTH. While Wanderlove takes place over 18 days, we get to see Bria gradually gain courage and confidence – not that she gets these from a guy, although Rowan is a nice touch, but from within. I liked that there was legitimate growth. I love when books have dynamic characters.
Also, this is odd for me to admit, but I have always secretly wanted to be an artist. Not because I like sketching or anything, but I would love to feel the desire and passion that creating gives artists. Bria has this love of art, and friends when she speaks of it to Rowan, you will definitely be dog earring or highlighting Wanderlove. Kirsten Hubbard absolutely captures this passion, and yes, totally adds more fuel to my secret weirdo daydreams.
I don’t want to give too much away because the magic of Wanderlove by Kirsten Hubbard is in the joy of discovering for yourself just how broken young people like Bria and Rowan put themselves back together again.
Disclosure: Received for review via Netgalley.
Other reviews of Wanderlove by Kirsten Hubbard:
Chick Loves Lit
Anna Reads
The Grown Up YA
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I just downloaded this from Netgalley and I’m excited to dive in. Although I didn’t love Like Mandarin, I was impressed by Hubbard’s writing and based on your review I think that will continue through reading this book.
Yay! I hope you do like Wanderlove more than you liked Like Mandarin.
You nailed the beauty of this book with this review. It’s all about growth and discovery and AHHHH I adore it thoroughly! <3
Thank you, Anna!
Agreed, Wanderlove is WONDERFUL!
Canada is pretty darn exotic 😉
True, I did go to a sugar shack in Quebec, and that was certainly a cultural experience for me.
This book seriously made me want to quit my job and travel somewhere. I wish I was artistic enough to just sit wherever I traveled and draw or write whatever I saw; I completely agree with you about wanting to feel that desire and passion artists feel! So glad you liked this book and thanks for the link to my review! I’m pretty jazzed about this book and sharing my love for it with everybody! 🙂
I’m glad you feel me on that. I just think artists are so cool and see the world in such an interesting way. I’d like to see the world through an artist’s eyes.
Of course I would link your review, I love linking to different reviewers 😀
I am so excited for Wanderlove! Like you? I have a huge desire to see more of the world – but also? I love books with good character growth, and as you said that’s what this one is all about.
Character growth is so essential for me.
This book was an amazing read, quite simply because it combined two of my favorite things – travel and character transformation 😉
I wish more books combined travel and character transformation, because both of those are wonderful.
I had to think for a second when I saw your twitter link, because you don’t mention the dreads at all in your review. I just read a review the other day though that mentions the guy having them. *shudders at the thought of dreadlocks* I just dont know if I can fall for this character. I knew a guy when I was young who had dreads. We called him cousin george. He was awesome, but looked sorta like a mouse. He would tell me how he could only wash his hair with bar soap, and that was only every couple weeks, otherwise they would come out. He was on a quest to dread his nether hairs… so then my initial thought was if you can’t wash your head dreads.. then…. well you get the point. Needless to say, I think of nether dreads everytime I see the word. I swear you’ll get sick of my stories some day. lol.
Serious now, this book sounds amazing. I once dropped everything and moved to florida to stay with family I never met.. I just needed to get a way.. to figure out who I am. I sat in my aunts house for months and read trashy romance novels from the library all day.. It was pretty awesome. I came back to reality eventually, with a whole new perspective of the word thrust.. but really I was able to figure out what I wanted in life just by losing myself somewhere else.
Oh and I love books that take me places I have never been! I’m looking foward to traveling through Central America without the concern of dirty water. WINNING!
I love your stories, they make me laugh!
Seriously, who dreads their pubes? That’s so gross.
Your aunt does sound awesome.
And also, I think you will love Wanderlove.
I should ask how that worked out for him. I haven’t talked to him in years. In theory, that dread should be down to his knees by now if he was successful. lol.
She was pretty awesome, but now she’s crazy.. I’ll save that story for later. tee hee. 🙂
OMG. This book–I can’t even tell you how much I loved it. I have it as an ebook but will definitely be buying myself a final version because I HAVE to have it on my shelf. I really wish I were brave enough to sling a bunch of stuff into a backpack and set off to a foreign land. Maybe someday. Maybe Wanderlove will convince me to do so. Oh, and I LOVED the character development–Bria started out so unsure of herself and gradually strengthened into a vibrant young woman. *sigh* Awesome, awesome, awesome.
Right? Wanderlove convinced me of wanting to do the same. And I agree, Bria became so vibrant, it was very wonderful seeing her grow.
Character growth. Always and forever, character growth. I think that is the core of my absolute adoration for YA lit.
Straight up.
I loved this one so much! It makes me want to sleep in dirty beds with creepy bugs and maybe not shower as often as I should. 😉 Really, I loved it and Bria’s character growth was fantastic! And Rowen…sigh…My review is up next week, I think.
Lulz, I’m not sure I’d go so far as to sleep in a bed with bugs and such, but I do desperately want to travel after reading Wanderlove!
I really cannot wait to read this one and after your review, I am even more excited to read this one 🙂
I LOVED this book. I read it about this time last year (I think) from Netgalley. I tweeted Kirsten when I finished it, and she was all like, “You’re the first non editor or beta reader!” So this book is super special to me. I can’t wait to get an actual printed copy.
Great review!! I’m hoping to have my review up this need week. I’m with you, I love character growth and Bria’s growth is amazing. Plus I loved feeling like I was taking a trip along side Bria. Now I want to go travel the world. lol