I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

What do you do
when there’s nothing
in this world you want
more than to spend two
more hours with someone
and nothing in the world
you want less than to only
spend two more hours
with someone?

Sylvie said she wanted to live the van life after high school, but all she really wanted was to escape. With unlimited resources and an escape-artist golden retriever by her side, she keeps her eyes on the road to distract her from everything she left behind.
Knox grew up on the edge of society, without a phone, a school, or a real name. He’s never felt like he had a firm place to stand, but he’s done writing his story in vanishing ink.
On one of the worst days of Sylvie’s life, Knox helps rescue her dog and breaks his arm in the process. To apologize, Sylvie offers him a ride. But Knox is keeping some big secrets, and so is Sylvie. They must decide: If the other person knew the whole story, would they take a chance on—and maybe even fall for—a wayfaring stranger?

Short and Sweet Review

Wayfarers was such a sweet, emotional road trip story about two people who are both running from something, even though their lives couldn’t look more different on the surface. Sylvie has just graduated high school and decides to live out of her van with her golden retriever, but it’s pretty clear pretty quickly that she’s not really chasing adventure, she’s trying to escape from everything she’s left behind. Knox has spent his entire life moving from place to place and growing up on the edge of society, never really having a home or even a true sense of who he is. When their paths cross after Knox helps rescue Sylvie’s dog and ends up breaking his arm, the two unexpectedly end up traveling together.

I liked how different Sylvie and Knox were while still having so much in common underneath it all. They both carry secrets and pain that they’ve been trying to deal with on their own, and watching them slowly become comfortable with each other was probably my favorite part of the book. Their relationship felt natural and vulnerable, and I liked that their connection wasn’t just about romance. They were both learning how to figure out who they were outside of the expectations and circumstances that had shaped them. The road trip aspect was also really enjoyable. There’s something about watching two characters who don’t really know where they’re going literally travel hundreds of miles together while also trying to figure out where they want their lives to go. It gave the story a really nice sense of movement while still keeping the focus on the characters. I enjoyed the verse format. It made the story feel very intimate, especially when we were getting into Sylvie and Knox’s thoughts and emotions. Their voices were distinct enough that switching between the two perspectives was easy, and I thought the dialogue worked particularly well. There were funny, awkward, and emotional moments that made their relationship feel genuine. My one complaint is that I did wish there had been a little more plot. At times, it felt like the story was more focused on the characters and their emotional journeys than on what was actually happening around them. I didn’t dislike that, but I think a little more happening along the way would have made the book even more engaging for me.

Overall, Wayfarers was a heartfelt story about grief, identity, healing, and finding connection in unexpected places. I really enjoyed getting to know Sylvie and Knox and watching them slowly realize that they didn’t necessarily need to have everything figured out yet. This is definitely one for readers who enjoy emotional roadtrip stories with romance, complicated characters, and a lot of heart.