Wanderers

Wanderers by Chuck Wendig
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Fair notice, I got an advanced copy of this book from Net Galley. You were going to get an honest review anyway, but you should probably have that information as well.

If you've followed any of my reviews in the past, you probably already know by now of my unending love for all things Chuck Wendig. Even his twitter is worth reading and I can't stand Twitter.

I've been itching to get my hands on his latest book the Wanderers and I have a copy preordered and ready to go for when it's released.

Some say this novel is reminiscent of the Stand. Having never read the Stand, I can not speak to that. I will say that this story is very reminiscent of Stephen King's works in general. Wendig is blending a humanness to his supernatural elements in a way that old King has done before him.

The Wanderers follows a group of people seemingly infected by some sort of virus. It makes them impervious to outside influences like sun, rain, medical care…but it also makes them walk. They walk without ceasing. If you attempt to stop them from walking they literally explode. One by one, the number of people walking grows and with it the number of family members that walk along side them. These people shepherd their family members as they walk. As the caravan grows, so does the dis-ease in the country. In this book-world, a thinly veiled Clinton is President and a thinly veiled Trump is running against her. If you're a Trump supporter, you're going to have a bad time with this novel (and Wendig's anything in general).

I won't give away too much of the plot on this one because I think the twists and turns are worth preserving here. The characters that you end up following are from all walks of life and represent a good slice of what America is supposed to be about. There are a lot of political and personal triggers in this book. Wendig pulls no punches when showcasing the rotten parts of our country as well.

The book is a long one but it's totally worth a read. If you like any of Wendig's other work…or if you just like Stephen King's work and you can't wait for his next one, I think you're going to enjoy this one.

Part mystery, part love letter to America, part dystopian future; this one has a little something for everyone.

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