Wanderlove by Kirsten Hubbard

Wanderlove by Kirsten Hubbard

Release Date: March 13, 2012

Publisher: Delacorte Books For Young Readers
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 352

Summary: It all begins with a stupid question:

Are you a Global Vagabond?

No, but 18-year-old Bria Sandoval wants to be. In a quest for independence, her neglected art, and no-strings-attached hookups, she signs up for a guided tour of Central America—the wrong one. Middle-aged tourists with fanny packs are hardly the key to self-rediscovery. When Bria meets Rowan, devoted backpacker and dive instructor, and his outspokenly humanitarian sister Starling, she seizes the chance to ditch her group and join them off the beaten path.

Bria's a good girl trying to go bad. Rowan's a bad boy trying to stay good. As they travel across a panorama of Mayan villages, remote Belizean islands, and hostels plagued with jungle beasties, they discover what they've got in common: both seek to leave behind the old versions of themselves. And the secret to escaping the past, Rowan’s found, is to keep moving forward.

But Bria comes to realize she can't run forever, no matter what Rowan says. If she ever wants the courage to fall for someone worthwhile, she has to start looking back.

My Thoughts: Whoa, what a book! I haven't read Hubbard's debut yet but once I saw this I knew I needed to read it.

We are introduced to Bria who just graduated high school and will be starting college soon. For a while now the plan was to go on a trip with her two best friends but at the last minute her friends bail on her telling her she's not ready. Bria has been mopping around for a while now because of her boyfriend or should I say ex boyfriend. He and Bria really love Art and they were going to go to Art school together but his jealousy got in the way of that and he broke up with her.

Bria decides she's had enough, she's taking this trip because he said she'd never do it on her own and if her best friends want to bail, oh well, she's going anyways. Nothing can stop her.

She signs up to be in a group to tour Central America but once she's in the group, she decides its not the group for her and joins some other backpackers. She ends up meeting Rowen and his sister Starling. Starling is kind of a loud mouth and Rowen is quite the bad boy. Honestly, he really isn't that bad........anymore. Starling and Rowen are the perfect pair to show Bria what living life is really about, to appreciate the scenery, and to just enjoy herself. They teach her not everything is perfect and thats ok.  Starling doesn't stick around too long before Bria is left all alone with Rowen to finish her trip.

Bria has only about a month to travel and I just didn't think it was long enough. I wanted her to go on more adventures, I wanted more time with her and Rowen. Even at 350ish pages, I wanted more. I wish this was one of those 600 page books, hehe!

As Bria and Rowen get closer, we never know what is going to happen. Both of them are so secretive, never wanting the other to really know them, its hard for them to get closer to each other and let their guards down.

I loved the traveling. I felt like I was really there. I was inside Bria's head on the buses, the water taxis, the restaurants,  the internet cafes, I was there.

Wanderlove was a fantastic novel. Definitely one that you need to read as soon as possible. It was beautifully written. It was real. It was full of traveling, romance, friendships, self discovery and so much more.

And the drawlings were freaking awesome! Loved them so much! Especially the ones of Rowen.

Overall: Amazing book! Way worthy of 5 cupcakes! Probably even more if I could give them! Wanderlove was a book I loved with all my hearts desire.

Cover: Its really cute. Not too many details but still attractive.

What I'd Give It: