Eighteen-year-old Bria Sandoval is on a quest. Freshly graduated from high school and determined to find her independence and reclaim her passion for art, she signs up for a guided tour of Central America–and finds herself amidst middle-aged tourists who are nothing like her. It isn’t long before she meets Rowan and Starling, siblings and hardcore backbackers. Bria sees an opportunity and seizes it, ditching her tour group and heading off on an adventure through foreign countries. While Bria struggles with her feelings for her art and for Rowan, she also discovers a love for travel–and for herself.
As with Hubbard’s debut Like Mandarin, Wanderlove took a few days after completion to really sink in. Wanderlove is very different from Hubbard’s debut: whereas Like Mandarin‘s prose was thick and atmospheric, its tone highly emotional from the get-go, Wanderlove starts out with serviceable prose and a clear voice, but it seems to lack the same emotional depth. While Hubbard manages to create a clear voice for Bria and certainly sets up a clear emotional premise for the character, the reader is kept at a distance. This is what happens initially and intentionally, as Hubbard then begins to pull back Bria’s layers.
What happens as a result is pretty amazing. Bria is brought to life by her travels. The transformation is gradual, and as she is invigorated by her travels, so too is her long-forgotten love for her art. Hubbard handles the rather prickly subplot of Bria’s ex-boyfriend well, allowing the reader to see how he crushed her passion for art without ever becoming too didactic. It is her reclamation of her art and her discovery of self-love that is so important to the story, and it is done exceedingly well.
There is also a love story at the center of this book, and it drives much of the narrative. The chemistry between Rowan and Bria is good–almost palpable–and their desire for one another helps create emotional tension. It is also complex, realistic, and well-paced, which makes for a satisfying read. Rowan is given a personality outside of serving as a love interest for Bria, and his struggle to become a good person despite his past is compelling.
This is a strong sophomore effort, and it is in many ways more accessible than Like Mandarin was. Hubbard’s passion for travel (and her background as a travel writer) is clear throughout the story. The hand-drawn illustrations (also done by Hubbard) add a depth to the story and help to indicate Bria’s transformation. Highly recommended, especially to fans of contemporary YA.
Wanderlove hits bookshelves today.
Wanderlove by Kirsten Hubbard. Delacorte Books for Young Readers: 2012. Electronic galley received for review via NetGalley.
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