Wayward is the sequel to Wanderers, an epic book set during a pandemic in 2020. Politics are center stage in the Wanderers, led by a character that reads alot like Trump would if he were a fictional character. There are select people who are called "sleepers". They have been infected with something that causes them to embark on a journey to a small town in Colorado. Nothing and no one will stop the sleepers on their journey so we have a set of characters that will accompany and safeguard them, they call themselves "shepards". The back story set up by the first book will be invaluable when reading the second. That's really not a problem since the first book is freaking excellent too. Wanderers was the journey. Wayward is what happens when they arrive.

I have really tried to not give away any of the best parts of the first book and will do the same here. Suffice to say, if you sat down and made a list of every thing that would change and/or go wrong should 75-90% of the population die and the infrastructure grind to a halt, you'd miss 75% of the consequences. But Chuck Wendig doesn't miss many in this epic book. Add in an AI character that could feasibly been responsible for at least a portion of what caused the collapse of civilization and you now have a whole new level of "oh, no. I definitely did not see that coming". The ultimate theme is always and always has been, good vs evil but few are people are completely good or completely evil so you'll find it hard to set this book down for any reason. This book is GOOD! it's a big book, lots and lots of pages to keep you reading so ignore the interuptions and get comfy, you will be here until the last page.

Thank you Random House Ballantine for the review copy of Wayward. I am a fan of Wendig's writing style, he blends strong literary writing once again with strong plot and character development. I am grateful he feels he can write literature while generating plots that captivate so many readers (literary fiction, strong writing do not have to alienate readers!). Wendig's book here again captures themes that are less apocalyptic than they are real, uncovering again the messiness of humanity and our current sociopolitical world, our relationships with tech and media... he brings us in to question and examine once more what humanity is and what it could be/should be. There are also great points about being a leader, breaking down barriers from the past to move to rebirth and renewal and the idea that we can move past times of loss and isolation and into a new sense of belonging that comes from working together.

Wayward is the sequel to Chuck Wendig 2019’s Wanderers. The timing of that release seemed almost eerie. After all we were still in the early days of Covid-19 and here was a book centered around a horrible pandemic. I know this is supposed to be a review about Wayward, and I’ll get to that in a minute, but first let me tell you about how I got my copy of Wanderers. Before I could get around to going out and getting myself a copy (okay I probably wouldn’t have run out, rather I’d have just ordered it online, lol) a friend dropped me off his copy saying “I just can’t read this.” It wasn’t the subject matter that he had a problem with, it was Chuck’s politics. I have friends from all along the political spectrum, and since I don’t agree 100% with any of them I usually avoid talking politics with any of them. But I did have to laugh at this. I’ve been a long time fan of Mr. Wendig, both his fiction and non-fiction (his various books on writing are incredibly entertaining) so I was well aware of his politics and so I wasn’t the least bit surprised by my friend’s reaction. As for Mr Wendig, he’s never tried to hide where he stands and often incorporates his social views in his writing. I think most writers do this to some extent, though Chuck tends to be more heavy handed than most. As I said it doesn’t bother me, though if I have any real complaint it’s just that I wish he’d make his ‘evil conservative’ characters a bit more multi-dimensional, they often feel kind of flat to me. But as for Wanderers, I enjoyed it quite a bit. Wendig took us on a unique and epic apocalyptic journey, which many people compared to McCammon’s Swan Song or King’s The Stand. Now we come to Wayward. Keeping it simple and spoiler-free here. It’s been five years since the bizarre sleepwalking disease swept across the country and the survivors continue to struggle to maintain/rebuild society, but of course things are never easy. If you were a fan of Wanderers, I can easily recommend Wayward. It’s every bit as massive in size and epic in scope as Wanderers, featuring a complex, disturbing, thought provoking tale, and I have no doubt you’ll sympathize with all the twists and troubles our heroes are forced to endure. I’d like to thank Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an eARC of Wayward.

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/wayward-chuck-wendig/1140482257?ean=9780593158777&bvnotificationId=a49e3a21-65cc-11ed-b228-0a0020b7b97b&bvmessageType=REVIEW_APPROVED&bvrecipientDomain=gmail.com#review/228526299

Returning to Ouray 5 years after Wanderers was precisely what I needed. Chuck Wendig built a terrifyingly glorious pandemic world in Wanderers and returns with a satisfying post-pandemic story, bringing back beloved and hated characters.

My mind wants to compare these novels with The Stand. Wanderers and Wayward are modern versions of a pandemic story where survivors trek across the US in search of solutions. They build on the premise of a battle between good and evil, with more ambiguity surrounding what humans consider good and a different take on religion and gods.

This story is couched in modern technology and modern problems. The politics are scarily similar to what the US is dealing with right now, which I found to be cathartic. Though I'm hoping our baddies don't rise from the grave with strange strengths that magnify their torturous natures.

When I got my hands on Wanderers back in 2019, I flew through that monster of a book in 2 days. It was my favorite book of 2019.

So when I found out Wendig was writing a sequel, I was all in. And he definitely delivered! This series feels like The Stand, or Swan Song, or The Passage. It’s truly an epic apocalyptic/post apocalyptic that truly scares the crap out of you.

Going into Wayward, it did take me a bit to remember what happened in Wanderers. I remembered the overall story but not all of the little details or all of the characters. By about 20%, I was deep in and had no issue with knowing what was happening. I did struggle just a bit at the beginning but feel like I got up to speed fairly quickly.

The Flock and the Shepherds have settled in Ouray and everything is coming up rainbows. The Flock are all brilliant people who were hand selected by the AI Black Swan to restart the world and humanity so their little town had more than most of the other settlements throughout Northern America.

Marcy, Shana, Benji, Nessie, and others are all there and having a good life, all things considered. For a while. And as usual in Wendig’s books, sh*t hits the fan.

The POVs go quickly back and forth between those I mentioned above and several others, including Creel. (What a freaking monster of a human!)

I think my favorite parts were the travels taken by Shana and Benji that show the reader how the rest of the world fared after the worst pandemic possible decimated the humans.

My favorite genre is apocalypse and post-apocalypse so, for me, these 2 books are brilliant. And full of horror. And science. Artificial Intelligence, CDC, viruses, and then more science. I loved it.

I can’t wait to see what Wendig comes up with next!

*Thank you so much to Random House, Del Rey Books, Chuck Wendig, and NetGalley for the advance eGalley!*

I loved the wanderers in 2019 and was excited to get my hands on the sequel! Wayward takes place in 2025 (although their are flashbacks to 2020-2024 at various points) and follows the core characters from the wanderers (Benji, Matthew, shanna, Marcy) as they navigate life in the post-Flock/Sleepwalker world. In this new world, they are still reeling from the events of the wanderers and are faced with threats from The Black Swan, an omniscient AI source and ed creel, a maniacal president. How they navigate and maneuver these new threats and continue to rebuild in this new world keeps the plot propelling forward. Due to the techno-horror element think of this book as more of early dean koontz rather than Stephen king (see a lot of comps to the stand), with walking dead, and 2016-2021 America thrown into the mix. The book has some really compelling elements and I truly did want to love it, as I truly did love the wanderers. While certain books do benefit from being epic in length and scope, this was one whose length worked against it. I think a tighter structure would have serviced the plot better and would have kept me more engaged as I often found myself wondering off while reading. The pace is also inconsistent as anytime it felt like it was picking up, it would then stall. Many readers will undoubtedly devour and embrace this book, especially with the timely political and plague storylines, but I still prefer the wanderers to the sequel.
Thanks to NetGalley for providing an advance copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

What's it about (in a nutshell):
Wayward by Chuck Wendig is the epic conclusion to Wanderers (2019). This is a post-apocalyptic dystopian story that takes a hard look at many relevant issues today, such as the environment, politics, and disease, not to mention the power of artificial intelligence programs.
Initial Expectations (before beginning the book):
I read the first book back in 2019, so I know enough to know that I have no idea what to expect in this conclusion to that story.
Actual Reading Experience:
Wow! Just wow! What a fantastic conclusion to such an impactful story. This isn't a standalone, or at least I would not recommend it as a standalone because I couldn't even imagine understanding it without knowledge of the first book's events. But, I have to say, as much as I thought the first book was outstanding, this one may have shown just a little brighter.
This post-apocalyptic dystopian story hits most of the problem areas in society today. And it does so in a manner that I will not forget soon. I'm making my alternative fuel vehicle right after finishing this review. Okay, maybe not, but only because I don't know where to start.
The writing pulls you in and gives you a world that you will both recognize and be disturbed by that recognition. It does so by providing so many details that you can't help but experience it in an entirely sensory way. I also love how imaginative yet realistic it is. This got me, and I am sure it will get other readers too.
There are twists and turns I could have never seen coming and absolutely adored. By the last 25%, there were so many twists that I sped through each page, unable to wait to find out what would happen. It felt as if for us to have any hope, then the characters in this story needed to be able to succeed and show us how it's done.
There were little niggles, that, oddly enough, had to do with specifics or lack thereof. Mostly it had to do with an algae farm in, I believe it was, Louisiana. The uses they found for algae were truly outstanding, but I wanted to know a little more about how it was done, which I didn't see. Not a significant amount of detail because I wouldn't understand any of it, but more of an acknowledgment of the changes that would have had to be made.
Characters:
Shana is the main character. She is young, but she is also strong, independent, and determined. When her sister, Nessie, comes down with the sleepwalking malady in Wanderers (Book 1) – she braves everything to keep her safe on her journey from Pennsylvania to Colorado. She also has the same doggedness in this story when it becomes necessary to stop Black Swan.
Benji, like Shana, is a Shepherd to the sleepwalking people. He is a natural-born leader who prefers talk over violence, but he will use violence if necessary. He is a thinker and a planner.
Marcy is the sheriff and law enforcer for Ouray. She is a by-the-letter-of-the-law person who is tough yet fair and respected by the community.
Narration & Pacing:
The narration is mainly third-person omniscient, and switches focus between Shana and Benji, the occupants of Ouray, and Ed Creel – the self-proclaimed president of the US. A broad scope is needed to successfully take in all the ideas, themes, and details in this story, so this narration works perfectly.
The pacing is generally more of a medium pace, with some parts being quite fast, especially as you get closer to the end, and other parts being a bit slow because of its heavy use of exposition. Since it's a long book with eight hundred pages, it's best to take your time and soak in all the details rather than try to speed your way to the end. It is worth every minute if you take your time reading this one.
Setting:
The setting is the US in 2025 (mostly) though it does go back in time for a chapter here and there to explain something about a character's past. In this version of the US, a pandemic ran its course. Something new has taken hold of chosen citizens that has made them sleepwalk to Ouray, Colorado, where they are trying to rebuild human society led by an AI called Black Swan.
Read if you like:
• Post-Apocalyptic Dystopian stories
• Long Books You Can Savor
• Strong, Diverse Characters
• Unexpected Twists and Turns

"I am no villain, nor is my scheme evil. Nor is it good, for that matter. It simply is. We are past the pettiness of human morality. Only the Calculation matters."

What happens when an Artificial Intelligence thinks it's God? A phenomenal novel is what happens!! I was so excited when I heard Chuck Wendig was writing a follow-up to Wanderers and this story is outstanding!! It's an epic cautionary tale that also reads like a horror story. The threads that bind the story together beautifully are the friends and family that have been found, lost and found again. There is love, loss, betrayal, friendship all along with the strength to move forward.
Wayward picks up immediately after the flock has woken up in Ouray and they begin to deal with life without Black Swan. Benji, Shana, Nessie, Marcy and Matthew all have so much to process in the aftermath of surviving the events at the end of Wanderers. Ed Creel was elected President of an America absolutely disintegrating into isolated pockets of humanity and he has gone to ground in his personal bunker. As secrets come to light and choices are made it forces all of our main players into actions that have deadly consequences.
One of the things I love most about Chuck's stories are how you feel like you already know the characters. You can understand the choices they make, empathize with them, sometimes hate them, but also understand how they got to the point they are in their lives. I cannot say how much I have come to love Pete Corley!! My gosh, his journey, his irreverence and his loyalty makes him a favorite. Ok, Gumball is tied with Pete because of course he is the goodest boy!! Truly a masterful novel!!

Wow. What an amazing read. Chuck Wendig is such an amazing writer and WAYWARD is a great sequel and is as good (maybe better?) than WANDERERS. I loved this so much, and I loved the characters.

Wow! What an amazing roller coaster of a book. I am so glad he wrote a sequel to the first book The Wanderers. Even though it has been a couple of years between books you really don’t need to reread the first one again. He did an amazing job of reminding you of what has happened. I highly recommend this book but make sure you set aside plenty of time because this is a monster of a book.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher of a copy of this book for my honest opinion

Wayward by Chuck Wendig is the sequel to his book, Wanderers.

"It's been five years since the Flock and Shepherds landed in Ouray. The walkers are awake now and working to build a new community. Because America is a broken wasteland and there are many groups that only want whatever power they can get. Black Swan has a plan to save civilization but several of the survivors are unsure and wonder why it feels like the AI has become even more unstable. They only know they'll have to band together to beat it."

This is a long book. Be prepared to spend a few days with it. There are several storylines going but Wendig makes it easy to keep up by minimizing the number of characters that drive the story.

This is a sequel but you are better off reading the first book to understand the story.

There are some wild characters. My favorite is "Rock God Pete Corley" His last performance is explosive.
There are elements of sci-fi and horror. Wendig has some interesting observations about society.

Another good story from Wendig.

The way Wanderers ended, it made me need to know one thing: "What happens next?"

Wayward isn't just a book, it's an event. Going into Wayward, one should understand that you're in for moments of doubt, pain, tears, agony, and smiles. Wendig holds a mirror up to our world, our reality, and even the augmented realities modern tech companies are creating as I type this review. Wayward is an interesting idea of potentials for what may come.

Of all the characters, I latched on to two--Gumball and Pete Corley.

Gumball is a dog, and through his eyes we see a world that doesn't make much sense. People, places, and things are there but something is off. It's through the internal monologue of this beautiful soul that pulls tears. A dog is pure, they just want to have fun, and through Gumball's trek of a post-apocalyptic landscape, losing and making new friends, that reflection of our reality hits sledgehammer-hard. Gumball's vocabulary is not expansive, but it's powerful. Gumball's ability to communicate is limited, yet he convey's more in his observations than most humans do in their daily exhaustive ramblings.

Pete Corley, the rock god of yesteryear, also hit me hard for a few reasons: I love music from his era, he's chock-full of glaring flaws, and his undying drive of his artistic pursuits. Wendig has this ability to create character arcs for more people than I can list here throughout Wayward. He demonstrates adaptation and evolution within the human spirit. Pete Corley is a shining example of that. I won't go into details or describe the epic rock god's show closer, but I will say that his selfishness made me personally question my own selfishness. Pete made me think about how I interact with my friends, family, and the world in general while I pursuit my own artistic dreams. I didn't love the answers.

These are only two characters of a massive cast of good, evil, bad, and flawed people throughout the Wayward universe. I haven't even mentioned the development with Black Swan or it's human host...

Wendig does what any good writer/book does: they make you think, force you to stare at what reflects back, pulls you out of your own life for however long you're reading that story and completely encapsulates you into the horrid and wonderful directions of a dying world.

Above all, one message from both Wanderers and Wayward is clear: we are our biggest obstacle and our biggest chance in what's to come.

I've put this down but I fully intend to come back to it because there's something here- just not anything that I'm up for reading at the moment (t00 many political ads and bad stuff in the world). I didn't read the first book but I don't think that made a difference. This is definitely going to be a big read for many and I'm sure that when I come back to it, I'll enjoy it as well. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A save for later read.

Wayward by Chuck Wendig is a highly recommended post-apocalypse sequel to his 2019's pandemic novel, Wanderers. Events in Wayward start in 2025.

In the Wanderers the "white mask" fungus devastated the world's population. The shepherds Benji, Marcy, and Shana helped the sleepwalkers cross the country to Ouray, CO, where the AI known as Black Swan kept them safe. Now the sleepwalkers are awake and the fungus threat mitigated, so the focus is on how people are living in this new reality. Now it is 2025 survivors Benji Ray, Shana Stewart, who is pregnant, Sheriff Marcy Reyes, and pastor Matthew Bird are in Ouray working on rebuilding society while the Black Swan threatens it. At the same time, Ed Creel, has assumed the presidency and lives in a bunker in Kansas where he is planning to raise an army to take over what is left of the world.

This novel takes a traditional format of a quest by a chosen few heroes who, in this case, are setting out to save the world. While this common plot formula makes some of the novel predictable, the world building is terrific and imaginative. The characters are realistically depicted and wonderfully portrayed. Along with the world building and character development, one of the best aspects of the novel is the glimmer of hope that the characters have in an impossible, challenging situation.

At 800+ pages, there is some fortitude required to undertake the novel. The good news is that the plot and writing is interesting enough to keep you reading. Alternating between the point-of-view of several different characters, the chapters keep the narrative moving while providing context. The political satire ever present in the novel does becomes a bit much and the whole plot element involving Creel could have been reduced without harming the elements that are good in Wayward.

It would really behoove readers to read Wanderers first. Alas, I didn't and although a background was provided in the narrative, it really felt like it would have been so much better had I read Wanderers first and then Wayward.
Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Random House Worlds via NetGalley.
The review will be published on Barnes & Noble, Twitter, Google Books, Edelweiss, and Amazon.

Thank you Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book.
Thank you Chuck Wendig for reminding me of what it's like to trust an author and begin a book with zero expectations of what's to come. Thank you for taking the time to research the smallest of details when it comes to portions of the book, it was obvious you put in the time, effort, and a lot of work. There are authors and books that I enjoy, but it often feels like an author develops a certain style of writing and you can expect that every book they write will have the same " feel". Wendig's books guarantee that I can anticipate that I'm not really going to be sure what happens. It takes a unique and creative writer to do this for readers. One of the difficult aspects for me as a reader is attempting to guess the ending of a book and storyline well in advance. I have a tendency to weigh every avenue while I read and it's not surprising that often books feel predictable for me, I can count on one hand the authors that allow me to keep reading a story up until the very end and not see the ending coming. Wayward is the third book by Chuck Wendig I have read and each book has felt the same way for me. There's no way to anticipate the creative endings to his books.
When I first initially heard a sequel would be released to the first book Wanderers I began immediately speculating what Wayward would entail. It has surpassed all expectations I had for a follow-up book. Would more details be released as to the major events taking place in the first book? Would we learn about what happened to the flock? Would we really begin to learn about Black Swan and just exactly what it was/is? Wayward answers every question we ask ourselves as we read the first book. I read Wanderers during the start of the pandemic and distinctly remember feeling that it was destiny that a dear friend suggested the book. I remember reading the book after my shifts as a nurse and could not put the book down. I began reading the book on my lunch breaks and at any opportunity..It began to feel like I was experiencing a case of groundhog day and deja vu as I continued to read about the flock. I remember sharing Wanderers and its concepts with many of my coworkers and having discussions about how eerily foreshadowing the story was. This caused me to wonder how an actual pandemic would affect the writing and storyline of a follow-up book given the world was actually experiencing a pandemic. This book far surpassed anything I could have expected and I now realize that the Pandemic, toilet paper shortages, masks, and vaccines only enhanced the writing of this book. I imagine it becomes easier to imagine the craziness the world is capable of when you witness people fighting over toilet paper.
Wayward does not disappoint. I knew writing a review would be difficult for Wayward, as it is often difficult to describe the writing style of Wendig's books. I felt this way especially as I attempted to explain The Book of Accidents to people who ask " What are you reading?". I often would reply " you just have to read it, it's part thriller, part suspense, part WTF". Literally. I frequently said WTF as I read this story. Approximately 50% into the book I began to wonder "How on earth is this book going to end? How is he going to wrap up this amazing story so the reader is left feeling like they have closure?"
Wendig created an ending that did not feel rushed, was well thought out, and really well written. It wasn't a surprise to read the Afterword and learn that Wendig deliberately took his time with this book, it was evident in the detail in the book. For those that hesitate to read follow-up books to initial stories for fear that the books won't hold up to the first, this book and the unique story do not disappoint.

Thank you so much to NetGalley for the ARC of Wayward by Chuck Wendig! This was absolutely one of my most anticipated reads of 2022! I loved Wanderers and this sequel did not disappoint. Wayward was also a chonky book just like the Wanderers at over 800 pages. Chuck does a really good job at making his stories move and not seem relentlessly long or boring even with the 800+ page book. I will say that not every moment is fast paced and action filled, but even the ‘slow’ points of learning the setting and characters are great and necessary. If you love sci-fi and especially if you enjoyed the Wanderers, PICK UP THIS SEQUEL! Thank you again for the ARC of Wayward! Chuck is definitely an auto buy author!

This is the quintessential sequel to a post apocalyptic book.
It starts 5 years after the Wanderers ends.
The Sleepwalkers and the sheppards are all together in Colorado.
Some of the favorite characters from the Wanderers are in this book, Benji, Marcy, Shana, Nessie.

Like every other post apocalyptic book, the survivors have a desire to go to the CDC in Atlanta.
They start out from Colorado to Atlanta via solar car, walking, and airplane.
They come across some characters and the reader gets to see what has happened to the country since the White Mask Virus wiped out 98% of the population.

The great world building that the author does is wonderful. He gives a lot of details and lots of thought into making the world/story work.

There were some parts that just didn't need to be in the book....for instance the roadblock scene and then the scene at the diner. The characters never came back up again....why put those 2 scenes in? Just weird.

Overall, another great book in the Wanderers series.
If you like the quintessential post apocalyptic book about road trips...read this book.

Wayward is epic! Not just in size, clocking in at 800+ pages, but more importantly in the depth and breadth of the story and characters. Wayward continues the apocalyptic tale of Wanderers. Mr. Wendig does a great job of giving the reader enough background from Wanderers without repetition.

Reading Wayward is a commitment of time but one well worth it. There are many characters and underlying stories and all skillfully woven together to create an experience so vivid and meaningful, especially in the times we live in. This novel is not for the squeamish, as there are multiple descriptions of events that are gory but that just adds to the fullness of the novel. And while the topic is serious, there are some lighter moments as well as the reminder that we can choose those we call family.

If you are a fan of Stephen King’s The Stand, you won’t want to miss Wayward and it’s predecessor, Wanderers. And I appreciate the multiple King references made throughout the novel!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, Del Ray, for the much appreciated chance to read this digital ARC.

Thank you for the advanced copy of this book! I will be posting my review on social media, to include Instagram, Amazon, Goodreads, and Instagram!

Wayward picks up where Wanderers left off and is another 800 page epic that I absolutely loved. Did it really need to be that long? I’m not sure. It took me a solid 3 weeks to read. But every time I picked it up I was quickly sucked back in and I’m so impressed at the scope of what happened. There’s a large cast of characters but they are each memorable and distinct, and I was eager to continue with each of the storylines. I said this in my review of Wanderers and I’ll say it again: Wendig really knows how to tell a story.

The author’s note at the end of the book made me love it even more. Wanderers was a pandemic book that turned out to be surprisingly prescient about the real world pandemic. Wayward is the follow up written during that real life pandemic. It is Wendig’s effort to grapple with a lot of issues of our day - climate change, humanity’s relationship with the planet, political polarization, white nationalism, AI, social media, and much more. It reads like a wild post-apocalyptic, sci-fi romp, but is also strangely cathartic because of the topics explored.

Heads up this is pretty gory, including a surprising number of incidents involving eyes and eyeballs (I would almost say it’s a theme of the book, that’s how often it came up). I would describe it as the violence of S.A. Cosby’s Razorblade Tears meets the humor of Andy Weir’s Planet Hail Mary.

All in all, if you were a fan of Wanderers, I’d say it’s worth your time reading this one too! I mean, hey, what’s another 800 pages? (I also suspect this would be amazing on audio, like the first one was).

Thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the free e-copy in exchange for my honest review!