I have not finished this book, yet, but I already know that I love it! It's been several years since the first book, Wanderers, was published...and I didn't at first realize that this was the 2nd of the series. It was a little hard to get into at the beginning since it had been so long since I read the 1st book, but I caught up quickly and am now whipping thru this...very unusual (current mood)??...book. It makes me want to contact Chuck Wendig and ask him some questions. 5 star rating from me, for sure.

𝗪𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗵 𝗜𝘁!

-it’s the sequel to 𝘞𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘳𝘴
-it’s 816 pages
-it is terrifyingly realistic dystopia

I read 𝘞𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘳𝘴 at the end of 2019, right when news of Wuhan was trickling out. I drove my family crazy, telling them about the end of life as we know it, thanks to a worldwide pandemic started by bats (not what they wanted to hear on vacation + they were like “oh please, you’re a bit melodramatic)

YES - I’ve said “I told you so” many times to my hubs. He acknowledges it, I’ll give him that.

Was this sequel necessary? Actually, YES. The whole artificial intelligence entity needed further development, and boy howdy, it gets it!

Does it have many of the same beloved characters? You bet (the ratty old, foul-mouthed crazy rockstar is literally the best!)

Once again, Chuck Wendig had my attention for ALL 816 pages. He actually doesn’t waste words - every plot twist and turn was necessary, imo. Sometimes, long books just work and this one sure did for me.

Maybe its just been too long since I read the first book but there were so many time i thought "who is this person again?"

This ARC was provided by Netgalley.com at no cost and I am providing an unbiased review.

** Spoilers Ahead Alert **

This is the second book in this series, that picks up on the storyline around five years after the first book. The 'Sleepers' and their caretakers (Shepherds) have all 'woken' and are surviving in a remote town of Ouray. There is some dissention starting between the Sleepers and the Shepherds, revolving around the birth of a baby - a special baby. And that was about as far as I got into the book.

I really enjoyed the first book, and was excited to hear that a second was going to be out, considering the author had said something about the possibility of there not being a follow-up book. But I just could not get into the story once I got so far in. I set it aside for several days and tried to get back to it, but again could not. I am not sure if it is just my head doesn't want this kind of story right now, or what. Either way I am giving it three stars because I do think the plot line is good, and I have enjoyed many of Wendig's books, that I think it is just me that cannot read this at the present, but would try again later on.

This book was really good! I didn't realize that it was a sequel, but still really enjoyed this Sci fi thriller that seems all too real

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the advanced copy of the book.

Five years ago the Sleepwalkers reached their destination, Ouray, CO surviving a chain of events that ultimately ended the world as we know it. Now, the sleepwalkers and their shepherds have started rebuilding a new world while still grieving those they lost along the way. They were not the only survivors and despite their plans to build a new future together they will have to fight for it first. A self-proclaimed leader and bigot, Ed Creel, has plans to destroy them. And the AI who led them to safety and anticipated the apocalypse, Black Swan, is unhappy with citizens of Ouray and is plotting some changes of its own. If they want to survive again then they will need to choose sides as an epic battle of good vs evil ensues.

Wayward is the second novel in the Wanderers series by author Chuck Wendig. This was quite a large book to get through so thank goodness it was so enjoyable to read...well as enjoyable as post-apocalyptic novels with killer viruses and bigoted villains can be. I love so many of the characters in this series and it was nice to revisit some of them once again. The novel picks up five years after the first novel where the remaining sleepwalkers and their shepherds have made it to Ouray and woken up. The best and brightest minds are hard at work trying to rebuild their world after White Mask. Tensions are high as residents begin to have different opinions on Black Swan and its involvement with the end of the world. As with the first novel, there is a lot of graphic violence, intense gore, and sexual situations which may not appeal to all readers. If you haven't read the first novel then you need to read it first before trying to start this one. This series is definitely one of my top post-apocalyptic novels and a must read for 2023!

I took it as a good sign for my mental health regarding the pandemic we are currently living in that I could read this book, given that it's a book about a post-apocalyptic society ravaged by a pandemic. Wendig has revisited Ouray, Black Swan, and the sleepwalkers and shepherds in WAYWARD, the sequel to 2019's WANDERERS, and we are taking a look at what the end of the world looks like for our characters after it has ended as we know it. Wendig keeps familiar faces at the forefront, with characters like Benji and Shana and Marcy back, and gives deeper looks into previous characters like the horrible President Creel (who is a very familiar characterization of a certain other totalitarian sociopath we just can't quite free ourselves from, and who has violent and terrible followers). I liked the fact that the characters have changed and grown in ways that still feel true to their characterizations, and I like that Wendig inserts some good insights into the darker sides of human nature, as well as fears of technology run amok. But what I liked best about this book is that even though it has very dark and bleak moments regarding human nature, there is also a lot of humor, heart, and, most importantly, hope. Lord knows we need a lot of hope these days.

WAYWARD is another enjoyable book from Chuck Wendig. I'm very glad that he decided to continue this story.

Wow, I wasn't sure if Wending would be able to nail this sequel but he SURE DID. This was terrifying in that it felt so real and so wide in scope. Despite it's length, I absolutely tore through it. I do suggest reading the first one before this though it could be a standalone.

While I knew that this was gonna be a long book, since I read the first one, I gotta say that this one is too long. Even a good story can be hurt by going on too long.

Anyways, onto the book.

This one picks up 5 years after the first one ends. There are some of the main people back for this, like Benji and Shana. Also the bad guys, they stayed the same as well. There were a couple of newbies, but they were not really fleshed out.

Things are weird in the location that Black Swan chose to bring the flock to. Speaking of the flock, they act more like cultists than people. Shana feels like an outsider, like they know more about her and what is supposed to happen and they are not telling her what that is.

So things happen, the various people all get into situations that need resolving, and eventually Benji and Shana return to the town after having to leave. Not getting into spoiler details, but I gotta say that whole thing left me asking myself WTF??

Let's talk about that ending. Like, I was reading that and muttering out loud cause really? After all the years, all the suffering, and that's it?

All in all, it was a decent book. Not as good as the first one, but close enough.

This is a sequel to Wanderers. This novel is a bit hard to describe, it is complex and highly detailed. It continues the story of the sleepwalkers, the shepherds, and those left alive after a pandemic devastates the world. Black swan, the artificial intelligence who orchestrated the pandemic and the shepherds begins to develop feelings and starts to resent those she was previously protecting.

This was an extremely engaging book. It was hard to put down and I found myself reading long into the night. The word is extremely detailed and well thought out. Overall, I highly recommend this book, and the author.

Wayward by Chuck wendig is a superb and engrossing read with a great plot and engaging characters. Well worth the read!

It's 5 years laters and this is the epic apocalyptic sequel to Chuck Wendig's Wanderers

The white mask plague (the long sleepwalk) is dormant, or retreating and people are coming out of their enclaves and Ouray is at the center. Favorites characters including Shana return and a few new are introduced. A collision of points of view, feelings and emotions make this very long treatise to our world, or one very close to it. Wendig has the ability to draw you in and I am happy to follow anywhere he wants to go! If you like dystopian, plague stories, or are just seeking an odyssey of modern times, Wayward is for you!
#RandomHouse

Such a great read and a wonderful follow up to the Wanderers. Like book one, it did drag a bit for me in parts, but the world and storytelling and characters are so rich that I didn’t mind much.

First and foremost, a large thank you to NetGalley, Chuck Wendig, Ballantine Del Rey and Random House for providing me with a copy of this publication, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review.

While many found Chuck Wendig shone in the series debut, I was not as captivated as I would have liked. However, with this ARC in my possession, I wanted to give things a chance to see if I could be drawn into the middle of things with the sequel. While I was not, I surmise that it could be my own personal issues and not Wendig’s abilities throughout this detailed novel.

It was five years ago when a number of everyday Americans began randomly sleepwalking across the country. The reason was unknown, though the malady caught the attention of many. Making their way to a specific place, these sleepwalkers were followed by people, self-identified as shepherds, in an effort to protect them as they wandered in their trace-like state.

Upon arriving in Ouray, Colorado, the group began setting up their outpost, as though they were the chosen ones and all others were set to perish. While a militia sought to destroy them, the sleepwalkers remained diligent in their mission, advised that this was only the first step in a slew of significant changes to come.

Those who are setting things up in Ouray include a scientist who tries to piece together a plan to lead, a former police officer with ideas on how to protect a select few, and a teenage shepherd who is still trying to come to terms with what’s happened to her and what awaits the world. While outside forces continue to push around the outskirts of Ouray, many will have to sacrifice it all to protect themselves. From ruthless politicians to those who do not fully understand the special nature of the sleepwalkers. At the heart of it all is Black Swan, an A.I. program behind the entire ‘end of days’ scenario. Wendig does well to stir up the reader’s emotion throughout, even if it did not impact me as much as I would have hoped.

While I have only read the series debut by Chuck Wendig, I have tried other books in the genre, so there is a general understanding of the premise. Wendig provides a strong foundation and keeps the reader wondering throughout the narrative. Continuing with the apocalyptic theme, the story clips along and will likely grab many readers. For me, my mindset was not entirely into the experience, though I can see Wendig’s abilities clearly.

The story continues with a great narrative that serves to guide the reader. Bleak when needed but also well-paced, the story adds more surprises and roadblocks found in the debut novel. Using strong characters with their own personalities helps to shape the story once more. Plot twists emerge to offer some excitement as things take a darker turn. Some may get lost in the premise of this novel or simply not like where Wendig is headed. While it was not for me, I can see how many would really enjoy this series and find themselves excited by this new publication.

Kudos, Mr. Wendig, for a thought-provoking piece that is sure to impress your fans.

This book continues the story started in the author's epic novel, "Wanderers.." I thought that book had ended, but it didn't!

I just finished this read tonight and I am hard pressed to explain it, so I won't. The adventure after the annihilation of the majority of the population in the country continues and the story goes on from the end of "Wanderers." Everything starts out so well with the The Flock and the Shepherds, but then events do not have them living happily ever after. Happy for a time and some for longer, but wow, what a lot of twists and turns to the end.

Shana, Benjy, Nessie, Pete, Marcy, Matthew and the Dog are stars here and great courage is needed to try to right the wrongs that are taking place and restore independence to the Flock. The characters are people you won't forget. They just come alive in this book.

I loved this story. I am sorry it had to come to and end.

I thank NetGalley and Del Ray Publishing for the early read.

Wendig writes well, and it shows here. This thing is long, but it's well constructed and entertaining, even though the pacing seemed off at times. The author's fans and those seeking a good dystopian tale will likely enjoy this.

Thanks very much for the free ARC for review!!

A follow up that U I didn't know I needed, Wayward picks up where Wanders left off (in a way) and throws us back into the harrowing and insane future. Full of memorable characters and super disturbing scenes, Wayward is a must read for fans of the first.

This felt very similar to Stephen King’s The Stand, both in terms of content (small group forming a new society in a post-apocalpytic world) and length (this is a monster-long novel!). But that’s not a critique, The Stand is one of my all-time favorite novels. Similarly, the author does a great job in creating distinct characters I cared about, and in describing smaller aspects of this dystopian world, such as what would happen to zoo animals. I alternated between wanting to race through this addictive novel and wanting to stop and savor it. Highly recommend.

Oh boy. This is a big, big book just like its predecessor. It's an enthralling story, but sure, maybe it could have been trimmed down in some places, but if you're already 800+ pages invested (from Wanderers), what's another 800+ pages?

This sequel is satisfying and like the first book, leans heavily into Stephen King's The Stand, but updated, for our own special times (pandemics! neo-nazis! artificial intelligence! etc!) Definitely worth reading if you've read the first book.

Thank you so much to NetGalley for the ARC!

Wayward is a phenomenal sequel to Wanderers. The plot is addictive with Wendig's brilliant writing. The world-building and character development are outstanding. The book may be long, but it is more than worth the read. If you're looking for an epic dystopian thriller, this is what you're looking for. Be sure to check out Wayward following Wanderers. Highly recommended!