I read the summary and thought I would like a "post-apocalyptic road trip" story. At times, I thought about stories like The Walking Dead and The Last of Us. Now, I know it wasn't marketed as some zombie/infected apocalypse. But, I expected more of a thrill. The story felt more like a man on a journey of self discovery, with plenty of thoughts of the past, and less like someone dealing with the wilds of nature and people in a post-apocalyptic setting. It picked up more for me about halfway through, when Will started to interact with people. Overall, it was just alright.

This is one of those books that makes me wish we could give half stars on Goodreads. It felt to me like more than a 4 star book and honestly I was close to giving it 5 stars until the ending which though not bad also wasn’t the conclusion I needed.
Perhaps I am just terrible at deciding for myself how the rest of it all would play out.
Either way, as someone who has studied Buddhism I did especially like how the author incorporated it into a dystopian plot. And how Will struggled with not harming vs protecting.
All in all a good solid 4.5/5 stars for me.
I received a ARC of this title, all opinions are my own.

Part long journey, part post-apocalyptic adventure, and part spiritual introspection, the book is a truly unique combination of pieces that at first glance don’t seem to belong together. However, the elements flow together nicely into a wandering tale of a man trying to cross the country carrying a medicine that might have the power to save the few humans left on the planet. Experiencing the journey through the eyes of Will, a practicing Buddhist who does his best to adhere to the principles of harming no living thing, causes a fascinating contrast between his reluctance to engage in violence and the people he meets who are all too happy to attack first and think later. With that being said, I thought this story was going to end up dragging and being quite slow, but for a story whose protagonist is a pacifist there is a surprising amount of violence and blood and gore throughout. It keeps the story moving at a quick pace without compromising on the character’s ideals and values. I really enjoyed this story because it had its feet into two different worlds at all time. Violent and introspective. Spiritual and scientific. Personal and interpersonal. It was all balanced really well and it was a joy to read.

The Way is a post apocalyptic thriller that takes place in the Western US after a deadly virus kills most adults. This is a jarring, hopeful at times, and realistic view of what could happen when society as we know it collapses.

**Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review an electronic ARC of this book.

Who doesn’t like a good postapocalyptic road trip? I certainly do. Once again, a lethal virus has decimated the world, wiping out most of the population over thirty years of age. I would be a goner, along with most of my friends. Will is an exception, at the ripe old age of 52 and he is sent on a mission from Colorado to California, carrying a possible antidote for the deadly virus. His means of transportation is a Ford F150, pulled by a pair of trusty mules. He is accompanied by a cat and a raven, who he is able to verbally communicate with. Of course, many adventures ensue, as they are also being pursued by The Forge, a wacky militant group.
This is a fun ride. Not too dark and serious but enough to satisfy me. The writing is quite serviceable too. If you would like a mash-up of Mad Max, The Road and I am Legend give this novel a try.

Thanks to NetGalley for supplying me with a copy.

In this postapocalyptic novel set in the American West after a pandemic has exterminated 80-percent of the world's population -- with those over 30 being especially rare and endangered -- 52-year-old Will Collins travels with a Maine coon cat and a raven in the hull of a Ford 150 pulled by two mules. The man, cat, and bird have established means of communicating with one another over time. After years of solo caretaking a Buddhist retreat center in Colorado, Will has managed to log into his email and read a messsage from a scientist friend tasking him with transporting a possible cure to California. Like Obi Wan Kenobi, he's the only hope. So begins an odyssey across the Western states, pursued by a sociopath. Along the way, Will wrestles with his place in the world, his Buddhist principles, and the question, how was anyone supposed to live a harmless life?
I found the novel's imagery arresting, the writing compelling, and many of the speculative details brilliant: "One good thing about Santa Fe was the money. It was ubiquitous, fast-drying, and tough, so it was excellent for starting [camp] fires."The book had some contrivances. For example, Google and the electrical grid have been down (with some outlier community exceptions and New Zealand) for 14 years. So why is Will's watch still able to tell him the temperature? Nevertheless, the main character Will's voice, his personal insights and reflections, his ever-evolving humility, and the way the author conveyed the natural world, nudged me to give the plot holes a hall pass. I recommend the book to those who like their postapocalyptic fare with a sprinkle of spirituality and an overall hopeful tone.

[Thanks to Spiegel & Grau and NetGalley for an opportunity to read an advanced reader copy and share my opinion of this book.]

As far as dystopian apocalyptic plots go, this was a highly unusual, mostly slow paced, contemplative story about a world thrown into chaos with a protagonist who constantly has hope on the horizon.

I loved the multiple sentimental and thought provoking moments that have the reader time to pause and reflect on their view of nature and humanity. How it strives to continue on and to adapt and change in a world that seems determined to destroy itself.

There were some aspects of the plot that were a bit too contrived and outlandish for me to keep my headspace in a realistic dystopian but there were also unique aspects like the ability for humans and animals to communicate that I found heartwarming.

The Buddhist touch was introspective but perhaps a little disorienting with the setting and plot.

Overall a book I recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley and Spiegel and Grau for the ARC of The Way. I enjoyed this read, although it is different from the books I usually gravitate towards. I appreciated the aspects of Buddhism and the stimulating and intriguing aspects that are brought up with post apocalyptic times and viruses. Although there are serious topics, this book does have humor and amazing characters that you will enjoy. Especially Will.

Some parts were a little hard to get in to for me personally. I think I would enjoy this more as an audiobook. I would recommend this to readers who enjoy dystopian fantasy.

Review: The Way by Cary Groner

[Thanks to NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review. ]

Looking for post-apocalypse adventure with less bleakness and more inspired world-building? Cary Groner's The Way may be your ticket. Set in the American Southwest some years after a cascade of disasters called the Mayhem, this near-future road novel follows a man on a life-changing mission from New Mexico to California. Accompanied by an aging Maine Coon cat and a resourceful raven (both of whom he can apparently communicate with), Will Collins travels in the shell of an F-150 pulled by two mules. Though well-equipped with supplies and trail savvy, he struggles with his Buddhist vow to lead a harmless life -- even as both critters and human hunters keep trying to kill him.

Will's backstory as the last surviving resident of a Colorado dharma center lends a unique flavor to this novel -- questions of right conduct being rare in post-apocalyptic fiction -- but occasionally slows down the narrative. For this reader, at least, there were times when his spiritual detours were hard to follow. These never descend to the level of preachiness, however, and the pressure of his human pursuers soon gets things moving again.

As science fiction goes, The Way is definitely on the softer side without becoming squishy. The scientific aspects of Disease X (which ultimately created the Mayhem) are well worked out, and the post-human landscape Will and his companions travel through is frighteningly believable. Character remains at the heart of this novel, however. Will is haunted by the memory of a love he believes long dead, writing her letters he "sends" by placing them in his campfires. Excerpts from these provide the reader with more snippets of background, though not all are immediately relevant.

Though it offers plenty of action and a few moments of flinch-inducing violence, The Way may not appeal to those seeking a hardcore post-apocalypse read. Others may find its combination of scientific speculation, spirituality, and literary touches exactly what they were looking for -- even if they didn't know it when they picked up the book. Recommended.

👉🏻For my friends who want a warm & witty dystopian buddy road trip (where the buddies are a raven and a cat).

THE WAY by Cary Groner (Byron Wagner, Narrator)

🎧Thanks, @spotify @spiegelandgrau, for the review copy of the book and audiobook via #NetGalley. (Available now) 9 Hours, 19 Minutes

“The world has been ravaged by a lethal virus and, with few exceptions, only the young have survived. Against this perilous backdrop, Will, the caretaker of a Colorado Buddhist monastery, receives an urgent and mysterious request: deliver a potential cure to a scientist in California with the help of a clever raven, an opinionated cat, and a tough teenage girl.”

If you’re only going to try one dystopian novel, try this one. Take THE STAND (but not as gruesome), combine it with an inter-species buddy road trip of PROJECT HAIL MARY, mix in a dash of TAO OF POOH (for some gentle mindfulness), and mix well. It’s warm and funny, and the ending was unexpected but welcome.

I loved Will unconditionally. He’s a seasoned survivor who doesn’t resort to violence unless necessary. He’s just a little bit mystical but pragmatic, too. He’s a man who adapts, overcomes, and keeps putting one foot in front of the other while contemplating the wonders of the universe. Oh, and he understands what the raven (Peau, pronounced “Poe”) and cat (Cassie) say to him, but with a shrug and a “maybe I’m crazy, or maybe this is just evolution after a global evisceration” type of acceptance.

This is one of the most unusual books I’ve read in quite a while. The world has been devastated by a series of pandemics, wiping out most of civilization. Former science journalist Will Collins was isolated in meditation at a Buddhist dharma center, so he survived and has been living in isolation for about 14 years. One day he receives an email from a scientist friend asking him to transport a potential cure from Colorado to California, and thus his dangerous quest begins.

I liked Will, who tries to live up to his Buddhist ideals, being mindful and causing no harm, but doesn’t always succeed. I loved his animal companions, the raven Peau and the cat Cassie. These companions are somehow able to communicate with each other, and along with a teenage girl they rescue along the way, this found family takes care of each other. The cross-species communication, along with communication via dreams and letters committed to fire, adds a touch of magical realism to this post-apocalyptic road trip story.

Groner’s language is often beautiful, painting vivid images. There are passages with a slow gentle rhythm, filled with Will’s philosophizing. Then Groner shocks the reader with scenes of intense suspense and unexpected descriptions of violence, torture, and death.

The story easily held my attention as it built toward a series of shocking surprises, and I enjoyed the mix of action, suspense, humor, and philosophizing. I also really liked the ending. Despite its dystopian setting, this is a remarkably optimistic story.

Thanks to Spiegel & Grau for providing me with an electronic ARC through NetGalley. I volunteered to provide an honest review.

The Way is a post-apocalyptic novel set in the near future; two waves of infectious illness, one COVID and another of a bird flu variety, decimate the world, leaving behind a significantly-reduced population, mostly under 40, scrabbling at the edge of survival. There are pockets of greater levels of remaining technology scattered across the country, as Will finds out when he agrees to carry the results of medical experiment from Colorado to California, traveling by mule-drawn carriage (okay, the shell of a Ford 150). During his journey, Will finds various small communities, each adapted somewhat differently to the aftermath of the pandemic (sometimes called Mayhem), but all working together within their small groupings to help one another survive; a bare 14 years have passed since Mayhem, and many survivors, and their children, are still finding their own way to respond.

Will is an interesting character, who lived in a Buddhist sangha (community) before Mayhem, a man committed to non-violence in a world gone mad and often violent. He travels with two companions - a raven and a cat - and eats whatever he can find or trade for. He's being followed on his journey by a man named Buck Flynn, who somehow knows that Will carries a potential cure, and wants desperately to take it from him for himself - an issue that significantly increases the risks of an already risky journey cross-country.

There are a lot of things to enjoy in this novel, although there were a few that seemed more appropriate for a society farther from its fall than this one - gangs of feral children less than 15 years after the pandemic swept through seems a bit precipitous, even if the virus did kill far more adults than children; if nothing else, the children described would have to have been born after Mayhem to be the ages they're described to be, which would imply far more adults surviving, at least long enough to procreate, than is supported by the rest of the story. But that was a minor issue in the broad sweep of the plot.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This novel brings a fantastic new voice to dystopian fiction. The characters (including the animals), the landscape, the backstory, and the difficulties encountered on the cross-country trek rang true and thoroughly resonated with me. I found the writing to be beautiful and often philosophical. I actually highlighted several passages that were brilliant and I never do that with fiction! The author sets up a premise that feels all-too possible in a not-so-distant future. The main character Will is a Buddhist and I liked Will's need for meditation and his philosophy on life (both human and animal).
What really made this book stand out for me is the weaving together of a dystopian world, Buddhism, science, and nature. I could not put this book down!

I'm not going to summarize the story. You can read a summary of the storyline elsewhere. I just want to share how much I liked this book and I highly recommend it. Thank you to NetGalley and publisher Spiegel & Grau for the digital arc of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

This is a dystopian adventure novel. I loved the animals that travel with Will on his way to California with a cure for a disease that is killing anyone over 30. How he has survived he isn't sure but he feels he needs to do this.

I love the adventure, the different villages that he encounters and eventually the young woman who becomes his travel companion. The Crow and cat that travel with him that he has learned to communicate with are a fantastic edition to the story. The mix of Buddhist theology and Will's world view really sets to tone of the book and is insightful in how he conducts himself.

I wasn't thrilled with the ending finding it a little too contrived and didn't seem to quite fit the tone of the book, however I think some will like the wholesome neatly wrapped up end.

[...She] said [World War 2] must have been a big deal. I told her the world had never really recovered from it. "No country ever trusted another one again," I said. "Which led to more nukes, and biological weapons, and the whole situation that got us to where we are now." (-3:46:00)

I really enjoyed this book, but the climax and denouement were a little soft for my taste. However, I think this ending will work for many readers! It's quite sweet, which I also like, but here I thought the tone wasn't quite right.

I love a good adventure story and this is one good adventure story. The characters meet all kinds of creatively written animals, which I really enjoy. Touch of magical realism here, with animals and humans communicating, or more accurately, humans interpreting animal utterances and vice versa. I really loved this treatment, even though anthropomorphic animals are usually not my bag.

The says many interesting things about contemporary society and the wild places that would survive our annihilation. In that way, it's one of the better dystopian books I've read.

I recommend this one to fans of dystopian settings, animal lovers, enjoyers of apocolyptic stories, and snappy dialog fans.

I said, "I think you're developing a false sense of security." She laughed. "Is there any other kind?" (-2:56:00)

Reading Notes

Three things I loved:

1. Groner is a master with dialog! There is little of it in the book because there aren't many people left in this story. But the mmc is being tracked down, so he has run-ins with many small secondary antagonists. The first bit of dialog, at the end of the long first chapter, is terse, clever, tense, and even funny!

2. I learned excellent things from this book, like the science behind animal emotions, and that they feel the same span and intensity of feelings that humans do. This author definitely did extensive research about animal, especially avian, behavior.

3. Glowing freshwater crocs. That is all.

4. "My motivations are never pure," I confessed. "There's always a little subterranean whisper– I want this, I want that, me me me." (-06:54:00) I really adore reflective characters, versus those that sprint through their story like their path is painted in glowing paint before them.

5. I love the humor in this book. Good humor is almost necessary in very tense stories like this one. She found the box of bullets and slid them in, one after the other, until the magazine was full. "It only holds five?" "It's for small game, not storming Normandy." (-5:24:00)

6. I like the little twist of magical realism in here, and it's just *barely* magical! It's perfect.

Three things I didn't love:

This section isn't only for criticisms. It's merely for items that I felt something for other than "love" or some interpretation thereof.

1. The narrator of this book, Byron Wagner, is ill-fitted for the content. He's a good reader, but has the sort of voice I would expect for a Western. His voice is sort of proper and old school. But with this book, an apocolyptic dystopian thriller, the reader's tone clashes with the book's tone. *edit Once I got used to Wagner's voice, I actually found it a good listen.

2. Considering the tone of the rest of the book, I thought the ending was a little soft. It honestly just went right by me, and then I was surprised that the book ended there.

Rating: 🐈🐈🐈🐈 /5 nonhuman traveling pals
Recommend? Yes!
Finished: Nov 30 '24
Format: Hardcover; Audiobook, NetGalley
Read this book if you like:
🐦‍⬛ animals that communicate with people
🏚 dystopian settings
🐊 evolved wildlife
🛣 adventure / journey stories
👨‍👧 father daughter dynamics

Thank you to the author Cary Groner and publishers Spiegel & Grau for an advance copy of The Way. Thanks also to NetGalley for an accessible (audiobook) copy. All views are mine.

8/10

I was a little nervous going into reading this as I really didn’t know what to expect. Fortunately, I ended up loving my experience with this book. I felt like I couldn’t put it down and really flew through it. Something about the story and its presentation of humanity and human connection was so beautiful. The world here is bleak but in each interaction and introspection there’s a profound sense of hope.

I found that the book was at its best when allowing time for characters to interact and when delving into Will’s sense of self and identity. I preferred these slower and more esoteric segments to some of the more action focused moments. I feel that the book lost me a little towards the end. The final section of the story felt different in tone to the rest of the story and really lacked the emotional punch I was looking for in rounding out my reading experience.

Despite this I couldn’t give this book any lower than 5 stars. It enthralled me and I couldn’t stop myself from reading more; leaving me immersed in this strange, vast and dangerous post-apocalyptic world.

I very much enjoyed this dystopian book about a man trying to get a cure for a disease to California and everything he encounters along the way. Taking place post multiple pandemics, the author builds a dystopian world that is just a little too realistic. As someone who loves to read dystopian and post apocalyptic novels, I really enjoyed this one, and the fantasy elements added enough to the story to set it apart from all of the other dystopian books.

I enjoyed this book and found it quick and easy to read, mainly because I didn’t want to put it down. There was enough action in it, that I couldn’t wait to see what happened next. Overall, I would say this a good, solid dystopian book, and I’m glad I had the opportunity to read it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Spiegel and Grau for sending me an advanced copy of this book.

𝑻𝑯𝑬 𝑾𝑨𝒀 𝒃𝒚 𝑪𝒂𝒓𝒚 𝑮𝒓𝒐𝒏𝒆𝒓 was my companion today, thanks to @spiegelandgrau & @spotify audiobooks via @netgalley. This comes out on December 3rd.

I had a long list of to-do's and felt like escaping into a dystopian tome. This story felt extremely near in time, giving it an even more dire feeling. And yet, this is an afterward which also embues a sense of hope.

Will Collins is a man in his 50's, a rarity in this new landscape, sparsely populated by mostly the young. He has mourned the loss of his wife and lives in a Buddhist monastery in Colorado when a cryptic message to bring a cure to the virus to California. He sets off and the adventures and people he meets both offer danger and life to Will, not to mention the animals with whom he has learned to communicate.

This story had some very unique aspects that somehow worked! Specifically a raven named Peau and a cat named Cassie and their communication with Will. These aspects are explained in slightly less fantasy notions, though a suspension of belief may be required.

I enjoyed following Will on his travels with his companions. I could have done with less Buddhist theology, however. It got a little bit preachy to me, but I was recaptured by the story each time it reconvened.

I was glad to have both a physical copy and the audio to keep the story going throughout my day. I was able to read when I had slower moments, and audio when I had to change laundry or mow the leaves. (It's how I rake!) I did feel like the narrator was not my favorite. It felt a bit too "sing-song" reading, especially for a dystopian, but after a while I got used to him.

Overall, I think this will be a unique option for the genre, and I appreciate the different world-view.

The Way by Cary Groner is a thought-provoking and unexpectedly satisfying read that I didn’t anticipate liking it as much as I did—or in the way that I did. The Way is set in a world ravaged by a deadly virus that has wiped out 80% of the population, leaving our protagonist, and while this post-apocalyptic/post-pandemic novel might initially seem like a bleak tale of survival, its heart and tone seem to lean towards a more hopeful overall atmosphere.

The story centers on Will Collins who has been taking care of a Buddhist monastery when he is tasked with delivering a potential cure to a facility in California, which means a long journey west is in store for him. Will's journey is a perilous adventuer full of risks and encounters with a fairly eclectic cast of people and animals. His Buddhist background and beliefs added a lot of depth to his observations of both the world around him, as well as his own inner thoughts and struggles, all of which provides some truly thought-provoking perspectives on humanity and survival.

Accompanying Will are Cassie, his cat; Peau, a raven whom Will has learned to successfully communicate with; a couple mules; and a variety of other people and creatures that pop in and out of this journey. I especially enjoyed how Groner explored the lives of various survivors of the virus and delved into the unique ways individuals and communities have adapted to the harsh realities of a post-virus world. I always enjoy getting to meet different people and see how they've all set up their lives and what their own opinions and perspective are on everything that's been going on. These glimpses into survival and rebuilding were some of my favorite aspects of the story as I felt they added so much more depth to the story and narrative.

I previously mentioned that The Way has an overall hopeful tone to it, but that's not to say that it does not also take a cold hard look at the realities of a post-virus world. There are many moments when Will and readers alike are confronted with the unflinching reality of loss, desperation, and many more hardships that would likely occur after such a traumatic event. There's a strong balance of realism and optimism that I thought worked perfectly for this story that prevented it from becoming too dark.

I particularly liked the ending and thought it was well-deserved and more satisfying than I anticipated. I can see it not working well for some people and I can certainly understand why, but it's one of those where I sort of secretly wanted a certain ending and this one really hit the mark for me with how earned and meaningful it felt.

Lastly, I listened to the audiobook version and thought the. narrator did an excellent job capturing the tone of Will throughout. I felt they captured Will’s voice and the tone of the story perfectly, which made it an even more immersive experience.

The Way is a fantastic post-apocalyptic novel that blends insight, adventure, and heart. I would readily recommend it to readers across genres—whether you’re here for the premise, the philosophy, or the character-driven storytelling, there’s a little something for everyone.

Thanks to Spiegel & Grau and NetGalley for this ARC of Cary Groner's 'The Way.'

I really enjoyed this one. As the blurb states, in a post-apocalyptic (pandemic and climate) we follow the 'adventures' of a Buddhist adherent as he strives to deliver a possible cure from Colorado to a former friend and colleague in California.

All of the post-apocalyptic tropes are here - very few survivors, some good people and some bad people (and the bad are very bad), the quest, scavenging, hardship, reversion to the wild west, the discovery of the perfect place to hide out for a long time but not being able to due to the quest, everything very familiar. The difference here is the Buddhist angle - it's quite a philosophical take on the apocalypse - combines with the levels of optimism.

There's also a real dash of magical realism (what about those animals and birds!) and spirituality which adds something completely different.

As mentioned above - aside from the Buddhist/spiritual/magical realism elements - it's a fairly standard post-apocalyptic quest and my main gripe with it is that everything is a little too pat, there are a lot of very convenient occurrences, and things work out just a little too easily when they're needed.

This is the second post-apocalyptic novel I've read recently (the other was 'All the Water in the World' by Eiren Caffall) that comes with a serious dash of optimism. I enjoy that but wonder if it's a sign that we've given up on scaring ourselves into doing something about preventing an apocalypse and are now starting to try to convince ourselves that even though it'll be bad it won't actually be *too* bad!