Thank you NetGalley, Spiegel & Grau by Spotify Audiobooks, narrator Byron Wagner, and author Cary Groner for the audio eARC of The Way.

An oddly light hearted ride through a post-apocalyptic wasteland full of existential crises and a different take on the classic Hero's Journey, The Way was lovely and I recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC copy I listened to.

I found this an enjoyable book. Byron Wagner's narration of Cary Groner prose was engaging. Set against a not too distant future dystopian version of America decimated by an unchecked virus, Will Collins journeys from Colorado to California, with what may be a potential cure fort the virus. Unlike many dystopian stories, I felt that Mr. Groner presented one that is relatively realistic, not too convoluted, and plausible. I would recommend this book!

***Spoilerish***
The first of two plot twists near the end of the book, has what I term a "Disneyesque" resolution, whereas the final twist could have been handled in a way that would be outrageously coincidental and contrived, but I felt was handled in a more realistic and plausible manner.

I received this audiobook galley from Spiegel & Grau, so cheers to them. First things first, and nearly a deal-breaker for me: the narrator was such a poor fit for this story that it was a struggle to get into. The voice was too flippant for the post-apocalyptic setting, too dopey to be a believable former science writer and quote-deep thinker-unquote, and perpetually surprised, as though the narrator were mystified by the existence of words themselves. I kept thinking how much more I'd enjoy the story if I'd been reading it instead.

The novel itself has a very 20th-century "old school" vibe about it, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but our narrator is 52 in 2048, meaning he'd have been born in 1996, yet his vibe and cultural references scream "boomer." I'm an elder millennial and I barely know of Dr. Doolittle—and not because I remember him, but because people older than me have mentioned him.

Overall, a pleasant enough story with irreverent cross-species communication that was fun. But this was not so much post-apocalyptic romp as post-apocalyptic stroll. Ultimately it was too "just so story" for me; magical thinking, solutions spontaneously materializing at opportune moments, far-fetched medical miracles, a baby lost and possibly found. These things, and its oft-patronizing homiletic passages, made me wonder if this novel weren't better suited to a YA audience. (But then I suppose our narrator would have to be more hip.) I'm sure some old hippies will dig this book. And fans of Siddartha and Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance and I See By My Outfit. But Siddartha is my least favorite Hesse and the other two did nothing for me.

I blazed through this one and had a great time. The part of me the enjoys playing fallout devoured this. There were some awkward word choices that I didn’t love, but overall very solid fast paced post apocalypse fiction!

Small note on the audio: there were a couple scenes where Will’s voice for himself was bizarre and out of place. Other than that, great audiobook!

This review is based on an ARC audiobook, provided by NetGalley.

I didn't expect to love this book. I simply can't really get into post-apocalyptic books easily. However, The Way was different from the beginning.

For one, the protagonist, Will, can talk to his cat and raven. They're a family unit. I love their dynamics, I love that they understand each other and that it's out of pure love. Love them and you will understand them too.

I also love the hope of it. In a world that's kill or be killed, Will finds, more than once, communities. It's as if nature and people choose to help him on his way. I love how he chooses non-violence repeatedly and how freely he gives despite not knowing what the future might bring him.

This is a story about kindness and family and belonging to the world as a whole, about hope. It's beautiful in ways I never expected to hear and I consider myself very lucky that I've found it.

👉🏻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.

The audiobook narrator (@bdwagner1) is exceptional, as he perfectly captures the characters while adding some special bits to the performance (Peau’s “Grawk!”). My favorite example is after Will breaks his nose. For several scenes, you can hear it in Wagner’s voice: “My consonants weren’t really working, and I sounded like I had a bad cold.”

🧽🧽🧽🧽🧽 This was easily a five-sponge audiobook (so captivating you’re willing to clean to keep listening) and will be one of my favorites from 2024.

Will Collins is a man on a mission. He must journey from Colorado to California with what could be a cure for the epidemic that has wiped out 80% of the population. The world as we know it is gone. The deadly virus is fatal to most adults but has little effect on young people. Cities have fallen in disrepair. Animals now possess the land; Camels roam the American west like buffalo once did. The animals were not left unaffected, there are now neon green crocodiles glowing in the rivers.

Will was the existing caretaker of a Buddhist monastery in Colorado. When he received an urgent request to deliver a potential cure to a scientist in what was once California. The journey is not an easy one with two mules pulling his old rusty pickup truck, followed by a terrorizing brute, and armed militias controlling the roads. His only help come s from an opinionated cat, Cassie, a clever raven, Peau and a teenage girl who has learned to survive on her own.

Author Cary Groner offers readers a unique tale of a journey fraught with danger. Most of the story takes place in the American West. Will, his cat and the raven have an unusual relationship; they can understand each other. Will spends much of his mission reflecting on his flawed motivations and behavior as well as the behavior of others; his reflections come from his Buddhist background. Will comes across as gentle and honest. However, this book is not all peaceful as the reader will witness the chances of survival in this dystopian world. While it was fascinating watching the natural world regain balance the pain of human suffering was sad. While the plot is intriguing the ending was anticlimactic.

What makes this book stand out is the reflection on contemporary society and the continued existence of nature/animals despite eradication of the world.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC

3.5 stars

The Way is a post-apocalyptic character-driven dystopian set in 2048 America following a lethal virus that decimated the population. The story centres around Will Collins, an isolated survivor who receives an urgent mission to deliver a potential cure cross-country. Will's journey looks different after he picks up a human companion after spending years surrounded by (and speaking to) animals, and finds himself being hunted.

This book is a unique addition to the dystopian genre, I particularly like the focus on one character's literal and metaphorical journey as a small part of the world. I also love character-driven narrative but unfortunately I found the main character ultimately uninteresting, which directly impacted my enjoyment of the story. I found myself zoning out a few times despite my best efforts because I felt like I wasn't learning anything about the character of the plot for large stretches. I did really like most of the side characters though! I felt like I knew more about them at times than the main character. Plus the whole communication with animals trope was really fun! This was a great insight into Will's psyche and a clever plot device.

The setting and atmosphere was satisfying and using a real place obviously makes it easier for readers to immerse themselves but I do think descriptions were lacking at times and the relied on that.

The audiobook narrator took me a few chapters to get used to, I found his voice not very clear.

Overall the journey The Way takes you on is enjoyable and this is a great introspective read, it just didn't keep me engaged.

Audio version - fantastic

I found this quite interesting and enjoyable. I loved the talking animal concept though I didn’t think I would at first. The relationships built, struggles dealt with and the hardships endured fleshed out an original dystopian tale. I believe the Buddhist references and meant for us to see the characters growth and evolution along this journey but they were the slowest parts for me (🤷‍♀️). There are two large twists at the end that are perhaps inserted to end this story on a feel good, positive note but seem a bit silly/extremely unlikely considering everything that has transpired beforehand.

As a side note, I would encourage audio fans to listen to this one! It was an excellent listen.

So, it's hard for me to see a new post-apocalyptic dystopian novel and not pick it up.

And while this one wasn't the best I've ever read, it also wasn't terrible. It was highly introspective and a bit dry -- but not in a bad way.

It's one man's journey across America to potentially save what's left of humanity.

Other than that, I honestly don't really know how to describe it. It gives what I feel is a realistic look at society and relationships forming in that particular setting. But I didn't feel it added much to the dystopian genre as a whole.

It was a decent read, but I didn't care enough about it to read a sequel if there is one.

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.

The audiobook production was excellent, and Byron Wagner’s narration contributed to my enjoyment of the story. He was fun to listen to, with good pacing, clear pronunciation, distinctive voices to suit each character, and the ability to convey mood, emotion, and humor effectively. I particularly enjoyed how he voiced Will speaking with a broken nose. The story works very well as an audiobook.

Thanks to Spiegel & Grau for providing me with an electronic ARC through NetGalley, and thanks to Spotify Audiobooks for providing me with a free advanced review copy of the audiobook through NetGalley. I volunteered to provide an honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley and Spiegel & Grau by Spotify Audiobooks for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

5 stars

Dystopian/end of the world books are my favorite and this is a top contributor. It's 25 years in the future and the world is very different 15 years after a bird flu wiped out 98% of the world's population. Will Collins leaves his solitary life at a Buddhist retreat center in Colorado to deliver a potential cure to southern California. He's traveling with two mules pulling his truck, and a raven and large housecat who he can communicate with.

I loved Will and his outlook on life. He's always trying to avoid violence and looking for the bright side. His good karma defiantly helps him throughout his adventures. Check out the audiobook, you wont regret it.

I absolutely loved listening to Byron Wagner. He made the book even better.

3.5

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an audio copy of this book. It didn’t capture my attention the entire time, but it was still really enjoyable. A lot of the parts of it made me laugh or think about things that i wouldn’t have had i not heard it in the book! I really enjoyed the found family parts of this and all the animal friends! I can see a lot of people really enjoy this.

[...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.

I was craving an immersive dystopian read, and this one caught me a bit by surprise. Though filled with the usual dark and despairing faire, it was surprisingly zen and almost cheery.

I found myself lulled into relaxation listening about Wills journey, and the various characters he meets along the way. Whilst the situations he encounters are often life threatening, there’s a consistent thread of existential reflection and zen which seem to make these situations more intriguing than confront. Really interesting are the more fantastical events, Will’s conversations with his cat and crow, glowing crocodiles and more.

The narration was well done, creating an immersive experience and elevating Will’s emotional experience. Great commitment was shown by the narrator in emulating Will’s injuries after a fight, via a notable change in tone.

A great read for anyone looking for a dystopian, reflective and engaging escape.

Thank you Spotify Audiobooks for an advance copy of this book. Opinions expressed are my own.

Although I enjoyed this auidiobook, I found myself often knowing the phases the characters would used before they used them. A little too predictable for my tastes.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I’m sad to say that I didn’t enjoy this book as much as I had hoped to. The cover caught my eye immediately and being a lover of a good post apocalyptic book, I picked it up right away.

Unfortunately, it was unbearably slow and much of the book was spent describing things that really didn’t further the plot and just slowed the pace too much for me. I found myself drifting off quite frequently to the point where at times I would be unsure what was happening, but then coming back in to them still talking about the same conversation that holds next to not relevance to the story. My the midway point, I couldn’t decipher still where the plot was going which is a shame.

Thank you so much to the publisher and to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

If I had to travel across an apocalyptic landscape (wow did it get hot! 140! not fun) with tigers and camels and even glow in the dark crocs up in the mountains (darn gene splicers!), I would want to have Will and his friends Peau and Cassie be my companions. They can handle about anything and have some amazing luck when in sticky situations on the run from a very nasty guy. And maybe I could figure out how to understand Cassie and Peau too. yes, it is not really explained how Will can, but I mean he was kind of by himself and also studying Buddhist teachings for years while the world crumbled into chaos so it is not too far a stretch to believe he can do that (also all the gene messing that happened to create disaster and disease could have changed animals in a good way).

It was a fun journey to listen too, because while there are awful people trying to ruin everything, Will also meets nice people who help him on his way, or he helps them. I like how it all combined at the end for a sweet story with good feelings, despite it being the end of the known world kinda.

And the narrator did a phenomenal job with being the character of Will, even to the point of being stuffy sounding when Will ends up with a broken nose. It really made the story alive.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to listen to this audiobook and live in this apocalyptic world and see the hope and survival of people even then.

I listened to the Audio version of this book narrated by Byron Wagner. The narrator did a good job of using tone and inflection to express the various emotions of the main character, Will, and how he perceived those around him. In one section Will had been punched in the nose. The narrator used a nasally voice for his speech at this time, so you were reminded that the nose was damaged.
The book itself had good descriptions of the landscape. It also contained some thought-provoking ideas of what the future may hold. About three quarters of the way though there was a spot that seemed to drag on a bit too long but it was fairly short and continuing was worth it.

When I initially read the premise of this book, it looked like something I would normally enjoy. However, it ended up being a more wholesome version of your "normal" post-apocalyptic novel. I enjoyed getting to know Will and his travel companions, and I genuinely enjoyed the journey as a whole. The twist at the end was a pleasant one and it's overall something I would recommend people read, even if just for the experience.