This was definitely a different read than it used too! I did like it a lot and and surprised by that!

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.

I was unable to finish this audio book because the narration is terrible. The tone, pacing and excitability level of the narrator was totally out of sync with the plot

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Best way I can think of to categorize this wonderful book is Zen Dystopia- Is that even a category??
In our near future, It would seem that Covid was just a coming attraction with the main feature- a bird flu with 80% fatalities a couple decades later. Of course, all the signs were there but no one wanted to do anything, except mad scientists who thought there might be tremendous profit in it. Our constant quest for “more” sent us back technology wise to the 1700s in a matter of 14 years. What remains of the population is huddled in small scattered settlements and gets to-deal with all the fun of rotten teeth, TB, plague, measles, cholera and starvation. If that wasn’t enough it seems that another repercussion is “DiseaseX “ which essentially prevents anyone from getting older than 40.

Our story begins with the hero’s journey told first person. A scientist in Denver has what he believes may be a cure for disease X but the technology to fix it is in N California. The scientists in N California reaches out via email ( a few servers are still running) and asks an old friend who is ensconced in a Buddhist monastery to make the dangersous trek to bring the formulation there. Our hero hitches a pick up truck chassis to a team of mules, and along the way picks up a cat and a raven, who he finds to his surprise can communicate with him. The road is long and dangerous and he meets people both good and bad.

He spends a lot of time discussing meditation and philosophy. I imagine some readers will find this boring, but it filled me with a sense of gratitude of how incredibly good our lives are. Also, how even in the most dire of circumstances people will often choose kindness and joy over fear/anger and hatred. It was a balm to my soul. Finally, one of my core beliefs Karma will send back to you what you put out. The conclusion was satisfying.
For those looking for a thoughtful story that is far deeper than just an action adventure, I highly recommend this story.

I listened to an audio version , and the voice acting by Byron Wagner was excellent.

A POST APOCALYPTIC ROAD TRIP

A not so distant future dystopian story. Will is on a journey with his raven, cat and mules. He is on the run from a gang. What's left of the United States after two pandemics, is the landscape for this journey. There are lions, tigers, freshwater crocodiles and camels roaming free. There is quite a bit of humor despite the horrid setting. While most of the "old" were killed off my disease X, the young people have began to rebuild society along Will's journey from Colorado to his destination of California. There is a fairly large supporting cast of interesting he encounters along the trip. A very enjoyable read with a quite unexpected twist at the end.

Thank you to Netgalley, Spiegel and Grau and Spotify books for the ALC.

4 stars

A beautifully written post-2nd pandemic story. A man who spent 14 years in isolation at a dharma retreat in Colorado is asked to take a potential cure to California. This is his journey. It’s also about the people and animals that accompany him along the way, welcome or not. It’s a meditation on the human experience, and the precarious place in which we find ourselves (now and in the novel some 20 years hence). I really enjoyed listening to the well-narrated audiobook from #SpotifyAudio.
My thanks to the author, publisher, producer, and #NetGalley for early access to the audiobook for review purposes. Publication date for #TheWay is Dec 3, 2024. I recommend reserving your copy today if you like post-apocalyptic adventure or are thinking about how meditation fits in with science.

I generally don't read books written by men and it is a rare male narrator that can keep my attention. I am just a big ole girls girl, and struggle to relate. This is a me issue and I am working on it.

So I will admit that I probably should not have picked this one up. It just had the most compelling description. I just could not relate. I think in my case this is just a book meant for other people.

Thank you to Netgalley, Cary Groner, and Spiegel & Grau for the ARC audiobook.

This book is set in a post apocalyptic America, after 2 deadly pandemics and another on the way. We follow Will, our main character, across the US as he heads west with a very important mission. He's accompanied by his lovely companions, a cat and a raven, whom he can communicate with. Along the way he picks up Sophie, and orphan, and pretty much saves her from a life that would've been awful for a teen girl. (Major bonus points for Will's character) They find themselves in hot water a couple times on their travel across the country.
This is a nice story of found family and surviving post apocalypse/2 pandemics. There were some minor plot lines i just didn't understand too well. But overall those didn't take away from my liking of this book. The ending was what I hoped it would be. There weren't any big twists in this book. Just your straight forward post apocalyptic story.

This story is set in a post apocalyptic America in 2045. Two separate viruses have swept through leaving 80% of the population dead and at risk of contacting yet another disease, ‘Disease X’.

The book follows a character named Will and his animal companions as he is sent on a mission across the West with a cure for ‘Disease X’ to be delivered to a scientist trying to help infected patients. Will meets friends and foes along the way and learns a lot about himself.

During his journey Will meets a young orphaned girl named Sophie and she decides to come with him on his journey in order to escape an unfortunate future for herself.

One of my favorite parts of this book was Will’s understanding of his animal companions, cat and raven. They have a very interesting dynamic and have developed a sort of ‘found family’ and add Sophie to this when they meet her along the way.

Overall, I think this book was very engaging and kept my attention easily. I listened to this audiobook in one sitting, no problem. Although this wasn’t my usual type of read, I really enjoyed it and think it would make an excellent movie. I would definitely recommend this to anyone interested in dystopian and apocalyptic settings. It was an overall great read!

I want to thank NetGalley, Cary Grover, and the Spiegel & Grau for making it possible for me to read the ARC for this book.

2.5 stars. At first I wanted to blame the narrator for how robotic and unemotional the book was, but I now think it was the writing. There is a really good chance this book wasn’t written for me, and I acknowledge that, but I have never come across a more tame (and I’m sorry, but boring) post-apocalyptic world. There were times I was pulled into the story but then there would be long sections talking about unrelated or unimportant details and it would lose me again. The last 15% was better, but still wasn’t enough of a twist for me. Lots of potential, but missed the mark for me

The Way by @carygroner
Dystopian wasteland where the natural world has taken back its territory with a few of mankind's twists mixed in. A journey across the country with mule power proves treacherous not only physically but emotionally. A witty narrator with an affinity for books and knowledge, with gifts that verge on the line of insanity, makes you question him along with the world as it could be. A quest that in itself may seem mundane but brings many trials requiring fast thinking and a sprinkle of luck entertains the mind. This story has many lovable characters including Cassie, the strong willed cat companion who isn't afraid to speak her mind and Peau the free spirited bird with an excellent sense of direction. I loved the interactions between the characters and the plot was very gripping.

Unfortunately, I gave the book until about halfway through, so a decent try but ultimately had to DNF. The premise sounded very interesting, but the story was so drawn out and just very dull. It took a good chunk to figure out what the virus was that wiped everything out and by then I just really was not interested. The narrarator did not help matters either as his voice was droning and did not contribute any livliness to the story.