Very well-written apocalyptic/post-apocalyptic novel with an interesting and original twist. I thought it lagged a bit in the last third (I started to wonder if I would manage to finish the book) but I found the ending quite satisfactory.

Thank you NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the opportunity to read this incredible book! It’s scheduled to be released on July 2nd.
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A growing number of people fall victim to a strange sleepwalking sickness that is sweeping through America. This “flock” of sleepwalkers is guarded by their friends and family who become known as shepherds. Fear of this epidemic causes an uprising of a violent militia as society unravels. The mysterious epidemic must be stopped for the sake of the sleepwalkers and for civilization to continue.
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Oh. My. Word. This is the biggest book I’ve ever tackled and it for darn sure is one of the top five sci-fi novels I’ve ever read. I was absolutely fascinated by the story and I constantly wanted to pick my Kindle up to see what would come next. This book NEEDS to be a tv series because a movie could never do it justice!! The characters were all so interesting and there was a perfect amount of background given for each one. With a book this long, I was worried I’d lose track of who was who and their place in the story, but I was just so into it that it was never an issue. Everything just felt so real! And the sci-fi element of it was just, oh my gosh, so crazy! I have to stop here or I’ll never stop! Buy this book when it comes out! Heck, pre-order it so you don’t forget!!

This book reminded me a lot of Stephen King's "The Stand", especially about halfway through when some of the mystery of what's happening with the sleepwalkers is revealed. And that's not a bad comparison considering how much I loved "The Stand". But this isn't that book -- this story is bold on its own terms. I've always enjoyed Wendig's work and this is no exception. Wonderfully written and paced with interesting characters. I enjoyed every page of this book.

Thanks to the NetGalley, the publisher, and to Chuck Wendig for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review. I loved this book and think you will too!

What would you do if you woke up one morning to your loved one missing from the house, only to find them completely zoned out in an almost trance like state walking down the road and completely unresponsive to all attempts to get a reaction from them? Sounds scary but intriguing right? That is what immediately hooked me on Wanderers by Chuck Wendig, and as I kept reading I fell further and further down the rabbit hole. I received an Advanced Reader Copy ebook edition of Wanderers from NetGalley and I never realized how big this book was (800 pages!!!). I can tell you that the length of the book was not noticeable while reading the story because the journey of the “sleepwalkers” just swept you up. My mind was constantly thinking what it could be that was affecting the “sleepwalkers”. Was it some sort of sleeping sickness similar but different enough to what I read about in The Dreamers by Karen Thompson Walker ? Or is it little bots that take over the person’s brain, or perhaps an Alien invasion?? All I knew was I HAD to keep reading to find out.

I really enjoyed how the different story lines of each important character were intertwined and eventually connected. Definitely one of the better scifi books I’ve read in a while. Artificial intelligence machines built by secret scientific agencies, the CDC top teams who study crazy viruses all over the world, and the thought of alien invasion will always peak my curiosity and get my heart racing. If you’re looking for a good Scifi book that will keep you thinking then I definitely recommend Wanderers by Chuck Wendig!!

NetGalley ARCs haven’t disappointed me yet, and I am so grateful to get a chance to read books before they are released to the public! On to the next, it’s a busy reading month. Happy Reading friends!!

I’m really not a fan of current fiction that’s a little too on the nose politically. I don’t want to read about online trolls using terms like “crisis actors” and “fake news”. That’s a little too real for me right now. Also, I just couldn’t get into it, I guess stories told from multiple points of view, and “sweeping sagas” just aren’t my thing right now. Seems like it would make an excellent mini series though. Definitely purchasing for my library though, it will definitely have its fans.

Fair warning, I’m going to start with an anecdote. (Sorry, but stick with me.)

The other day I was in a restaurant with my daughter and my parents. The conversation started out, as it often does, with the question: What are you reading?

So, I began to tell them about Wanderers. I didn’t do the spoiler thing, but I did take them through the first couple of chapters. By time I was done, they were announcing theories (my mom kept insisting it was aliens). I smiled and told them they would have to read the book.

A little later, people from a couple adjacent tables came up to me, excused themselves for eavesdropping, and asked me the name of the book.

And that’s how compelling this is.

From the moment you start reading this, it becomes one of those epic, can’t-put-it-down reads. Comparisons to The Stand are apt, but this is wholly original.

Readers sensitive to political issues will want to note that the book DOES get political. If you know the author, you know what side of the political fence he’s on anyway and he’s refreshingly unapologetic about it.

But, politics aside, it’s the story that matters and this is a huge, world-shattering, wonderfully told story with all the drama, heartbreak, and yes, hope!

I loved this book. I want everyone to read it. And I hope those people at El Torito really like it.

*ARC received via Net Galley

“You designed Black Swan.” Of course. It’s why she took any criticism of it so personally. It was her creation. Not just a program, or a design, but something that existed interstitially between artwork and entity.”
. . .

“It helped up predict a multi-state measles outbreak that could’ve decimated the West Coast: It saw what we did not, which was that local vaccination rates had dipped – all thanks to parents falling prey to misinformation about vaccines.”
. . .

“It’s not some app on your iPhone, Benji. Machine intelligence is, like people, imperfect. It has to be trained. . . Black Swan is a tool, and we must wield it. . . Black Swan wants you, Benji. And that’s why I’m here.”

I am running a giveaway for a signed ARC copy of this book! Please check me out on Twitter for instructions on how to enter.

As someone who rarely reads novels which are set on modern day Earth, this was a change of pace for me. Oddly, it can take me out of a book a bit when I see references to Twitter, Instagram, or other social media sites, despite them being a part of my daily life. Once I got past this and adjusted my mental framework, I very much enjoyed Wanderers. It has some excellent commentary on the current political landscape that is highly relevant to modern life while also having just enough science fiction in it to keep me hooked.

Wanderers is a slow burn that builds up to a solid, satisfying conclusion. Loose ends are tied, character arcs have appropriate ends. A few moments are a bit heartbreaking – but that, I would argue, is to be expected in a book dealing with a mass outbreak of mysterious plague. The destruction is twofold: first, an unknown illness causes individuals to begin walking, almost like sleepwalkers or zombies. If someone attempts to stop them from reaching their goal, they become human bombs – exploding in a mass of sharp bone and blood, killing those around them. Second, there’s a mysterious fungal infection spreading. Whether this is related to the walkers is unknown, but Benji, a member of the CDC, has his suspicions.

Surrounding those who are afflicted by the walking disease is a caravan of their loved ones. Known as Shepherds, all they can do is watch the flock of walkers and do their best to protect them as they may. Watching Shana care for her sister, Nessie, as she mindlessly walks endlessly towards an unknown destination is painful. She brushes her hair, keeps her clean, and makes sure that Nessie has someone on the outside who loves and cares for her.

While the overall plot was revealed slowly, this allowed Wendig plenty of opportunity to dive deep into current social issues such as white supremacy, cult tactics, vaccinations, et cetera. Although the political leaders in the novel were fictional, they had clear parallels with our current elected officials (especially a certain someone who enjoys Tweeting quite a bit).

“Politicians were always keen to try to “bring back coal,” but you might as well try to bring back the buggy whip. Talk about coal was never about coal, though: It was always code for making promises to blue-collar America about their blue-collar ways of life.”

Megachurch religion and how it can corrupt was another theme – as was how one can be redeemed after falling into that trap. One of the storylines follows a small town preacher who becomes drawn in to a large megachurch-style personality. He thrives on the attention and publicity he receives, but gradually becomes more and more distant with his family and the original tenets of his faith. As the racism and bigotry of the church is revealed to him, he finds it more and more difficult to extricate himself. It’s a humanizing tale, and shows how decent people can be corrupted and turned towards toxic platforms.

“Racism was a little like that. Sometimes the initial symptoms were small: microaggressions here, simmering resentment there. If you dealt with it head-on, maybe you could keep it contained. If you didn’t deal with it, though, it came back with a vengeance: just like that little bacterium. Came back worse. Entrenched. So entrenched, in fact, the longer you let it go, the harder it was to control, and soon everything started to break down.”

I definitely enjoyed this book and would highly recommend it to anyone interested in “build up to the apocalypse” style novels.

Recommended for fans of:

The Stand by Stephen King
The Chronoliths by Robert Charles Wilson
The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood

Well, that was a journey! My legs are tired from wandering! Thanks to Netgalley and Del-Rey for the advanced copy! This book is massive in scope. It has been compared to The Stand, and in fact The Stand is name-checked in this book. Sleepwalkers are traveling as a flock to a destination for some strange reason. Family members of the sleepwalkers are walking with them to protect them, and thus becoming 'shepherds.' The world is confused and captivated by this. An epidemic is destroying and breaking humanity into factions.

There are so many topics in this book, and contemporary at that. The political nature in this book is very familiar. Global warming, AI, vaccines, neo-nazis, world religion on all sides of the spectrum, gun laws, race and bias are just a few of the cast of characters in this 800-page whopper.

The characters are well-developed and unique. The locations are great. There were a few instances of the author giving us too much information that probably wouldn't come out in normal dialogue. I will let that slide, as some medical/scientific understanding does make the story better.

There is a tie-in that I loved. I love playing Fallout 4 on PS4. One of the songs in this post-apocalyptic game is "It's All Over But the Crying" by the Ink Spots. In this book, discussing the crumbling world, one of the characters mentions "It's All Over But The Crying" and says it's in their head because it was ironically placed in the Fallout 4 game.

I should wrap this up. I like it, I love it, I want some more of it! I wish this book a lot of success upon release date. (less) [edit]

Wanderers
by Chuck Wendig (Goodreads Author)
M 50x66
Lou Jacobs's review Jun 05, 2019 · edit
it was amazing
Read 2 times. Last read May 19, 2019 to June 5, 2019.

An amazing tour de force opus of 800 pages. After reading this gem I would title the book: The Chosen Ones ... which will be self evident after finishing this tale of survival of mankind.
Our main protagonist, Shana, is on the verge of her 18th birthday when she awakens one morning to find her younger sister, Nessie, missing. She soon finds Nessie inexorably ambling down the road in a somnambulistic state ... seemingly unarousable on an unseen destination. Nessie actually is the first in a growing flock of "sleepwalkers" trekking across the US. Shana and other friends and loved ones join the enlarging flock as "shepherds" in hope of providing some type of protection.
The origin and purpose of the flock is a mystery and invokes a variable response , not only in the US but across the world. Is this a disease or a sophisticated terrorist plot .... society is torn asunder in suspicion and fear.... and violence soon bubbles over. This bizarre situation elicits a widespread response of investigation and containment from a multitude of government agencies..... CDC, Homeland Security , State and Local police, the FBI and even private think tank companies.
At the same time, a private company utilizing an advanced machine artificial intelligence entity, known as "Black Swan" has uncovered a growing, almost unseen epidemic involving a potent fungal pathogen, Rhizopus destructans. Are these two events linked?
In response to the unknown, the world is going ballistic .... are we in store for a comet-borne zombie apocalypse .... as some radio-preachers suggest, is the flock the "Devil's Pilgrims" ... or is there some scientific, rather than supernatural explanation for these events.
Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for providing an Uncorrected Proof of this epic in exchange for an honest review.

This took me a while to finish, probably because the pace varied throughout the book. There were many stories connected to the main plot, many points of view, and I was happy to see a book that brought nostalgia- I kept thinking about my experience reading The Stand. Besides having similar dystopian notes, both books have a healthy dose of relatable and hatable characters. Wanderers takes a more modern/technological look at the “end of human civilization” theme, but the human nature component is fairly similar.
I would definitely recommend this to readers who enjoy books about the end of the world and survival, particularly those who can tackle lengthier titles and enjoy character-driven stories.

I've been hearing about this book for a while and was able to obtain an ARC through NetGalley.

The book starts with Shana Stewart finding her sister Nessie wandering down the road. Other people seem to be doing the same thing. Sleepwalking. Ironically enough, these sleepwalkers become known as the Sheep.
Family members/friends of the sleepwalkers are following them and they become known as Shephards. (Get it!\?)

The book vaguely reminds me of Stephen Kind's The Stand (great book!) but is more modern day with events that are revelant to today.

It is a LOOOONNNG book. There were moments where I didn't think I would finish it because it was so long. I was hoping with investing that much time in reading the book, the ending would be fantastic. Considering how long of a journey the author took you on, I was expecting it to blow my mind. Um, yeah no. Its a let down to be honest at the end which almost made me angry.
Thank you NetGalley

I really wanted to like this book. However, about half way through the book, I lost interest and just couldn't continue reading. If reading a book starts to feel like a chore, then that is when I usually stop. I really enjoyed Wendig 's other books (especially Star Wars) - not really sure why I lost interest in this one.

Incredible storytelling, superb character development, engaging dialogue- this story has it all.

This is my first Wendig novel (so embarrassing to admit) and I thoroughly enjoyed the entire ride. Many interesting topics covered including environment, faith, and humanity's resilience. I don't want to give too much away in this review but suffice it to say that it opened up a terrifyingly possible end-of-world scenario and I sincerely hope this is only the first book in a series.

This book was kind of a cross between The Three by Sarah Lotz and one of the hundreds of "pandemic fiction" books out there.. I did not quite like how the author made political ideology and religion the dividing line between which characters were good and which were bad. Also, the premise did not seem as believable to me as other apocalyptic novels, but once I started reading I had to keep going to see what happened! The characters were very well developed and I felt invested in their fates.

Quite good, although quite long. Mr Wendig has a lot of talent. He writes well crafted characters and an interesting plot that kept me engaged. There are a lot of reviews, so I probably can't much more of value that others. If you like dystopian sci-fi, this is probably for you.

I really appreciate the ARC for review!!

A modern day The Stand by Stephen King, one of my all time favorite books, the characters still live in my head.

And that's my problem with this book. While it is good, it's not as compelling, intriguing, and intense as The Stand.

Perhaps if the author had not make reference to The Stand a few times, I could have let go of the comparison.

But worth the read if you are up to the length.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

My two favorite genres are sci-fi and apocalypse, so when I find a book that blends the two, I’m in reading heaven!! My all time favorite books in this type of genre are The Stand, Swan Song, The Book of M, The Passage, and now... Wanderers! All are epic and most are behemoth books!

I couldn’t get enough of Wanderers! A teen girl sleepwalks out of her house one night, but can’t be woken up. Ever. Eventually other sleepwalkers join in. Their loved ones stay with them to watch over them and eventually become known as Shepherds of the Flock. This made for an eerie and disturbing picture in my head. The premise was amazing. As the miles pass by, more and more sleepwalkers join the flock, which means more and more Shepherds.

Wendig then veers off to others stories such as the preacher who gets caught up with the white supremacy, at first with some hesitation. His story was very hard to read.

A former CDC doctor starts off by investigating the cause but becomes the sleepwalkers’ protector.

The strangest storyline was the aging rock and roll star who joins as a Shepherd for attention. His role was one of my favorites!

Shana’s sister Nessie was the very first sleepwalker so Shana was the very first Shepherd. I loved Shana’s character the most.

Although the book is 800 pages, I never felt that it was a long book. It went by much too fast and I read it in 3 major sittings. I stayed up way too late because I couldn’t put it down!!

Chuck Wendig, this was my first time reading one of your books, even though I own several. I need to grab your backlist off of my shelf (they’re even signed!) and get to it!!

*Thank you so much to NetGalley and Del Rey Books for the advance copy!!*

I nearly quit reading around the 56% mark, due to a graphic and unnecessary to the plot rape. I kept going to see if it was critical to the story. Turns out, it was not.

This is another AI fixes the earth by killing off most of the population story. Scientists create an AI. AI learns All the Things. AI realizes that the only way to save the planet is to kill the source of destruction...which is always people. AI knows you can't Kill 'Em All so, it picks some folks with above average intelligence to be spared and then repopulate the earth. Scientists figure it out too late. Things Don't Go According to Plan. AI is surprised. Fade to black.

The lead protagonist is an awful, snarky, potty mouthed teenage girl about to turn 18. Mom left suddenly. Dad is useless. Little sister is Dad's favorite. Resentment, complaining, blahblahblah.

My fav character is a disgraced CDC MD, who got busted doing The Right Thing The Wrong Way and betrayed a bunch of friends and colleagues. He has the moral compass of this story...IRONIC ISN'T IT???

The Greek chorus is a disabled cop with a plate in her head, who can see and hear Things The Others Can't.

The redemption arc is courtesy of a preacher who ignores his family, gets famous, makes a deal with the debils, and has A Fall...leading to attempts at atonement...etc.

It's an interesting tale with predictable twists, and prepped for sequel(s).

Recommended for those who don't expect clever sci-fi; fans of AI tales, plague drama, and apocalyptic stories.

Wanderers has been a book that I have been savoring; one of those you don’t want to end, because there may not be another one that good out there right now...and just when you think you have the plot figured out, you find out you didn’t. The creep factor is fairly high; I won’t spoil it for you. When you pick this novel up, prepare for a sleepless night as you read through. This novel is a joy.

An entertaining near-future thriller from Wendig. A surefire hit for anyone who enjoyed The Stand, Swan's Song, or similar novels with an apocalpytic bent. Despite weighing in at around 800 pages The Wanderers never overstays its welcome and nails it's big finish. That being said....I still wish there were more!