The concept for this sounded amazing, especially with a lesbian ghost being the main character but the book felt flat which is a shame because I had an interest in all of the main trio within the book.

I do recommend this to people who like the paranormal genre because it does bring in some very cool premises.

this was nothing like i was expecting. it follows chelsea, who died in a tragic accident two years ago, and her ghost friend and her human friend who can see ghosts, who travel across america to attend her brother's wedding. it was touching and heartbreaking and funny in so many places. i loved the way everyone interacted, the random ghosts they came across on their journey, and the ending was completely satisfying and unpredictable. such good representation as well!!!

you really can't go wrong with a road trip book can you

I received a complimentary copy of The Traveling Triple-C Incorporeal Circus through NetGalley so I could share my review with you!

Nothing- not even death- is going to stop Chelsea from attending her brother’s wedding. Chelsea died two years ago, but she has never let something so trivial stand in her way. Instead, she will have to join forces with one fellow ghost and one homeless mime to make her way from New York to San Francisco. The only problem is that, with her being a ghost, Chelsea can’t exactly use traditional transportation to get to the wedding. Instead, she will have to walk across the country, doing whatever it takes to be there for her brother on his big day!

You can get your copy of The Traveling Triple-C Incorporeal Circus now from Atthis Arts!

It took me quite a while to get around to reading this book, and I regret that I didn’t get to it sooner! The Traveling Triple-C Incorporeal Circus was such a fun-to-read novel! I loved its easy humor and realistic dialogue between the characters. Additionally, I thought that the characters were amazingly unique, bringing life and light to the page! I’m always a sucker for a non-traditional ghost story, and The Traveling Triple-C Incorporeal Circus is one of the best around!

My Recommendation-
If you love funky ghost stories with road trip flair, you’ve got to check out The Traveling Triple-C Incorporeal Circus! This book was much lighter than I was expecting it to be- what with the discussion of death- and would make a great fall read!

(better formatted on GoodReads)

Fifty or so pages into this book, I had a strange thought.

It's like a Wattpad book.

But I could see the publisher's name & with publishing houses you get all the rigmarole of editing, so it obviously wasn't selfpub. I pushed myself to ask why I felt that way. People love to say women are 'bad writers' on some mystical objective level, & in a book with a diverse cast of characters? It seemed like I might just be projecting something.

I read some reviews, later on. I was 170 pages in & had just gotten to a scene that made me viscerally angry--so angry something clicked in my head. I looked for reviews that felt the way I did. But most people either really liked the book, for the same reasons I had wanted to like it, or else they said they "didn't know why" they didn't like it. Just like I didn't know.

Well, I am happy to tell you: I figured it out.

I wasn't right about Wattpad, but this was a NaNo project, & the two can be difficult for similar reasons (more in the 'plot' section.) It's also indie-published, something which admittedly made me hiss a little yes! of vindication. I had known, without knowing how I had known.

Here I will tell you how and what I knew.

THE CHARACTERS

There were some warning signs in the first few pages, but not many plot-wise. We open on Chelsea running to catch the train, talking to her girlfriend, Heather, about Christina's brother's upcoming wedding.

The dialogue was often juvenile while clearly adult--for example, this excerpt on the very first page:

Chelsea Shu turned over the card in her other hand. It was heavy stock paper, with elaborate raised type and a metallic sheen on the border that her sister Phoebe was so enamored with. “I didn’t think Osric was ever going to let her get away with that. But they really do look perfect.” It was the most formal and refined thing she had ever seen her brother produce. She had to assume that it was entirely his fiancée Tamika’s doing. “Is it sad that I want to put it on my fridge like it’s a drawing from third grade?”

Phoebe snorted. “Do it. And take a picture and send it to him. We need to give him so much shit over how long this took.”

“Are you planning on making the entire wedding process a nightmare for them?”

“Only until I get bored or Tamika asks me to stop. We’re doing our pestering long distance, so we have to make up for it in quantity.”

Some awkward phrasing ("...that her sister Phoebe was so enamored with" makes things clunky), banter that doesn't sound like something real people would say ("We need to give him so much shit..."/"We're doing our pestering long distance...") & obvious exposition. Wedding! Took forever! Long distance!

& the cursing. Let me be the first to say that I LOVE cursing in teen stories--teens swear & I appreciate when people acknowledge it. I am a strong advocate. So why would it be a problem that this felt like a teen book with cursing? Because it's not a teen book--it's for/about adults.

& I thought to myself for the first time that this seemed kind of indiepub because of the above.

But I was so into the premise. After all, the cast is so diverse--Chelsea is a Chinese lesbian, Carmen is a Mexican mother (MOTHERS WHO ARE HUMAN BEINGS? OLDER WOMEN WHO ARE HUMAN BEINGS?), Cyndricka is a mute neurodivergent black woman. Of course I loved the premise. It felt like we were going to get to see some real people as ghosts, & I'm the #1 fan of diverse speculative fiction. This was so intensely my thing.

I cannot stress enough how much I wanted the description of this book. A diverse cast, going on a road trip (character-driven plot!), AS TWO GHOSTS & A MIME. Every word got me more excited.

I say that because it's easy to discount bad reviews from people who aren't into specfic, or diverse casts, or ghosts. But we're seeing low reviews consistently from people who like this stuff. I wanted so bad to like this book. I hated to dock every star. This should have been my favorite thing in the world--so why wasn't it?

I answer that question not just for frustrated readers but for the author, who I would like to help reach her base in the future. Yes I know how condescending this sounds but just trust me I am genuine & I guess my credentials are I'm a Literature major who also writes & I have made the same mistake.

So my first critique is that the characters were flat. Like I could turn them around & find they were only a cardboard stand-up. When you say Chelsea Shu is a Chinese lesbian ghost, you usually expect more from her--hobbies, interests, strong opinions, a personality, a distinct way of speaking, MOTIVATION/GOAL/CONFLICT--but there wasn't much more. This is why some specifically noted the diversity as something they didn't like, because the character descriptions are the characters.

I'm not here to suggest that Carmen should not have, for example, spoken at length about her family & her role as a mother. On the contrary, I enjoy these less-often-seen touches. The trouble was that there wasn't much more inside the characters than their enticing diverse outlines--like jawbreakers with hollow insides.

Now, that said, I did love the idea of the characters & I could tell the author loved them, which is common for NaNo projects. A person starts out with a group of characters they adore & desperately want to give a happy ending, & therein springs a story.

Or at least a world.

WORLDBUILDING

This & the characters, which I suppose means the premise, form the second star here. I completely understand McFall's ambitions--a new ghost canon! We have regular ghosts, poltergeists, WAILERS. I adored the concept of wailers--ghosts who have lost themselves so deeply to grief that they can only sob & melt away endlessly.

So I want to note that the worldbuilding is a great idea. Again, though, the execution is lacking.

Chelsea had only met one poltergeist in her afterlife, and it was more than enough. The image of that long, distorted figure lurking over the dark water under the Brooklyn Bridge was going to stay with her for the rest of however many days she had left. She could firmly say that she was glad Jamie and Carmen were both the people they were, people who were able to keep hold of themselves under any circumstances.

This is Chapter 14, 127/359 pages in my copy. We still don't know what a poltergeist is. & at this point, I knew something else--that we were building there. The withholding of information was obvious; the climax would involve the 'reveal' of poltergeists. But I didn't find myself interested--I already knew [that Carmen was likely a poltergeist, given the lack of info on them plus her handling that irritating male ghost (hide spoiler)], but even if I hadn't, I just felt annoyed that I didn't have this information. You can, for example, explain what they're like without having us meet one. That would be fine. This created an artificial & unnecessary withholding of information which made the plot more obvious.

So I also had nitpicks with the execution of the worldbuilding. The ideas were strong--that how you act as a ghost determines what kind of ghost you are, the different ways ghosts/humans interact, Cyndricka's loneliness as a human who can see ghosts--but, again, they weren't as well fleshed out as I wanted them to be.

THE PLOT

To the people who do not know why they did not like this book: You did not like it because it had no plot.

That's not possible, you think. It's a 300+ page book. Things happened. I was there--how is that not a plot?

So I will explain to you what I knew & how I knew it.

There are two types of NaNoWriMo writers: the planners, & the pantsers. Planners have an outline ready before they write, & pantsers go "by the seat of their pants"--very few, or even no, plans. Both have pros/cons & styles of writing they suit; here I'll focus on a common pitfall for pantsers.

Almost every Western narrative--not every culture has the same storytelling methods--follows something akin to the 3-act structure. There is a main conflict which builds to a climax & is then resolved. eg Star Wars's Death Star. For any good narrative, you need MOTIVATION-GOAL-CONFLICT. +stakes (sometimes motivation reworded.)

This book does not have a conflict. It is about Chelsea's road trip to her brother's wedding, but look:

MOTIVATION - Chelsea has no motivation for going other than she's bored.

GOAL - None. When she sees the wedding she'll go back to NY.

CONFLICT - Nothing is stopping her; she's a ghost.

STAKES - What happens if she doesn't make it to the wedding (which we know isn't a serious danger)? ....nothing.

So where do you find 300+ pages of writing? NaNo offers ideas. Just have something happen & see what comes next as a response!

The problem is that this makes an unworkable first draft. Things Happening =/= Satisfying Plot Arc. You have to use the things you've written as ideas of things that could fit into said Plot Arc--like a lot of separate scenes, most of which you will have to cut. (Planning is the opposite; tons of work upfront/you end up UNDERwriting.)

Why did I think Wattpad? Because the most common method of writing on Wattpad is pantsing. 99% of the time, writers write & then post chapters on a set schedule. Can't edit plot structure when you upload one chapter a week.

(What's wrong with writing in a non-Western style? Nothing, but you'd have to have a perfect grasp of the style you choose--eg Ghibli's kishoutenketsu--which is unnecessary trouble for Western beginners. At that point why not learn the ropes of 3-Act.)

Now I rant. McFall please do not read this I sound much angrier than I am. Other people read it & weep with me.

UNHELPFUL RANTING

I want to tell you about the exact moment that I got viscerally angry with the book, but to do that, I have to tell you about some other things. Don't worry, it's non-spoilery- it's just things that happen.

The gang finds a ghost, Jamie, trying to rescue a cat from a grate. Cyndricka being the only physical one, she saves the cat & names it Charlie. Both new members travel along, with frequent pauses for backstory on Jamie/playtime with Charlie. Chelsea thinks Jamie is hot, because Jamie is also gay (but headless.) They stay the night at a homeless shelter with Cyndricka. The gang stops by a medium's house, who can sense ghosts but not see/hear them like Cyndricka. A mime show.

And then they get to a town of wailers. They need to get out of here ASAP. Cyndricka is exhausted, but they can't stand the sobbing & need to move fast. Besides, they already spent time turning off the road to go see a medium, so now they really have no excuse to stop anywhere.

So Cyndricka breaks her ankle.

Let me be clear: this is not something that happens. It is not a natural result of her having walked for too long, or tripping over a plot-relevant item, or dozing off while walking. This is something that the author uses as an excuse, so that the characters can stay in this town. Because this is a road trip story, & there is NO other justification for stopping them. THE AUTHOR DID THIS TO ADD LENGTH.

At this point, I thought to myself, LET ME GO! Why WAS this happening? Why did they need Jamie? Why the romance between her & Chelsea? Where was the chemistry? Why stop at the medium's, especially since she can't even actually see ghosts? This was 170 pages in. & Jamie ends up staying with the wailers because she has some talent for making them less wailey or something, which raises the question: WHY DID WE MEET JAMIE. Nothing changes, in ANY of the characters, due to their meeting. She just pops up & then leaves.

This "finding a cat & a lesbian" is CLASSIC pantser. Not knowing what to do... so why don't they find a cat? & then someone throws a beer can at Cyndricka because, you know, black homeless woman, & they hit Charlie so gang has to go to the vet but Cyndricka can't pay so Charlie gets repo'd, so they [BREAK IN & STEAL HER BACK. (hide spoiler)] I am running out of characters so let me just say this was VIOLENTLY frustrating. It's fine to include this stuff in a draft for lack of a plot, but then you have to EDIT IT INTO A PLOT.

For the rest of the book I was angry at every event because none of them were necessary.

Which brings us to the racism.

RACISM

(Disclaimer: I'm white.)

This involves discussion of the climax of the story, so tldr police brutality/angry WOC trope.[Cyndricka is attacked & brutally beaten by two cops because, you know, homeless mute black woman. She's constantly abused, but this made me Google & find out McFall is white.

In addition, I said I knew Carmen was a poltergeist. This is fine--I love 'evil' monsters being complex, especially as protagonists. But Carmen GOES full poltergeist in this scene because she, a Mexican victim of police brutality (she was shot & killed by cops), is triggered watching Cyndricka get beaten & goes VIOLENT. She nearly kills both cops. This is treated as a bad thing--she loses control, after all, & Chelsea has to stop her killing them by calming her down. By condescendingly reminding her that they need someone to sing in the Traveling Circus! :) Like talking to a child throwing a tantrum. I'm not going to explain further why this is racist. (hide spoiler)]

HOW I'D FIX IT

It's not fair to critique unconstructively. Here's what I'd do (besides removing the racism) to fix the plot:

Give each character a GMC. Say Chelsea is terrified of being lonely forever as a ghost, never having real connections, now that her fiancee is alive & she's dead. Goal: Prove she can have love / Motivation: Everyone wants love! / Conflict: she's a ghost, so she can't interact with the people she knew.

(Also do this for the other two.)

Then the plot naturally extends--the beginning establishes this, the middle is a search for love, the climax is when Chelsea feels she'll NEVER FIND LOVE (perhaps she gets into a fight with her circus & they split up?), ending is when she realizes she can after all (perhaps Jamie sticks around & they date. They have all of eternity! Or maybe she's happy with her ghostfam.)

Of course in the real plot [Chelsea ascends into Heaven or whatever (hide spoiler)] but it naturally wasn't satisfying as it didn't resolve any particular conflict; it just happened. This proposed story outline would require each event to call back to an overall conflict, forming... a plot.

LOVING CONCLUSION

I don't wish the author ill; I only have the solution for this problem after rigorous writing classes to solve MY struggle with it. It took me a really long time to read this book because I was so determined to give it its due, & because I burned myself pushing through the book and needed breaks. Hope this helped both fellow authors & readers.

This is such a fun novella. One of the best road trip stories for sure. The Sapphic romance is also a huge plus. I loved the unusual friendship and kinship that these three women share and all the ghostly oddities they meet along the way. This was a fun and refreshing read.

The Traveling Triple C Incorporeal Circus is a DNF for me. I really didn't like the writing and couldn't get into the storyline enough to continue.

This is my favorite book of 2020.

Nothing will stop Chelsea from making her brother's wedding in California, the only problem is she lives on the opposite coast, she doesn't drive .. oh and she's dead.

The Traveling Triple-C Incorporeal Circus has real heart (even if most of the main characters do not). An introspective jaunt into themes of love, loss, family, friends and miming- this novel delivers. There's never a lull and you almost wish that the spirited group never ends their long journey. I'd like to sit with author Alanna McFall, buy her a coffee and ask where the heck she came up with such a different idea for a novel- completely fresh in this space but very natural at the same time.

All I can really say, is that McFall has a natural writing style that is as refreshing as it is entertaining and easily keeps the reader on their toes weaving in such unique characteristics into our main heroes that I truly felt I knew these spirits. We love a book that stands for diversity in all forms and The Traveling Triple-C Incorporeal Circus delivers this in droves without being forced.

By the time I reached the end of the novel I was sad to leave it but happy to find a novel I can recommend to anyone who loves a book with a lot of heart.




Thank you to Net Galley for providing me this title for an honest review.

Sometimes you go into a book not really expecting much and come out blown away. This is one of those times.

The Traveling Triple-C Incorporeal Circus (try saying that five times fast) is many things. It’s a ghost story. A redemption story. A road trip. A comedy. A horror. All those things and more, wrapped up nicely and presented to the reader with a bow.

Chelsea is determined to make it from New York City to Los Angeles in time for her brother’s wedding. The fact that she’s been dead for two years isn’t about to stop her. Joined by a mothering Latina ghost named Carmen and a deaf/homeless/African American/mime living woman named Cyndricka, she sets off. Along the way they’ll encounter prejudice and kindness, Wailers (sad), Poltergeists (terrifying), a few new friends and an irresistibly cute kitten. And they’ll learn a lot about the world, about each other, about themselves, and about the power of friendship.

This story was well written, perfectly paced, and I was so shockingly, pleasantly surprised by how great it is that of course I am going to recommend it to everyone. Alanna McCall is a definitely new author to watch out for.

I was given a free electronic copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Such an unusual and delightful book. Chelsea is a ghost, who wants to visit his brother’s wedding on the West coast. She has a long trip of “walking” ahead (from NYC to San Francisco), luckily she is joined by her two companions, another ghost and a mute girl who can see and talk to ghosts.

This was an incredibly enjoyable read. I felt like it was some points character-driven and other instances plot-driven. Living as a ghost - what forms does this take and how "previous" life events affect ghost’s lives. On the other hand, if you can talk to ghosts how does your life look like, when you can see all the ghosts that are around us. So imaginative and unique. At the same time we see how a mute girl goes through life, often being disregarded and feeling incredibly lonely and out of place. Heartbreaking.

A story about companionship, love and fighting with the demons that lie within ourselves. These girls will stay with me for quite a while. 4.5

twenty-something chelsea has been dead for two years, but that hasn't stopped her from making new ghostly and human friends in new york. her death had been the reason for the postponement of her young brother's wedding in san francisco and she has set herself the goal not to miss it this time. with her homeless friend cyndricka and her ghost-friend carmen, she walks the long way there, facing various adventures on the journey.

honestly, there wasn't a lot i didn't like about this. at times it felt a bit too slow, because there's a lot of character development throughout the book, which rather comes from internal struggles, than a lot of action. nevertheless, i wanted to know how chelsea's story would play out. i loved that there were a lot of queer characters, chelsea included, who didn't feel stereotypical at all. the topics of sign language and police brutality against black people was portrayed in the character of cyndricka, which i thought was of great importance as well. i would definitely recommend this book to anyone, who isn't afraid to go on an emotional ride, dive deep into characters and enjoy the paranormal!

As Sabriel said, "Everything and everyone has a time to die," but death often cuts our hopes and dreams short. For Chelsea Shu, it means missing her brother's wedding and losing her beloved girlfriend---or does it?

After she's hit by a train, Chelsea remains as a ghost in New York, regretting all the things she's missing in life. After her brother reschedules his wedding in San Francisco, Chelsea teams up with another ghost and a living woman who can see ghosts to travel on foot across the Unites States to attend the wedding. On the way, we learn about the mythology of ghosts in McFall's universe and how our lost hopes and dreams can affect us even beyond the grave. I loved the relationships between the characters, the worldbuilding of the ghosts and spirits and the tension in some of the storylines. What a lovely story of living after death...and moving on.

This book is really fast and easy to read, and that's a good thing because... I felt very bored with the whole story. It felt as flat as the road the characters took to travel through the USA.

There were just too many things that felt absolutely unrealistic about this story. Like traveling on foot through the USA, without much talk of the physical and mental impact on the body. Or like how two (of the three) characters lied about their reasons to travel through the USA. Ooooor also how the characters are from diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds, with a lot of LGBTQ references. But these identities just feel pasted on, and there isn't really talk of the social issues they might encounter.

Things I did enjoy : the portrayal of strong and close-knit women, the banter, and the Mime! I thought that was a very original addition to the story.

So yeah. This story fell flat for me, and I think the plot and the characters could've been developed more. 2⭐

I was surprised how much I enjoyed reading this book. It was fun to read, characters were on the quirky side and I couldn't turn the pages fast enough.

I have to admit that this book took me completely by surprise. Reading the summary I was intrigued and I figured it would be a decent read. I was wrong in that sense, it was a fantastic read. The characters stories were engaging and really made you feel for them at every turn. The universe was unique and a nice twist on afterlife. The diversity in the characters was a breath of fresh air! What a lovely surprise this book was and how thought provoking. Well worth the read.

Chelsea Shu died a tragic death on NYC Subway tracks and never got to attend her brother Osric's wedding. After discovering an afterlife as a ghost, she befriended Carmen, a fellow spirit, and Cyndricka, a homeless mime-performing human. The three of them, incidentally the Triple Cs, set out on foot for a cross-country trip to attend Osric's postponed wedding in San Francisco. They understood it would be a difficult journey, but little did they know what was actually in store for them throughout the months-long walk.

I have to say I enjoyed the book. It is unique in concept and opened up the possibility of me reading more paranormal fiction. Also, I love the fact that all three main characters grew along the way, finding themselves amid mutual companionship. At its core, the book is an adventure novel involving ghosts and many characters who happened to be queer. While very entertaining, I sensed that some events were inserted as afterthoughts. Maybe the plot lines could have been more well-thought-out, but it was good nonetheless.

McFall critiqued our current world through the form of fantasy. Race and social status are crucial in the book, making it a condensed replica of the real world. The story hinted at the multiple discriminations against Cyndricka, who suffered from many years of abuse from not speaking, being Black, and homeless. In addition, she converses in ASL and is queer, making her the intersection of many minority identities. Through this journey, we get a glimpse of her life and have the chance to rethink how we treat actual homeless people, especially those belonging to multiple marginalized groups.

Under McFall's conscious choice (when she is presumably white), nearly all important characters were people of color. These include the Chinese-American Shus, Mexican Carmen, a hospitable Filipino family, and many more. As an East Asian, I am happy to say that I did not sense misrepresentation and I appreciate McFall's effort in making this novel a narrative for the various oppressed.

"The Traveling Triple-C Incorporeal Circus" is a book about closure, friendship, and purpose. It is definitely worth a read as it questions humanity, priorities, and prods readers to ponder over letting go and moving on.

The story being told by the perspective of a ghost offers such an unique atmosphere. It's a pleasant read and I love how diverse the characters are. Just an overall fun book.

The fantastical elements of the story were really interesting! It's a surprising book and has excellent queer rep, too.

High heels, a patch of ice, a train… Chelsea’s life ended abruptly and not in a pretty way. But she won’t let death stop her from attending her brother’s wedding. Which means she needs to get from New York (an interesting place to be a ghost in, fyi) to San Francisco.

Being a spirit, she can’t take a plane nor a car, which go right through her, so she’ll have to walk (hover?) there. Two friends join her on her trip: Carmen, who died decades earlier and is sort of mentoring her into ghosthood, and Cyndricka, a homeless mute Black mime who, for some reason, can see and communicate with ghosts even though she’s not dead.

The relationship between the three travelers is both incredibly unusual and plausible. On their way to California, they also meet the cutest cat, other ghosts and living people, some good, some bad, or even dangerous. I loved Jamie, who sounds like the sweetest ghost ever even without a face. That’s one of the things I loved best about this novel, how the undead keep the appearance they had when they died and are not all ethereally perfect beings.

Despite the subject, there’s nothing heavy about the story, it’s more subtle and penetrating. I don’t think I can explain why I loved this book (yet another excellent debut) so much without giving too much away. It’s not about twists and surprises, it’s all about the way the feelings are built up, how they grow. Like most road trips (at least in books and movies), this one is both a journey cross-country and to themselves.

I took forever to get to this novel (dead people, anxiety, sadness…) and that was stupid of me since it’s made it straight to my favourite-books-of-the-year list. It’s one of the most poetic and charming novels I’ve read. It’s tender and bittersweet, it made me cry and smile at the same time.

The author mentions “the blessing of small miracles” at one point, and that’s exactly what this novel is.

I received a copy from the publisher and I am voluntarily leaving a review.

Chelsea is determined to be at her brother’s wedding and the fact that she’s been dead for two years isn't going to stop her attending the wedding. So she sets out on foot from New York to San Francisco with her mime friend, Cyndricka and her ghostly mentor, Carmen. On the journey they are faced with joy, sorrow, and the haunting surprises of the open road.

The characters are diverse, with characters of different ethnicity and sexual orientations and one of the characters uses ASL to communicate.

This book explores relationships, personal burdens, and what it means to keep moving, even when your dead.

This was a wonderful book to read with some lighthearted moments among the heavy dark side.

I received an advance review copy for free via NetGalley and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

#TripleC #NetGalley

The Traveling Triple-C Incorporeal Circus is a ghost story, a road trip adventure, and a powerfully emotional story about friendship, family, love and loss. The book follows the story of Chelsea, Carmen and Cyndricka, two ghosts and a living mime, as they travel across America by foot, and has a wide cast of unique and interesting characters, both living and dead, that they meet along their journey.

I felt like the book had quite a slow start. I liked the characters, and I understood their motivations, but the plot moved slowly and it felt like not much was happening. But it was enjoyable to read, and I liked the interactions between the characters, so I stuck with it, and I am so glad I did. The pace picks up about halfway through as the characters get into troubles along the road and also open up to each other more, and I became unable to put the book down.

The characters are diverse, with characters of different ethnicities and sexual orientations. The three main characters are Asian, Latina and African American, and one of the characters uses ASL to communicate, which is so rare to see in fiction. The little interactions between the characters, the stories they tell to each other, the hardships they deal with on the road are all very moving, some moments funny and some sad.

No spoilers, but I thought the ending was perfect. Also, I cried.