This could have been so good, but it's like a bunch of TV network executives in suits churned this out for the masses.

It's bland and filled one after the other with cliched, stereotypical characters. The network executives have their Diversity Checklist™️ and by golly were they determined to fit everyone in.

We've got the evil male billionaire and his smirking female assistant, a righteous All American cop with a disabled son, a single mother with a difficult ex-boyfriend, The Neurodivergent One, the ne'er do well who's smarter than he looks, The Bisexual One, and a barely functioning alcoholic.

We spent an excruciating amount of time learning about these people. They're not interesting. Their designated persona type is the extent of their whole personality.

We finally get into outer space and... it just skips all that? It skips all of outer space. They're in outer space for two years and I think we get about 20 pages. Something Bad happens on the ship but it's never really explained. They come back to Earth (the journey home is again skipped) and that's when something happens that is actually very interesting and exciting (no spoilers) but ummm no, nobody seems to really CARE? Nobody seems terribly concerned about finding out what's going on???

Some of them do, eventually, start asking questions but nothing is answered or resolved or hell even explained very clearly. Ends on a cliffhanger. Cue voice-over, "don't miss season two of Detour, coming soon!"

Thanks to Del Rey and Netgalley for the ARC. I really, really wanted to like this. Truly. I'm sorry.

The Earth has passed the tipping point climate collapse due to global warming and humanity must start looking elsewhere for habitable living. A team of six, 3 astronauts and 3 civilians, head on a mission, to Saturn's moon Titan, that is funded by a billionaire running for president. Their two trip doesn't go perfectly but they are able to make it back home safely however things at home are not all that it seems to be.

I enjoyed the formatting of the book and the shift between each POV, emails, and newscasting. It kept the story moving without feeling stagnant and brought more suspense to the book. My only challenge is that space travel is only a small portion of the story and based on the description of the book, I thought we would experience more. We will see where the story goes with the next book.

The author did a great job building suspense and making you want to just read one more paragraph, which makes sense after learning this was written by a television producer. The same way we want to binge shows to continue the story, this book makes you not want to put it down. I think this is a decent start to the series.

I need a detour from this completely predictable and mediocre backdoor TV pilot. I'm not sure there's an original plot in here and the writing is so quick and fast paced that it fails to present an interesting book. Thanks to Netgalley and publisher for the chance to read this but man...not very good.

Wow!

I honestly can't wait for more people to be able to read this book, and I can't wait for the next one already! This book hooked me from the start. The multi-character narrative is something I am used to when there are just two main characters, but this book takes it to another level with 6 recurring narrators, another one which is often heard from, and a few others who have their perspectives told. All of it is done in a way that progresses the story, without repeating or rehashing moments.

All I can say is that I honestly can't wait for the next book, and I am really interested to see where the story goes, as right now I feel like I need it plugged into my veins and I am only disappointed that I have to wait for my next fix!

3.5

It makes perfect sense that this book was originally conceived as a TV show. Honestly, the ending played in my head like: End of a season one. And it’s not surprising, considering one of the authors is the creator of Manifest from Netflix.

Everything starts with something we all know: Earth is slowly being destroyed (because of us, obviously). A super-rich man decides to launch a project to travel into space in search of a “lifeboat,” and the chosen destination is Saturn’s moon, Titan. But beyond all the logistics and science involved in this mission, the real heart of the story lies in the human side: who gets to go? The crew is diverse and interesting (and yes, they gave me Manifest's character vibes). Each of them has a background that becomes more and more important as the story progresses. And let me tell you, there’s a lot of drama. The intense kind. So if you combine that with the fact of traveling to another planet’s moon… you know things are going to get MESSY.

One of the things I enjoyed the most is how the story is told through multiple POVs, giving us more insight (and secrets ofc) from different angles. Plus, some chapters are written as emails, guides, or news, which makes the reading experience more dynamic. And even though I don’t usually read much sci-fi (with Saga being the big and wonderful exception), I didn’t get lost in overwhelming technical details here. The scientific aspects are explained in a way that’s understandable and easy to follow (at least like 90%).

While reading Detour, I kept asking myself: Is one of my theories correct? Is it a mix of them? Or is it something completely different? And more importantly, how will the characters make it out of this mess? if there’s even a way out? I’m definitely waiting for book two, and I really hope this becomes a TV show because the potential is definitely there.

Anyway, thanks to Netgally and the publisher for the e-arc.

This was so interesting! I really enjoyed the setup of the novel, specifically, the way the narrative was a mix of the plot from each of the characters' point of view and from other sources, i.e news articles, interview transcripts, etc. It kept the story interesting and was very cool.

I also really enjoyed the idea of the story overall. It was a fresh take on the humanity escaping Earth in search of a new home concept, with a bit of mystery and intrigue mixed in. Each character felt complete, and I liked learning about each of their backstories. The twist at the end was FASCINATING. Once I remembered that Jeff Rake is the creator of Netflix's Manifest, it made a lot of sense - the vibes are similar.

I did not, however, expect to end the story with so little answers!! Obviously, there will be at least a sequel, if not more, but I have so many questions!

Overall, would recommend if you're into sci-fi, space travel, mystery, or a combination of all three!

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley for the early copy. This was an enjoyable read. A little predictable at times, but still entertaining. Though, with a name like "Detour," it's pretty clear that a book about a space voyage is not going to turn out perfectly. At least I was able to have a little fun guessing as to what the actual detour would eventually be. I have enjoyed other books by Rob Hart, but, I did find it kind of corny to have the author reference his own novels and his own co-author of another book. Other than that, I don't have many complaints. I'll be reading the 2nd part whenever that comes out.

This!! I loved this book and this would make such a great tv show! I mean the creator of Manifest ( which I loved ) wrote a book? Set in SPACE? sign me up please!

It's written from different POVs and divided by different "storylines" and this is what kept me going. Each character had their charm so I enjoyed all those parts equally. The timelines where all with their own mysteries so you couldn't stop.

I think until now my favourite read of 2025!!! And please please please I need the second one ASAP!!!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Worlds for an ARC of Detour.

I love a good sci-fi space adventure so I expected to really enjoy this one but it just didn't quite hit the mark for me. Firstly, I was shocked that only 14% of the book was actually set in space. Although the storyline that started when they returned from space was very interesting, it was not at all what I expected from the initial blurb about the book. My other main complaint is that the "motly crew" of astronauts plot felt a bit gimmicky. In place of any depth of character was just a constant reiteration of their stereotypes (morally righteous cop, neurodivergent brainiac, confused bisexual, separated working mom, grumpy alcoholic, underachieving misfit) which kept me from being very invested in their stories. I'm undecided if I'll pick up the next book in the series.

3 atars

This is a fast paced, action packed sci-fi novel that is great for fans of Blake Crouch! While this wasn't as full of space and astronauts as I would've liked, I still greatly enjoyed this book and read it in one sitting!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a e-ARC of this novel.

This was an extremely propulsive read, perfect for fans of Blake Crouch. The characters were well fleshed out, and the story was very fast paced. I loved the mystery elements. I devoured this in a day- things were too tense for me to put it down! I will be anxiously awaiting the next in the series.

While I always love a good sci-fi story, I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would, as it kept me engaged until the end and made me ready for the sequel that I am sure is 1-2 years away. The twists at the end were unexpected and well executed.

2 stars, and I wanted to love this!

Billionaire/Presidential candidate John Ward (number six on the most forgettable names of all time (male)) is bankrolling, through NASA, a manned, exploratory rocket to Titan, one of Saturn’s moons, to determine its feasibility for an eventual colony (because we’ve screwed up everything so badly here.) Selected for the mission are three NASA astronauts and three civilians, Stitch Smith, a graffiti artist and winner of a lottery to get a place on the ship, Padma Singh, a researcher for Ward and Ryan Crane, a police officer who saved Ward’s life.

HAhahahahahahahahahahaha!

Because this is exactly how one would outfit an unheralded space mission. Boy, I’m feeling GREAT about not only their chance for survival, but the world’s.

I was really bummed. I was interested in reading this because I LUUUURRRVVEEE stories about astronauts, astronaut training, astronauts in space, all that. And I even got a tiny bit of that, albeit with the worst crew even assembled, BUT….

Is the rest of this supposed to be the type of thriller that is marketed to men to read? The espionage type stuff that might have words like “Delta Force” and silhouettes of guns on the cover? I haven’t read those books, but, if this is an example of those, I might feel one microiota bad for you guys (despite you ruling the world, phew, I’m over it now. Back to my senses.) Because this is sad, sad foolishness. Of course, I don’t like romance, either, so what do I know about popular?

In 2031, global temperatures levels are 5 degrees higher than what they were in the preindustrial era. To help humans, billionaire John Ward, is financing, with the help of NASA, an expedition to Titan, Saturn’s moon to see if they can establish an settlement. In this near future, there is a new technology that make the trip to Titan very short, only 2 years. On this mission, there’s 6 people. 4 men and 2 women. 3 of them are civilians with no prior astronaut training. Ward is also running for president of the USA, so the mission has to be a success. What could go wrong, right ?

I LOVED this book. This is definitely one of my favorite reads of the year. The pace is so quick and you get immediately immersed in the story. The story is told from multiple POVs. I thought it really helped the plot to move forward. It has such high stakes and is packed with action. I couldn’t not put down the book! It was just so intriguing and captivating. And with the ending, I need the next book asap! There’s so many more themes that are explored, but I don’t want to spoil because it would take away from the tense feeling you get when reading. It’s better to go into this blind and just enjoy the ride !

If you love a sci-fi book with lots of action, a multiple POVs, tense atmosphere, conspiracies, and a Space setting, you need to read this book !

Thank you so much to Del Rey, Random House World, Inklore and NetGalley for the arc !