wanderlove
. . . are you a global vagabond?
No — but 18-year-old Bria Sandoval wants to be. In a quest for independence, her neglected art, and no-strings-attached hookups, she signs up for a guided tour of Central America — the wrong one. When Bria meet Rowan, devoted backpacker and dive instructor, and his outspoken sister, Starling, she seizes the chance to ditch her group and join them off the beaten path.
Bria's a good girl trying to go bad. Rowan's a bad boy trying to stay good. As they travel through Mayan villages and remote Belizean islands, they discover what they have in common: both are trying to leave behind the old versions of themselves. And the secret to escaping the past, Rowan's found, is to keep moving forward.
But Bria realizes she can't run forever. At some point, you have to look back.
written and illustrated by Kirsten Hubbard
Ages 14+; Penguin Random House, 2012 & 2013
"Thrillingly romantic, smart and funny."
--Kirkus Reviews
“The romantic tension between Rowan and Bria is palpable but complex and believable. With an extraordinary setting, delicately rendered and well-informed by Hubbard’s years as a guide to Central American travel on About.com, this becomes a wonderful story of kindred souls in a land of beauty, illuminated by Hubbard’s own drawings.”
— Booklist
ALA Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults selection, 2017
"Hubbard's second novel, following Like Mandarin, is rich with the unexpected joys and tribulations of new experiences… Bria's charged relationship with Rowan and the vast emotional and physical territory Hubbard covers make for an evocative and romantic read."
—Publishers Weekly
"Hubbard has crafted delightfully complex characters who are fresh and realistic… The romance between Bria and Rowan is constantly on a slow burn, leaving readers wondering until the end — will they or won't they end up together?"
—VOYA