Wayfarers: A Road Trip Romance Novel in Verse for Teens

by Jeff Zentner, Brittany Cavallaro

A must-read for fans of Morgan Matson and Kasie West, this YA novel in verse and conversation—cowritten by bestselling authors Jeff Zentner and Brittany Cavallaro—follows a girl trying to outrun her problems and a boy just discovering the outside world as they embark on a life-changing road trip.

What do you do
when there’s nothing
in this world you want
more than to spend two
more hours with someone
and nothing in the world
you want less than to only
spend two more hours
with someone?

Sylvie said she wanted to live the van life after high school, but all she really wanted was to escape. With unlimited resources and an escape-artist golden retriever by her side, she keeps her eyes on the road to distract her from everything she left behind.

Knox grew up on the edge of society, without a phone, a school, or a real name. He’s never felt like he had a firm place to stand, but he’s done writing his story in vanishing ink.

On one of the worst days of Sylvie’s life, Knox helps rescue her dog and breaks his arm in the process. To apologize, Sylvie offers him a ride. But Knox is keeping some big secrets, and so is Sylvie. They must decide: If the other person knew the whole story, would they take a chance on—and maybe even fall for—a wayfaring stranger?

Genres: Young Adult, Romance

432 pages, Hardcover

Expected publication August 18, 2026

About the author

Jeff Zentner is the author of The Serpent King, which Kirkus Reviews named one of the best books of the 21st Century, as well as In the Wild Light, Goodbye Days, Rayne & Delilah’s Midnite Matinee, Colton Gentry's Third Act, and Sunrise Nights, coauthored with Brittany Cavallaro. He has two books—Wayfarers and Love, Like Apples—forthcoming in 2026.

Among other honors, he has won the ALA’s William C. Morris Award, the Amelia Elizabeth Walden Award twice, the Muriel Becker Award, the International Literacy Association Award, been longlisted twice for the Carnegie Medal, and is a two-time Southern Book Prize finalist.

His books have been translated into fifteen languages and been featured on The Today Show, Good Morning America, and in Vanity Fair and People Magazine. Before becoming a writer, he was a musician who recorded with Iggy Pop, Nick Cave, and Debbie Harry. He lives in Nashville.

Reviews

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to @netgalley @quillpress and @harpercollinsch for the gifted advance reader copy. All opinions are my own.

Peanut butter and chocolate. Chips and guacamole. Burgers and fries. Things that are outstanding by themselves, but when paired together become otherworldly. That is Jeff Zentner and Brittany Cavallaro—two phenomenally gifted authors who together create magic. They did it with SUNRISE NIGHTS and reunite for WAYFARERS, their latest novel in verse and conversation.

If you’ve never read a novel in verse or shy away from YA books, I encourage you to ignore your concerns and prepare to fall in love with Knox and Sylvie. Allow Zentner and Cavallaro to take you on an unforgettable road trip of discovery and healing.

On the surface, Knox and Sylvie are polar opposites. One lives a bohemian lifestyle, traveling from place to place with nowhere to put down roots. The other comes from a solid upper middle class background where material needs are never in question. In truth, they are more alike than different. Both carry secrets that make them question their worthiness to be loved. Over the course of a week and hundreds of miles, they form a connection that neither anticipated.

Through Knox and Sylvie, the authors give voice to the big feelings associated with finding your place in the world. They showcase the insecurities and vulnerabilities while still brandishing the boundless hope that is a hallmark of youth.

I honestly thought I would make it through this novel without shedding a tear. I was very wrong.

[Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jeff Zentner and Brittany Cavallaro’s Wayfarers is a road trip story about two people carrying far more pain than they know how to handle, slowly finding comfort and healing in each other along the way. The verse style makes everything feel really raw and emotional without ever feeling heavy handed. I loved how honest and vulnerable the characters felt, and how the book balanced grief and hope so naturally. Their connection felt real, messy, and comforting in the best way. This story completely pulled me in, and it’s one of those books that sticks with you after you finish it.

[Angie Miale · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wayfarers is like eavesdropping on a couple of Gen Z kids that are so engaged with each other that they don’t notice you’re there. Knox and Silvia are broken but hopeful, and they find their hope with each other. It’s a road trip romance, two people brought together and each develops a strong character arc. They each find their healing in how they tell each other their story. And they each help each other reframe their past within the context of who they are. It’s beautiful.

The format intersperses poetic verse with standard narrative. And it’s some of the most sparkling dialogue I’ve read—
YA or no. There is a sincerity in the characters that is a breath of fresh air. These characters will stay with me a long time.


Thanks to NetGalley and Quill Tree Books for the ARC. Book to be published August 17, 2026.

[katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was so cute! And an early edition. I got this from NetGalley to read before it's published, and I really enjoyed it. The novel goes between Sylvie and Knox, two teenagers that both have troubled pasts. They have a chance meeting at a campsite, and end up on a road trip together, helping one another out along the way. The novel alternates between verse and first person perspective (either Sylvie or Knox), and I found both parts - verse and first person POV - to be enjoyable. This is a really sweet novel that deals with grief, family troubles, and making it on your own, while also finding the beauty in life and being vulnerable with those you care about. A cute, easy to read, summer book.

[Vicky · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, these two authors have done it again! What an unforgettable road trip we take with Sylvie and Knox filled with healing, hope, truth, and secrets. Sylvie meets Knox at a campground and agrees to take him to his mamaw’s house in North Carolina. The two come from very different backgrounds but have fun doing different things while being very open about their feelings until they’re not. Things come up that neither talked about and when Knox runs into his mom and her friend, Sylvie gets mad and leaves. However, Knox sees Sylvie again later and she says she will still take him to his mamaw’s. What happens when they get there?
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the eARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

One thing you should know about me is I LOVE a novel in verse, and this was no exception. This isn't solely in verse, as there's also conversation, but amazing storytelling in both forms. It's the story of two teens on a road trip, and they each have some secrets and "stuff" they're navigating. I loved how the story built, I loved how you got a window into what they were feeling, and I just loved the feels it cultivated. It was a gem all-around. Thanks to NetGalley for the look at this August 2026 release!