Stops Along the Way

by Anna Sortino

A sunny YA romance about a road trip and life’s unexpected turns from the author of Give Me a Sign.

Iris doesn’t trust the odds. Not when she has a 1 in 4 chance of inheriting the same vision diagnosis as her sister, Amelia.

When Iris travels to the east coast to help Amelia drive her things back from college, the last person she expects to run into on campus is Declan, her board game club rival, but he’s also there to drive his brother home for summer break. The unlikely occurrence results in the four of them caravaning together to Nebraska.

Iris and Declan are used to competing with dice and cards across a table, but the romantic feelings unfolding as they drive across the map are a total surprise. The odds of falling in love on the road seem low, especially amid car troubles and sister drama. Can Iris look past probability and embrace the unexpected?

Genres: Romance, Young Adult, Disability, Contemporary, Young Adult Romance, Fiction, Audiobook

256 pages, Hardcover

Published May 19, 2026

About the author

Anna Sortino is the award-winning author of Give Me a Sign, On the Bright Side, and Stops Along the Way. Her stories center disabled characters living their lives and falling in love. She lives in Chicago with her dog. Find more at AnnaSortino.com.

Reviews

[lydia {67} ୨ৎ {s.ia} · Rating 3 out of 5]

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review
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thanks to netgalley, author, and publisher for this arc in exchange for my honest review! <3


✨✨✨ ~ 3.2 rounded to 3 stars

ok so like i've mentioned before, i love anna's writing. i love her style, how inclusive she is, and the disability rep. and when i say i wanted to love this book as much as i loved her other ones, it's coming from the bottom of my heart. to be honest, i'm not sure where this one missed. it has a great plot and i loved the characters (or some of them at least), but it didn't hit right i guess, almost as though it fell flat, but i really don't think it did. i just think that maybe this wasn't the book for me, which makes me really sad because, again, i love anna's writing and all of her other books 😭



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pre-read
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BRO I FRICKIN LOVE ANNA'S WRITING AND I GOT THE ARC!! <3

[Fizah(Books tales by me) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks, Penguin Teens and G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers for the Copy.

A summer road trip romance? Yes, give me that. Declan and Iris have known each other for years through their board game club, they are rivals, but that's all. Now they have to spend hours together on a road trip, so I was excited to see how their relationship would develop on the road.

The strongest part was definitely the disability representation. The way the author handled different disabilities felt thoughtful and authentic. Iris's fear of inheriting the same vision condition as her sister was portrayed really well, and I appreciated seeing how both sisters deal with their disabilities in very different ways.

The board game element was also a fun and unique addition. While I'm not much of a board game person myself, I think readers who are will really enjoy all the references and competitive moments.

Where the book lost me was the romance. The rivals-to-lovers dynamic had so much potential, but the rivalry disappeared almost as soon as the road trip began, or even before. I kept waiting for the chemistry between Iris and Declan to build, but their relationship felt rushed and half-developed. Some of the later relationship drama felt longer than it needed to be, which made it harder for me to stay emotionally invested.

A road trip, board-game rivals, and disability representation sounded like the perfect combination, but while I enjoyed the book overall, it didn't quite work for me. Overall, this is a sweet, easy summer read with thoughtful representation and some genuinely cute moments.

I just wish this book were 50 pages shorter and focused a bit more on Iris and Declan's feelings as they develop, because it had all the ingredients to become something I would've loved.

[Rayo Reads · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for granting my request to read this e-ARC and provide my honest opinions.

Iris and Declan are board game club rivals, and there's a lot of dice throwing and board games – which totally threw me, because it took up a whole lot of the book! Iris, her sister Amelia, Declan, and his brother Grady come up with a plan to go caravanning to Nebraska, and I'm not going to bore you with the details of how that happened 🤣!

But let me just say Iris and Declan were never friends prior to the supposed road trip, so I was very surprised at the sudden turn of events. I didn't think I got a whiff of chemistry between these two, so them getting together was just off for me. I was even more amused by the banter between Amelia and Grady.

Now, here's my major problem, what's up with that third act breakup, honestly? It was so, so, so unnecessary. Everything was going kind of okay until that moment, and it caused a big split. This book wasn't marketed as a YA second chance romance, so why did it lean towards that?! Why was the novel's timeline split into two, one of the road trip and the other years into college?

Overall, I loved the disability rep (I loved seeing macular degeneration on page because it was my undergrad project research – seeing it on page just made me think back on it), but I didn't like both MCs, Iris and Declan. I didn't feel even an atom of chemistry between these two, so their getting together was just bland. I couldn't root for them, and that ending kind of gives me the ick 😬! Thank you once again for the e-ARC.

[Escaping in Pages · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating - 4/5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Date Read - June 3, 2026
Publication Date - Available Now!

*I received a physical ARC of this book for free in exchange for an honest review* - Thank you @penguinteenca! [AD/PR]

Calling all lovers of nerdy men! Stops Along the Way is a cozy summer young adult romance! I think board game rivals to lovers is such a cute trope and I need more of it in my life. My favourite parts were the scenes that involved the board games, both playing them and the process of creating them. I love how excited Iris and Declan were to share their ideas with each other and the way their personalities and strengths balanced each other out. If you are a fan of a younger YA writing style, this book will appeal to you! I also like that the author emphasizes that deafness and blindness exist on a spectrum and how people try to fit other people into tidy little boxes, even if they aren’t accurate, because it makes them feel more comfortable. This book gives the reader a lot to think about without information overload or jargon and it feels casual rather than lecturing. Stops Along the Way would be a great book to binge on a road trip or at the beach!

Get excited to read Stops Along the Way, available now! 🎉

*Please check trigger warnings*

[Michael Calvani · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anna Sortino continues to deliver. Another amazing book. I have read and will continue to read all of her books. She always takes me on a roller coaster of emotions in the best way, and I always learn something new too! Highly recommend this and her other work!

[Chloë Mali · Rating 5 out of 5]

*I received an advanced copy from the publisher via NetGalley- this in no way impacts my review*

I enjoyed this book even more than the author’s debut! It was a good look at two different types of disabilities, and what it might look like for them to intersect. I was surprised by the route the romance took and the extension chapters are very important to read. But ultimately, even though it threw me off, I do think the way it ended up going was a good choice, given how this book highlights disability representation and processing a new diagnosis or life change. I would go into this book considering it more of a coming of age story than a typical YA romance! It’s a good read for anyone looking for an easy read or wanting to learn more about hearing or vision loss.

[Corinne’s Chapter Chatter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such great representation going on!!
This will be a quick review as I’ll be doing a video on it instead but I’m so glad to have gotten the ALC from PRH- Audio influencer program as it wasn’t on my radar beforehand. I love road trips and the relationship build felt natural and endearing. I really liked that it showed multiple disabilities and the individual challenges and impacts on relationships.

I highly suggest this one for teachers and librarians to have on hand. It’s entertaining as well as educational.

[Abby · Rating 4 out of 5]

SO CUTE! I loved Iris and Declan’s story—they were so adorable! And great disability representation that added a layer of complexity and realness. I liked that their relationship wasn’t perfect or fast or easy by any means, but showed them accepting life’s struggles and their feelings over time. Putting all Anna Sortino’s other books on hold immediately.

It reminded me a lot of Kristy Boyce’s Dungeons and Dating series, which is a lot more popular but isn’t as good as this imo. I connected with the characters in this a lot more, i thought they had more depth and felt more genuine and realistic.

[Rachel Brock · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was selected to receive an ARC of this book. Once again, I remain a huge fan of Anna Sortino’s writing! It was interesting reading about Stargadt’s and being able to share many characteristics of it as someone that has Usher Syndrome - so much so that I truly related to Iris.I absolutely love how the author has a deaf character in all of her books, along with introducing a new diagnosis into each of her stories. It’s a great way of showing awareness for a condition that others may have never heard of, along with creating relatability if someone ever does come across someone with that diagnosis at some point in their lives!

As for Iris’s relationship with Declan, I was rooting for them from the beginning and experienced the same roller coaster of emotions that Iris experienced during this book! However, my heart was full of joy by the end.

[Mai | mai.readingnook · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anna Sortino’s books are always an enjoyable, mind-broadening experience for me. I appreciate the disability reps that are always present, at the same time not person-defining. Just folks living their realities, you know?

Stops along the way was a sweet read. I love how Anna wrote about teens navigating moving on to college, changing relationships (friends, siblings, etc), family drama, and of course, a budding romance. The characters felt very relatable. I will note, though, that even though I think the romance/their relationship was not the central plot of this story, I very much enjoyed the balance of it all.

Thank you so much for the ARC.

[Maggie Carr · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fast read but everything I would have wanted as a teen experiencing hear loss. Seeing yourself in book characters just feels validating in a way few things can match.

[Natalie ☆ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super cute! I’ve really enjoyed all of Anna’s books and am excited for what she’ll write next!
Rep: d/Deaf/HoH FMC, central vision loss

[Regan Carroll · Rating 5 out of 5]

My cousin wrote another book!

[Malia Wong · Rating 4 out of 5]

*3.5

LOVED:
- As with all her books, the disability rep!! Stargardt's disease is something not commonly represented in fiction, and I felt for Iris and her sister as they went through progressive changes in their senses.
- The board game references and board game love!
- The sibling dynamics! Sister and sister and brother and brother. I only have brothers, but some of my besties are 4 sisters so I understood all the dynamics. Sibling bonds are some of my favorite plotlines!
- The classic road trip obstacles lolllll

LIKED:
- The anticipation for college and the epilogue!
- Iris and Declan's team board game
- Grady and Amelia's friendship

MEH:
- The 3 act split felt too miniscule to me for a break-up and the miscommunication kind of irked me

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having read each of Anna Sortino’s books so far, I was excited to get an ARC on Netgalley for Stops Along the Way. Just as I did with her first two books, I breezed through this one and was sad it didn’t last a little longer. Sortino’s books are so easy to read, and I love the representation she includes because I always feel like I learn new things about lesser known disabilities (and even ones people know of, like how blindness and deafness don’t exist in such strict categories and have their own sliding scales and differences in how people experience them). As with any good YA book, the main characters are going through a period of big changes on top of all their own lived experiences with their disabilities as well.

I felt like Iris was so relatable, despite me being way past my teen years lmao. Her insecurities and anxieties are so real—not knowing things about your health and future can be worse because you’re stuck with so much uncertainty that you can often picture the worst. And it was nice to see discussion of how Iris thought it would be easier to discuss the possibility of her having Stargardt’s as well than it actually was, since those conversations are awkward and feel like downers even when it’s what she’s potentially facing. I loved that Declan got that she didn’t want pity or anything and felt so certain it wouldn’t change how he thought of her. That’s what made their romance work for me; he’s really sweet and silly and nerdy, and it’s so endearing. He balances out Iris’s anxiousness in a good way; I think they complement each other well.

Since this book was so short, though, I did feel like the pacing was a bit uneven at times. It’s tricky to have such a condensed timeline (the road trip spans two days) and then the time skips that leave a lot unsaid about how things happened in the interim. While I enjoyed the road trip, the third act conflict felt particularly abrupt because this book is in Iris’s first person POV, meaning that we don’t get much buildup to Declan’s own emotional turmoil over his family’s situation. It’s hinted at in tiny moments, but Iris basically just learns about it and then bam, it shakes everything up, but it’s missing that buildup that would make it feel less abrupt and allow us to understand Declan’s actions here.

While I don’t love such big time skips (especially that one to the epilogue/expansion—though that naming is very cute, love the board game theme), I could still accept the messiness of Iris and Declan’s journey to that ending because being a teen/adolescent and going through so many big life changes is a weird time. There’s bound to be growing pains and lots of confusion and development as you find out who you are and who you want to be. It made me hurt a little for them having to figure things out that way, but at the same time, I’m glad they learned and grew and figured it out.

Iris’s relationship with Amelia is a big part of the book, considering this road trip was for her to drive back with her sister. I appreciated their closeness but also the realistic portrayal of Iris feeling like she’s been abandoned after her sister went off the college, and her younger sister tendencies to let her sister lead are so real. The resolution of their fight made me cry a little; it made me happy that Amelia wanted to show how she cared and was proactive about spending more time with her little sister and still wanted her to be a priority.

Also, can’t forget the board game component which is such a major part of the book. As a casual board game fan, it made me happy to read about these board game nerds and their love for board game mechanisms and rules and friendly competition. I wish we got to see more of the convention, too, but it was an adorable thing for them to bond over and share. I also wish we got a bit more of the board game store and their crew, since that would’ve added a fun dimension to the cast of characters.

I’m so glad Sortino has another YA book slated for next year and am eager to read it!

Thank you to Netgalley/G.P. Putnam’s Sons for the ARC.

[Ashley Frizzell · Rating 3 out of 5]

I feel like as a romance reader, I'm always fighting the same fight.

Putting a Happily Ever After (or Happy For Now) in the EPILOGUE does not count. Yes, I am happy that we got a HEA overall, but the fact that main story does not end that way is an issue. It does not fit the MAIN (and really only) requirement of the romance genre. And as an avid board game fan (I am a prime target for this book besides the fact that I am not a teenager), calling the Epilogue an "expansion" furthers my point that the HEA needed to be worked into the main story. An expansion to a board game is not considered part of the base of a board game. If an expansion fixes something in the main board game, then there was an issue with the base game to begin with.

My other issue is the actual road trip aspect of the book. I LOVE a road trip book! This missed the mark. The road trip didn't start until 40%ish of the way through, and it did not meet my expectations when it did start. Part of the fun of a road trip is the people and shenanigans along the way, and this didn't really have that. It was a fairly straightforward road trip. We never even got to see the tension of the fact that Declan never plans and Iris always plans. Why bring up the fact that Declan always road trips with a tent if they never have to use it? Why have so many discussions about not planning vs. planning if we never really see that tension in the plot? It's like Chekhov's gun theory in film. If you're gonna talk about the tent, we need to see the tent in action (or gun in the theory, but you get the point).

Now -- to what I loved. I loved Iris and Declan together! Their interactions were so fun and they had great chemistry! I loved when they talked about or planned board games. It's a shared passion of my husband and I as well, so that was so much fun for me. The game store aspect added to that joy. It felt very relatable, and again I also have a game store that I'm at like clockwork every week. So I loved that setting and aspect of the book.

I also really loved the disability representation with both Iris and her sister. My favorite scene that illustrated how different life is, especially for Iris, is when she and Declan are in the hot tub and she's taken her hearing aids out. We get very little dialogue between the two of them because she can't hear well, but the chemistry is still there! That was the shining moment of the book for me, and why I'm maintaining a three star review.

I think with another round or two of editing, this could have been a five-star read for me. I really needed some of their conversations to lead to more plot points and I needed a HEA in the main portion of the book rather than the epilogue. There are plenty of YA romance books that resolve the HEA in the main part of the book while still encouraging the need for each character to do their own internal work too. There were plenty of missed opportunities to do that.

[SJARR ✨ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Literally so good.
Gentle rivals-to-lovers, teen road trip, and disability representation!

Anna Sortino has been on my radar for quite some time, since she writes young adult and novels with disability focus- which happens to be a lovely combination of two of my favorite things to read.
And as soon as I started reading this, I realized that I should have picked up some of her other work AGES ago.

The way that this story flows, and the way that these characters are written was just actually perfect to me.
The vibes and teen energy were there, the plot was fun, and it has what I would call “casual depth” (meaning it has some deep, heavier elements, but addressed in a way that doesn’t bring down the mood a ton).
It has emotionality, without being depressing.
Truly one of those books that you pick up and don’t want to put back down.

I was heavily reminded of some of my favorite YA book authors while I was reading this.
The plot and the overall feel are very reminiscent of a Becky Albertalli or a Jennifer Dugan book. So if you like those authors (or similar ones) I think you would really love it.
(Hopefully as much as I did!)

Really, the only thing I didn’t love was that Iris had a tendency to police how her sister handled her down disability/diagnosis.
Granted, I know she was going through a lot of stress and uncertainty surrounding her health and her future- but seeing her push standards of how you “should” be living with a disability, and how you “should” be opening up to others about it- wasn’t my favorite element!
But, I do think that she grew to realize what she was doing, and changed the way that she viewed that behavior. So I suppose all is well.

Overall, this is great.
I loved it, and I think it was very much deserving of 5 stars!

Thank you to Netgalley, Penguin Young Readers Group, G.P Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers and author Anna Sortino for providing me with the eARC of “Stops Along the Way”, in exchange for my honest review!
Publication date: May 19, 2026

[Tiffany · Rating 4 out of 5]

Title: Stops Along the Way

Author: Anna Sortino

Publication date: 5/19/26 | Read: 5/18/26

Format: e-Book 256 pgs.

 Genre:
*YA
*Romance

Tropes:
*sisterhood
*disability rep
*female/male friendship
*right person, wrong time
*gaming romance, D&D vibes
*high school to college transition
*road trip
*summer

POV: 1st person single

TW: divorce, h-visually and hearing impaired

Setting: PA to Nebraska

Summary: Iris agrees to go to PA to pick up her older sister Amelia from college and drive back home to Nebraska together. Her gaming rival Declan also has an older brother at the same school, so they meet up and decide to caravan on the way back home. Iris and Declan enter a gaming competition where they each invent a game with the potential for it to be created for real. Their rivalry turns into more as they spend time together on the road trip.

 Heroine: Iris
 Hero: Declan

 Other Characters
* Amelia-Iris's sister, visually impaired w/ rare eye condition
* Grady-a sophomore, knows a lot of people at school
* Peyton & Elizabeth-Iris's friends from high school
* Camilla-Amelia's roommate

 My Thoughts: This the third book by Sortino I've read and her books never disappoint. They represent diverse characters who search for love. It had "feel good" vibes that reminded me of college. I felt a disconnection from my friends when I went away to school and they didn't, and unfortunately, we never came back from it. I loved that it took time for Iris and Declan to find their HEA because that's just how one of my college relationships went, and we didn't have much in common. I felt a spark with Amelia and Grady and hope they reappear.

Rating: 4/5 ⭐
Spice level:1/5 🔥   kissing only

🙏🏾 Thanks to NetGalley, Penguin Young Readers Group| G.P. Putnam's Sons, and Anna Sortino for this ARC! I voluntarily give my honest review, and all opinions are my own.                                                                                               

[Madisonn · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars. Big thanks to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam’s Sons for the ARC, but, I’m going to be honest, I was a little bored

~Tropes~
🚗 Road trip
🎲 Board game enthusiasts
👽 Rivals-to-friends-to-lovers
👁️ Partial blindness and deafness rep

So, this wasn’t the most exciting romance I’ve read. I was also a little confused. I didn’t think there was really any chemistry between them after their first game, which I’m sad about because I feel like there was a lot of potential if they would’ve kept that rivals mentality instead of immediately becoming friends. I just feel like nothing was earned and everything was kind of due to circumstances.

However, I did like that they love board games. I feel like you don’t see too many contemporary romances with board game enthusiasts, and I enjoyed that aspect.

Another reason I think I might not have enjoyed this one too much is because I couldn’t relate to the characters. I myself am an older sibling, so I don’t really relate to the younger sibling mentality of getting choices made for you. I kind of understand feeling like you’re getting avoided or ignored by your sibling, but at least Amelia actually thought she was doing her a favor.

I also don’t get Declan’s thought process. Like, YOU’RE the one that decided you would tell Iris about your feelings, and then you turn around and say you wouldn’t be a good boyfriend? Also that might have been a bit fast. It was like the equivalent of a one night stand, feelings-wise. They had barely just confessed they liked each other and kissed a bit, and then she felt full on dumped?? Honey, two days earlier you just thought he was some obnoxious dice-whisperer.

I don’t know, I just think there could’ve been some other decisions made. It was cool seeing representation for partially blind and deaf people tho. That isn’t very common, and it was neat to see a perspective on that. Other than all of what I’ve said, this is a very fast read 🩷

[Sara Bechtol · Rating 4 out of 5]

Genre 📚: YA Contemporary, Coming-of-age, Romance
Tropes 💁‍♀️: Rivals to lovers, Road trip, Meddling siblings
Rep ✔️: Partially deaf main character, partially blind side character
CW ⚠️: Divorce
Rating ⭐️: 3.5/5

Going into an Anna Sortino book, I know I’m going to get great disability rep and a lovely slice-of-life romance. Stops Along the Way has all of that, with a couple of board game nerds and a road trip to boot. FMC Iris flies out to her sister’s college to drive her home for the summer, and she just so happens to run into her gaming rival Declan, who’s driving his brother back. They decide to caravan all the way to Nebraska together, switching drivers every so often and getting to know each other better.

It was fun being in the two cars with several different dynamics — with Iris and Declan, with Iris and her sister Amelia, with Amelia and Declan’s brother Grady. Some rides were relaxing, some chaotic. The main couple switched from rivals to flirting rather quickly, and then from casual to serious rather quickly, giving me whiplash. But they were super cute, especially when talking about gaming. Other than the romance, I enjoyed the tension between the sisters. It stretched out for the whole trip, and it had me on edge in the best way.

Iris had relatable fears, being an eighteen-year-old about to start college, but she also had the unique fear of inheriting the same eye disease as Amelia. So much had already changed, and so much was going to change, so the thought of another disability was a lot. But Iris also had a good foundation of confidence, which grew as time went on. And plenty of loved ones to support her along the way.

**Much thanks to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Stops Along the Way will be released on May 19, 2026.

[Helen Freire · Rating 3 out of 5]

There were a couple of things that made my rating for this book drop from 4 stars to 3. It was not a bad read at all, but it also never fully became a favorite for me. In the end, it settled into that middle space of being a light, enjoyable book that feels perfect for a summer day.
Iris and Declan have a couple cute moments that had me rooting for them, and I liked watching them grow closer while driving their siblings home. Their shared love of board games and the idea of creating one together to submit to a convention added a fun and unique touch to the story. The writing was also very easy to follow, making it a quick and smooth read, also representation too! It was amazing to see rep in stories.
That said, I think part of my disappointment came from expecting more of an enemies-to-lovers dynamic based on how the story was introduced. Instead, that tension disappeared very quickly, and Declan seemed to completely fold almost right away, turning the relationship into something softer much sooner than I expected. Because of that, some of the emotional beats did not land as strongly for me.
The biggest issue for me was the classic third-act breakup. It felt unnecessary and a little overdramatic, especially because their relationship had only really developed over a couple of days. The reaction felt much bigger than the relationship itself, which made that part harder to fully believe.
Overall, this was a sweet and easy story with lovable moments, easy follow through writing, and characters that each brought something to the story, but it did not quite stick with me enough emotionally for me to love it as much as I hoped.

[Alexandria Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book felt like summer road trip nostalgia mixed with first love butterflies and that weird terrifying feeling of growing up. Anna Sortino really has a way of writing characters. Messy, anxious, figuring it out kind of real.

Iris is spending the summer helping drive her older sister home from college while quietly carrying around the fear that she may inherit the same diagnosis her sister has. Which honestly added such an emotional layer to this story because underneath all the cute road trip vibes, there’s this constant uncertainty hanging over her future.

And then enter Declan....Board game rival. Childhood annoyance energy. Unexpected road trip companion. Secret soft boy. The banter between these two was SO cute because they already knew how to push each other’s buttons. Watching that rivalry slowly turn into flirting and then into genuine feelings had me grinning the whole time.

Yes, there’s romance.
 Yes, there’s adorable tension and sweet moments and nerdy board game flirting. BUT there’s also:

✨ sister drama

✨ fear about the future

✨ friendship changes

✨ college transition anxiety

✨ disability rep

✨ figuring out who you are when life suddenly feels uncertain

I especially loved Iris and Amelia’s relationship because it captured that sibling dynamic where you love each other deeply but still hurt each other without meaning to. The conversations about disability, independence, and fear were handled with so much care.

This book reminded me that sometimes life doesn’t go according to plan… but the unexpected stops along the way can end up meaning everything 🥹✨

[Kat B. · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and publishers for providing me with a digital ARC of this book in exchange for writing an honest review. 💛

If you like cross-country road trips, friends to lovers (but in a back and forth, confusing, slow burn type of way??), board game enthusiasts, and are looking for disability rep, this book is up your alley. The main characters are both seniors in high school preparing for their departure to college. After running into each other while picking up their respective siblings from the same university, the four of them decide to caravan home together. Shenanigans ensue!

Despite what I found to be a promising premise, this wasn't my favorite of Sortino's books. I was expecting more high-stakes conflict, better chemistry, and the ending felt extremely rushed. I spent half the book expecting Amelia and Iris to blow up at each other because, out of all the characters, I felt they had the highest potential for the emotional conflict this story was craving. But when they finally confronted each other, I felt like everything wrapped up too quickly and tidily to be satisfying. Let the girls FIGHT! Lol.

Although the plot really didn't hit the spot for me, I could see this being a reassuring read for someone experiencing the same disabilities Iris and her sister navigate during the story, and I did adore the silly banter. Sortino's excellent at creating fun dialogue! If you’re looking for an easy, fluffy road trip read with cute banter and a gaming rivalry, take a chance (haha, get it) on this one when it comes out this May.

[MadReads · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was cute, quick read. It had the perfect summer road trip vibes. Iris flies out to help her older sister Amelia drive their car across the country to bring it home to Nebraska from college. They run into her board game rival from home Declan, and his older brother Grady, planning to do the same thing. They decide to caravan together. I enjoyed how their relationships with their siblings were an important part of the story. The developing romance between Iris and Declan was adorable. I like how it snuck up on them after seeing each other in an unexpected place, and blossomed from their shared interest in board games. By the end, I was a bit frustrated with the progression of their relationship. I know they were both under a lot of stress but Declan ran very hot and cold. Things eventually came together but I wish it happened a bit earlier.

Iris and Declan are dealing with a lot of big changes that come from growing up and leaving home for the first time. They are just realizing that they have to step up and make important decisions for themselves. This book accurately captures the riotous emotions that come along with that and highlights the extra considerations that come with being a disabled teen. The disability representation was extremely well done, showcasing the intersection of different disabilities and their needs, as well as the anxiety over future changes.

Thank you to Penguin Young Readers Group, G.P Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy.

[Jac · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a cute YA novel that had a lot of potential but ultimately needed more editing, for me. I went in super excited to have a new book to recommend to my students who are into gaming and nerd culture, but I don’t think I could find many students who could deal with the weird pacing, thin plot, and cringey dialogue. (The dialogue in the first third or so is terrible… so much of it left me curious as to how it didn’t get cut in editing.) There are threads that are begun and lead to nothing—not red herrings, just nothing. (Why is there so much emphasis on the FMC being a planner and the MMC going with the flow… to the point of having a tent in his trunk if he couldn’t find a hotel for the night… for nothing to ever happen with that??)

The huge positive for this book is in its disability rep. The FMC has significant hearing loss and her older sister has diminishing sight, both due to a rare genetic condition. All of this is treated with nuance and care throughout. There’s a scene in a hot tub that was particularly delightful! However, the “odds” of the FMC also losing her vision is something that creates a lot of anxiety for her in the book… and then the main story ends with her juuuust starting to lose her vision and blammo we have a huge time jump into college in the epilogue! What!? Again, SO MUCH potential with this book that fizzles out.

Speaking of that epilogue, I have beef with a romance that puts the HEA out of the main storyline—and after a time jump, no less. This is a road trip book, but if you’re expecting that typical plot sequence you’ll be disappointed.

Also, not for nothing, but a lot of the characters were unlikable. I normally enjoy that (!) but it didn’t work for me here. Her sister was straight up mean sometimes.

I liked this enough that I’d read something else by the author, but again, I’d hesitate to recommend this to my 8th graders unless they were really looking for something only this has.

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin YRG for the ARC!

[Cathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an incredibly delightful read! We’re introduced to Iris and Declan, two endearing characters who are part of a gaming group. Their nerdy charm adds a sweet layer to their interactions, and while sparks fly subtly between them, fate intervenes when Iris embarks on a trip to pick up her sister. As luck would have it, Declan is also there to collect his brother, leading them to drive back together, caravan style. The odds seem to favor these two, hinting at a touch of fate.

Throughout the book, their relationship navigates a rollercoaster of ups and downs, leaving them often unsure of where they stand. Yet, you can’t help but root for them—they’re just so adorably perfect for each other!

I appreciated the book’s exploration of significant themes, including family dynamics, friendship, and the challenges of medical conditions and disabilities faced by Iris and her sister, Amelia. The journey of accepting these realities, both personally and within their circles, adds depth to the narrative. I found myself wishing for even more exploration of this aspect, as it’s not commonly addressed in books.

I’m definitely cheering for Team Declan and Iris! Their moments of tension and connection were charming. The book flowed smoothly and kept me eagerly turning pages, always curious about what would unfold next for them. Plus, I loved how Grady and Amelia would secretly conspire to bring these two together. Such a sweet story!

[Stephanie Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5
Iris and Declan are rivals at the board game club they play at. They always end up competing against each other. When Iris is tasked with flying out to her sister’s college to drive the car home she ends up running into him. His brother happens to attend the same college and they are driving his car home. They end up paired together when his brother suggests switching cars. Declan confesses that he has a crush on Iris but breaks up with her not even 24 hours later while they are still on the car trip. Iris and Declan are going to the same college. After the trip the timeline jumps to 3 years later when they are juniors in college.

I wanted to like this but I don’t understand what makes Declan announce the crush and then break up not even 24 hours later. I know he is having issues with his family but they still have the drive home. It doesn’t make sense. And they are still friends. Why would Iris do
That to herself. I hate that time jump. It comes out of nowhere and misses important parts of their relationship. Maybe it’s just me.

Also I was more interested in the relationship between Amelia and Grady. I would be interested in their book.

I did love the hearing and vision loss representation. It’s not depicted enough in books.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me a digital copy of the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Luv2TrvlLuvBks · Rating 2 out of 5]

Initial encounters for this Reader are important.

Declan and Iris know each other from a mutual passion for card games held at their local, familiar store. This much is clear. After all the first chapter has Iris navigating a busy thoroughfare to reach her intended destination with precious cargo in hand. When she arrives and interacts with Declan, this Reader wasn't sure to the extent of their relationship. The book's blurb suggested a rival rather than friend relationship. However, there seemed to be little to no rivalry in how they interacted. The dialogue and physical interaction was tepid.

When there was a happenstance later encounter at a college attended by both characters, their relationship leaned into the even more murky. Again, the blurb suggests her struggle with hereditary vision issues. Blindsided when learned that Iris actually is dealing with another loss. Another author, Rachel Lynn Solomon, tackled (albeit a different) hereditary disease in "You'll Miss Me When I'm Gone". When you compare the writing, you'll see how "Stops Along the Way" falls short. Rich material not so great execution.

Thank you Penguin Young Readers Group | G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

#StopsAlongtheWay #NetGalley

[K.C. Norton · Rating 2 out of 5]

What an absolute nothingburger of a book.

I've read and enjoyed Anna Sortino's prior books. I appreciate her Deaf rep, and I'm always glad to see rep that doesn't center the MC's disability as the problem. Here's the thing, though: if you took the disability rep out of "Stops," you would be left with nothing. There's barely a plot. The characters are so flat. Declan is entirely forgettable. Iris and her sister have some interesting conversations about their experiences as someone with hearing loss from a childhood illness, and someone with progressive vision loss. The line between being ableist and not wanting to experience something that changes your quality of life is one that we could spend a lot more time on, and the way it's handled here is interesting, though it didn't go into too much depth. Outside of Iris's medical concerns, though, there's basically no conflict or plot that isn't entirely self-inflicted here. The characters might have worked if they were supposed to be tweens, but as high schoolers and college students, they read as strangely immature. Almost nothing happens.

I will continue to recommend Sortino's other books, and will read whatever she writes next, but this one was a miss for me. The characters and plot would have needed to be a lot more developed for it to work, IMO. And that third act breakup was just so annoyingly pointless.

[Stephanie Fitzgerald · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

I always look forward to reading Y.A. books by Anna Sortino. They have great plots about characters with differences such as hearing impairments, sight loss, etc. Her writing is also enjoyable because she doesn’t fill her narratives with foul language and graphic sex scenes, which is quite unusual for modern-day Y.A. novels.
That being said, I didn’t like this one quite as much. I think it was the “gaming parts” that were a bit tedious to read (I’m an old fogey, I guess.) I can definitely see how creating a board game and having it published by professionals would be thrilling, though.
The road-trip parts were fun to read, especially the interactions between Grady and Iris’ older sister. Grady could have been a very annoying character, but the author managed to make him hilarious instead!
There were some elements that gave me “misty eyes”. Iris is hearing impaired, but seems to manage very well with hearing aids. Now at 17, just as college is on her radar, she must deal with the fact that macular degeneration may be in her future, as it has been a part of life for the past few years for her sister… I can’t even imagine…

* I received a digital copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are strictly my own.*